• Downtown Vergennes is Pure Charm and All Heart
    Downtown Vergennes is Pure Charm and All Heart

    As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats. That is especially true in downtown Vergennes.  The restoration and reopening of the Vergennes Opera House on Main Street nearly 30 years ago helped spark the city’s revival. Today, stroll down Main Street or Green Street, and...

  • 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 Places and Roads Named After Mud
    Vermont Places and Roads Named After Mud

    If you've driven on dirt roads in the last week or so, it's clear that Vermont mud season has arrived. Mud season happens when temperatures rise above freezing and the snow starts to melt. The ground thaws on the surface but remains frozen deep underneath, preventing...

  • Where to Go During Vermont Maple Open House Weekend 2025
    Where to Go During Vermont Maple Open House Weekend 2025

    Vermont Maple Open House Weekend is a chance to visit sugarhouses around the state for tours, tastings, sugar-on-snow and more. About 95 Vermont sugarhouses and locations are participating in the annual statewide event on March 22-23, 2025. Total Vermont maple syrup production in 2024 was 3.1...

  • The Magic of Cochran’s Ski Area in Richmond
    The Magic of Cochran’s Ski Area in Richmond

    Cochran's is a small but mighty ski area. The ski area was started in the 1960s by Mickey and Ginny Cochran. With a vertical drop of 350 feet, the ski area includes a t-bar, rope tow and base lodge. It's also where thousands of local children...

  • Quirks, Collections and Taxidermy: Vermont Libraries
    Quirks, Collections and Taxidermy: Vermont Libraries

    Vermont is home to about 185 libraries. Jessamyn West is on a quest to visit every single one. "Vermont is a very make-your-own-fun kind of place," says West, a library technologist from Randolph. She's visited about 68 Vermont libraries so far. "My rule is that you have...

  • Vermont Museums and Galleries to Visit This Winter
    Vermont Museums and Galleries to Visit This Winter

    Farmers, nature, the rural landscape and beloved artists are showcased at Vermont museums and galleries this winter. Here are three museums, two art centers and one dog chapel to visit this winter. -The Vermont Female Farmers exhibit at the Fleming Museum of Art at UVM features...

  • 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...