Berkshires hideaway! Hikes & serenity near lake

Welcome to your light-filled home in The Berkshires. With a two-level wraparound deck & open floorplan, you can enjoy your time together, away from the world. Big spaces and cozy spots throughout. Perfect for families (with a swingset!) or getaways with friends. Otis Reservoir, MA's biggest lake, is nearby. Audubon preserve behind the house. Great, private home base for hiking, skiing at Otis Ridge or Butternut, trips to Kripalu or MassMOCA... or for going nowhere at all. Dogs OK! (note: fee) This home features three floors. On the main floor, enjoy gathering together--or apart. Talk or read on comfy couches under the cathedral ceiling, while others do puzzles on the game table, someone else naps on the couch while a fire crackles in the stone fireplace, and the kids watch a movie, cozy on the leather sectional by the 55" TV. Cooks will enjoy the fully-equipped kitchen, stocked with quality pots and pans, tea, coffee, oils and spices. You'll have a gas stove, full-size refrigerator/freezer, dishwasher, microwave, coffee maker, electric tea kettle, a griddle for pancakes, and all the dishes you'll possibly need. Everyone can fit around the large dining table. Gas BBQ grill on the deck is available year round. Upstairs features two bedrooms. The master bedroom includes a queen bed plus fold-out twin cot, as well as an en suite bath with walk-in shower and your own private balcony. (In summer or fall, enjoy your morning coffee at the table for two.) The second bedroom also has a queen; while its bathroom is just outside the bedroom door, no other bedroom shares it. The lower level bedroom, with beds for four plus a fold-out futon mattress and a portable crib, offers perfect privacy for a family; we have found that sound doesn't travel upstairs, so even an early-rising toddler will not wake upstairs sleepers. We also offer three twin size sleeping mattresses you can put in any bedroom. These give lots of flexibility for children to sleep wherever you like. Another alternative, depending on your group: put all the kids in the lower-level as a bunkroom! Did we mention there's an air-hockey table there, too? In the warmer months, while away your afternoons on the two-floor wraparound deck. Enjoy sun upstairs and shade downstairs, including a porch swing that overlooks the forest. For young kids, a backyard swingset completes the fun. In winter, the deck is lovely as a spot for stargazing... or building snow forts! You'll find four sleds at the house, if the snow beckons. Firewood is provided for the living room fireplace. _______ Please note: because well water and septic sustain this house, we can host up to 10 adults at most. If some in your group are children, we can extend that to 11 or 12 people. If you have more people than that, we suggest combining this home with some of the other Airbnbs nearby; although the home is spacious for entertaining, we cannot host larger groups due to showering, other water use, and general wear and tear (it is our family home as well). Thank you for your understanding! :-) Our friendly local caretaker prepares the house for your arrival, and she'll be able to take care of any issues that come up during your stay. Our snow removal service will clear the driveway in winter. While we won't be around in person, we are always available for any questions or concerns. This lovely wooded setting is adjacent to an Audubon wildlife refuge for cottontail rabbits and songbirds; a short hike up the hill will reveal a 360-degree panorama of the nearby lake and valleys of the Berkshires. Stroll down the road a bit further and you'll find yourself on the very path of the the historic Knox Trail; picture the colonists pulling cannons to Boston through these forests, where you are now. The house is part of East Otis, a rural town at the edge of the Otis Reservoir that offers a lovely home base for exploring the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts. Here you'll find all the essentials: two general stores, a Saturday morning farmer's market all summer, soft-serve ice cream into the summer night, a couple restaurants, fishing bait for sale, a waterfront kayak rental spot, and the Tolland State Forest with its sandy beach for lake swimming and hikes ($8/car day pass), all within 5-10 minute drive of the house. You can see three neighbor's homes from the house, but that's it... and you'll see very few other people on this rural road. Venture just 15-30 minutes away, and your options are endless: In warmer months, enjoy the world-renowned cultural attractions of Jacob's Pillow, Tanglewood, the Norman Rockwell Museum, and MassMOCA, plus gorgeous outdoor destinations and blueberry picking. In fall, marvel at the glorious New England foliage and go apple picking, while enjoying the museums and restaurants in Lenox, Great Barrington, and beyond. In winter, ski Otis Ridge (popular, with night-skiing, just 10 minutes away) or go to Ski Butternut (larger, family-friendly, 30 minutes). Maple Corner Farm, and Canterbury Farm, each about 20 minutes away, rent snowshoes and cross-country ski equipment and offer lovely trails. In spring, soak it all in as this wonderland turns green. You need a car to get here. The two driveways can hold about six cars. The lake is a nice 15 minute walk or a 5-minute drive to the water at the entrance of the Tolland State Forest. The Tolland State Park ($8/car day pass) about 5 minutes further down the road has a sandy beach, restrooms, and nice spots to picnic. Camp Overflow rents kayaks and fishing boats for the hour or day, and that's also 5 minutes away. If you are a cyclist we can recommend a lot of great routes. Casual cyclists may enjoy riding the well paved and quiet roads near the lake, while serious riders can find excellent, hilly rides of any duration. Enjoy the WiFi or avoid it in favor of rural serenity, as you prefer :-) Please enjoy our DVDs or bring your own. You can also rent DVDs by the day at one of the local general stores. Like many country homes, this one is not air-conditioned. Open the skylights and plentiful screened windows, turn on the ceiling fans, and listen to the owls at night and wild turkeys in the morning.