Outdoors Archives - Happy Vermont

Outdoors

  • Vermont Wildflower Walks and Guided Hikes
    Vermont Wildflower Walks and Guided Hikes

    Vermont wildflower walks are a chance to see columbines, bloodroot, trout lily and other spring ephemerals in forests and trails throughout the state. Here are a sampling of trails and conserved areas, as well as upcoming events, where you can see wildflowers this spring and summer...

  • What’s the Story Behind These Vermont Place Names?
    What’s the Story Behind These Vermont Place Names?

    Vermont has no shortage of offbeat place names. What is special about Vermont place names is that they come with a story—either a true one or a mix of myth, folklore and fact. Esther Monroe Swift wrote Vermont-Place Names: Footprints in History in 1977. She spent...

  • Stratton: Forests, a Fire Tower and a Tiny Population
    Stratton: Forests, a Fire Tower and a Tiny Population

    Imagine if Stratton lost its status as an official Vermont town. In the 1930s, the Vermont Legislature decided that towns with tiny populations, like Glastenbury and Somerset, would no longer be organized towns. Some wondered if Stratton would face the same fate. At the time, Stratton's...

  • Vermont Winter Outdoor Events and Activities You’ll Love
    Vermont Winter Outdoor Events and Activities You’ll Love

    Sunsets after 5 o'clock, sunnier days and warmer temps are easier to come by in February and March. Fortunately, this time of year is also jam-packed with Vermont winter outdoor events and activities. The second half of winter arrives Monday, Feb. 3, officially marking the season's...

  • Vermont Winter Carnivals to Celebrate the Season
    Vermont Winter Carnivals to Celebrate the Season

    Ski jumping, a wood sawing competition and a nine-mile sleigh ride were some highlights of the first Chester Winter Carnival in 1922. The sleigh ride to Rockingham and back brought locals to a supper and dance at the Rockingham Grange Hall. The night ran long that...

  • A Good Life in the Shadow of Terrible Mountain
    A Good Life in the Shadow of Terrible Mountain

    Susan Leader makes pottery in a small shed at her home in Andover. In a field outside her doorstep is a view of Terrible Mountain. Terrible Mountain sits between Andover and Weston. Folklore surrounds the mountain's ominous name, and its mystique was likely heightened by the crash of...

  • Art, Nature and Beauty in Montgomery
    Art, Nature and Beauty in Montgomery

    Traveling east on Route 118 along the Trout River is a nostalgic scene with covered bridges, barns and mountain views. After a few bends in the road, a clear view of the Montgomery Center for the Arts unfolds. The Greek Revival building was empty the first...

  • Whimsy, Hiking and History in Wallingford
    Whimsy, Hiking and History in Wallingford

    Stacy Harshman needed a change. While living in New York, she Googled words like "nature, mountains and community." The search brought her to Vermont, where she eventually opened The Sparkle Barn. The Sparkle Barn is a wildly popular gift shop on Route 7 in Wallingford, complete with an...

  • Pieces of History on Mount Philo in Charlotte
    Pieces of History on Mount Philo in Charlotte

    Mount Philo in Charlotte stands at 968 feet. Lower in elevation than the Empire State Building and tiny compared to the neighboring Green Mountains and Adirondacks, Mount Philo is everything you could want in a mountain. It's accessible, easy to hike and offers some of the best views around. The...

  • An Outdoor Recreation Renaissance in Poultney
    An Outdoor Recreation Renaissance in Poultney

    Main Street in Poultney features everything you could hope for in a small Vermont town: a book shop, a local pub, a post office, a hardware store and a library. There's also James Johnson's bike shop, Analog Cycles, which sits on the corner of Main and...