Hiking in Vermont town forests is an ideal way to enjoy the outdoors during fall foliage season. After all, fall hiking in Vermont goes behind climbing 4,000-foot peaks. Vermont towns have a long and proud tradition of owning and managing forests for public benefit. The tradition 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...
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...
Ascutney Mountain may not be a lost ski area for long. The West Windsor ski area, which went bankrupt and closed in 2010, could be turned into a community recreation area offering backcountry skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The town just needs to raise...
Friendship and farmland are at the heart of the Strafford Nordic Center. The 700-acre cross-country ski area is located on two adjoining Upper Valley farms and operated by three lifelong friends – Jeremiah Linehan, Rett Emerson, and Earl Ransom. The base lodge, trail head, and scenic trails...
On our way to my sister’s house last week, we took a detour through the back roads of Windsor County. I was searching for Amity Pond Natural Area State Park in Pomfret, which was donated to the state 45 years ago. As my husband drove,...
On Huckle Hill in Vernon sits a lost Vermont ski area that closed 50 years ago. Pine Top ski area operated between the 1940s and 1960s with three rope tows and four trails. With a vertical drop of 400 feet, Pine Top offered terrain for novice,...
Dave, Phoebe and I spent four days in Manchester last week for a little summer getaway. One of the highlights of our trip was hiking up to Equinox Pond. It's no secret that I really love that place. This summer was the first time Dave and...
It’s difficult to imagine Dorset Hollow as anything other than a six-mile, scenic road with beautiful mountain views, forestland, open fields, and gorgeous homes. But nearly 50 years ago, the Dorset Associates investment group planned a massive, four-season resort in Dorset Hollow, complete with an 18-hole...
Scent can be such a powerful memory trigger. For me, the smell of hay instantly takes me back to childhood when I had a horse named Banjo. While recently visiting the main barn at the University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge, a flood of...