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Some of our favorite links:
Attractions | Shopping | Dining | Local Information |
Touring | Summer | Winter | Charities |
Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory is here in Waterbury and they have a very popular tour complete with free samples. There is a nice children's playground on the hill behind the factory. Also be sure to visit the "Flavor Graveyard" of "retired" flavors no longer in production. Some of the epitaphs are on the web site too:: www.benjerry.com
Cold Hollow Cider Mill. "Vermont to the Core." Watch them press apples throughout most of the year. And they have one of the best stores around (Cabot Creamery outlet mentioned below is another) for a wide variety of Vermont made foods: www.coldhollow.com and their great cider donuts made fresh all day long. The mill is also home to the Grand View Winery store plus a gift shop with many VT products and souvenirs.
Cabot Cheese has their Annex Store near us in Waterbury Center. The factory, which has tours, is located about 45 minutes away in Cabot Village: www.cabotcheese.com
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is located here in Waterbury. No factory tour but they do have two local stores, one of them in the recently restored train station. Very popular coffee produced by a socially and environmentally conscious company: www.greenmountaincoffee.com
We highly recommend this Vermont treasure: Shelburne Museum is one of the nation's most eclectic museums of art, Americana, architecture, and artifacts. Thirty-nine galleries and exhibition structures display over 150,000 objects spanning four centuries. Outstanding collections of folk art, decorative arts, tools, toys, textiles, and transportation vehicles. Paintings by artists such as Monet, Manet, Cassatt, Degas, Andrew Wyeth, Thomas Cole, Winslow Homer, Grandma Moses, and many others. Twenty five 19th-century structures spread over 1400 acres include a covered bridge, a round barn, a lighthouse, and a 220-foot restored steamboat. In sum, a magnificent place.
www.shelburnemuseum.org and a map with descriptions and photos
(click Visit at the top of the Home page and then click Museum Map).
Magnificent 1400 acre show farm on Lake Champlain
created in late 1800's by Wm. Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb. Coach barn is shown on the right. Like the Sleburne Museum, this is a very family friendly facility and is just a short drive from the Museum. Lots of events and activities from spring to fall. Do not miss - you will be impressed! www.shelburnefarms.org >>>
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum . . . and research institute, shipyard, school. One of the top places to visit on the waterfront in Burlington: www.lcmm.org
Covered Bridges: www.vermontbridges.com - an entire website devoted to the 108 covered bridges in Vermont.
Vermont Flower Farm: a great array of perennials and winter hearty plants including display gardens made of native granite and green schist stone work, water and bog garden features, garden sculpture, granite and wooden benches, bird baths, bird houses, hand sculpted stone water basins, a large shade garden, 250 varieties of hostas, native ferns, trillium, red and white baneberries, hellebores, arisaemas, false Solomon's Seal, primroses and gingers. Vermont Flower Farm borders Peacham Pond, Groton State Forest, four state campgrounds, magnificent Owls Head Mountain for hiking, viewing and bird watching, and an abundance of glacial kettle ponds for quiet outdoor recreation. A great place to see the beauty of Vermont. Plants for sale on site and online: Vermont Flower Farm
State of Vermont web site: www.vermont.gov
Vermont Breweries: www.vermontbrewers.com A listing and map of the breweries plus information about the annual VT Brewers Festival held every July on the shores of Lake Champlain in Burlington.
We have a tree house building school! Really. Plus woodworking, architecture, furniture: www.yestermorrow.org
Rock of Ages granite quarry: www.rockofages.com
Guided tours to the world's largest deep-hole granite quarry, 600 feet deep. There is also a factory tour to observe master sculptors and talented artisans create monuments and statues. Factory tours are available as both guided and self-guided experiences, June - October, Monday - Friday, 8:00 to 3:30. The Visitors Center & Memorial Design Studio is open May 1 to October 31 (Closed July 4), Monday-Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays 10:00-5:00 p.m. Admission to the Visitors Center is free and there is a small charge for the guided tour of the quarry.
"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated. When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind." www.snowflakebentley.com
Vermont Sugar Makers Asssociation - much information about maple syrup, one of Vermont's major products: how it is made, how it is graded, where to find sugarhouses open to the public, recipes, and even an application so you can join the association if you would like. www.vermontmaple.org
A center for the recording of the culture and traditions of everyday people in Vermont. Exhibits of folk arts and crafts, ethnic traditions and family stories. Very nice gift shop. In the beautiful town of Middlebury, about 45 minutes south of our inn. www.vermontfolklifecenter.org
Morse Farm: seventh generation Vermonters working the land, making maple syrup, running a cross country ski center through their fields and woods - a fun place to visit.
Be sure to subscribe to Burr Morse's very well done email newsletter, "News from Vermont," with lots of great stories of family, friends, neighbors, visitors over the years. www.morsefarm.com
Vermont is the birthplace of the Morgan, America's first breed of horse.
The Morgan Horse Farm is a beautiful working farm near Middlebury Vermont, about 45 minutes south of our inn. Open May - Oct. www.uvm.edu/morgan
Barre, Vermont short track stock car racing facility, a half hour drive from our inn. Owned by Ken Squier, local radio station owner and pioneer CBS national broadcaster for the Daytona 500: www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com
Vermont Historical Society is located in Monteplier, a short drive from the inn. The society has a museum and a library. They conduct very intersting tours of the staehoue capitol building which is next door to their museum. www.vermonthistory.org
Here is the web site for the Vermont Attractions Association - it has many of the commercial web sites listed above plus some others. Very handy map plus a listing of events. This is an excellent website that will help you plan your trip to Vermont. www.vtattractions.org
Shopping: <Back To Top>
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters: very popular brand of coffee. This growing company is environmentally and socially responsible, publicly held (NASDAQ: GMCR), and has its headquarters here in Waterbury. Order through catalog and online: www.greenmountaincoffee.com
American Flatbread pizza is heaquartered just a few miles down the road from us in Waitsfield VT. They have a hugely popular dinner on Fri and Sat nights but you can get their products in grocery stores all over the country, and even in the Cayman Islands. In the Western half of the US, their flatbread is made and sold by Food Remembers. There are also American Flatbread oven side restaurants in Ashburn, VA ; Los Alamos, CA; Burlington, VT; Middlebury, VT. www.americanflatbread.com
Johnson Woolen Mills:this is the jacket you will see "genuine" (i.e., likely seventh or eight generation!) Vermonters wearing for both work and hunting. Not inexpensive but very well made in the USA and you will likely only need one or two in a lifetime. Available online at www.johnsonwoolenmills.com and at their Johnson VT store about 45 minutes north of our inn.
The VT Teddy Bear factory is in Vergennes VT, about a 45 minute drive from our inn. www.vermontteddybear.com
Real Vermont: If you've been to our inn, you may remember this book on our living room coffee table near the fireplace. We leave it out on the table because it's so popular with guests. Vermont Farm Women book plus others from Vermont photographer Peter Miller are available at his studio next to the Ben & Jerry's factory in Waterbury Center, many local VT stores, and at his website: www.silverprintpress.com
Vermont is 80% forest. Here's what we do with a small part of it: www.vermontwood.com
VT Academy of Floral Design: www.vafd.com
The Vermont Flannel Company is "Dedicated to world comfort!" TM
Uses highest quality tightly woven flannel in its nightshirts, pants, shorts, robes, etc. Unlike regular flannel; it does not shrink. The company is family-owned and guarantees 100% satisfaction. Made in USA. Order online or visit their stores in East Barre and Woodstock VT, plus North Conway, NH http://www.vermontflannel.com
Country Walkers: hiking tours all over the world. It's a lot of fun just to read the web site and dream of taking the tours: www.countrywalkers.com
Vermont Crafts Council: www.vermontcrafts.com
High quality tea blended right here in Waterbury. Stop by and meet John, one of the friendliest people in all of Vermont and probably the state's leading expert in teas! He will be glad to explain teas and take you through a tour of his herb garden in the summer. You can buy online too: www.vermontlibertytea.com
The folks who built some of our out-buildings - they make great sheds, playhouses, etc.: www.jamaicacottageshop.com
Gift baskets of Vermont products: www.GiftBasketsByKim.com
Stephen Huneck Galleries: beloved Vermont artist with the famous dog chapel in St. Johnsbury. www.huneck.com
Skin care products made from goat's milk. We especially like the skin lotion during our dry Vermont winters. It is not greasy, moisturizes quickly, and has a pleasant fresh scent (scentless available too so your dog won't follow you around trying to lick your hands the way ours does when we use the scented version). The company is located here in Waterbury as well as Montreal. www.canusgoatsmilk.com
"We know socks, we wear 'em year 'round."™
Vermonters don't spend much time sitting, so we've
developed some strong and comfortable footware over the years;
Still made in the USA. www.darntough.com
Outdoor wear made in Vermont: "The next generation of wool" favored by hunters and other outdoorsmen. Located about 40 minutes north of our inn: www.beaglewear.com
This company was our neighbor just a quarter mile down the road but they grew so much they had to move a few years ago to a bigger facility a few miles farther away. Red Hen Baking Company creates artisan breads that are hand shaped and baked in a steaminjected hearth oven, creating a dark, crispy crust - the signature of carefully crafted artisan bread. They bake and deliver several types of bread seven days a week, assuring that every loaf on the rack was baked just hours earlier. They have a retail counter at their bakery and you can also find their products in area grocery stores and some restaurants. They are happy to share their recipes and show their baking techniques to visitors. See the “Methods Rather Than Recipes” section of the website: www.redhenbaking.com
The Vermont Specialty Food Association is the nation’s oldest specialty food association and became a model for many other states’ associations.It's a non-profit organization made up of small to large Vermont-based food businesses which help support family farms and sustain the beautiful working landscape of Vermont that visitors seek and locals get to enjoy every day! www.vermontspecialtyfoods.org
Washburn Ceramics is a very nice online ceramics store with quality merchandise made by Kathy Washburn. Much of the work is whimsical. For instance, you can get a platter or cookie jar with your pet’s picture painted on it. Colorful, fun, distinctintive. Great for gifts. www.washburnceramics.com
The Rolls-Royce of jigsaw puzzles. Manufactured by Stave Jigsaw Puzzles in Norwich Vermont, these are mahogany-backed plywood puzzles, traditional and non-traditional - in other words, some wild things you've probably never seen before. The pieces are not simply cut in traditional jig saw shapes. They can be an animal such as a bird, a letter, or customer's name. Sometimes there is no piece - just a gap left between pieces. Stave is also famous for their unique puzzles that fit together in more than one way. The average price is about $500 but they range up to $16,500 for a giant, hand-painted limited-edition puzzle called " Dollhouse Village." If you can't afford that, take a look at their Time Share loaner program in which you borrow a puzzle up to six weeks. www.stavepuzzles.com
Dining: <Back To Top>
There are about 100 restaurants (two and three star
quality) in the area.
Here is one of our favorites: www.michaelsonthehill.com We have eaten
at hundreds of restaurants around the counry - this is one of the very best. Very popular with residents and tourists alike. Consistently gets rave
reviews from our guests. Located in Waterbury Center, about 15 minutes from our inn.
New England Culinary Institute's teaching restaurants in nearby Montpelier and Burlington are part of their classroom offer excellent quality and good value. This web site also has information about the culinary school, recipes, etc. http://www.neci.edu/restaurants.html
Hen of the Wood Restaurant at the Grist Mill. Oustanding quality - one of the bets in Vermont. Specializes in seasonal American food with emphasis on locally grown. Located in an old brick mill building with a stream and waterfalls
out back. In Waterbury VT, about ten minutes from our inn. Seasonal menu
on the website: www.henofthewood.com
Cider House BBQ and Pub, Waterbury VT has developed a following for its southern style country food. Good place for quality food in a very relaxed atmosphere. Nice back deck dining in warm months. www.ciderhousevt.com
They're not really "mad" in the Mad River Valley - they're well fed, happy, and sane! See the menus for 20 restaurants: www.madriverbytes.com
Local Information <Back To Top>
Local brewery that helped place Waterbury on top of USA beer destinations. www.alchemistbeer.com
State of Vermont official tourism site (it's very well done - check it to find a wide range of helpful tourism information): www.vermontvacation.com
Information about the Waterbury area is available at the Waterbury Tourism Council's website: www.waterbury.org
<<< here . . .
I write the events calendar on the Waterbury Tourism Council website so please check it for ideas on things to do when you plan to be here.
(The town of Waterbury also has its own website too: www.waterburyvt.com )
Revitalizing Waterbury helps preserve Waterbury's heritage. They were the driving force behind the restoration of the Waterbury train station which is still in operation as an Amtrak station plus a visitors center for Green Mountain Coffee : www.revitalizingwaterbury.org
Our indoor ice rink, the Ice Center of Washington West. You can go skating any time of year while you are here. Skate rental available: www.icecenter.org
Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce's very helpful web site for visiting Waitsfield, Warren, Sugarbush Resort, Mad River Glen ski area: www. madrivervalley.com
City of Montpelier (pronounced "mont-peel-e-ur") official site: www.montpelier-vt.org
Central VT Chamber of Commerce in Montpelier: www.centralvt.com
Barre (pronounced "barry") - "Granite Capital of the World" city web site: www.ci.barre.vt.us
Burlington Chamber of Commerce: www.vermont.org
Regional radio station located in Waterbury, WDEV: www.wdevradio.com
Lake Champlain Ferries: three ferries crossisng Lake Champlain. One is in the northern part of the lake (Grand Isle VT / Plattsburg NY), one is central (Burlington VT / Port Kent NY), and the third is a little south of Burlington (Charlotte VT / Essex NY). The schedules vary by season and are posted on the website. A fun way to see the beauty of the Adirondack and Green Mountains. Lake Champlain Ferries
Touring: <Back To Top>
Scenic road reviews (see VT Route 100): www.milebymile.com
Fall foliage reports: www.foliagenetwork.com and www.vermontvacation.com/seasons/forecaster.asp
The Virtual Vermonter: www.virtualvermonter.com
Summer: <Back To Top>
Umiak Outfitters: canoe and kayak rentals, hiking equipment: www.umiak.com
Birding in Vermont is great: www.vermontbirdtours.com
A circus where all the performers are children! Holds summer camps and has an academy
in neareby Greensboro VT. Summer performances throughout New England and New York.
