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Stowe Foliage Arts Festival This Weekend Oct 10, 11, and 12
2008-10-09 01:37:00
Two hundred artists will be displaying their creations at northern Vermont's premier arts and crafts festival this weekend in the beautiful village of Stowe VT. This event is produced by the same organization that put on the festival in Manchester VT last week (see below). Like that festival, the one in Stowe has a live entertainment, and a wine and food court featuring including the Vermont cheese, beer, and sausage tent made with locally produced foods. If you like fine quality crafts, don't miss this event - it is one of the best. And while you are in Stowe, check the local art galleries - there are several which have works from top New England artists. You can see a list here. The event will be held at the Topnotch Events Field, about four miles from the village of Stowe on Route 108 (Mountain Road). It's a photogenic setting with the Green Mountain range nearby in the background. (c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
More About: Arts , Festival , Weekend

Foliage Drive Suggestions
2008-10-05 14:47:00
Recommended Vermont drives to see fall foliage"Where should we go to see foliage?" That's a question we get several times a day this time of year. It's usually an easy question to answer because you can drive anywhere and see good color on the trees. Later this month, the number of good drives begins to dwindle of course and the task takes more research. Much of the answer depends on whether or not the person has a particular type of drive in mind or is open to any suggestion. For instance, some folks want a drive on remote country roads while others would prefer to go to the mountaintops. Some of our favorite drives are on the highways which often surprises people. But the highways here in Vermont are free of billboards and often offer sweeping vistas. It's better for the passengers who have time to look but drivers don't get as good view because they are busy driving and there are few opportunities to pull over and look around. In our area, Interstate 89 around Montpelier has ...
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The Best Place to Find VT Foliage Information
2008-10-04 18:06:00
The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing does an excellent job of providing information about the state's popular fall foliage season. Click here to go to the state's Foliage Forecaster page. You will see the map shown above which you can automate or stop by clicking the dates alongside the map. It shows the foliage progression starting from the northern part of the state and the upper elevations, and then moving south and into lower elevations. Not every year has the same timing and some seasons last longer than others. The trees are very healthy this year from the rainy summer we had so everyone is expecting the colors to last a long time. The VT Foliage Report report, compiled by reports from state is a great source of information about foliage all over the state and it provides recommendations for roads to drive. It is updated twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. One thing the Foliage Forecaster does not do is tell you the names of the counties on the map. nor a...
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VT Foliage, Antiques, Antiques, and Antiques . . .
2008-10-02 17:05:00
Two fall traditions in Vermont are foliage "leaf peeping" and antique shows. There are other activities as well this busy weekend so let's get started: (Quick aside: the weather this weekend will be very nice: mostly sunny and day time temperatures in the upper 50's F. The evenings will be cool with temperatures in the high 30's F. Bring some warm clothes especially if you plan to spend time at upper elevations.)FALL FOLIAGEThe next two to three weeks you can see some incredible color on the mountainsides and valleys. I have talked with a large number of people here and read in several VT blogs that this year's foliage display may be one of the best ever. I am very surprised at the large amount of red leaves I'm seeing. All the colors are bright. I'm sure we'll be talking about this year's Vermont foliage for years to come.A fun way to to see the foliage is to get out of the car and into the fresh air on a ski area chair lift. It's an exhilarating experience that you will r...
More About: Events , Antiques

RIP Paul Newman
2008-09-28 03:49:00
I was saddened to hear today that Paul Newman has died. I never met him but our paths crossed, or nearly crossed, a few times. The first time was when my wife and I took the kids on a driving vacation around New England about 20 years ago. We were on our way north to Quebec and stayed for a night at the North Hero House Inn. The owners had a photo album on display at the front desk. One of the photos showed Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in an old VW beetle convertible at the inn. They had stayed there sometime before we were there but I don't remember how long before. I know the North Hero House has different owners now but if you ever get to travel there (very nice place by the way), you can ask if they still have that photo album. I doubt they do - I'll bet the previous owners took it with them. But at least you can say you stayed the same place Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward stayed. The drive up Route 2 through the islands is OK enough. Most people think more of it than I do...
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Foliage Will Be Great This Year
2008-09-27 20:10:00
Most all the Vermont locals I have talked to agree that the fall leaf colors this year are much better than average. I am seeing more red than any year in recent memory. We had a very good foliage season last year and I think this will be better. On Thursday, my wife and I drove down to Manchester VT in the southwestern part of the state. We saw a lot of good color already and those areas are just getting started. It seems like the eastern side of the state is a little ahead of the western side. We saw more color on Route 100 than we did on Route 7. Wherever you are, you will only need to drive around to find good color. Check with your innkeeper for their favorite drives and local reports on foliage color progress. I took a picture of the hillside across the street from us because it looked so good in person but it did not show up as well in the camera. The sky is overcast today which makes the colors pop even more. However, there is a bit of moisture in the air from the rain we go...
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Vermont Fine Wood Furniture Festival in Woodstock
2008-09-27 14:24:00
The Vermont Fine Furniture and Wood working Festival is being held this weekend, Sept 27 and 28, in the central Vermont village of Woodstock . Look for the high school on Route 4 west of the village. Very good directions are on the website too. The website also lists about 45 Vermont furniture and wood craftsmen including links to their websites. There are some great looking furniture being made here in Vermont so stop by the show if you can or shop from home if you cannot travel to Vermont this weekend. If addition to the furniture festival, you'll get to visit Woodstock VT which is not only one of the prettiest villages in New England, I think it is one of the best looking in the country. It is located a few minutes east of Exit 1, Interstate 89 near White River Junction VT. Bed by Walt Stanley, Brookside Woodworking. He writes an interesting blog too. (c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
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Vermont Wine and Harvest Festival Sept 26 - 28
2008-09-25 03:34:00
This event is a good way to meet some friendly Vermont ersThe Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Life Magazine are hosting the Vermont Life Wine and Harvest Festival this weekend, September 26 - 28 in the southern Vermont towns of Dover, Wilmington, and Whitingham. The event is aimed at being a showcase for the best of Vermont wines, specialty foods, and artists. Activities kick off with a Welcome to Vermont Bluegrass Party and BBQ on Friday evening at the Matterhorn Inn in West Dover. On Saturday the main festival runs from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at juncture of Routes 9 E and 100 S next to the White House Inn in Wilmington, VT. There will also be live music including the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Brass Trio Fanfare and other bands, plus a Vermont Life food writers discussion panel with book signing opportunities. That evening there will be wine pairing dinners at some of the local restaurants (reservation required - most of them are already booked - see the we...
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Stowe Oktoberfest Sept 26 - 28
2008-09-23 04:22:00
Right now, work is underway to convert Stowe's Jackson Arena municipal skating rink into a Bavarian village for this year's Oktoberfest , Sept ember 26, 27 and 28. It's one of the village's most popular events for both tourists and locals. The entire family is invited. There will be lots of Otter Creek craft brewed beer, German foods including bratwurst and knockwurst, American foods such as hotdogs and chicken, live music and dancing, pumpkin and face painting, Saturday morning parade, raffles, games, craft booths, and general merriment. (c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
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National Hunting and Fishing Day Open House at Beagle Wear
2008-09-23 02:57:00
Fishing and hunting are a big part of Vermont's heritage. For most native Vermonters, hunting is a tradition going back generations. There are many people here who take a week or two of vacation each year to go deer hunting. The regional radio station, WDEV, even broadcasts a few minutes each morning from a deer camp nearby once deer season opens. VT deer hunting season is coming in the near future and the timing of the National Hunting and Fishing Day is well placed. To celebrate, Beagle Outdoor Wear is holding its annual open house at its store in Johnson VT , about 45 minutes north of us. The event goes from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and features some of the northeast's best hunters such as the Benoit Brothers and Bob Howe from Maine's Pine Grove Lodge. Everyone is invited to this family event especially young people and adult newcomers who are interested in learning more about outdoor sports and how hunting and fishing affect Vermont’s wildlife.Also attending the event will be ...
