Vermont Woods Studios - Eco Furniture Blog

Stroll into the Weekend with the "Strolling of the Heifers"

By Heather Barrett

Calling all fun-lovers! One of Southern Vermont's largest annual events is happening this weekend!  It's the Strolling of the Heifers parade and festival.  Each year, tens of thousands of people stroll into Brattleboro, Vermont, to watch future farmers and their animals proudly strut side-by-side down historic Main Street.  The Strolling of the Heifers parade is a quirky spoof of Pamplona, Spain's "Running of the Bulls."  This is a celebration of the deep cultural identity and heritage of New England agriculture. 

This Vermont Chamber of Commerce Top 10 Summer Event is something you won't want to miss. 

Gallery Walk and a Street Festival will kick off the festivities on Friday evening.  Gallery Walk is a first Friday of the month tradition in Brattleboro.  Over 50 art exhibit locations, including restaurants and businesses, open their doors to display local art.  Additionally, in celebration of the Heifers, Main Street will be a block party/street fair with food and entertainment!

The parade starts at 10am on Saturday morning, but we suggest getting there around 9 to secure a good spot!

Scroll the stroll by heading over to the Strolling of the Heifers website to see a full list of events.

See you there!

 

Heather Barrett is a Marketing Assistant at Vermont Woods Studios, an online furniture gallery which showcases Vermont's finest wood furniture. Follow our blog to learn about Vermont fine furniture, Vermont happenings, our mission, and our team.

VT Travel Tip: Lunch at Simon Pearce Restaurant

 

Visitors from Atlanta enjoying the view of the Falls at Simon Pearce in Quechee, Vermont

If you're visiting Vermont this Memorial Day weekend, chances are you'll pass by Quechee, Vt which is in the middle of the state, right off the I 91 / I 89 intersection. 

 

If you do, consider veering off the highway just a mile or two for a relaxing and delicious lunch at Simon Pearce Restaurant. 

This is the location of some of Hurricane Irene's worst devastation but you'd never know it now.  Simon and family have worked non-stop to get their flagship store and restaurant back into tiptop shape and it's just as spectacular as it ever was.

Well worth the trip, as you might guess by the looks of these two agreeable dining companions of mine.

Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture

Bella Notte Restaurant: Almost in VT

 

Look who we found at Bella Notte! That's the owner, Abaz Cecu sitting next to our friends, Dawn and Kim.  Ken's in the foreground.

Ken and I were working with David Brown and Suzanne King of Masiello Real Estate today, checking out a possible new home for Vermont Woods Studios Furniture.  It was a gorgeous day to be outside so we hiked around the perimeter of the property. 

The place was on Huckle Hill Road in Vernon, Vermont so after we finished our tour we decided to continue up the road a few miles to Bella Notte Restaurant for a cold drink.

If you haven't been to Bella Notte Restaurant yet, I can say that it's probably the best kept secret (and has the most beautiful view) in all of Western MA / Southeastern Vermont.  It's incredible!  The view stretches south for 50 miles or more of lush green forest.  Granted it's Massachussetts you're looking at... but it's still absolutely breathtaking.  Check out the back terrace on a nice day.  That's where the view is best.

And if you go to Bella Notte, be sure to say hi to Abaz, the owner and tell him Ken and I sent you.  He'll make you feel right at home. 

Oh I almost forgot, the food is excellent too!

 

The Humble Kitchen - Brattleboro's Newest Restaurant

 

Summer noodle bowl from the Humble Kitchen, a food cart serving Vietnamese street food in the Harmony parking lot, Brattleboro Vermont

Yesterday Shannon suggested take-out food from Brattleboro's newest restaurant, The Humble Kitchen.  It's a food cart in the Harmony parking lot that serves Vietnamese street food, sourced locally where ever possible.

 

Wow, is it delicious and worth the trip, even if you're travelling from NH,  MA or anywhere in Southern Vermont.

Fried mango wontons with a sugar lime sauce might sound a little exotic but you have to try them.  I can't even begin to describe how wonderful they are.

In addition they have specialty dishes for meat lovers, vegetarians and vegans, like the  Banh Mi sandwich, Hot Noodle Soup, Summer Noodle Bowl and a salad with local greens & ginger-lime or toasted sesame vinaigrette.

Today was opening day for The Humble Kitchen and by all accounts they had a nice turnout of support from the community.  If you live in the Southern Vermont area, be sure to take advantage of this great opportunity to enjoy authentic fresh, Vietnamese cuisine.  I guarantee you'll be glad you did.

Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture

Brattleboro VT - Smithsonian Dubs It One of America's Best Small Towns

 

Local artist Linda Marcille has fabulous paintings on silk, and prints of Brattleboro that are available on her website.

There are only about 2200 of us here in Vernon Vermont, the home of Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture.  So we typcially run into Brattleboro a couple times a week to get our necessities in terms of food, arts, movies, music, shopping and such. It's an artsy town with a decidedly green personality. 

 

Brattleboro's Food Co-op is one of the biggest and best in our state, as is the local Farmer's Market.  Many restaurants like The Works and The Marina serve local, organic food.  And of course the area is full of small organic farms like Malhana Farm, Relly Bubs and Lilac Ridge.

I wasn't a bit surprised to see Brattleboro make #11 on a list of the “20 Best Small Towns in America” in Smithsonian Magazine's May issue.  The editor said the number one criteria for making the list was culture:  "a high concentrations of museums, historic sites, botanic gardens, resident orchestras, art galleries and other cultural assets common to big cities". But they were looking for small towns with populations less than 25,000, "so travelers could experience what might be called enlightened good times in an unhurried, charming setting".

When you're heading north into Vermont from New York, Connecticut or Massachusetts, Brattleboro is the first Vermont exit off I-91.  And Vernon is just a few miles South on Route 142.  Stop in, stroll around downtown, have a cup of Mocha Joe's coffee and see if you agree with the Smithsonian.  We think you will!

Vermont Outdoor Tip Of The Day: Don't Chase Bears Away From The Birdfeeder Naked

 

"Vermont's "bearfoot" Governor Shumlin almost got mauled when chasing mama bears and their cubs away from his birdfeeder. Best not to try this at home.

 Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture

 

OK, you just can't make this stuff up.  Wednesday night our governor, The Honorable Peter Shumiln, while tucked safely in his bed, heard noises in his backyard.  He looked out and saw two mother bears and 2 cubs raiding his birdfeeder.  Now, if there's such thing as a luxury, high end (maybe solid gold?) birdfeeder, this must have been it because the governor rushed outside in his bare feet to rescue it.  He tried to scare the bears away.  Apparently they were not frightened though... or amused.

 

He later told the local newspaper that "Vermont almost lost it's governor" and that he was within "three feet of getting 'arrrh,'" whatever 'arrh' is.

 

Now does this sound like a rational thing for a governor to do?  Some fellow Vermonters don't think so and have submitted quite a few cracks about it on our local TV station's website, WCAX:

• Should have kept this little adventure to yourself, Gov.  Especially the part about not being  exactly dressed for an outdoor tangle with wildlife or in your words: "Real Vermont boys don't wear pajamas"
  
• Did this happen on April 1st (April Fools Day)?
• Was he wearing his superman pajama's while he did it?
• Who in their right mind chases after a group of bears??? Naked, no less!
  
• He isn't exempt from the law just because he is Governor.. take down your bird feeders.... the bears don't care who you are.

So if you're someone who lives in New York, Boston or another metropolitan place and you're coming to visit Vermont, the tip of the day is: "Don't Chase Bears Away From the Birdfeeder."  But then, you already knew that.

A New Filly on Malhana Farm

Copper's new filly is less than a day old in this picture

Our good friend Annette owns Malhana Farm on Pond Road, just down the street from Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture in Vernon, Vermont. 

When we first started out in business, Annette let us use part of her farmhouse as a showroom and office.  In return we did occasional chores like feeding the chickens or bringing in firewood.  One March morning our salesperson Susan Holmquist got to work around 8am and was pressed into service helping to pull a new colt out of his mother's womb!  I was so jealous that day.

Anyway, March is baby horse month and Annette's (actually Jeff and Andrea's) newest baby just arrived 3 days ago.  Isn't she beautiful?  She's really tall.  It's amazing Copper carried her around so long-- a month past her due date.

Everyone in Vernon stops in the middle of the road as they're going by Malhana Farm now.  The whole town ached for Copper as she stood out there in the pasture so stoically, getting bigger and bigger every day.  We're all excited to see her with her beautiful new baby and know they are both doing well.  Horse lovers can find additional photos on Pinterest.

 

Vermont Woodworking Design Competition - Open For Entries

 

This mahogany bench crafted by Doug Jones was awarded First Prize in an earlier Vermont Woodworking Design Competition

VWMA the Vermont Wood Manufacturing Association recently announced details of this year's 2012 Vermont Woodworking Design Competion.  As part of the annual Vermont Fine Furniture Festival, this competion showcases the very best of fine woodworking expertise Vermont has too offer.  All Vermont woodworkers are encouraged to enter the competition and/or exhibit their furniture and handmade wooden accessories at the festival.

So for woodworkers, now is the time to get involved.  And for people who love wood and enjoy traveling through Vermont -- be sure to mark your calendar for September 29 & Sunday, September 30, 2012.  The festival and competition will be held at the Union Arena, Route 4-Woodstock, VT. It's worth the trip.  Don't miss it!

 

Maple Syrup Lovers Unite! In Vermont. This Weekend.

Vermont is America's # 1 producer of pure organic maple syrup

Guest Blogger:  Dennis Shanoff
Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture

 

Love Vermont Maple Syrup?  Check out Vermont’s Maple Producers Open House Weekend!

Vermont sure has a whole lot of trees and it is estimated that over 75% of the state is forested. And the biggest percentage of these trees just happens to be of the maple variety.
Well year round these abundant maple trees provide wood and lumber for a variety of products such as wood bowls, cutting boards, wood toys, and of course maple wood furniture.

But come February and March these maple trees are known to produce a very special treat, real Vermont maple syrup! And no wonder with so many sugar maple trees that Vermont is the largest producer of pure organic maple syrup (not a single ingredient added) in the United States. And Vermont’s perfect climate and soil conditions also play a part in our quantity and quality of maple syrup.
 
So with the maple sugar season in full swing, now is the time to plan to visit Vermont and see first hand what this sugaring is all about! And you can’t beat the upcoming Vermont Maple Open House Weekend (held March 24th and 25th) to experience maple syrup production up close. This is a public celebration of the maple syrup season in Vermont and a great opportunity to visit one or more sugarhouses and see just how the clear sap of the maple tree is transformed into a delicious golden syrup.

See you at the Sugar House!

A Luxury Mid-Century Modern Home in Vermont

 

We've been featuring our new mid-century modern American furniture by Copeland lately so when I came across this article about a beautiful new luxury mid-century Vermont home, I thought I'd share it with you.

The former Vanderbilt estate that sits along the edge of Lake Champlain now belongs to a Manhattan couple who've used natural materials including reclaimed barnwood and local river rocks to create a rural respite quite reminiscent of the homes of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Find a dozen more photos of this modern luxury retreat at The Globe and Mail.

Vermont Maple Syrup - Don't Miss Open House Weekend

 

I know you love the warm, early Spring weather but honestly, it's not so good for Vermont's maple syrup producers.  This week's forecast is for mid-70s!  That's unbelievable. I've never seen temperatures soar that high at this time of year.  

 

Unfortunately, according to local sugarmakers, after 3 days of >60F weather the maple trees pretty much figure it's time to get to work making buds and leaves so they turn off the sap production and refocus their energy. 

The good news is that syrup quality is very high and even if there's 25% less production this year than last, Vermont is likely to maintain it's status of being the Number 1 maple syprup producing state in the nation.  Sweet!

Now... this weekend brings your chance to sample the world's best maple syrup.  It's the Eleventh Annual Vermont Maple Open House Weekend, held at sugarhouses throughout Vermont, March 24 and 25.  You can tour sugarhouses throughout the state, watch the syrup being boiled and try the many flavors and products as they're being made.  There are approximately 2000 maple producers in Vermont so check out the Vermont Maple website for maps and directions to all the participating farms and towns.

Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture

Vermont Sends Cat To The Oscars

The Oscars are starting in a few minutes and that's all you hear about on TV right now.  At Vermont Woods Studios, we don't have much of a Hollywood fan club-- nor does the rest of Vermont.  In fact, you might say Vermont is the antithesis of Hollywood.  But just for fun, I started googling around to see if anyone from Vermont would be at tonight's Tinseltown festivities.

 

All I could find was Oscar's Farm, a place where "people live harmoniously with nature and practice sustainable living".  Apparently not the same Oscars.

 

Then I found Oscars Casual Dining in Williston, VT.   Nope.

 

But after a bit of searching... low and behold it seems we do have one Vermont celebrity who's in the news for attending the Oscars and true to  Hollywood's mega-star protocol, she goes by just a first name.  It's Squeak. 

 Squeak is making her Oscar debut to promote BirdsBeSafe Cat Collars, colorful collars designed to grab the attention of songbirds and send them flying safely away from innocent-looking predators.  The collars are going in celebrity swag bags at various Oscar events.

Bongo, Shadow and Pepper think it's fitting that Vermont's only notable attendee at the Oscars is a cat.  And one looking out for the welfare of our feathered-friends, no less. Let's just hope she doesn't accidently lunge out at Billy Crystal or any of the other songbirds on stage tonight.

Go Squeak! And our best to Nancy Brennan, founder of BirdsBeSafe in Duxbury, Vermont.

 

Old Barns Get A Second Chance As Vermont Fine Furniture

 

Here's a familiar site in Vermont and throughout New England... a beautiful old barn that's finally beginning to cripple under the stress of Mother Nature's 100+ years of wind, rain, snow, hail and other weather events (like hurricane Irene in this case).

 

But lucky for us, Vermont craftsmen are giving these beloved ancient structures a new lease on life-- as rustic, reclaimed barnwood furniture.

We're amazed at the amount of work involved in rescuing old lumber from the floors, walls, beams and siding of these fallen soldiers.  Craftsman pick through a great deal of unusable lumber in order to find pieces suitable for furniture. 

Once sorted, the wood must then be tested with a metal detector and de-nailed, before milling.  But once that is done, an incredibly beautiful patina often emerges that can go on to become a unique piece of heirloom furniture, rich with our American history.

 

 

Here's an example of a reclaimed barnwood table we crafted and sold lately.  This one even made it into Yankee Magazine as part of an article called, Reclaimed Style.

 

If you're looking for reclaimed barnwood furniture, give Rebecca or Shannon a call.  They work closely with our craftsmen to customize these pieces with your choice of antique wood.

Just as an aside, did you know that only 50 years ago about half of Americans were living in rural areas or on a farm? Today less than 2% of the American population is involved in farming.  In Vermont that number is 50% higher... still only 3%.  Perhaps that's why there are so many old barns that have fallen into disrepair.  Sad, but nice to have a way to recycle them and re-capture their story.

Many thanks to Picture Ninja for the use of their photograph of this forlorn old Vermont barn.

How Sweet It Is -- Vermont SugarMakers Tap Dance with Mother Nature

Guest Blogger: Shannon Albritton

Customer Champion at Vermont Woods Studios

 

It’s certainly not a news flash that Vermont has received below average snowfall this winter. Who am I kidding? We’ve probably had less snow than Georgia (please don’t fact check this). On the heels of 2011’s over-the-top weather including abominable winter snow storms and hurricane-force floods it seems Mother Nature may be taking a time-out for bad behavior… or maybe she thinks we deserve a break?

 

 

So while ‘Mother’ is kicking back in her flip-flops [I picture her sipping a blood orange, ginger mimosa from a treehouse in Costa Rica] University of Vermont’s Proctor Maple Research Center is receiving calls from concerned maple syrup lovers with fears that this year’s easy-breezy winter could take the sweetness out of maple syrup production?  We just want to know; will there be syrup for our honey-buckwheat blueberry pancakes?

 

Many Vermont maple syrup producers, known as sugarmakers, are beginning the season 2-3 weeks earlier this year and some long-time producers report this to be their earliest start ever.  Sugarmakers are reaching out to one another seeking asking questions such as “When are you starting?” and “It is time?” One producer has decided not to tap his trees at all this year because he’s already seen signs of leaf buds. Once maple trees have begun to bud an off flower flavor occurs in the sap and brings a halt to the season.

 

What’s the general word from Vermont’s sugarmakers to all of us who love that sticky-sweet maple syrup, candy, taffy and it’s amber brown goodness? It looks like we’re all going to be OK. Turns out the weather while the sap is flowing is more critical than the weather leading up to the big event. Vermont sugarmakers are hoping for just the right balance of freezing and thawing temperatures during the six-week sap flow season to maintain just the right flow. For the moment they’re looking good though too many warm days and not enough freezing nights could still cause an impact. Overall sugarmakers seem encouraged that all is well in maple sugar land and our pancakes will surely be graced, once again, by our much loved liquid gold.

