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We are thrilled to have two of our properties featured in this months Architectural Digest. Both Searles' Castle in Great Barrington, MA and Rye House at Avalon Farms in Litchfield, CT appear in the Estates for Sale section of the October, 2010 issue. {Click Image Below to View Larger}

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There are some great overnight trips in the Berkshires.

Lastmonth we started ours at the newly renovated White Hart Inn in Salisbury. They have a fantastic new chef and we had a wonderful dinner on a balmy summer night on the porch while we played rummy 500 with ours boys (I won). Cant wait to get back there.

The next day we drove up to the Clark Museum in Williamstown, MA. This is a surprisingly stunning museum and the architecture and surroundings are as interesting as the art. There are also many nature trails and a chic restaurant, so make sure to leave enough time to wander about. We wished we had more time there.

Then we took a beautiful drive over a big mountain and arrived at our zipline adventure! As I am fearful of heights, I was really looking forward to this.(not). A training session proved that I needed 3 trys to figure out the braking while my husband and 10 year olds had it down in one. A 15 minute 4 wheel drive adventure brought us to the top of the mountain. When we arrived at the first platform, one of my sons broke out in tears and had to have the 4 wheeler come rescue him. I assured him I probably wouldnt make it the whole way and would meet him at the bottom soon. But once you get started, its a lot of fun! I made it the whole way, and I can now check zip lining off my list. Visit: Deerfield Zipline for more info.

Then on our ride back we stopped in the charming town of Northampton. What a fabulous place, so chic and lively. We shopped around in their great local boutiques and had a nice (but not memorable) dinner. It was only 1.5 hours back from there.

Stacey

Raveis received notification from the Commercial Record that we have won for 2010 The Best Real Estate Company in the State of Connecticut. This is the second straight year that William Raveis' CT operations have received the gold medal in the real estate category.

If you haven't experienced them yet, you will want to check-out Big Green Truck Pizza! They are a one-of-a-kind catering service that hosts pizza parties from the back of an antique truckwhich has beenspecially outfitted as a mobile pizzeria.Not only that but they bring all the materials and equipment (right down to dessert and paper goods) you need to pull-off anawesome backyard picnic with fabulouswood fired pizza.

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of hosting a backyard movie night and pizza party for a ton of kids and their families. With the help of the Big Green Truck Pizzaand Big Wave Events, who provided a large movie screen and projector for a drive-in style showing ofThe Karate Kid (the original!), the night was a bigsuccess.

Big Green Truck Pizza

New Haven, CT

203-752-9547

doug@biggreentruckpizza.com

Big Wave

Roxbury, CT

800-291-9837

http://www.bigwaveevents.com/

The Matthews Group Monthly Update is available. You can access it here:

Download MARKET UPDATE IN OUR AREA

If you are looking for a great activity to do with your kids in the area this summer, consider looking intoSoundWaters. My boys visited last week and had a wonderful time.

About SoundWaters

SoundWaters, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1989, is the leading environmental education organization on Long Island Sound. Programs take place at the Coastal Education Center in Cove Island Park, in Stamford, Connecticut, on the SoundWaters, an 80 three-masted schooner; at schools, community centers and field sites throughout the region; and at our summer program for children ages 2-14.

The mission of SoundWaters is to educate children and adults about the wonders and beauty of Long Island Sound and its watershed. Through education, SoundWaters provides people with an understanding and awareness of the changes they can make in their lives and communities to restore, protect and preserve Long Island Sound and the Environment.

To learn more, visit their website here: http://www.soundwaters.org

We are thrilled to have our listing, Rye House at Avalon Farms, featured in the Real Estate section of Connecticut Cottages & Gardens this month. [Click below image to view article].