More About: Shopping , House , Events , Fishing

Vote for the Best Bear for the Job
2008-09-22 03:37:00
Did they have to make the ears stick out so much for the bear on the left? At least the bear on the right does not have age spots.Who is the best bear to take on a bear of a job? You decide '08 . . . vote by purchasing the Obama Bear or the McCain Bear at Vermont Teddy Bear. I imagine the company is keeping track of which one sells the most but they don't say anything on their website about releasing the results. It would be an interesting poll. You can stop in their headquarters store in Shelburne VT, a few miles south of Burlington. You can also tour the factory there. The website link has information about tour and store hours. VT Teddy Bear also has a store in Waterbury Center VT which has a full selection of bears and costumes plus a Pajama Gram outlet store where you can often find some very good bargains.If you aren't traveling to Vermont before the election, you can order online of course and put your candidate on display for all to see - much more attention-getting t...
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STOMP! in Burlington Tues and Wed
2008-09-21 03:41:00
STOMP Out Loud, the famous performing percussion group has made Burlington VT its temporary home for a few weeks as it prepares to go on the road for a long tour. They're creating and rehearsing new routines that you can be the first to see this Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts.Go to that Flynn website for tickets.Here is a YouTube.com video - there are many more on the site too: STOMP started as street performers in the UK. You can read a little background on them on Wikipedia. (c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
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Puppet Shows in Southern VT
2008-09-20 15:39:00
From Sweden, the Dockteater Verkstan Puppet Theater company delights young audiences with its story about monkeys who have all sorts of zany adventures trying to run a circusI wrote an entry Sept 12 about the amazing puppet shows in the Brattleboro and Bellows Falls area this past week. The festival winds up this weekend with multiple shows Saturday and Sunday. It is about a 2.5 hour drive from us but if I were in southern VT, this is what I would be attending this weekend. See the Puppets in the Green Mountains schedule here. (c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
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Here is Why I Live in Vermont
2008-09-19 23:51:00
Brewster River photograph from my favorite photoblog: Megapickles . . . see the September 16, 2008 entry. The Brewster River runs north down from Spruce Peak to the town of Jeffersonville VT where it empties into the Lamoille River. More Brewster River photos are available here. There is a widely photographed falls you can find in Brewster River Gorge. Locally, it is sometimes called Jefferson Falls. If you want to fish the area, stop by an excellent little fly shop called Green Mountain Troutfitters to arrange for a guide, get the current flies, etc. Be sure to drive Route 108 from Jeffersonville to Stowe or the opposite way from Stowe to Jeffersonville. It goes through an area called Smugglers Notch and it is one of the prettiest drives in Vermont . (c) 2008 Jeff Connor (except the photo from the Megapickles website
More About: Nature , Advice , General , Live

There Is A Lot Going On This Weekend, Sept 20 and 21
2008-09-18 19:50:00
There are a lot of events going on in Vermont this weekend, too much to review here but I've chosen what I think are a good cross section. If you would like a longer list, go to Vermont Vacationwebsite. Northern VermontThe Northeast Kingdom Quiltfest 2008 is being held Saturday, Sept ember 20, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the New port VT Municipal Building, 222 Main St. (map on the website home page). Admission is free. Quilt displays, demonstrations, door prizes, raffle quilt, scavenger hunt. Free admission. Nearby in St. Johnsbury is the Festival of Traditional Crafts at the Fairbanks Museum, on Saturday, September 20, 2008. Artisans and history experts demonstrate the skills that New Englanders used a few hundred years ago including soap making, log boring, chair caning, basket weaving, boat building, natural fiber dyeing, rope braiding, blacksmithing, wood carving, weather forecasting techniques, grafting apple trees, etc. This is part of The Fairbanks Institute for Traditional Cr...
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Two Large Car Shows This Weekend
2008-09-18 04:56:00
Car lovers have two great shows to attend this weekend. Whether you prefer '32 Highboys or Drop Head Coupes, or if you love both types, you will have a great time in northern VT this weekend. The 40th annual Northeast Street Rod Nationals are being held at the Champlain Valley Expo near Burlington. This is one of the largest hot rod shows in the country and attracts meticulously made custom cars from the eastern half of the US and Canada. About 45 minutes away in Stowe VT is the annual British Invasion, a British only car show that features a concours competition, driving tours, parade, display contest, costume contest, British music, British beer, and much more. It's actually a British Lifestyle Event celebrating everything British. (c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
More About: Events , Weekend , Large

A Summary of Your Rights As An Airline Passenger . . .
2008-09-16 05:41:00
"ZIPPO. ZILCH. NADA. "That is the extent of your rights when you step onto an airplane (or "INto" an airplane as George Carlin liked to point out) according to Marc Britton. He should know - he's an attorney who was once General Counsel at Expedia and now runs his own legal advice website called Avvo. He recently wrote a succinct article on this topic at the Journey etc. website Airline s cannot discriminate against you by selling your seat to someone better looking or more pleasant. Nor can they punch you if you get on their nerves. But beyond that, the sky is the limit, as pilots like to say. And who gives them the right to treat you like cattle? You do. When you buy a ticket, you agree to abide by their terms in the Carriage Agreement that they print on their tickets in microscopically small and very light type. However, they are not heartless bastards. Bastards, yes. But not heartless. Maybe we should qualify that with the word "usually" not heartless. They are a slow, incons...
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Amazing Puppet Shows Sept 12 - 21
2008-09-12 16:30:00
Image from Les Sages Fous (Québec)This is the sixth year for the Puppet s in the Green Mountains festival, an collection of amazing puppet shows from around the world. The festival begins with a two day showing by Animals of Brazil, a musical without words. More than 50 puppets are used during the production to represent the animals found the Brazilian jungle. The first presentation on Sept ember 12 is outdoors at Living Memorial Park and the second is indoors at the Bellows Falls Opera House on Sept 14. On September 17 at 7:30 pm, there is an open symposium called "When Images Speak Louder Than Words: The Power of Visual Theater." It will be held at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center. The next day, the Carnival of Taiwanese Hand Puppetry (Happy Puppetry Company) will give a noon performance at the Bellows Falls Opera House. At 8:00 pm on the same date, Bulgarian puppeteers will present "Daddy’s Always Right" at the New England Youth Theater in Brattleboro. The Happy Puppetry C...
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Archaeology Weekend at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
2008-09-11 03:25:00
Hundreds of old shipwrecks lie at the bottom of Lake Champlain, well preserved by its chilly waters.September is Archaeology Month in Vermont and there are a number of interesting events open to the public. One of the main events is this weekend at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum located near Vergennes, a few miles south of Burlington. The museum has long been active in marine archaeology and its staff has helped in the locating and documenting of many shipwrecks lying at the bottom of the lake, some of them dating back to the Revolutionary War. This weekend the museum will be showing three films: one about a gunboat from Benedict Arnold's fleet still lying at the bottom of the lake; the second about the birch bark canoe as used by native Americans and showing the construction of a replica of a canoe from the 1600's; and a third film presenting the findings of the Middlebury College ten year sonar survey of the lake bottom. Visitors can work the Shipwreck Simulator to lea...
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Bike Vermont Foliage Tours
2008-09-05 02:47:00
We have had several guests over the years tell us that they have taken tours by Bike Vermont and recommend the company very highly. Bike Vermont offers 38 foliage tours and they still have some openings this year. The tours vary in length from three days up to six days, and range in cost from the low $400's to mid $1300's including lodging at some of Vermont's best inns. Their website has a handy map with towns highlighted to see what part of the state each tour covers. For example, the October 3 - 5 Churchill House Inn and Shoreham Inn tours have opening, and during the week of October 5 - 10 , the Historic Windsor County and Swift House Inn tours have openings. And there is one discounted special you should take a look at: the "greatest views imaginable" on the Moose Mountain Lodge four day tour October 10- 13. The price has been reduced from $715 to $595. I wish I weren't working then - I would love to take this tour. Other tours have openings and they do get the oc...
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New Blog: Travel-Vermont.Net
2008-09-04 02:07:00
I came across an exciting new Vermont blog recently and was highly impressed with its quality and scope. It is called Travel -Vermont.Net and is just a few months old but already has compiled a long list of articles about touring Vermont. They are well written and usually have a good photograph to go along with them. The information is fresh and the author's insights are very helpful. Christine Sawyer is the blog owner. She is prior resident of nearby Quebec and her blog is available in French as well as English. She and I have similar backgrounds in marketing communications . . . my status is former and hers is current - she owns Birchwood Ridge Group, a marketing and advertising firm here in Vermont. She has an interesting history you can read in the Our Story page of the website. There is a useful and accurate Search function on the site but no RSS feed that I could find. Maybe that's just as well - I have a lot of feeds coming in. I try feeds for a while to see how often an...
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Glory Days of Railroading This Saturday
2008-09-03 04:43:00
Rare REO railbus (REO was a truck manufacturer that eventually added automobile manufacturing using the last name of its founder, Ransom E. Olds: Oldsmobile. Railroad buffs should head over to White River Junction VT for the 16th Annual Glory Days of Railroad Festival this Saturday , September 6, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Rain or Shine)Adult admission is just $3 but excursion train ride is extra. The VT Chamber of Commerce has twice (five years ago and last year) named the event a Top 10 Fall Event. In addition to the railroad equipment displays and excursion train rides, there will be food, music, antique car show, and crafts. This event is produced by the New England Transportation Museum located in the White River Junction Amtrak station. It has displays available year around if you can't make it to Glory Days . When you are in the area, I recommend visiting two of my all time favorite towns: Hanover NH, home of Ivy League Dartmouth College, and Woodstock VT. It...
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There Really is a Town Named Podunk
2008-08-31 01:00:00
And naturally it's in Vermont, world center of tiny towns and villages located in the middle of nowhere. I have John Hughes to thank for placing this photo on his wonderful Megapickles website. I cropped the sign photo from a much larger photo of a nice looking field in Podunk so click on the link to see a better image. I have written about his website several times previously because it one of my favorites and is superbly well done I think - a new photograph every day! To see a wonderful series of pastoral Vermont photos, check this month's photos. One great Vermont photograph after another. Google Maps says there are Podunks in CT, PA, and two in MI. Two! Whoever heard of two towns in the same state with the same name?Vermont's Podunk is located in the southern part of the state so if you are going to be in the Brattleboro, Bennington, Manchester area, you can take a nice drive in the country to see it. Don't forget to take your camera so you can have bragging rights that you...
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Stowe Inside Line Newsletter
2008-08-29 19:51:00
Stowe's Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont at about 4400 feetStowe Resort has a good email newsletter they send out weekly and the latest issue has a very nice photo I thought I would include here. The Inside Line focuses on news about Stowe Resort but there's always a lot going on year around which usually makes for interesting reading. I cropped and reduced the photo to get it to fit in this blog but you can click on the newsletter link above to see it better, however it will change next week. The building on the mountain is the Cliff House restaurant which is serving lunch this time of year but not dinner (with the exception of once a month special dinners). I assume the photo was taken from the Toll Road which runs all the way to the top of the mountain. It's a trip I recommend often to our guests. The drive takes about 20 minutes and is well worth the $23 toll per car (no bicycles or motorcycles are allowed but you can walk it if you want). You can see rates on all...
