Vermont Travel Notes

The Green Mountain Corvette Classic is being held June 15 - 17, 2007 in Stowe, Vermont.

There is a cocktail party, car corral, vendor auto market place, motor show, barbecue, dinner and dancing to the best of the 60's band, Sunday morning breakfast run, people's choice awards, and competition of colors awards.

Entrants can register either online or at the event on Friday from noon to 7:00 pm.

(c) 2007 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus

The Green Mountain Opera Festival started a few days ago and will conclude June 24. The festival includes concerts, open rehearsals, master classes, a new young artist program, opera chats, picnic. The online festival calendar has details of events, dates, and locations.

The highlight of the festival are performances of Puccini's masterpiece, Madame Butterfly, on June 22 and 24, 2007 at the Barre Opera House, in Barre VT (north central part of the state close to Montpelier). You can purchase tickets at Barre Opera House online ticket sales web page.

The festival is sponsored by the Green Mountain Cultural Center which also sponsors other events during the summer.

The Madame Butterfly painting above was created by Vermont artist Bill Bauer who donated it to the Green Mountain Cultural Center. The GMCC is holding a silent auction for the painting and, as of May 4, the bidding was up to $3250. You can submit a bid by calling 802-496-7722.

(c) 2007 (except Madame Butterfly image) Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus

While traveling around Vermont this Memorial Day weekend, look for artists and craft workers who have opened their studios to visitors. Some of these are retail operations that are usually open anyway but many others are located at the artist's home (or barn, in some cases!). This is a rare opportunity to see their actual studios which I think is more interesting than seeing their works in a gallery.

There will be oil and watercolor paintings, pottery, hand-blown glass, wood furniture, photography, sculpture, jewlery, quilting, fiber arts. The best place to get information is at the Vermont Crafts Council website. There is also a very well done brochure that you can pick up at any of Vermont's Vermont Welcome Centers and other information racks located in stores, inns, gas stations, etc.

(c) 2007 Jeff Connor

In suburbs all over this country, homeowners are gearing up to do battle with lawn weeds this spring. The king of all weeds, the dandelion, is often number one on their hit list. But naturally, here in Vermont, we take a different tact - people here cultivate the darned thing for heaven's sake. And wouldn't you know, there's even a group of Vermonters who have a festival celebrating America's most frustrating weed. To top it off, there is another group of Vermonters who actually show up at the event. Go figure.

You should come out and take a look at these quirky folks. You'll find they are friendly and relaxed. Some of that may have to do with the fact they are drinking white wine that's made from their exalted weed.

So, while the rest of the country digs, cuts, chops, burns, poisons, and generally mutilates the poor plant, you can find a place that celebrates it with raised glass and grateful palates. This festival is a good chance for you to make an entry in your list of goofy but fun stuff you did with your time on this planet.

The festival is Saturday, May 19th at Grandview Winery from 1:00 to 5:00.Admission is free. There will be music along with other types of wines to taste. Grandview Winery is located about 15 minutes north of Montpelier. You can get directions here. It's a very scenic area to drive around exploring. I recommend a drive up through Plainfield and Marshfield over to the town of Peacham and just pick some side roads to explore. It's a lot of fun to see the beautiful vistas and farms back in the hills and you will no doubt find some good places to photograph. The area around Peacham is one of the most photographed in the state of Vermont. Cabot Cheese factory is nearby in the town of Cabot and it's worth a visit for the factory tour and cheese shop.

The dandelion blossom produces a wine that tastes surprisingly good. It is aromatic and lightly sweet. Quantities are limited and the price is about $15 a bottle.

(c) 2007 Jeff Connor

The 16th annual Stowe Basketry Festival focuses on educating enthusiasts on the art of of basket weaving. A staff of 16 well known basketry teachers from the US and Canada will hold one and two day workshops plus evening lectures in weaving styles ranging from traditional to classic to contemporary.

(c) 2007 Jeff Connor

Burlington is one of those cities where residents give a lot of support to local events. One of the biggest and most enthusiastic responses each year is to the annual Keybank Vermont City Marathon which will be held Sunday May 27 this year. Hundreds of local volunteers and tens of thousands of spectators enjoy the festive atmosphere and see the event as an unoffical welcome to milder weather after a long season of snow. Details are available on the Run Vermont website. Resgistration is closed but there is a Transfer Board where you might be able to buy someone else's entry for $70 for the marathon, $90 for a 2-Person Relay, $130 for a 5-Person Relay. Time is short: the transfers must be postmarked by this Friday, May 11.

For youngsters, there is the 7th Annual Y.A.M. Scram - Kids' Fun Run on Saturday May 26 with options for a half mile, one mile, and two mile events. Note: there is NO raceday registration so if you are interested, please go the Yam Scram online registration page.

The weekend's events include the HERC Sports and Fitness Expo with information on many types of outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, climbing, yoga, energy enhancement, etc. Everyone is welcome and admission is free. The event is located at the Burlington Sheraton, and it is where runners sign in and pick up there registration packets. On the websitse is a list of Expo vendors and a list of Expo seminars.

(c) 2007 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus