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Green Mountain Hooked Rugs School
2008-02-23 03:49:00
Green Mountain Hooked Rugs in Montpelier offers classes several times a year but they have one big school event that takes place every summer. The school was founded in 1981 by the mother of the current owner and classes have been offered every year since then.This year's 27th Annul Hooked Rug School will be held June 6–15, 2008. There will be one five-day and two weekend sessions with a total of 23 classes. Class size is limited to about a dozen students so now is the time to look over the course outline and decide whether to attend. From the Green Mountain Hooked Rugs web site: "Classes range from beginning hooking, dyeing, fine hooking tapestry to primitives and wide-cuts, pictorials, folk art, punch needle, penny rugs, braiding and more. Students select one class per session. "Teachers hail from all over the United States and Canada. Rug exhibits and a well-stocked rug shop are open daily. "Green Mountain Hooked Rugs has a shop that is open year around at 2838 County Road, Mont...
More About: Advice , Events , Green

Mardis Gras in Burlington This Weekend
2008-02-23 00:24:00
The highlight of the Burlington VT Mardis Gras weekend is the big parade with dozens of floats tossing over thousands of beads, Louisiana Moon Pies, and Lake Champlain Chocolates. The parade attracts a large but fun and easy going crowd. Get into place about 2:00 to 2:45 in the afternoon. The parade runs on Burlington's Main Street and Church Street. Magic Hat Brewery is the sponsor of the event. On their website, they offer this advice for where to watch the parade: "2:45 pm- Line up on Main Street between South Winooski and Church Street and Church Street between Main and Cherry and spread out!!!"3:00 pm- Catch beads, Moon Pies, Lake Champlain Chocolates, and more as the event parades down Church Street"Families with children 7 and under can watch from the Little Jambalaya Zone on the courthouse side of Main Street"The Magic Hat Block Party takes place after the parade featuring bands and a comedy show performing at several venues around town.Below is a YouTube video of last y...
More About: Events , Weekend

Today Show and The Learning Channel in VT Feb 21
2008-02-21 04:55:00
The Today Show will be broadcasting from the Timbers restaurant at Sugarbush Ski Resort on Thursday, February 21. This is the first time that all the on-air team from the Today Show has traveled to a location for a live broadcast. The very next day, the same team will broadcast live from Miami FL. Coincidentally, on the same day The Learning Channel will be in Waitsfield and other Mad River Valley locations to film a thirty minute segment of their Destination Weddings & Honeymoons program. This special is scheduled to be broadcast nationally in April on both The Learning Channel and Women's Entertainment network. After the initial April airing, cable affiliates can broadcast it in their markets. (c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
More About: Events

Stowe Winter Carnival
2008-01-10 04:49:00
The 2008 edition of the Stowe Winter Carnival will be held Jan 18 - 26. This is one of the biggest winter events in Vermont and New England with ten major activities including ice carving, movies, children's carnival, and a large village block party. Tourists are invited to join the locals in fun events like the snow volleyball tournament, Super G ski race, snow golf tournament, costume contest, music and dancing, church supper, and general merriment at the local bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. Click here for the events calendar. Better descriptions are available on the Stowe Area Association calendar. (c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
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VT: What Happens Here, Stays Here. But . . .
2008-01-09 07:40:00
I found this Vermont Sweatshirt on Shawn's Blog. It does not say where he found it. There is a good local store called Rocking R that sells souvenir T-shirts and other clothing so I may take a look to see if they have this item. I suppose this is the kind of image you have when you're a small, rural state. In reality, there are tons of things to do here, especially in outdoor recreation, dining, the arts, and shopping. It's enough to make someone think about writing a blog on what travelers to Vermont can find here.(c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
More About: General , Stays

So-so Ski Conditions This Week
2008-01-08 06:01:00
It is not unusual for Vermont to have a January thaw but the one we're working our way through now seems much warmer than normal. Today's high was around 50 degrees F (10 Celsius) and tomorrow's forecast is a few degrees higher. It will cool down to day time highs in the low 30's F by the end of this week but we are going to have several days of light rain, sleet, and a little snow for the next few days. The ski report we just received from Jay Peak describes the conditions as "spring like." All the ski areas especially in northern Vermont have so much base built up that the conditions won't be terrible but if you have been reading how great the skiing has been in Vermont, don't expect those conditions to exist now. The skiing this week won't be terrible but it won't be great either. By Saturday, conditions should be back to normal. Keep an eye on the weather forecasts.(c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Advice , Week , Conditions

Check Your Flight Status on Google
2008-01-04 07:08:00
You can use the standard Google Results Page to check the "real-time" (as opposed to fake time, I guess) status of any flight. Just type the name of the airline and flight number (e.g. Jet Blue 123, aa456) into the Google search box. The most up to date information from Flight Stats.com will be displayed. Better yet, get a free subscription to Flight Stats on their web site. There is an enormous amount of information available including airport flight delays, security wait times, and other important pieces of information all air travelers need these days. Google has a long list of "Subscribed Links" such as this. They include Gas Buddy for the best local gas prices, Weather Channel, Calorie Lab for nutritional information, City/Town Info for information about cities you are visiting, and more.
More About: Advice , Check , Status

Jay Peak Has the Most Snow in the East
2008-01-04 04:06:00
Jay Peak photo credit: Brian Keet photo of skier Mike Britt, taken Jan 2, 2008. Today I received a snow report email from Jay Peak with the photo above and very little text. The photo nearly says it all so there's little need for much text. Without a doubt, Jay is the King Kong of snowfall in the eastern United States. So far this ski season, they have had 200 inches of snow. It looks like this year will exceed their annual average of 350 inches of snow. Several characteristics contribute to this. Jay is located in far northern Vermont , just a few miles from the Canadian border. It is at the far northern reach of the Green Mountain range which creates a "snow belt" that catches moisture soaked clouds. These clouds pick up their moisture from nearby Lake Champlain or the Great Lakes farther to the west. When they hit the upper elevations, they release the moisture in greater quantity than lower elevations. See Jay Peak current conditions here. (c) 2008 Jeff Connor
More About: Advice , East , Snow

Great Ski Weather in VT This Weekend
2008-01-03 20:45:00
The weather forecast for Vermont this coming weekend looks ideal for skiing and other outdoor activities. Friday's high should be around 30 degrees F (about -1 C). Saturday and Sunday will both be in the mid to high 30's. We have a ton of snow on the ground so downhill and cross country skiing, dog sledding, sleigh rides, sledding, snow shoeing, will be great. For more detail, you can click on the Weather Channel link here or in the right column of this blog.(c) 2008 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
More About: Advice , Great , Weekend

Happy New Year
2008-01-01 15:11:00
New Year 's Eve fireworks at Sugarbush.Resolve now to spend part of this year in Vermont!
More About: New Year , General , Happy , Happy New Year

Let it Snow, Let it Snow
2008-01-01 05:00:00
Plowing and grooming at Sugarbush. I can't remember when Vermont has had this much snow so early in the season. It just keeps coming and I'm spending a bundle to have Butch, my snowplow guy, keep the driveway cleared and sanded. Today he was here twice at $50 per visit. Our inn is more than 600 feet Route 100 which is nice but we pay for it this time of year. Also, I have hired Dustin part time to help roof rake and shovel. If I did it all myself I won't have time to do much else. In fact, we've had so much snow Butch had to bring up his John Deere tractor with front bucket to lift the snow banks farther away from the driveway. His 3/4 ton pickup and plow just can't move snow when it gets piled up more than a couple of feet.Last night and this morning we had about eight inches of snow. The National Weather Service is calling for another 8 to 14 inches tomorrow. A quick check of the Stowe snow report shows that they have had about two feet of snow this past week and 148 inches o...
More About: General , Snow

First Night New Years Celebrations in Vermont
2007-12-29 04:38:00
There are more than 100 cities across the world that welcome the new year with a "First Night " celebration. The concept was developed to offer an alcohol-free and substance-free way to start the new year. Boston was the first city to start this tradition and Burlington Vermont was the fourth to adopt the concept. This year is the 25th anniversary of Burlington's First Night. It is the city's largest one day arts festival and will attract thousands of visitors. There is a wide range of performances which you can read about in the festival's 48 page guide. In addition to Burlington, First Night celebrations are held in Montpelier and St. Johnsbury.All the first night celebrations are family friendly but the one in St. Johnsbury puts special emphasis on children's entertainment. (c) 2007 Jeff Connor (except the St. Johnsbury festival logo above)
More About: Events , Celebrations , Years

Waterbury's Alchemist Brew Pub Starts Blogging
2007-12-26 02:52:00
The Alchemist brew pub and restaurant in Waterbury has been hugely popular right from day one four years ago. They have about seven excellent brews available including some standards and some specials from time to time. Moreover, they actually have a chef preparing food so the fare there is much better than the average hamburger and fries that most bars have. As a result, it is crowded most nights. If you like craft brewed beers, the Alchemist should definitely be on your list of places to visit in Vermont. John Kimmick, the brew master, just started a blog and has one entry posted so far. It's a pretty good one as a matter of fact and gives the reader a good insight into what kinds of beers he is offering and some of the thought and work that goes into creating them. The blog is called Notes from the Brew ery and is subtitled "or What's Going on Down Here and Why." (The Brewing equipment is in the basement under the pub.) I've seen quite a number of Vermont blogs get started o...
More About: Attractions , General , Blogging

