Christmas evokes several warm memories for me—early morning presents, late night hot cocoa and of course, extravagant decorations. It always reminds me of the light show my parents used to drive my brother and me to see back in Chicago where I grew up. They’d tune the radio to a Christmas station that was synchronized with the light show as the two of us in the back seat stared up in awe at the glimmering displays. We’d try our best to find all the hidden snowmen and, at the end, Santa would give us each a candy cane. That display…
Whether you live in one of the region’s old farmhouses, a timber-frame cabin, a grand Greek Revival or a cozy cottage or chalet, homes in our corner of the world…
During visits to my sister and her family in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, we’d sometimes slip away to the Arnold Arboretum, a ten-minute walk from their backyard. No matter the…
The best gift I’ve ever gotten came from a friend about two weeks after Hurricane Irene ripped through the Hudson Valley. We’d lost the bridge to our home and were…
Though hardly a scrooge by anyone’s realistic standards, I’ve never been an all-in for Christmas kind of guy. So, yeah, it always annoys me a bit when the official start…
Here’s the thing about Patricia Clarkson: She makes people happy. To wit, when our team at The Mountains was mulling over possible cover options for this issue, we were hoping…
When I was a kid, this was the time of year when Perry Como, America’s favorite crooning dad and ex-barber (Google him if you must) would sing “Oh, there’s no…
If you’ve ever spent a holiday season in the mountains, you know the party circuit moves fast. One night it’s a roaring fire in Woodstock, NY, the next it’s a…
During the holidays I must confess to absolutely loving a proper eggnog—the kind that requires separating yolks from whites, whisking, folding and chilling overnight with enough bourbon, rum and Cognac…












