Vermont Travel Notes

Once the site of a thriving granite mine, Hardwick VT became a pleasant but hardscrabble looking town after the mine closed. Then it got hit by a major fire five years ago which destroyed several important old buildings in the middle of town. But it has made an admirable comeback in recent years. Most of that is due to the local food movement. Several articles have appeared with headlines along the lines of : "The Town That Food Saved."

The current issue of Yankee Magazine now describes Hardwick as "The Center for an Agricultural Economy." It was written by Bill McKibben, a Vermont resident famous for his work on global warming. Mr. McKibben writes about some of the key people involved with the local food movement including the local investor funded restaurant, Claire's, and organic seed producer, High Mowing Seeds. It's an interesting read and provides insight into many of the related types of activities going on in Vermont today.

Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus, located about half an hour from Hardwick

One of the new Vermont travel blogs I've been reading for the past few months is called Love Vermont. It's written by Katherine Kerrigan who describes herself as a "girl who fell in love with a state and a state of mind" which is actually a common situation in Vermont and one that applies to me and many others who find their way here as well.

Her blog yesterday is especially helpful for Vermont travelers looking to find unique dining experiences. "top ten tuesdays - waterfront dining" is a great little article with quick reviews of the best dining next to lakes, ponds, and rivers throughout the state.

I've only eaten at four of the ten restaurants so I have some work to do. But in a state awash in great dining, it takes more than the decade I've been here to get to a large number of them let alone all of them. But that's part of the charm I suppose - the never ending discovery of new places to enjoy Vermont.

One word of advice about one of the restaurants, Hen of the Wood located near me in Waterbury: it is a small restaurant that is highly popular so reservations well in advance are always a good idea. The waterside here is a nice waterfall and river immediately behind the old brick mill building which houses the restaurant. See my January 11, 2009 blog post which has a winter photo (ice and snow) of the falls but will give you and idea of the setting during more hospitable weather.

Love Vermont is one of several fine Vermont blogs I have included in the right hand column of Vermont Travel Notes under the heading Travel Friends. I recommend going through it for ideas of things to see and do while traveling Vermont. There are a lot of good ideas there written by people who love Vermont and love to share their knowledge.

Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus

The Inn at the Round Barn is one of my favorite places in Vermont. It's in a beautiful valley a few minutes drive from the village of Waitsfield. It's not only a great place to stay but also the perfect venue for a Vermont country wedding if you're in the market for such a dream event.



Dave Hartshorn, shown in the video, owns a farm and farm stand nearby on Route 100 - - about half way between my inn and the Inn at the Round Barn. He has vegetables, maple syrup, honey, and other goodies on hand most of the summer and early fall. It's worth a stop just to see rural Vermont at work.

I have had the good fortune to sample some of chef Charlie Menard's creations and I am happy to confirm that his work is outstanding.

Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus

There are two beer festivals in northern Vermont this weekend and it would be easy for you to attend them both if you would like.

On Saturday, September 26, Siptemberfest is taking place at Mad River Glen on Route 17 near Waitsfield VT.

Some of Vermont's best known brewers will be there: Magic Hat, Long Trail, Rock Art, Trout River, Otter Creek, Wolavers. In addition to the "big guys," the festival will present an unusual opportunity to sample local beer from Lawson's Finest Liquids plus beers that are only available on the premises at The Alchemist Pub and Brewery, Bobcat Cafe, and American Flatbread.

The Skinny Pancake will be making their crepes on site and the Mad River Glen Pub will be serving food as well.

Mad River Glen will be running their single chair lift for fall foliage viewing. It's a great way to get close to the magnificent fall colors compared to looking at them through a windshield.

Just up the road in Stowe, Oktoberfest will have will have a parade, live music and dancing, vendor and craft booths This is a family friendly event put on by the Stowe Rotary club. For children there will be games, pumpkin and face painting, and a Jumping Fun Haus.

Oktoberfest runs both Saturday and Sunday at Jackson Arena on Park Street in Stowe.

(c) 2009 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn

MSN has an online video series hosted by Andrew Zimmern in which he travels around the country recording interesting places to visit, usually focused on food. Zimmern was host of the Travel Channel show, "Bizarre Foods" and now hosts Travel Channel's "Bizarre World" in addition to being a chef, writer, and teacher.

Zimmern was recently in my area of Vermont to visit Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Little River Hotglass Studio, and Cold Hollow Cider Mill. He doesn't just visit though - he gets right into production, creating his own Ben & Jerry's flavor in the test room, blowing a glass jar at Little River Hotglass, and making cider doughnuts at Cold Hollow.

These Appetite for Life. episodes are a good way to get some behind-the-scenes views of popular attractions in Vermont and elsewhere.

(c) 2009 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn

The Alchemist Brewery and Pub is one of the most popular spots in this area for tourists and residents alike. Anyone who is a beer lover should put The Alchemist on your must-do list (bucket list?). It's located on South Main Street in Waterbury VT.

To keep up with what brewer John Kimmich is preparing, you can subscribe to the blog RSS feed. A recent entry talks about the gluten free offerings as well as other Summer Time Beers. John started preparing gluten free beer and food offerings after his wife and co-owner Jennifer discovered she needs to consume gluten-free products.

The food there is excellent so be sure to give it a try too. Executive Chef Jeff Lang uses a lot of locally grown fresh produce in his imaginative menu which you can look over on the website before you arrive.

(c) 2009 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn