Lyssa Papazian never pictured herself running a country store. But when the Putney General Store closed in December 2016, she stepped in to help reopen the business and manage operations. Lyssa, a historic preservation consultant and Putney Historical Society board member, manages the store with fellow...
I used to think Chittenden was just a quiet little mountain town. Located between Killington and Rutland, Chittenden is tucked away in the Green Mountain National Forest and is home to the 750-acre Chittenden Reservoir, scenic Lefferts Pond (pictured above), and the secluded Mountain Top Inn...
Vermont chicken pie suppers are an annual tradition in the Green Mountain State. Last weekend, I went to the Jericho Congregational Church Chicken Pie Supper, which is one of the oldest in Vermont. The 116th supper, welcomed a full house of locals and visitors who gathered in the...
“If we don’t have it, you don’t need it.” That’s pretty much the slogan for Vermont general stores, where you can find long underwear, fishing bait, penny candy, coffee, sandwiches, honey, and good conversation all under one roof. Vermont general stores have been an integral part of...
You know you’re in New England when you visit Norwich. Main Street is lined with historic Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival brick and frame buildings, and the local village green is busy with bandstand concerts, community picnics, and soccer games. Settled in 1761 across the Connecticut...
Since launching HappyVermont.com in August 2009, I've traveled through many of Vermont's 251 cities and towns. Here are 8 beautiful places in Vermont to photograph, including some of my favorite historic churches, meeting houses, barns, and bridges. Waits River Church The tiny village of Waits River in...
Vermont is home to more than 8,000 miles of unpaved roads. One of the most historic is the Bayley-Hazen Military Road, the Northeast Kingdom's oldest thoroughfare. Traces of the road, most of it unpaved, extends diagonally 48 miles from Wells River to Montgomery Center. Much of...
Vermont was once home to dozens of fire towers across the state. According to the Green Mountain Club’s 360 Degrees: A Guide to Vermont’s Fire and Observation Towers, 38 fire towers once stood in Vermont. Today, there are far fewer. The History of Vermont Fire Towers Many...
The famous Vermont floating bridge is making a buoyant comeback in Brookfield. Since reopening to vehicular traffic in May 2015—after being closed since 2008—the Floating Bridge is attracting visitors from near and far. The bridge, first built in 1820, spans 321-feet across scenic Sunset Lake. The newest...
Recycling, composting, buying local, and a genuine love for the land are values and practices that are a way of life in Vermont. Vermont consistently ranks as one of the greenest states in the country. Of course, we’re not exactly perfect. The state needs to...