Although the fate of this year’s maple sugaring season may lie in the hands of a flip-flop wearing, mimosa sipping woman chilling on an exotic island, I have faith – faith that Vermont will do what Vermont always does - figure it out and make do with whatever Mother Nature blows our way.

A friend told me his young daughter has learned to read the maple trees and they tell her when the time is right to begin tapping. She hasn’t been wrong yet. I’m going to contact him and see what she’s predicting for the season. I’m guessing she’s got a hotline straight to our ‘Mother’. One thing’s for sure - Vermont’s sugarmakers aren’t ready to back down from this tap dance just yet --- show us your moves Mother Nature.

Watch this delightful video of Henry Emmons, 67, of Red Rock Maple Farm in Starksboro VT and see the maple sugar flow as he started making maple syrup this week as day-time temperatures soar. (Produced my Emily McManamy, Burlington Free Press)

Five Valentine's Gift Suggestions From Vermont

What are you doing for your sweatheart for Valentine's Day?  How about a Vermont Teddy Bear or a romantic weekend getaway in Vermont?

 

For the ultimate in luxury check out Twin Farms, an "an intimate country hideaway set amid 300 acres of meadows and woodlands in an unspoiled valley, 15 minutes north of Woodstock, VT."  Besides all the other superlatives, Twin Farms has one of the best reputations in the Northeast for its natural, local organic cuisine. After dining you can indulge in a luxurious spa treatment before retiring to your own private suite or cottage.  Rates are all-inclusive and start at around $1500/night or $43,000 if you'd like to rent the whole place.

 

If that's a bit over your budget or you're not able to travel out of the city for Valentine's Day, here are a couple other gift suggestions.  How about Vermont Teddy Bear's Big Hunka Love Bear?  It's made right here in Vermont and the company is involved in many charitable initiatives in the local community and beyond.

 

 

 In the organic and fair trade department, we have Lake Champlain Chocolates Organic Chocolate Truffles, fresh all natural chocolates, made in Burlington, Vermont.  And Laughing Moon Chocolates made in Stowe, VT with locally sourced products whenever possible.

 

 

 Now if you REALLY want to show up on Valentine's Day with a truly unforgettable showstopper of a gift then I think you might have to consider commissioning Vermont's premiere luxury furniture artisan, Steve Holman to craft one of his Valentine's Day Heart Chairs for the love of your life.  We'll post the details about this heart-warming conversation piece on Valentine's Day.

 

 

 

Snow in Vermont... Finally!

It snowed yesterday for the first time in 2012!  It's been a slow start for winter this year.  Douglas, Manjula and Kendall and I decided to break away from our computers for a few minutes and enjoy the wintery view outside Vermont Woods Studios.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since it was Kendall's last day, I guess he figured "who needs a supervisor?"

 

 

Check out other pictures of our snowy Vermont lair on Facebook.

 

 

 

Revitalizing Vermont’s Rural Economy

At Vermont Woods Studios Sustainable Furniture we've been working with the Vermont Working Landscape Partnership to develop an Action Plan to create a rural renaissance in Vermont that focuses economic development efforts on our working landscape. Right now we have a tremendous opportunity to build our working lands economy (farming, forestry, and value-added processing like furniture making) into a cornerstone of job creation and rural revitalization.

Many of the pieces needed for a Renaissance of our farm and forest economies are already in place. More and more people in our regional market are looking for sustainably produced products, such as our Vermont Made Furniture.  But the Vermont Working Landscape Partnership needs our support in bringing some remaining pieces together. 

The Vermont Working Landscape Action Plan defines what those pieces are and how we can pull all of those opportunities, policies, and new plans into one unified, efficient and effective effort.  If you live in Vermont or vacation here, you are a stakeholder in this plan.  We know that without taking action the landscape of Vermont will evolve rapidly and probably not in a way we would want.

Stakeholders, please take a minute to read the plan and offer your support.  Thanks!

A Vermont Furniture Showroom and Cafe: Co-located at Skyline?

 

 

Part of our feasibility study to see if the Skyline property on Vermont's Hogback Mountain would work for Vermont Woods Studios is anaylzing the possibility of co-locating a cafe or wine bar with the furniture showroom. It's not a real natural combination, is it (furniture and food)?

