Vermont Travel Notes

Glenn Ziemke

On September 18 and 19, Waterbury's Ziemke Glassblowing
Studio will be part of an Open Studio Weekend at five
glassblowing studios up and down scenic Route 100 from
Granville to Hyde Park, Vermont. The event will feature
glassblowing demonstrations, prize drawings, sale
pricing, and a chance to win a glassblowing lesson
if you visit all five studios.

More information and a printable map are available
at the Vermont Glassblowers website.

The five participating studios are:

Ziemke Glassblowing Studio, Waterbury Center, VT
Artist: Glenn Ziemke, 802-244-4126
www.zglassblowing.com
Map

Green Mountain Glassworks, Granville, VT
Artist: Michael Egan, 802-767-4547
www.eganglass.com
Map

Mad River Glass, Waitsfield, VT
Artists: David & Melanie Leppla, 802-496-9388
www.madriverglassgallery.com
Map

Little River Hotglass Studio, Moscow (Stowe) VT
Artist: Michael Trimpol, 802-253-0889
www.littleriverhotglass.com
(1/2 mile off Route 100)
Map

Seasholtz Glass, Hyde Park, VT
Artist: Matt Seasholtz, 802-635-2731
www.windsedgestudio.com
Map


Vase by Little River Hotglass Studio


Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus

Country singer and Vermont native Jamie Lee Thurston will hold a free concert at Ben & Jerry's factory on Route 100 in Waterbury VT on Saturday, September 11, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Free ice cream and a free politician too! (Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.)

Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus

Copyright © 2010 Billings Farm & Museum

As mentioned below, if you are visiting the Quechee Balloon Festival today or tomorrow, I recommend a trip over to nearby Woodstock. It's one of my favorite towns in Vermont. And one of my favorite places in Woodstock is the Billings Farm and Museum, a beautiful facility.

This weekend, Billings Farm is holding Draft Horse Days from 10:00 to 5:00 both days. There will be demonstrations and activities showcasing Billings Farm's draft horses, including traditional fieldwork, horse shoeing, horse-drawn wagon rides. Draft horses teams will demonstrate plowing, planting, cultivating, and mowing in the farm fields during narrated programs at 11:00 a.m., 1:00, and 3:00 p.m. each day.

Each morning will begin with braiding the horse's mane and tails. There will also be shoeing demonstrations on the farm's Percheron, making horseshoes, and rope making. Children can learn how to make clothespin horses, take part in hobby horse races, and play Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Horse.

Billings Farm is well worth the visit not only for the Draft Horse Days but also for their everyday displays plus work that goes on the farm such as cow milking. It's a great place for children and for adults who would like to witness and learn about farm life.

Admission: adults: $12.00; 62 and over: $11.00; children 5-15: $6.00; 3-4: $3.00; under 3: free.

Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus

One of central Vermont's most popular events is taking place this weekend. The 31st annual Quechee Balloon Festival features about 20 hot air balloons which launch twice a day at 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. In some cases, they can accommodate passengers and there will also be tethered balloon flights. About 60 craft vendors are there and there is music, food, and children's activities.

The deepest gorge in Vermont is located in Quechee and the town is known for its antique stores and shopping opportunities.

While you are in the area, I recommend a visit to Woodstock VT, one of the most picturesque villages in New England. Woodstock is located a short drive west on Route 4 from Quechee.

Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus

As a follow-up to last week's posting about the Burlington VT Discover Jazz Festival, I wanted to add that the festival has a Facebook page and a Twitter account. They are a great way to keep up to date and discuss what's happening with the festival as it moves to its June debut.

Jeff Connor, Grunberg Haus

If it's not the world's first Twitter Pub Crawl, it definitely is Burlington VT's first. And who else but Magic Hat would put on such an event.

It's scheduled for April 22, 2010 at 7:00 pm and it is structured as a team event. Throughout the night each four person team will receive clues from Magic Hat via Twitter on which pub to go to. At the end of the night, Magic Hat will check each team to see if they made it to each pub. The names of all the successful teams will be put in a drawing to determine the overall winner. Each person on the winning team gets the top prize of a round trip ticket from JetBlue to wherever the airline flies.

All proceeds will go to The Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS). The cost to each team is just $5 per person. Also,the entry price includes one of the coolest looking T-shirts I have seen in a long time. That alone has to be worth a lot more than $5.

Round up three other drinkers, er, friends, and help Magic Hat, JetBlue, and COTS with this first of its kind event. Who knows, maybe years from now it will the equivalent of saying you were at Woodstock.

Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus