Vermont Travel Notes

There are more than 100 cities across the world that welcome the new year with a "First Night" celebration. The concept was developed to offer an alcohol-free and substance-free way to start the new year. Boston was the first city to start this tradition and Burlington Vermont was the fourth to adopt the concept.

This year is the 25th anniversary of Burlington's First Night. It is the city's largest one day arts festival and will attract thousands of visitors. There is a wide range of performances which you can read about in the festival's 48 page guide.

In addition to Burlington, First Night celebrations are held in Montpelier and St. Johnsbury.

All the first night celebrations are family friendly but the one in St. Johnsbury puts special emphasis on children's entertainment.

(c) 2007 Jeff Connor (except the St. Johnsbury festival logo above)

Representatives from many of the Vermont ski areas will be at the Boston Snow Expo this Thurs - Sun. The Expo is being held at the Bayside Expo Center on Mount Vernon Street. There will be many special offers, drawings, free gifts, contests and special promotions. The Expo draws a lot of people because it has an equipment sale at pre-season discounts. The link above will take you to a PDF page that lists all the resorts and vendors who will be at the Expo.

Adult admission is $10 but there are $3 discount coupons available if you submit your email address at the Onthesnow.com website.

If you have young children, you can introduce them to skiing at a gentle practice ramp that will be set up specifically for that purpose. And there will an artificial ice rink too.

(c) 2007 Jeff Connor

Vermont Hand Crafters was formed in 1955 and now has 200 members, most of whom will be at the group's annual show Thursday through Sunday, November 15 - 18.

Some 150 crafters will be on hand with samples of their work for sale. They include items such as paintings, fiber art, fine art, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, photography, pottery, stone, toys and figurines, and wood.

The event will be at the Sheraton Conference Center, located at exit 14 W from Interstate 89 in South Burlington.

This show was named by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce as one of the Top Ten Events held each year.

Admission is $7.00 for all four days ($4 for Sunday only admission) but there is an online discount coupon available on the Vermont Hand Crafters website.

(c) 2007 (except the show logo above which is copyright by Vermont Hand Crafters, Inc.) Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn

Travel to Vermont and you will see the dairy farms that are a large part of the state's image. But from time to time you'll see other animals too, some of them exotic breeds you would not expect.

There are a goodly number of sheep and goat farms now (mainly to support all the small cheese producers here), exotic bovines such as Scottish Highlander Cows that look like Musk-Ox cousins (there are usually some out at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe), buffalo and elk (they're being raised for restaurant consumption), miniature horses and donkeys, and I even know of a camel (it's on Route 2 a little south of Richmond VT, on the west side of the road).

I know of several places with Llamas and Alpacas but I did not know there were so many of them until I read the list of Alpaca farms in VT on the Sponsors page on the Northeast Alpaca Association's Fall Spectacular website.

The public is invited to the show being held at the Champlain Valley Expo this weekend, November 2, 3 and 4, 2007. About 100 Alpaca farms from all over the northeast will be displaying some 500 alpacas.

These are fascinating animals and you can learn more about them at Benefits of Alpacas page on the Log Cabin Farm website.

Alpacas originated in the Andes mountains of South America so it is a breed of animal very much at home in the mountains of the northeast but they adapt well to other environments as well. They are small, easily handled animals known for being intelligent, calm, and clean. They don't need a lot of land, they are disease resistant, and they produce a fiber as soft as cashmere that's also lighter, stronger and warmer than wool. The hair is just cut off them like shearing sheep wool, so the animals are not butchered.

You can even purchase an Alpaca there. "Coco," pictured above, can be yours for just $20,000 for example. Everybody in your neighborhood has a dog or a cat but you can set a new standard with an alpaca in the backyard! Besides Coco (who is owned by Alpacas of Easton ), there others for sale on Alpacas For Sale page on the Association's show website.

(c) 2007 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn

freefoto.com

This Saturday, October 27, Bennington VT is determined to win the Guinness World Record for the most jack-o-lanterns on display in one place. The current record is held by nearby Keene NH which set the record in 2003 with 28,952 officially counted.

Who says Americans don't have enough leisure time?

There will also be a Main Street parade at 4:00.

Seeing that many jack-o-lanterns will probably be an impressive sight so don't forget your camera.

Bennington is a nice town to visit with many architecturally and historically significant buildings. I recommend you take the walking tour around the Old First Church and cemetery on the west side of town. There is a very good quality Welcome Center in an old brick blacksmith's shop at the Corner of Route 7 and Elm Street where you can pick up literature on things to see. For some reason, it is closed on Sundays - when most visitors would be coming into town.

The Bennington website has a listing of local attractions.

You will also be near Arlington and Manchester, both of which are scenic towns. Manchester is known for its outlet stores but even if you won't want to go shopping, you should drive through this very pretty village. Just take Route 7 north from Bennington. It's about 15 minutes to Arlington and another 15 to Manchester where you will see the Reluctant Panther and the Equinox, both world class ($$$$) lodging and dining facilities. Since we are now entering "low season", The Equinox is running some specials, one of which offers three nights of lodging for just $333 - a fraction of what the rooms cost during busy seasons.

There are many other good quality inns and motels in the Manchester area that are not as expensive.

Southwest Vermont is one of my favorite areas to visit but it's been a while since I was there so I think I'll take another look at lodging places down there and get a trip scheduled soon.

(c) 2007 Jeff Connor



Bennington Old First Church,
the oldest church in Vermont

Vermont Craftworkers website

The 27th annual Essex Fall Craft and Fine Art Show will be held three days, Friday through Sunday, October 26 - 28 at the Champlain Valley Expo center in Essex Junction, Vermont.

This event has some 400 exhibitors and is ranked as one of the top shows in the country by Sunshine Artist Magazine. There will be artisans displaying "hand blown and stained glass, fine scents and herbal soaps, forged iron, garden accents, original oils and watercolors, weather vanes, candles, pottery, music, leather and sheepskin, calligraphy, note cards, furniture, jewelry, baskets, florals, and gourmet specialties such as dips, sauces, vinegars, and sweet treats. "

There is a one dollar discount coupon available on the show's website.

(c) 2007 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn