Let’s be real… a big part of why we Vermonters live in this great state other than the natural beauty, the warm people who comprise our community, the lack of traffic, the clean water and air, the slippery slopes and the mountains that keep calling, is the food. I would argue […]
I remember the first time I stopped in Stowe to visit the old Shed Brewery, now part of Otter Creek Brewing in Middlebury. I drank a flight from the shotski, while wishing the brewery was closer to home so I could be part of their mug club. Now years […]
One item on my Vermont bucket list is to visit every general store in the Green Mountain State. Country stores in Vermont each have their own personality and a distinct purpose for the community they serve. Some are post offices and wine shops, others are delis and bakeries, and others […]
With the impressive line-up of events in August in Vermont, it’s obvious we’re all trying to get in as many outdoor activities before the arctic blast hits. Until snow flies, there are plenty of family friendly (and some not-so-family-friendly) events happening in the Green Mountain State. Here are some of my […]
I spend way too much time thinking about which Vermont restaurants we should try next. I’m a tad obsessed with getting to know all of the chefs, farmers and purveyors who bring us inventive, wholesome food on a regular basis. Lucky for all us Vermonters and visitors to the state, Vermont Restaurant Week […]
I’ve long admired Simon Pearce‘s glassware. But I never quite appreciated just how much went into making a single wine glass until I visited Simon Pearce’s factory outlet in Windsor, Vermont. While there, I watched a glassblower skillfully create a perfect glass. Observing for a few minutes gave […]
This weekend is Maple Open House Weekend in Vermont… two days when sugar shacks across the state open up to visitors to share a behind-the-scenes look at sugaring in Vermont, along with tastes of the season’s first syrup of course. There’s nothing quite as delicious as the woodsy taste of real […]
What makes you happy? Not what you think makes you happy, but what makes you intrinsically happy? The moments when you smile from ear to ear, laugh until you cry? When you feel utterly content and at peace? It might seem like an easy question to answer: Your health. Family. […]
As Valentine’s Day approaches, I’ve seen an insurgence of funny Valentine’s cards, as well as events in Vermont to bring levity to a day designed for love that more often than not leaves people down or in the dumps. Cards with sayings like, “I’d Climb a Moderate Sized […]
Rules are meant to be broken. You only live once. Carpe diem. When I walked into SILO Distilleryin Windsor, Vermont—the birthplace of Vermont—in the middle of “dry January,” all of these sayings came to mind as I decided to forego willpower and a month of abstention (which, let me tell you, […]
I’m a Vermonter who doesn’t ski and has never really wanted to do so. Growing up in New Jersey, I never learned to ski, nor did anyone in my immediate family. I attempted (once) to learn how as a freshman in college, but with rental snowboots cutting off my circulation, […]
This holiday season, why not branch out from a bottle of Cab or a plate of Christmas cookies and offer a unique Vermont-made gift to your holiday party host? I’ve collected some of my favorite made-in-Vermont items, from gifts for the home to nibbles, noshes and libations. During the holiday season, […]
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been attracted to water. Growing up, I was the kid who would take baths until my fingers were prunes. During beach trips to the Jersey Shore, I’d spend the whole day in the water, flailing about in my favorite one-piece swimsuit with a big […]
Back in the summer 2009, I spent three days touring the 20+ breweries in Vermont as part of the Vermont Brewers Association Passport Program. Trapp Lager Brewery, located in Stowe, Vermont, wasn’t yet part of the passport program; it was one of the few breweries in Vermont that I […]
I had never heard of the 251 Club of Vermont until I received a résumé at work in which the applicant described his love affair with Vermont and his affiliation with the 251 Club. The Club, which is open to Vermont natives and non-natives alike, celebrates the Green Mountain State and charges its […]