Make Holiday Dinner Reservations Now
2007-12-24 18:01:00
The week between Christmas and New Year's is one of the busiest of the year here. With all the snow we have had already this year, the out-of-state skiers are fired up about getting their season off to a good start with several days off from work and plenty of snow on all the Vermont ski trails. Right now is a good time to plan ahead and get dinner reservations in order to beat the crowd and avoid long waits or having to call around to even find a restaurant with an opening. Naturally, it's easier to find an opening early or late evening, so you may have to be flexible in your plans. Call or email your innkeeper or look online to find restaurants. Any good innkeeper will be able to tell you the best restaurants in the area that will fit your needs. Or, if you like to do some shopping for restaurants on your own, do a online search for the regional chamber of commerce website for the area in which you will be staying. (c) 2007 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
More About: Advice , Holiday , Dinner , Reservations , Make

How to Prevent Lost and Broken Luggage
2007-12-23 04:50:00
"ngader" posted this luggage wheel photo on Flicker with this tip in the caption: " Rule of thumb : When buying luggage, check the wheels. Try not to buy wheels with rubber bits. Buy the full fibre / hard plastic wheels." Yesterday, I received an email alert from Squidoo about a blog on how to prevent lost luggage. The writer, Victoria Neely, once worked for an airline as a baggage agent so she knows what she is writing about. With all the things she has seen go wrong with luggage, she says she is "frankly amazed that most checked bags return to their owners unscathed!" Even if your bag is not lost (and there is a six in one thousand chance it will be), it's likely to get broken or dirty at some time or another. You can't make it impossible for something to go wrong but there are a number of things you can do to improve your bag's chances of greeting you in good shape at the other end of your mutual journey.There are a lot of useful tips in this article along with some intere...
More About: Lost , Advice , Luggage , Broken

Free Lessons at Leading Vermont Ski Areas
2007-12-22 23:24:00
The Vermont Ski Areas Association is sponsoring a learn-for-free program January 5 -13, 2008. This is a heck of a good deal. The lessons can be for either skiing or snowboarding, and include lift ticket and equipment rental at no cost whatsoever. They are calling it the "Ski Vermont New Year’s Resolution" program. It is geared toward first time skiers and snowboarders ages six and older. The participating resorts are the best in the state: Ascutney, Bolton, Bromley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mad River Glen, Magic, Middlebury, Mount Snow, Okemo, Pico, Smuggs, Stratton, Sugarbush, and Suicide Six. To see where these resorts are located, go to the VT Ski Areas Association map page. Spaces are limited so I suggest you register right away. You can do so on the VT Ski Areas Association website page Learn for Free page. Don't put this off. It's such a great deal that spaces will fill quickly. (c) 2007 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
More About: Advice , Lessons , Leading

Snow Depth Up to Four Feet at Stowe
2007-11-25 17:14:00
Stowe's first rail jam of the season, November 24. Vermont skiing is off to a good start this year with plenty of snow. For example, at Stowe, the snow-making trails have 1.5 to 4 feet of base built up so far. Stowe has received about a foot of natural snow the past week and a total of nearly three feet this season. You can get details on the Stowe Snow Report page of the resort's website. Things are looking good for the big kick off week between Christmas and New Years. Now is a good time to make reservations. (c) 2007 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
More About: Advice , Feet , Depth

Airline Travel Tip: Use FAA Rule 240 If Your Flight Is Cancelled
2007-11-25 03:37:00
Peter Greenberg's website is full of useful travel information. Here is some ammunition to use with the airlines if your fight is canceled. It involves a little-known FAA rule that requires the airline to book you on the next available flight whether it is their flight or another airline. It's called Rule 240 and it's a good thing to remember when you are dealing with an airline front desk person or supervisor. However, like most things in life, there are exceptions. You can read more details about it at the Peter Greenberg website.
More About: Advice , Travel , Flight , Airline

Most Influential Travel Blogs
2007-11-25 03:19:00
People who write blogs are also people who read blogs. Chris Elliott writes one of the best and he recently posted a blog entry of what he considers the "Seven Most Influential Bloggers of 2007" that he has been reading. I am familiar with most of these blogs but a few are new to me. I guess they are "influential" but to me they're mainly interesting and informative blogs I enjoy reading. (c) 2007 Jeff Connor
More About: Travel , General , Blogs

Another Travel Shopping Site
2007-11-25 02:28:00
" 22" Flash Trolley" by Titan Luggage of Germany . . . Made with 100% polycarbonate . . . extremely lightweight and scratch-resistant, with sturdy ergonomic telescopic handles and protected exterior zippers . . . fully lined and padded . . . removable garment and toiletry cases . . . TSA approved combination lock and 4 swivel wheels" It's $475! but it will probably survive 20 years of airline abuse so that's just $24 per year: on the Luggage section of Flight 001. Flight 001 is a website with travel related products including "luggage, carry-on, tech-to-go, packing aids, groom bags, essentials, travel i.d., wallets, jet comfort, meal service, aerotherapy, time travel, gadgets, entertainment, books, and airtunes."I found myself spending a lot of time just looking around this website and learning about all the different products I didn't know were available. If someone asks you what you want for the holidays, have this website bookmarked for them. (c) 2007 Jeff Connor Grunber...
More About: Shopping , Advice , Travel , Site

Where to Buy Travel Gear
2007-11-25 02:12:00
I was recently looking for travel bags and came across a site you might be interested in too. It's called Trusty Pony for no reason that I see but it has a lot of "cool stuff for travelers" as it claims. You can find helpful items under categories such as Air, Family, Fancy, Gadgety, Girly, International, Outdoorsy, Road Trip, Sporty, Urban, Warm-weather, Luggage & Bags, Body, Books & Guides, and Gifts. There are countless worthwhile and clever items that you can use even when you are not traveling. Give it a look - you'll probably see something of use to you or someone you know (think holiday shopping). (c) 2007 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
More About: Shopping , Advice , Travel , Gear

Reminder: Make Your Holiday Reservations Now
2007-11-19 03:26:00
Snowshoeing is easy to do and can get you into some back country that you would not ordinarily be able to see.The week between Christmas and New Year's Day is one of the busiest of the year for Vermont tourism. It is considered the kick-off week for the ski season even though there has been skiing on some trails since mid November. Skiers usually account for about half our business that week and I assume the same is true of other lodging establishments except those right at the ski resorts. Whether you want to ski or not, right now is the time to make travel plans and get lodging reservations made. By the way, you will find many inns have a two or three night minimum that time of year because it is such a busy time and they can't turn over rooms fast enough if they have a lot of one night reservations. You may find some exceptions and perhaps a last minute, fill-in type availability if you can only stay one night. A good place to start a search for Vermont lodging is at the state...
More About: Advice , Holiday , Reservations , Make , Reminder

Vt Ski Areas at the Boston Snow Expo This Weekend
2007-11-15 14:34:00
Representatives from many of the Vermont ski areas will be at the Boston Snow Expo this Thurs - Sun. The Expo is being held at the Bayside Expo Center on Mount Vernon Street. There will be many special offers, drawings, free gifts, contests and special promotions. The Expo draws a lot of people because it has an equipment sale at pre-season discounts. The link above will take you to a PDF page that lists all the resorts and vendors who will be at the Expo.Adult admission is $10 but there are $3 discount coupons available if you submit your email address at the Onthesnow.com website.If you have young children, you can introduce them to skiing at a gentle practice ramp that will be set up specifically for that purpose. And there will an artificial ice rink too. (c) 2007 Jeff Connor
More About: Events , Weekend

Stowe and Okemo Opening Too
2007-11-15 14:29:00
Stowe and Okemo are jumping on the early opening bandwagon along with Mount Snow and Sugarbush. Stowe has had 6" to 12" of natural snow at the highest elevations plus they have been making snow for a couple of weeks. They will open Saturday and Okemo opens Friday. I have not checked all the ski areas in Vermont so there may be some others opening also. (c) 2007 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
More About: General , Opening

Sugarbush Open This Saturday
2007-11-14 17:20:00
Nov 11 photo by Sugarbush President Win Smith . . . "Hmmm - I wonder if we could open early this year." Sugarbush is officially opening on Thanksgiving Day but snow conditions there are so good now that president Win Smith decided to have a sneak preview this coming Saturday . You can see photos from his recent hike up the mountain when he began thinking about an early opening. Two lifts and four trails will most likely be open. Lift tickets are $40 for adults and $30 for juniors. The resort will then be closed until Thursday so it's Saturday or wait until Thanksgiving to get your first runs in this season. (c) 2007 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
More About: General , Open