You should definitely go see this amazing group : www.circussmirkus.org
We have attended five times and we love it.
Best source of information for hiking the Green Mountains: www.greenmountainclub.org
Excellent hiking maps of the area: www.mapadventures.com
Fly fishing guide Lawton Webber offers many years of experience fishing Vermont and New Zealand. Editor of the latest edition of Northern Cartographic's Vermont fishing book. Excellent and honest stream reports on his web site: www.pleasantvalleyflyfishing.com
Green Mountain Troutfitters: very nice little fly shop in the scenic mountain village of Jeffersonville VT, right on the Brewster River. Full service shop and a very good source for information about fishing Vermont. Excellent web site with up-to-date stream reports. They do a lot of brand name equipment business online and offer free shipping for domestic orders over $50. www.gmtrout.com
Lake Champlain cruises on the Spirit of Ethan Allen sailing from Burlington Vermont: www.soea.com
Vermont Outdoor Guide Asssociation, Vermont Recreation and Adventure Pages.
Vermont's best directory of outdoor services and adventure travel resources. Excellent source of ideas on outdoor things to see and do: hiking, skiing, hunting, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hot air balloons, skydiving, mountain climbing, bird watching . . . most everything to do outdoors from mild to extreme - it's all in one spot: www.voga.org
Winter: <Back To Top>
Nearby Ski Areas:
Stowe www.stowe.com
Sugarbush www.sugarbush.com
Mad River Glen www.madriverglen.com
Bolton Valley www.boltonvalley.com
Clearwater Sports for guided snowshoe trips plus a store with all the gear. Located about ten minutes south of us in Waitsfield VT: www.clearwatersports.com
Umiak Outfitters: for snow shoe and other outdoor equipment, plus guided tours. Located in Stowe, about a 20 minutes drive from our inn: www.umiak.com
Snowmobile rental. In the same building with Umiak Outfitters, Stowe: www.snowmobilevermont.com
Local snowboard manufacturer that created the industry: www.burton.com
More than 4,000 miles of snowmobile trails: www.vtvast.org
Dog sled rides: 
October Siberians
More than two decades of experience. Two hour ride and 20 minute ride options. "A sled dog ride is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will change your life forever. You'll see for yourself why these dogs are happiest doing what they were bred to do. You will be amazed at their excitement, strength and willingness to pull you through
the Vermont winter landscape."
Our favorite charities: <Back To Top>
If you donate at least $30 to VYCC or Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, we will give you a $15 discount on room bills over $100. That's a 50% return on your donation! Offer is good for stays within two years after your donation. For reservations during holiday or fall foliage periods, the minimum donation is $50 to get the $15 discount - still a very good deal!
Vermont Youth Conservation Corps:
This is an outstanding organization. The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps is a non-profit youth, service, conservation, and education organization that instills the values of personal responsibility, hard work, education, and respect for the environment. Each year, the VYCC hires people ages 16-24 who work and study together to complete high-priority conservation projects such as state park management, trail maintenance, and backcountry construction. Young people expand their job and leadership skills and develop personal values, ethics, and an awareness of social, political, and environmental issues. All VYCC jobs are characterized by comprehensive and intensive training, close supervision, and extensive opportunities for individual learning and personal growth.Please take a moment or two to look over their website. You'll be impressed. www.vycc.org
Camp Ta-Kum-Ta:
Camp Ta-Kum-Ta provides challenging, extraordinary experiences in a safe and loving environment for kids who have or had cancer. The camp exists for Vermont children (and out-of-state children who are treated in Vermont), between the ages of 7-17, at no cost to their families. Some of the camp counselors attended the camp when they were children with cancer. www.takumta.org
Stanford University distributed processing project on protein folding to help understand the causes of Parkinson's, Alzheimers, some types of cancer, and more (see the Science page on the Folding website). Sign up for the Grunberg Haus team number 38019 and we will give you a $0.50 discount for each work unit up to a maximum of
50 units for the team. It's quick and easy to download the software and let your
computer do the work in the background when you are not using it. If you or a loved one has ever had a major illness, this is the website for you. http://folding.stanford.edu
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