 

 

But two factors keep pointing to the pairing of these functions at Skyline:

 

 

• The Skyline location, on top of Hogback Mountain, with it's 100 mile view of the Green Mountain Forest offers what I've been looking for to raise awareness about where your wood furniture comes from.  After all, you can buy imported wood furniture anywhere but it's probably going to be made from illegally harvested trees, clear-cut from the world's rapidly disappearing tropical rainforests.  Our customers are interested in acquiring heirloom quality, Vermont-made furniture that's crafted from natural, solid, wood that's been sustainably harvested from beautiful, well-managed American forests (more about green, environmental concerns here). 
  
  
• The other factor is that:  How could  you operate ANYTHING at Skyline without inviting people to come up and enjoy the view?  It would be kinda like that commercial for Ally bank where the guy asks 2 little girls if they'd like a pony. He shows a real pony to one of the girls but only gives her a little figurine instead.  The announcer says something like:  "even kids know it's wrong to hold out on somebody."  That's how I'd feel having a business at Skyline that didn't offer people a place to relax and enjoy the view with a cup of tea or a glass of wine.

So now we're trying to figure out how to strategically pair a Vermont-made furniture showroom with a cafe or wine bar.  Allocating space is the conundrum of the day.  60% furniture -- 40% cafe? Additional seasonal seating outside?  I guess the answers will reveal themselves as we do our research. 

Got ideas?  Suggestions? Interested in running an upscale cafe at Skyline?  Contact us on Facebook and jump into the conversation.  We'll be looking for local help as we navigate through the feasibility study and (hopefully) beyond.

 

 

Vermont Skyline Project: Feasibility Study

Ken and I are under contract at Vermont Woods Studios to purchase the old Skyline Restaurant on Hogback Mountain in Marlboro, Vermont for use as a small furniture showroom, administrative office and cafe.  Right now our emphasis is on conducting a feasibility study to see if the property can be renovated to meet our needs. 

If you're local to Southeastern Vermont, you no-doubt remember eating a delicious, hearty breakfast at Skyline while enjoying the incredible 100 Mile view.  It was the kind of place you thought would always be there for you, the next time you were in the neighborhood. I'm not sure why the restaurant shut down (about 4 years ago?) but it's in pretty bad shape at the moment.

We've been working with Jeremy Coleman of J Coleman & Company Architects on evalutaing the condition of Skyline's heating, air conditioning, plumbing and structure these past couple weeks to see which systems will have to be totally gutted and replaced and which, if any may be partially salvaged.  It looks to me like there will be a lot of replacement. 

If you're in the area or you're interested in green building or the story of Skyline, keep an eye on our project through this blog and Facebook.  We'll be posting progress as we go.  If Skyline is a feasible location for a Vermont made furniture showroom and we do end up purchasing the property, we'll be looking for local help to transform it.  Contact us if you interested in getting involved.

Simon Pearce: Vermont Style and Class

As you know, when Hurricane Irene blew through Vermont, hundreds of our roads, bridges, homes and businesses were severely damaged or destroyed. Being on the banks (being THE banks, actually) of the Ottauquechee River, the Simon Pearce flagship store in Quechee Vermont suffered major flooding and sustained serious damage to its glassblowing, pottery and hydroelectric facilities.  

 

 

Luckily their restaurant and retail store suffered much less damage and they recently re-opened.

 

 

We, at Vermont Woods Studios love to visit the Simon Pearce Mill and Restaurant, especially during these colorful weeks of Fall (that's Arn and Cathy in the restaurant-- the picture was taken just before the hurricane). The Pearce family and their staff are an inspiration to us and a role model for sustainable operations and good corporate citizenship.  Their business is a benchmark for the kind of destination we want to offer at our next location.

Check out the Simon Pearce website and Facebook to see the kind of principled company they have created.  And definitely stop by for lunch or dinner at the Simon Pearce restuarant-- one of the finest in the Northeast.

There are a few weeks of leaf peeping left in Vermont, so we hope you'll wander through our state this weekend or next.  You'll find that almost all of our businesses have managed to dry out, dig out and clean-up in time for your visit.  Your efforts will be greatly appreciated by all the Vermont business owners who are working around the clock to recover from the worst catastrophe the state has ever seen.  

Enjoy your travels!