12 Digital Photo Tips From Vagabondish Blog
2007-11-14 05:07:00
I enjoy skimming the Vagabondish web magazine from time to time. Today I read a helpful article there on clever ideas for using a digital camera in your travels. For instance, it recommends writing a reward poster in case you ever lose the camera. Write your email address and a reward amount on a piece of paper. Be careful on that - you don't know who will find your camera. So don't write your name, address, and phone. Use only an email address as the article recommends, and use one that does not contain your full name. Take a photo of the poster and lock the file so it does not get erased. If someone finds your camera, all they have to do is look at the stored photos and they'll see your contact information and reward. That greatly increases the chances of your getting the camera back.Another good use for a digital camera is to take a photo of local maps so you can refer to them in your travels. The article uses the example of a subway map. I think you will enjoy reading the o...
More About: Photo , Advice , Tips , Blog , Digital

Mount Snow Open for Skiing and Snowboarding
2007-11-14 04:07:00
Mount Snow , located in southern Vermont mid-way between Brattleboro and Bennington, spent all summer and $6 million on upgrades including 101 new, state-of-the-art fan guns (see their Oct 10 video for details) I was surprised to see that Mount Snow resort opened last weekend. Usually Killington likes to lay claim to having the longest season in Vermont by opening early and not closing until late May or early June. Let's make a note to check the Killington website in June to see what they are doing to keep their record intact. I predict they will be trucking in Zamboni shavings from indoor ice skating rinks throughout New England. Mount Snow says on their website that this is their earliest opening since 1998. And they did not open just one token trail. They had 11 of them operating, plus four lifts. You can see video of last weekend's first day on the video page of their website. By the way, the Ski Magazine reader survey I discussed in yesterday's blog entry, ra...
More About: General , Open , Snowboarding , Skiing

Vermont Has Five of the Top Ten Eastern Ski Resorts
2007-11-13 03:22:00
The new lodge and heated outdoor pool at Sugarbush - photo courtesy of SKI MagazineThe longest running and most respected ranking of ski resorts in North America is published each year by SKI Magazine. . It has an independent research company survey its readers to rank ski resorts on 18 criteria: "Overall Satisfaction, Access, Après Ski, Dining, Family Programs, Grooming, Lifts, Lodging, Off-Hill Activities, On-Mountain Food, Scenery, Service, Snow, Terrain/Challenge, Terrain/Variety, Terrain Parks, Value and Weather." This year, 7,000 readers took part in the survey. These are active skiers who put in an average of 23 days a year on the slopes.According to those readers, the top 10 alpine ski areas in the East are:1. Tremblant, Que.2. Smugglers Notch, VT3. Whiteface, NY4. Stowe, VT5. Holiday Valley, NY6. Sugarloaf, Maine7. Sugarbush, VT8. Killington, VT9. Bretton Woods, NH10. Okemo, VTThe best single source of information on Vermont ski areas is at the Vermont Ski Areas Associat...
More About: General , Resorts , Eastern , Ski Resorts

Vermont Transitions from Fall to Winter
2007-11-11 03:09:00
I'll make you a deal. If you spend a few hundred dollars to travel to Vermont , in exchange we will give you million dollar views that will return your investment many times over. Here in northern Vermont, we are moving quickly from fall into winter as this photo illustrates magnificently. It was taken yesterday afternoon from the Burlington area looking east toward Mount Mansfield. This is all natural snow and on the other side of the mountain, Stowe ski resort has been busy the last couple of weeks making even more snow to build a deep base for the skiers and snowboarders. The resort opens its trails November 21. That bump on the right side of the mountain ridge line is known as the "nose" and the larger lump on the left side is the "chin." This photo is from "Hugho" who posts a photo every day on his Megapickles photoblog. There is a link to the blog in the left column of this Vermont Travel News blog too. You should go to his blog to see the full size version of this photo. I a...
More About: Nature , Winter , Transitions , Fall

Vermont Hand Crafters Show Nov 15 - 18
2007-11-09 05:24:00
Vermont Hand Crafters was formed in 1955 and now has 200 members, most of whom will be at the group's annual show Thursday through Sunday, November 11 - 18. Some 150 crafters will be on hand with samples of their work for sale. They include items such as paintings, fiber art, fine art, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, photography, pottery, stone, toys and figurines, and wood. The event will be at the Sheraton Conference Center, located at exit 14 W from Interstate 89 in South Burlington. This show was named by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce as one of the Top Ten Events held each year. Admission is $7.00 for all four days ($4 for Sunday only admission) but there is an online discount coupon available on the Vermont Hand Crafters website. (c) 2007 (except the show logo above which is copyright by Vermont Hand Crafters, Inc.) Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn
More About: Show , Vermont , Mont