A bout of very chilly weather hit us last week, but it wasn't too cold for Christmas cheer! The week leading up to Christmas had businesses across southern Vermont bustling with last minute holiday sales to both customers from around the world and across the street ready to enjoy a Vermont Christmas.

Personally, my family and I started Christmas Eve by packing up our backpacks, getting in the car, and heading to the Blue Benn Diner, in Bennington. After a short wait, we had a great breakfast (real egg omelets for my parents, tofu scramble for me), accompanied by some holiday music from the jukebox. Soon after, we stopped by Smoker's Den, also in Bennington, to pick up the day's newspaper before continuing our journey. Our destination was Merck Forest and Farmland Center, in Rupert, VT, to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas in a cozy cabin deep in the woods. We had been planning this for a while (you have to, Merck Forest is most popular during the winter, and you have to make reservations months in advance for a cabin! Feel free to call them anytime to check availability though, you never know, and they're always open for dayhikes). There was just enough snow on the ground and chill in the air on Friday, Christmas Eve, to make our hike in to the cabin feel festive. There are a number of cabins at Merck, my family's favorites are Ned's Place and Nenorod, but I can safely say I've slept at least one night in almost every cabin! After about an hour and a half of easy hiking (with a little ice), we got to Nenorod, and found that the people who stayed in our cabin the night before had left us a nice bed of hot coals in the woodstove. Before we knew it, the cabin was warm and cozy, with Christmas tunes on the portable radio and food cooking on the camp stove. Of course, many thanks to the Merck staff and volunteers, who were thoughtful enough to stack firewood right outside the door, ensuring only a few frigid seconds outside to get wood when the fire started to die down! Christmas Eve was a beautiful, clear night, and despite the brisk temperatures, my father and I spent quite a long time looking at the stars and the barely visible lights of New York state with binoculars. If you're around Vermont in the winter, don't be intimidated by the cold! If it is a clear night, put your jacket on, and head outside, even for a few minutes. You'll never forget the silence or the smell of a clear winter night in Vermont, the crispness of the stars and the moon amazes even lifelong residents! Christmas day was perfect for a hike. On our way out from Nenorod, we saw many people with the right idea: out for a walk on a beautiful, sunny winter day to spend time with family and check out the operational Merck farm (with chickens, sheep, cows, horses, and more!), peer in the windows of the new sugar house, and see all the way to the High Peaks of New York!

Now that Christmas is past, businesses in the area are taking a little breather from their hectic holiday seasons! But not to worry, if you need to make returns, exchanges, or just want to do a little post-Christmas bargain hunting, most stores in the area are open for regular business hours (call to make sure!), and some even have great holiday sales (Nature's Closet in Bennington comes to mind, with big percentages off all their stuff, good if you're feeling a little chilly in that old winter jacket). Be sure to dine out, our area restaurants are still feeding all who enter, and they're a great place to get in out of the cold! Whatever your plans in southern Vermont, call ahead to check hours and sales or to make reservations. We got more snow last night, but the rest of the week leading up to New Year's looks clear! Before you head out to explore Southern Vermont in the winter time, turn on your radio and get the latest forecast, and be sure to drive safely! See you in 2005!