Author Archives: grandpaTIV

Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT: The 2012 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence has been awarded to the Northshire Bookstore in partnership with Alan Benoit.  Northshire and Benoit won in the small business category because the, “Community bookstore Northshire has implemented renewable … Continue reading →

Fishing at Woodford State Park. Photo credit: Jared Clark, Vermont State Parks Vermont State Parks offer a place to camp, play, relax, and explore! There are 52 state parks across the state, three of which are in The Shires, all … Continue reading →

The Southern Vermont Arts Center, under the leadership of Executive Director, Joseph Madeira, announced their 2012 season of exhibitions and performances in their Arkell Pavilion. The new season spotlights artistic quality and excellence and continues on the tradition of presenting … Continue reading →

Cycling in The Shires of Vermont is alive and well. While several organizations are currently collaborating to create an official “ride now” map for the region in the future, in the present the sport is thriving. There are many events … Continue reading →

Originally built in 1809 as a farmhouse, the West Mountain Inn in Arlington sits nestled on a hillside with the famous Battenkill River flowing at the base of their drive. A family run business for over 30 years, owner Amie … Continue reading →

The Bennington Center for the Arts has now been in existence for almost twenty years but has never had a more impressive summer schedule. With fine art exhibitions such as the Oil Painters of America, the California Art Club and … Continue reading →

By Sharon O’Conner, owner of Backroad Discovery The foliage season draws people from all over the world. Yes, the autumn leaves are beautiful, but many people miss the little details that make Vermont so very special! It has been nicknamed, … Continue reading →

By Bette Reynolds Townshend, Vermont The dream that Carl Steiner and his wife Eloise fulfilled began in 1991 on top of East Hill. East Hill is just outside of the villages of Townshend and Harmonyville. It started on their 175 … Continue reading →

During the Revolutionary War, General Burgoyne, who was advancing south from Canada, committed the tactical error of out-marching his own supply teams. As he neared Saratoga, he detached a force of Hessians under Lt. Col. Braun to capture the supplies, … Continue reading →

Southern Vermont’s campsites are located in Vermont’s more scenic areas of plush forests and crystal lakes. The sites provide all that is necessary to ensure a most exciting and pleasurable outdoor living experience. Come to Vermont and experience a vacation … Continue reading →

By Martha Folsom Plato was a game player. He wrote that “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play, than in a year of conversation.” At some much more recent point in time someone decided that … Continue reading →

By Bette Reynolds Nestled between the West River and three major ski resort mountains, is what is affectionately nicknamed “the Golden Triangle” which includes Londonderry and seven smaller surrounding towns and villages. Londonderry was established in 1780 and retains much … Continue reading →

The Robert Frost Stone House Museum, located in Shaftsbury, Vermont, will open to the public in after Labor Day in early September 2002. The museum is located on Historic Route 7A where Frost lived in the 1920′s and wrote one … Continue reading →

By Sharon O’Conner, owner of Backroad Discovery Get set on this round trip sixty mile tour for many W’s: water, wind, wine, wide-angle 100 mile views, winding roads, Wilmington and many other wonderful W’s. Count the W’s! Starting where routes … Continue reading →

By Bette Reynolds The man for whom the town of Thomlinson is named never visited the United States, much less Thomlinson. John Thomlinson, was a business representative of the British governor of New Hampshire, Benning Wentworth. Wentworth granted a charter … Continue reading →

By our backroads expert, Sharon O’Connor of Backroad Discovery Tours Savor your morning at Mount Snow Resort (Rte.100, West Dover, VT). The mountain rises to 3,556 ft. In 1954, Walt Schoenknecht, borrowed $20 to use as a down-payment; hence, the … Continue reading →

Bennington, VT: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow described a covered bridge as a “brief darkness leading from the light to light.” Vermont Covered Bridge Museum in Bennington The Covered Bridge Museum at the The Bennington Center for the Arts offers exhibits on … Continue reading →

By our backroads expert, Sharon O’Connor This 15-mile backroad loop will take you through an historic village and one the most scenic areas in Vermont. Starting at Depot Street & Route 7 in Danby (about 9 miles north of Manchester) … Continue reading →

Games like the English language are constantly evolving. Some evolve from the first successful game into others very similar. Some evolve several times before becoming popular. And sometimes, although rarely successful, there is a combination of two games into one. … Continue reading →

By Bette Reynolds Nestled between the West River and three major ski resort mountains, in what is affectionately nicknamed “the Golden Triangle”, are Londonderry (established 1780) and Weston (established 1799), plus a half dozen other quaint towns and villages. The … Continue reading →

By Bette Reynolds The friendly and thriving village of Chester, established in 1776, is located northwest of Rockingham, VT on Route 103, near the Williams River. Nearby off of Route 103 at Brockways Mills is Rockingham, VT, and on the … Continue reading →

By Bette Reynolds John’s Car Corner truly is the home of “The People’s Car,” as the car is still affectionately called. While it is fortunate that the originator of the phrase back in the 1930s (Germany’s then dictator Adolf Hitler) … Continue reading →

By Sharon O’ Connor The entire state of Vermont was cited as one of the “Top 50 Destinations of a Lifetime” in the bi-centennial issue of National Geographic Traveler! Discover why our state enjoys this prestigious status: take an afternoon … Continue reading →

By Steve Hinchliffe The Green Mountains run the length of Vermont and are a part of the Appalachian Mountains, which extend north through Canada. The Appalachian Trail is the world’s longest linear National Park and extends 2,150 miles from Georgia’s … Continue reading →

By Bette Reynolds Photo by Kathy Cloutier This summer plan to hop on board all three Green Mountain Railroad excursion trains. They have added to their Green Mountain Flyer schedule (which covers Bellows Falls and Chester) the new White River … Continue reading →

By Martha Folsom “Come, Watson, come!” he cried. “The game is afoot.” Thus would begin a great mystery. Mr. Holmes also recognized the game inherent in the chase. Sherlock Holmes found his way into literature in 1887. Within two years … Continue reading →

By Sharon O’Connor By Sharon O’Connor This spectacular 29-mile foliage tour covers back roads from Bennington to Manchester (you can also start at Manchester & drive south). You will be taking the basic routes used by the Green Mountain Boys … Continue reading →

By Tordis Isselhardt It’s official! Route 9, spanning Vermont from the New York State line west of Bennington to the New Hampshire State line east of Brattleboro at the Connecticut River, has been certified as “scenic” with things to see … Continue reading →

By our Backroads expert, Sharon O’Connor The following tour will take you through the town of Pownal, which is often referred to as “gateway to Vermont.” Pownal has an over-abundance of elements which make it a nature lover’s delight: panoramic … Continue reading →

By Telly Halkias “WWe just don’t have bookstores like this back home!” Indeed, second-hand bibliophiles are unique creatures of nature onto themselves. Coming from all different demographics, be it economic, political, age, religion, gender, race, it makes no difference: these … Continue reading →

“Gold!” was the cry of the nation when Vermonter Trenor Park headed west to California with his wife Laura, and his daughter, Lizzie. A year earlier, Laura’s father, former Governor Hiland Hall, had been appointed by President Millard Fillmore to … Continue reading →

By Sharon O’Connor A scenic trip involving Civil War ties in Vermont? What ties are there? For openers, Vermont lost more people proportionately than any other northern state; it was the first to offer troops to the north and it … Continue reading →

“Robert Frost: Poetry, Prowess and Play,” the current exhibit at the Robert Frost Stone House Museum, explores Frost’s interest in sports. Frost played softball and tennis well into his eighties and owed his longevity to the mile or two he … Continue reading →

By Tyler Resch RR 1 Box 533 • North Bennington, Vt. 05257 • 802-447-7839 While many visitors admire what they think is Vermont’s “colonial” architecture, that term is subject to great dispute. One’s perspective depends on whether one believes Vermont … Continue reading →