Our Vacation at the Oak and Spruce Resort

Best Things Nearby:
Norman Rockwell Museum, Ski Butternut, Lee Bowling Lanes, Lee Prime outlets, and the New England towns of Great Barrington, Lee, Stockbridge

Best Things About the Resort:
The sleeping accommodations, game room, pool and hot tub, gym, bar, and DJ.

Resort Experience:
This is a wonderful resort located in a rustic setting at the northwest end of Bear Mountain State Forest in Massachusetts. It is very close to the ski areas of Butternut, which we took advantage of, and Bouquet, which we heard, from guests, is a family ski area that is not as crowded as Butternut. We stayed in the townhouse unit, no. 214, which was like a duplex one-bedroom apartment. There was construction going on, but we did not hear it because it was cold outside and we had our windows closed. The unit was well maintained and very clean, except for the stairway rug, which could have used a good cleaning. The kitchen was well stocked with all the utensils and a starter pack of cleaning supplies. The appliances appeared brand-new. The unit was great, except that you should keep away from the garbage disposal, which we jammed with peels. The maintenance staff was great, as they fixed the clog by the next day. Service and staff at the resort was great. They were very helpful and friendly. When we needed an extra blanket and towels, they were at our units door in less than 5 minutes. I enjoyed the two indoor heated swimming pools. For me I enjoyed the hot tub the most. It was very much needed after a hard day of learning how to snowboard. It helped my sore and bruised body recover for another day of pain on the slopes. My son enjoyed the game room very much, which I noticed all the kids did. He especially enjoyed the games of chance the most. At these games you could win tickets. He won 2,500 tickets, which he redeemed for a 5-foot-high inflatable SpongeBob doll.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

This is a great place to relax and eat after a day of skiing at Butternut. Their calzones are out-of-this-world and highly recommended. The dough is light and flaky and melts in your mouth. I recommend adding ham to your calzone. Their pizza is deep-dish but not very doughy. The staff will accommodate you. We had a pie that was half meatball and pepperoni and half just cheese. I was a pie made for the gods. The restaurant was very clean, and so were the bathrooms if you wanted to take a potty break.

A Good place for family skiing/snowboarding without the haughty crowds of Vermont or Colorado. There are snowboarding and skiing Lessons provided by local high School or College kids. More to follow...

THIS IS NOT A CHEAP MUSEUM. IT COSTS $12 DOLLARS AN ADULT, HOWEVER CHILDREN ARE FREE.

This was very exciting because I am a cub master in Long Beach, NY and Norman Rockwell was the art director for Boys Life Magizine, the official magizine for the Boy Scouts of America! Seeing his art work so amazing!  

The subjects would just jump off the canvass and draw you to the picture, as if you are there at the time of painting! My Favorite works, besides the paintings devoted to Scouting, were the Paintings of the 4 Freedoms. (SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS). The piece, Freedom of Speech is my Favorite. Then the Freedom of Religion— see how the people seem so life like and jump off the Page. Then the Freedom from Want I wish thanksgiving at my home was like this. The Freedom of Fear was the most controversial, it was painted at the time of the Battle of Britain, when English children were not safe in their beds.

The tour guides were great, they were very knowledgeable about each one of Rockwell's paintings, and the subjects involved. Rockwell drew them fom people in the local area. They are known to sometime come into the museum and talk about him, and the painting they sat for. The colored woman who is the cashier, her daughter was the model for the young girl in the civil rights painting of the young girl going to school. The kids would like the downstairs because it is devoted to the work of the local artist that created the series of Dinotopia. There is a half hour film with an activity book that will keep the kids interested and occupied. In the rear of the museum was an exhibition of the art work of National Geographic, which, as a school teacher, I thought was outstanding . Come summertime, I think the museum is going to change the exhibition in the rear.