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Vermont Fairs
2008-08-29 15:35:00
The Vermont State Fair, the state's second largest fair, is getting started this weekend for a week long run while the Champlain County Fair, the state's largest fair, will be finishing Monday. The state fair, now is its 163rd year, is in Rutland and the Champlain fair is in Essex Junction. Directions for both events are on their web sites. (c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
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Mad River Valley Crafts Fair
2008-08-29 05:06:00
One of the exhibitors at the Craft Fair will be Baby's Breath Quilts, a Barre VT quilt maker. The Mad River Craft Fair is being held this weekend at Kenyon's Field in Waitsfield VT. I've been to the fair several times and always enjoyed seeing the wide variety of great crafts and artwork on display. We've bought a few items over the years, most notably some great Alpaca sweaters for the grand kids. It's a fun event to attend with very good food, a wide variety of crafts and excellent live music (a swing band on Sunday!). I recommend it highly and can almost guarantee you will find something you just have to buy. It's that good. If you have children in tow, don't hesitate to go. They have plenty of activities geared toward the younger set to keep them entertained. In the meantime, you can stroll and browse pottery, wood crafts, paintings, jewelery (lots of jewelery), unique clothing, baskets, toys, furniture, and much more produced by area artisans. This show has be...
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Vermont Travel Ideas on Waymark . com
2008-08-19 04:18:00
I've been poking around the Waymarking.com website from time to time and enjoying what I have found. There are more than 1700 entries on 70 pages in the Waymarking Vermont category. I'm not sure what order everything is presented in. The Vermont listings start with covered bridges for no apparent reason so I suspect all the entries are posted in order that they are received. There is a good search function on the site so it should be easy for you to narrow your search. "Secret Waterfalls" The screen shot above shows a listing for "local secret" the Old City Falls waterfalls that sounds very inviting and larger than most of the falls in Vermont (first step of 25 feet and a second step of 20 feet). It is located near Stafford VT. We have what I would guess are a million waterfalls here but most of them are not large. I suppose most of them are a "secret " to folks from out of state but all are certainly well known to locals. Quite often they are part of popular local...
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Feast of Fools in Burlington Augu 8 - 10
2008-08-08 19:20:00
Burlington City Arts is presenting the Festival of Fools this weekend. It is described as a "curated festival of street theater" but it looks to me like a mix of goofy fun, slapstick, circus stunts, and silly music - some very funny entertainment in other words. There is a Feast of Fools web page that describes the performers in detail and has links to each one's web site. Looks like a lot of fun and worth checking out if you are in the area. And there is all the usual great things to see and do in Burlington such as Church Street Market Place, ECHO Aquarium and Museum, Waterfront Park (great place to watch the sunsets over the Adirondack mountains on the other side of Lake Champlain), Maritime Museum, cruise boats, ferry to NY, etc. Lots of good restaurants and pubs too. Plus people watching. (c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
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Stowe Antique and Classic Car Show Weekend
2008-08-08 04:34:00
Stowe's annual antique and classic car show draws about 800 automobiles for display and a goodly number of other interesting vehicles driven by "spectators" who drive their own unique car just to see the show but not as participants. Just look around the parking lot when you arrive and you're bound to find some interesting cars that are "drivers," not official show cars. One of the most well attended parts of the show is the Car Corral where cars are not part of the official judging but are there just to be sold. The Corral is at the back corner of the display field. Also, this is a good parts collector show where you will find a fairly good number of professional and amateur parts sellers. You can find the show on Route 100 a mile or so south of Stowe village. Take Exit 10 from Vermont Interstate 89 and go north. It's about a 10 or 15 minute drive from the highway. The car show runs Friday through Sunday, August 8 - 10. It has been rainy here, so bring your umbrella and best mud...
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National Dowsing Convention at Killington VT
2008-08-07 02:46:00
The American Society of Dowsers is holding its annual convention at the Killington Grand Hotel from August 6 through the 14. If you have ever been curious about dowsing, this is a good place to look into it. There are speakers, workshops, vendors, books and lots of folks to talk to about this ancient practice. (c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
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