Tanglewood

We spent much of today at a timeshare tour (aka twist your arm to sign up for a time share you don't want and can't afford tour) and while it wasn't super fun it did make this trip super cheap so we endured. I may or may not have exited with the kids who may or may not have been being a nightmare at the part where they were trying to get us to sign up for it. :) We didn't let them convince us but MAN...those people can put the pressure on!

Old town hall in Lenox, MA. It is now a Yankee Candle store.

I thought it was very cute.

The main event for today was Tanglewood--it's the famed summer home of the Boston Pops and a huge outdoor "campus" dedicated to bringing music performance and music education to the masses. I actually remember going to a Boston Pops concert in Phoenix when I was a young woman. It was somehow a church activity. I figure if I heard about the Boston Pops as a kid in Arizona they must be somewhat famous.

Tonight's concert was directed by John Williams and of course featured the Boston Pops with guest singer James Taylor. Whoa. If those names weren't amazing enough this concert was even more impressive and wonderful because the kids were free and our admission was relatively cheap. I really wished my Mom and co. could have been there. They would have loved it.

I was struck by the elaborate picnics that people brought. It was the most enchanting place. Many folks had candles, tables, and UH-MAZH-ING spreads.

You can see all the people, a fraction of the crowd, and the tent that housed the orchestra. We opted to sit on the lawn and even though we could only see by video it was the perfect choice. We heard everything and our boys did really well.

Some nearby picknickers with their fancy layout!

The boys listen to the show. Will had a dirty face from eating a few to many peanut M & M's. What a huge night. It was all wonderful. The movie scores from John Williams and the James Taylor stuff. How could you even pick a winner?

It was fun listening to James Taylor talk about his song "You've Got A Friend" that he did with Carole King. He admitted to liking it but then made a joke saying if he had only known how many times he'd have to sing it... James Taylor owns a home near Tanglewood and he and his wife are involved in giving to the organization.