Dutton Berry Farm has three locations in Southern Vermont.  They sell a wide variety of wonderful fresh fruits, vegetables, homemade fudge and jams.  Some even have a full bakery with homemade soups.  Last year we even get our Inns Christmas Tree there.

Of course, Dutton Berry Farm still has plenty of berry’s – which of course are where it all started.  The owner Paul grew up in Southern Vermont on a Dairy Farm.  He pursued his education in Agriculture and gained hands-on training in Michigan while working on some berry farms.  In the early 1980’s he moved back to Vermont, married his wife Wendy, and they opened their first farm stand.  In the mid to late 1980’s they purchased their first “Duttton Berry Farm” and stand in Newfane, VT (still open today).    By the early 1990’s they purchased their second location an orchard in West Brattleboro and then yet another farm stand in Manchester, VT.  Just this past year they built a brand (and quite beautiful if I may say) new farm stand at their West Brattleboro location.

Don’t want someone else selecting your berries for you?  Picking your own fruit is a great way to spend a summer day here in Vermont.  Dutton Berry Farm offers Strawberry and Raspberry picking seasonally from 7am – 7pm.  Strawberry season runs from about June 15 – July 15 and Raspberry season runs from mid July through early September.  Berry picking is one of my personal favorite summer time activities.  I love using the fresh picked berries in our scrumptious breakfasts like my Strawberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast.

Dutton Berry Farm stands are located on Route 30 in Newfane, Route 9 in West Brattleboro, and in Manchester, VT.  Hours vary seasonally.   Dutton Berry Farm products can also be found at the Brattleboro Farmer’s Market every Wednesday and Saturday from May – October.

Mt. Wantastiquet in Hinsdale, NH is just a short walk from downtown Brattleboro, VT and  is one of our favorite simple hikes.  It’s easily walkable from our Vermont B&B, and offers 3 great choices for hiking.

Start by walking downtown and crossing the steel bridge into New Hampshire.  Make the first left and follow that dirt road to the end.  You’ll see a small parking area, where you can head off in several directions.

When we want to take a leisurely stroll with the dog we head to the left and take the nearly flat walk along the Connecticut River.

When we are looking to build some endurance we will head up the hill to the right, and take the winding  switchback style jeep trail to the top of the mountain. This trail is pretty gradual, but a steady climb.  We would label it as a moderate hike, and it takes about three hours from our front door to the top and back.

Finally, if we are short on time, we will take the short cut straight up the mountain which is much steeper, but shorter.  We would label that path moderately difficult, this trail only take about two hours from our door step and back.

Both the switchback and the short cut will take you to a clearing at the top where you will see panoramic views of Brattleboro and the river valley.  Even on a hazy day you can see our slate roof peaking out over the trees and our huge Japanese Maple with its bright red leaves, in the back yard.

If you are really looking for a longer adventure, venture over the top of the mountain and hike the backside down all the way to the old “Castle” (see our haunted hike).  Be warned though, that is a long trek.

When you come off of the mountain, you walk back to the Inn through downtown, where you can stop to enjoy a well deserved lunch.  This certainly makes  Mount Wantastiquet a great local hike and one of the many reasons we love living in Brattleboro.

For more great Brattleboro area activities, be sure to keep an eye on our blog at InnBrattleboro.com!

Marlboro Music Festival is located in Marlboro, Vermont (only a short 15 minutes from our B&B, Forty Putney Road).  Marlboro Music Frestival is an amazing group of concerts held throughout July and August.  Marlboro Music has gained world-wide acclaim as an institution devoted to fostering artistic excellence and grooming new musical leaders who illuminate all areas of music today.  There concept is unique as they invite master artists to play together with exceptional young professional musicians, under the Artistic Direction of celebrated pianists Richard Goode and Mitsuko Uchida.  Below you wil find the 2009 schedule directly from Marlboro’s website.  We highly recommend you attend and hope you enjoy the wonderful sounds of Marlboro Music Festival

Marlboro’s 59th Season: July 18th-August 16th, 2009

The programs offer chamber music for diverse instrumental and vocal combination’s from all musical periods. Selected each week from among some 70 works in rehearsal at any one time, the programs are announced Saturday just one week prior to weekend performances.

To purchase tickets over the phone, please call our Box Office at (215) 569-4690.  Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm.

Concert Schedule

Please Note: All performances take place in Persons Auditorium at Marlboro College in Marlboro, VT. Please call (215) 569-4690 with any questions or concerns.

Opening Weekend 2009

Saturday, July 18th at 8:30pm
Sunday, July 19th at 2:30pm

Week Two

Saturday, July 25th at 8:30pm
Sunday, July 26th at 2:30pm

Week Three

Saturday, August 1st at 8:30pm
Sunday, August 2nd at 2:30pm

Week Four

Saturday, August 8th at 8:30pm
Sunday, August 9th at 2:30pm

Week Five

Friday, August 14th at 8:30pm
Saturday, August 15th at 8:30pm
Sunday, August 16th at 2:30pm

**Final Weekend Package w/ All Three Performances

Looking for a reason (or excuse!) to get outside this weekend?  Check out Vermont Days, June 13 & 14, 2009.

Vermont Days offer free admission to all State Parks, Forests, and State owned Historic Sites.  This means you can take advantage of some free hiking (not that we mind the normal $4 or so, which just goes to supporting the parks).   In the southern Vermont area, I would highly recommend Molly Stark State Park, which is just minutes from our B&B, Fortry Putney Road.

Molly Stark has several trails to chose from, most are fairly gentle and a few lead to a fire tower you can climb and take advantage of beautiful Vermont views.  Molly Stark is also a great place to have a picnic.

Vermont Days also offer free fishing, with no license required, on Saturday and in addition, all of the State Historic Sites and Museums will be free.  So why not take this as the perfect excuse to go ahead and check out something new around Vermont.

You can find all of the details and a list of locations on the Vermont Vacation website.