So I had this really great idea to go to Tanglewood this summer. I've never been and isn't there something idyllic and alluring about listening to music while surrounded by nature? In May or June I mentioned that Eric and I were planning on going to my sister Mary and she was in--along with our mutual friend Melanie. We bought our tickets, made our campground reservation and marked our calendars.
Since we were combining (car) camping with the symphony I started planning and had some great meals worked up without doing anything too crazy and as the weekend of August 17th approached my packing list and "itinerary" started filling in nicely.
Little did we know as we packed up our car the night before that we were in for a crazy ride.
Melanie met me at our house Friday around noon and then we picked Eric and Mary up from work. We headed out to Lenox, MA (where Tanglewood is) thinking we had plenty of time prior to the start of the show but my carefully printed off directions to the October Mountain Campground were apparently not correct as they took us an hour+ further than we needed to go in a rather circuitous route. When we finally pulled into the campground we were running a little late--like really late. And I don't know that you can really call the campground a campground. Our site was surrounded by paved roads and the lawn (yes there was grass everywhere was nicely groomed with very few trees scattered throughout. Basically we were just on the lawn across from the bathrooms.
As we started unloading the car, the heavens decided to open and grace us with rain--and we're talking a pre-flood/Noah-like downpour here. It was not my finest moment and there might have been a moment where I was deluded enough to think we were still going to be able to cook our tin-foil dinners if only the fire didn't get wet so I should definitely cover it with my umbrella (yeah, I know...not a boy scout over here ok?!? I was trying...) Drenched, but with tents up (thank heavens Eric is a patient man) we tried to dry off (which didn't really work) and head into town, finding something to eat before the concert began.
The allure of Tanglewood had slightly worn off at this point, especially as we sat, each of us partially dry but mostly damp (aka freezing), listening to Barber's beautiful violin concerto, Copland's Appalachian Spring and a Beethoven Symphony. The music was beautiful. If only I hadn't felt like a wet dog...
The next day came with lovely sunshine and a new outlook on life. This wasn't so bad. Mary and Mel went off to hike a portion of the Appalachia Trail, which felt a little like we were dumping them into the wilderness with a granola bar and a bottle of water, and Eric and I bummed around, shopping and seeing what there was to see. We found a great ice cream shop, got some dinner, and headed to the concert early because Saturday night was John William's 80th birthday party and we were sitting on the lawn.
It was awesome. We took in our sleeping bags so we weren't freezing and since we had time to kill prior to the concert we got to walk around and see the beautiful version of Tanglewood that lived up to what I had imagined in my mind.
When people go to Tanglewood it is a process. They pack gourmet picnic baskets, bring candles and wine. Maybe even a cheese tray. And there are people everywhere.
Sounds like an unbelievable birthday party! So cool you were able to attend. More memorable probably that you were soaked the first night.
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