VERMONT: THE GREEN MOUNTAIN STATE
BY Clay Larroy
Traveling is great
personal interests because it will make a more open-minded person when it comes
to inter acting with people. It also made it easier to understanding as to why
people act the way they do in their own society and in a society as diverse as
the U.S. It has long been said that travels “broadens the mind”. Now new
evidence proves that jumping on a plane will not only make you smarter, but
more open-minded. When you need to
plan a vacation contact me!
Central
Vermont
Small towns can be deceptive. Take, for instance the
towns of Mad River Valley, Vermont. This region is a precise blend of what you’d
expect: country stores, covered bridges and local color. According to a
Waitsfield, Vermont resident, few people lock their cars here - except during
zucchini season. If you don’t, you’re likely to end up with a stack of
vegetables in your backseat courtesy of a neighbor anxious to get rid of his
bumper crop.
But don’t be fooled. The quirky charm, slow pace and
pastoral beauty of central Vermont hides an attractive secret most residents
prefer not say out loud: beneath the veneer of simple mountain folk lifestyle
lays an upscale sophistication on par with that of trendy big cities. The
entire area seems to embrace the good life without a hint of pretentiousness.
And that’s exactly what attracts repeat visitors, vacation home buyers and
urban professionals wishing to resettle in more serene environments.
Defined by a mountain landscape that blankets the state,
Vermont is first and foremost a skier’s haven. Many towns such as Stowe
(probably the most familiar) make the winter passion its bread and butter,
establishing resorts, transportation shuttles and skiing conveniences to
satisfy the slope hungry. Stowe Mountain Resort, for example, recently added an
automated snowmaking system on Spruce Mountain, the first of its kind in New
England.
Cross-country skiing is equally popular. Stowe has four
inter-connected cross-country ski centers with more than 90 miles of groomed
and 60 miles of back-country trails. The Trapp Family Lodge, made famous by
its Sound of Music connections (the youngest Von Trapp son still owns
the place), offers demos and clinics at its cross-country and snowshoeing center.
During the summer months, Stowe resorts open their lands
to hikers, bikers and golfers. For those wishing for a break from energetic
pursuits, countless spa facilities dot the landscape, including Stoweflake
Mountain Resort’s 50,000 square-foot operation with 30 treatment rooms,
dramatic waterfalls and a Hungarian mineral soaking pool.Conveniences abound. But overall, with its rows of
historic storefront facades and movie set atmosphere, Stowe seems a bit
contrived.
Those looking for a more authentic experience should
travel 35 minutes south to central Vermont where the state’s true small-town
mystique shines through.
Montpelier, the state capital, sets the tone of the
central region. With a population of approximately 8,000 (that swells to twice
that size during the day when government employees’ stream in) it is the
smallest state capital in the U.S. It is also the only one without a McDonalds.
Yet there’s no shortage of coffee houses, bookstores or boutiques. Here’s where
the blend of bourgeois and back roads begins, starting with the New England
Culinary Institute (NECI). At NECI’s two restaurants - the Main Street Grill
and second floor Chef’s Table - up-and-coming chefs get hands-on training in
all aspects of the hospitality industry, from cooking and menu creation to
front-of-house organization and waiting tables. Alton Brown of the Food Network’s Good
Eats fame is a graduate of the 26-year-old school and regularly comes back
for special events.
Stop in Montpelier for lunch. Then move southeast along
winding Highway 100 through Fayston, Moretown, Waitsfield and Warren,
collectively known as the Mad River Valley - an area free from franchises or
traffic lights. This is where rural rejects rustic and embraces understated
savour faire.
On the boundary between Moretown and Waitsfield is the
1824 House Inn & Restaurant - one of the most innovative uses of an old
barn in the state (and there are many). Partners Karl Klein and Chef John
Lumbra run both the Inn and fine dining restaurant; the latter is open five
nights a week year-round for dinner only. Housed in a circa 1870 converted barn
original to the property, the restaurant is listed on the National Historic
Registry. The 1,500 square-foot dining room comfortably accommodates nightly
dining and many small weddings throughout the year.
Stop for the night further down Highway 100 at The
Featherbed Inn. This 1806 house was saved from decay by the original innkeepers
who loved the property so much they retired to a home adjacent to it. Now owned
by Linda and Tom Gardner, it’s an elegant 10-room inn complete with feather
mattress topped beds, antiques and an exceptionally lap friendly house cat
named Thomacina. She, along with a marmalade buddy named Sneakers and two
fluffy Corgi/sheep dog crosses, love to welcome visitors in a very down-home
but private environment.
If you’re around on the weekends, don’t miss the strange
dual-identity production facility next door. American Flatbread is a factory by
day, restaurant on weekends and former livestock barn. American Flatbread is a
company that creates gourmet wood-fired oven frozen pizzas using organic and
locally grown produce such as free-range chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and
peppers. These are shipped to stores across the country, but a real treat
happens on Friday and Saturday nights when the production floor is cleared out
and folding tables and chairs propped open. People line up outside for hours
for a chance to eat Flatbread pizzas straight out of a wood-fired earthen oven.
One night of Flatbreads and you’ll never stomach take-out chains again.
Finally, Warren Village is the end of the Mad River
Valley line. This deceptively traditional town is home to The Pitcher Inn and
Restaurant, an eleven-room Relais & Chateaux property that’s been welcoming
guests into its uniquely themed rooms since 1850. Eight rooms and two suites
are lavishly decorated, including the Teacher Room with a chalkboard for a
headboard. The hotel facilities are colonial but contemporary. The wood-lined
ski equipment locker room, for example, is complete with a glove dryer. The dining
room adds a chef’s table to its 6,500-bottle wine cellar for very special
occasions or indulgences. This discerning place is not without its small-town
quirks, however. In the pub downstairs, only three stools line the bar in
accordance with a hotly contested but enforced by law that forbids four or more
seats along a licensed bar.
Across the street is the Warren General Store - designed
to look just like one. A sign on the white framed screen door states, ‘If we
are closed, please slide your money under the door.’ Wooden shelves line the
country-esque outlet, the floor creaks as you walk and you’ll swear the
shopkeeper is named Clem. But again, appearances aren’t everything. This
country store stocks vintage wines, gourmet chutneys, trendy pricy clothing
upstairs and houses a back-room cafe where staff is happy to make you a pesto
tuna with olives sandwich to take on a hike. This store in small town Warren
encapsulates the essence of central Vermont - upscale creature comforts
thankfully embrace a down-home mountain charm that will appeal to the Bob
Newhart in us all.
http://www.travelresearchonline.com/
All in all, Vermont is a jewel state, small but precious.
Pearl S. Buck
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