We are writing about this because our Inn, Forty Putney Road B&B, was the Superintendent’s home for the Vermont Asylum from 1929 until 1993. We love finding references (factual and fictional) to the Asylum and the Inn and were excited to see this trailer.

Now while we have never seen a dragon at the inn, and the actual Brattleboro Retreat is a beautiful place overlooking the same water that we are situated on.  It’s fun to see a movie based on a location we are so familiar with.

As an aside, this is also one of the reasons I love reading Archer Mayor books, he uses local places accurately but full of fictional characters. We would love for him to use our Inn in a book… hint hint…

Anyhow we just wanted to share this fun clip. Maybe there are a couple of young innkeepers up on the hill, or maybe the dragon lives in the mysterious underground bunker we have in our backyard (come stay and we’ll show you!). Either way, we look forward to seeing the movie when it comes out and we know the perfect place for the premier

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Fireworks Under the Stars in Grafton, VT

On July 4, 2010, the United States of America turns 234 years old. In our hamlet of Brattleboro in southern Vermont, we have a tradition that’s not quite as old, but steeped in history nonetheless.

The annual Fourth of July Parade and all-day “Celebration of Community” takes to the streets of Brattleboro on Sunday, July 4… a tradition that dates back to 1973. The parade will take off from Brattelbroro Union High School, just off Exit 1 on Interstate 91, at 1 p.m. sharp, head down Canal St. and connect to Main St. in the heart of Bratt. It ends at the Brattleboro Common, a shady park at the north end of town.

The parade is a celebration of this small Vermont town’s eclectic population. Spectators can expect parade standards like a marching band, provided by the Brattleboro Union High School, and local fire engines. Live rock bands can be expected to cruise by on more than one float, and local business, from organic farms to restaurants to solar panel installers, are enthusiastically represented.

The good times then move on to Living Memorial Park, a large park just a stone’s throw from the farmers market. Spend the afternoon with family and friends playing baseball or frisbee, enjoy barbecue and other delectables from local food vendors and relax to live music and comedy acts.

“But what about fireworks?!”

What, you thought we’d leave you hanging without an explosive display overhead? Of course there are fireworks. The town of Brattleboro gets their fireworks show going just after dusk, with the best views from Living Memorial Park.

Even more spectacular, and growing in popularity, is the Music and Fireworks Under the Stars show in Grafton, Vermont, about a 40-minute drive from Brattleboro. Now in its 20th year, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra will play to an audience and then a dazzling fireworks show will explode overhead. Bring a picnic and blanket and enjoy the show – Saturday, July 3 starting at 7:30 p.m.

Coming up for the weekend? There’s a ton of stuff to do around town, from our farmers market to great hiking to golf. And if you need a place to stay, we hope you’ll spend the night with us at our beautiful Vermont inn.

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Now the good people of the Brattleboro Country Club have helped us to sweeten the pot for our fellow golfers.  They are offering our guests $20 off of greens fees and 10% off of food and beverage at their Fairway Tavern.

The Brattleboro Country Club has been member owned and operated since 1914 and is less than 5 minutes from our Brattleboro Vermont Inn.  With our $20 discount you can play 18 holes for just $25! How can you beat that?

If you are traveling, they have clubs to rent available and of course carts are available for those not looking to take on the somewhat hilly course on foot.  There is even a small grass range if you would like to warm up or just hit a bucket.

But wait, as the legendary Billy Mays would say, that’s not all…  They are even offering preferred tee times for our guests!

So if you are heading to Vermont this summer and enjoy playing a round – stay with us at Forty Putney Road Bed and Breakfast and take advantage of our great deals over at the Brattleboro Country Club.    As for us, we have an 1:10 tee time this afternoon (squeezing in 9 holes before check in time!) so we have to run – thanks for reading InnBrattleboro.com – the best information about Southern Vermont!

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While there are a variety of approaches to the summit, we have found our personal favorite to be the White Arrow Trail. Hiking the White Arrow Trail takes about two hours from the parking area up to the summit and about an hour and fifteen minutes down. We would say that this hike is moderately difficult, the park states that there is an average 27% grade. There are some sections that are steep and rocky. We would not suggest hiking this trail in the wet weather as there are sections that become streams in the rain. On an average day most of the trail is dry and clear, with about 3/4 of the hike in the wooded section and about 1/4 above the treeline.

To reach the start of the White Arrow approach, park in the lot off the Old Toll Road – on NH Route 124.   After paying your $4 park admission (can you believe that they maintain these parks for $4?) head up the old toll road trail.  This trail will take you to the intersection of the White Arrow Trail, which is located at the Old Halfway House.   Don’t worry – all of the trails are well marked and your $4 includes a map of the mountain.

The trail makes several turns, with a variety of other trail options splitting off here and there.  White Arrow is the most direct route to the summit however.

For most of the hike you will find yourself under a tree canopy (bring bug spray).  But after about an hour you will be able to see the summit.  While it looks very close, this is where the hiking gets somewhat more challenging, incorporating some large stretches of relatively smooth rock face.  Take your time, be sure to look around and chose the best path up the rocks, sometimes the easiest path is not the most obvious.   This is also a great time to take a gander at the forest below – there are several great points to take a break on the rocks and enjoy the amazing views and cool breezes.

The view at the top is amazing – although it is likely to be “crowded”.  There are several approaches to the summit and so regardless of how busy your trail was (White Arrow tends to be moderately busy – especially on weekends) the summit is guaranteed to be bustling with other hikers.

On the descent – which is markedly easier – you still must be careful of your footing and ease your way down the same rock surfaces carefully.

Mount Monadnock is in Monadnock State Park in New Hampshire.  The White Arrow Trail (Old Toll Road) starts about 30 miles from our Vermont Inn.  Travel Route 9 into Hampshire – to 101 to 124 to a town called Jaffrey.  Its a scenic drive that will take about 40 minutes.

The Park is open 7 days and hiking is popular year round.  Off season hikers should check in at the base (located off of Dublin Road – a bit further down 124).

There is a great (and funny) list of Monadnock FAQ’s on the GCC site that should be able to help with any other questions.

Also, you can check out this step by step guide assembled by one of our guests!

Hiking Mount Monadnock is certain to be an experience you remember.  There is a reason that it is one of the most hiked mountains in the world and if you are in the Brattleboro area, why not explore it for yourself.   Of course, we hope that you will stay with us at our beautiful Vermont Inn which makes a great base camp for this and many other activities in New England.  To read about some of our other favorites, be sure to subscribe to our blog!

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The trail system is open year round and is more than 9 miles long.  The Retreat Trails cover over 400 acres of forest and agricultural land and include some interesting sites, like the Harris Hill Ski Jump, Grafton Cheese Country Store, the old Cemetery and the Retreat Tower.

There is a nice map of the trail system available at several information kiosks along the system, the map is also online here and we have printed copies of the map at the Inn for you as well.

The trails range from flat and easy, to somewhat steep and rocky.  None are really more than “moderate” in difficulty and most can be trekked year round.  We have taken some great winter hikes in the snow up these trails, sliding down the steeper parts in our snow pants.

For those staying with us at our Brattleboro B&B, you can access the trails from our back yard (these trails connect to the shorter Hogle Wildlife Sanctuary Trail).  For others, there are 5 public access points to the trail system – outlined here.

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At Harlow’s, they offer a wide selection of local products, other than syrups. They also will let you watch the cooking process. Demonstrations of both the traditional methods of syrup production and more advanced methods will be available as well as samples and all things maple! There is more information about the activities scheduled at www.vermontmaple.org. Copies of the “2009 Vermont Ski & Maple Map” can also be picked up at any Vermont Welcome Center (Rest Areas).

If you are planing a trip to Forty Putney Road and would like to see some sugaring, here are some local spots to check out:

Harlow’s is located at 563 Bellows Falls Rd. (Rt. 5), in Putney. The phone number is (802) 387-5852. For more information, visit www.harlowssugarhouse.com.

The Clark Farm is at 4224 Bonnyvale Rd., in Guilford. The phone number is (802) 254-2569.

The Corse Farm is at 1089 Corse Rd., in Whitingham. The phone number is (802) 368-2322.

Harlow’s Sugarhouse is at Sweet Maple Alpacas is at 154 River Rd., in Westminster. The phone number is (802) 376-9846. For more information, visit www.sweetmaplealpacas.com.

Robb Family Farm is at 827 Ames Hill Rd., in Brattleboro. The phone number is (802) 258-9087. For more information, visit www.robbfamilyfarm.com.

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For first timers, check out the Brattleboro Outing Club. The outing club sets up shop in the winter on the golf course, creating a 14km system of trails for cross country skiing and snowshoeing throughout the picturesque hilly country club. They even rent equipment and offer lessons right on site on the weekends. The outing club is located just across the water from our inn, on Upper Dummerston Road.

If you are looking for something a bit more challenging, or a nice afternoon trip, check out Grafton Ponds. Grafton Ponds is located in Grafton Vermont, about 25 miles up Route 30 (to Rt 35, to Townshend Road). A bit bigger than the outing club, and with snow making equipment and groomed trails, Grafton Ponds is a local favorite for a serious day on the trails. Grafton Ponds rents equipment, offers lessons, guided tours and even snow tubing. All situated in a picturesque community in rural Vermont.

For those who already have equipment or prefer the “wild” side of getting out on a mountain, the Kilburn Loop trail in nearby New Hampshire’s Pisgah State Park should certainly fit the bill. Pisgah State Park has 13,500 acres of forest and covers more than twenty-one square miles.  Trails roam for miles in the park and six different trailheads leading into the park each allow for a specific use such as snowmobiling, or snowshoeing.

Of the trails, the Kilburn Loop is for skiing and snowshoeing as motorized vehicles are prohibited to protect these ungroomed trails. The trail itself is five miles long and loopy. While the trail is rather steep at times, it is also picturesque and offers a series of rewarding views and places to pause.

Sure Pisgah State Park and the Kilburn Loop are a challenge, but a fun one. If you don’t have your own snowshoes, the Outing Club mentioned earlier rents them on site (on the weekends) as does Burrows Specialized Sports in downtown Brattleboro.

Any way you try it, snowshoeing is a great way to spend an afternoon staying active in the winter. And Brattleboro is a great base for any snowshoeing adventure.

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Luckily there is some great outdoor ice skating directly behind our Brattleboro Vermont Inn.  The Retreat Meadows (the name of the water behind the inn) freezes over every winter and creates a scene reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell painting. The ice on the Retreat Meadows gets “feet thick”, enough for ice fishermen to put out their huts and even drive their trucks on.  Near the road, there is a large cleared area perfect for ice skating (at least it is cleared unless there has been a big snow fall when good friends and neighbors clear it again). This natural rink provides the kind of skating that is right out of Vermont’s past.  You can easily walk down to the ice from the inn, just remember to bring your ice skates.

For those who have never skated on an open pond or lake, it is important to remember that thin ice is dangerous to skate on. Make sure that the ice is thick enough and that it is the weather is cool enough to keep the ice from having soft spots. Even when the water is shallow (and in Retreat Meadows, some places are only two feet deep) falling through will at the very least, ruin your day.

Luckily this is not likely to happen in Retreat Meadows.  After all, the ice fishers know the area and the ice so if they are out there, and other skaters are there, chances are the ice is pretty strong.  If you are in doubt or uneasy about it though (or if you prefer something a little warmer) don’t worry, Brattleboro offers an indoor ice skating alternative!

Brattleboro’s indoor ice rink, The Nelson Withington Skating Facility, is located at “Living Memorial Park”.   The indoor skating rink is open to the public on odd days and weekends, you can see the public schedule on their website. The park and rink are located on Route 9 near the Creamery covered bridge (about 5 minutes from our inn) and the skating facility is open seasonally from October 15th to April 15th.

So weather you long to relive the nostalgia of skating on a glassy pond, or just want to try ice skating for the first time – Brattleboro Vermont offers an ice skating adventure for all.  Of course if you are heading to Brattleboro, we hope that you will join us at Forty Putney Road B&B, where you can skate right out back of the inn and come inside after for some hot chocolate by the fire – making your own ice skating memories…

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Now that we are settled in here, we hope to provide a healthy getaway to those who may be facing the same struggle with their own health care coverage by giving away one healthy getaway each month – complete with an apple a day – to an uninsured couple in need of some stress relief.

Vermont was recently named the “Healthiest State” in the 20th annual “Americas Health” ranking report. While a trip to Vermont is no substitute for good health care coverage, some time in Vermont is certainly beneficial for anyone, especially those dealing with the health issues or simply the stresses of being uninsured.

If you are one of the millions of Americans without health insurance, or are dealing with a health insurance disaster, we want to hear your story. Each month until a National Health Care Reform Bill is passed Forty Putney Road Bed and Breakfast will award one deserving couple with a rejuvenating two night getaway, including everything from beautiful accommodations to guided outdoor activities along with a healthy breakfast to start each day.

Please share this opportunity with anyone who you think may benefit from some time in Vermont.

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1. Great downtown – stroll through our active downtown with all of its big city amenities
2. Live theater – 3 Theaters for live performances downtown (Hooker Dunham Theater, Latchis Theater, New England Youth Theater)
3. Caffeine – 3 Independent Coffee Shops (Mocha Joe’s, Coffee Country & Cafe Lotus)
4. Food – 30+ Restaurants to choose from
5. Pizza – 8 Pizza Shops (what can I say we like pizza around here)
6. Sushi – 3 restaurants to get great Sushi
7. Brattleboro Museum and Art Center
8. Martinis – on the deck at Alici’s Bistro in the summer
9. Vermont Jazz Center
10. Galleries – Gallery in the Woods, Artisan Design, Gallery 215, Artist Loft Gallery…just to name a few
11. Architecture – Beautiful historic architecture
12. Beer – McNeil’s Brewery in the historic fire house
13. More beer – 40 Tap Handles at Flat Street Pub
14. Cheap beer – $2.75 Draft Beer on the Fridays on the roof top deck at the Riverview Cafe in the summer
15. Movies – Check out the Art Deco Latchis Movie Theater
16. Only a 2 hour drive from Boston, MA
17. Only a 3 hour drive from New York City, NY
18. Only a 5 hour drive from Philadelphia, PA
19. The Vermonter - Amtrak service from Washington D.C., Philadelphia and NYC to Brattleboro Vermont!
20. Small town – only 12,000 residents
21. How Tom at Peter Haven\’s Restaurant met me once and remembered my name 2 years later
22. Countless Boutiques – Beadnicks, Altiplano, Blue Moose, Knit or Dye, Distinctive Decor…just to name a few
23. So many books – 5 Book stores downtown (Baskets Paperbacks, Book Cellar, Brattleboro Books, Everyone’s Books, & Mystery on Main)
24. Community Appreciation Day – free lunch served by the Brattleboro Savings and Loan
25. Brattleboro Food Coop – local and fresh food!
26. The Hospital – yes, best experience I ever had at a hospital (kind, courteous and only waited 5 minutes to be seen)
27. Our Local Butcher Shop – North End Butchers
28. Gallery Walk – 1st Friday of every month – over 40 galleries, shops and restaurants displaying local art
29. Local newspaper daily – all the news I need in the Brattleboro Reformer
30. Drive in Movies -  Northfield drive-in theater
31. Wantastiquet – great hike with an odd name
32. Chesterfield Gorge
33. The Retreat Trails – hike them right from our backyard
34. Mount Monadock - sure it’s not in Brattleboro, but it’s close and awesome
35. Picking Berries – love Dutton Farm
36. Road Biking along the West River
37. Strolling of the Heifers (ever seen cows strolling down main street before, well see it here)
38. Spofford Lake
39. Mountain Biking
40. Tubing down the West River
41. Swimming holes on the West River
42. Kayaking on the Connecticut River
43. Hogle Wildlife Sanctuary
44. Canoeing in the Retreat Meadows
45. The Treasured Tree Tour – including our enormous Japanese Maple Tree – you have to see it to believe it!
46. Golfing at the Brattleboro Country Club
47. Hogback Mountain Scenic Overlook
48. Fishing
49. Fall Foliage
50. Corn Mazes – including the Gaines Farms’ giant cow
51. It’s haunted… The Spooky Side of Brattleboro (Madame Sharri\’s Castle and the Retreat Tower)
52. Shelburne Falls – Pot Holes and Bridge of Flowers
53. Picking Apples  – love Scott Farm
54. Cider – Donuts & Fresh Apple Cider from Green Mountain Orchards
55. Snow
56. Ski Jumping – Harris Hill Ski Jump
57. Ice Fishing on the Retreat Meadows (I love watching them from our 2nd Floor Sun Porch, like a Norman Rockwell painting)
58. Snow Shoeing
59. Cross Country Skiing at the Brattleboro Country Club
60. Down Hill Skiing at Mount Snow (just a short 20 minute drive)
61. Diversity
62. The Circus is always in town at the Nimble Arts Circus School
63. School for International Training
64. Protests – who doesn’t dig a good peaceful protest
65. The smelly hippies
66. Bartering – check out Boomerang, Turn it Up, and other shops
67. Vermont Fresh Network – restaurants, growers and producers working together
68. Free Wi-Fi – not just at our inn, but throughout downtown!
69. A Bush and Cheney free zone
70. First Home Depot in the US to close – citing local competition-Brown & Roberts Hardware rules!
71. Supporting local businesses
72. Keeping Walmart out
73. Sustainability – Check out the store called Save the Corporations From Themselves
74. Easy to be Gluten Free
75. Easy to be a Vegetarian
76. Easy to be a Vegan
77. Cheese – Grafton Cheese Company (watch them make cheese, visit their country store or pet the animals at the farm)
78. Weddings – in the apple orchards at Scott Farm
79. Sugaring – see them make the Maple Syrup at Harlow’s Sugar House
80. Candy – Tom and Sally\’s Handmade Chocolates (something for the kids and something for the adults as well)
81. The Brattleboro area Farmer\’s Market (year round)
82. Thai food – Anon’s Thia food at the Farmer’s Market and Thai Bamboo – both rock
83. The Awesome 80′s hour on WTSA 96.7 FM (while I iron the sheets)
84. Walking our dog and feeding the ducks in the Retreat Meadow (one for them, one for her)
85. 175 years of history at the Brattleboro Retreat
86. Antiquing on Route 30
87. Irish Sessions on Wednesday nights at JD McCliment’s Pub in nearby Putney
88. Live music at the Weathervane
89. Summer Concerts in the Park
90. Brattstock – local music festival in August
91. Renew Building Supply – plenty of reclaimed parts for your (and our) old house
92. Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters  – the biggest little store you have ever seen!
93. Chelsea Royal Diner – try their ice cream
94. Wine – great local shops (Windham Wines) and producers (Honora)
95. Basketville
96. Our Downtown Waterfall – how many towns have one of those!
97. Fish Market
98. Festivals (Keene Pumpkin Festival, Marlboro Music Festival, Yellow Barn Music Festival, Dummerston Apple Festival, Newfane Heritage Festival, Brattleboro Literary Festival…just to name a few)
99. Newfane Flea Market
100. Covered bridges
101. And of course, Forty Putney Road Bed and Breakfast!

Did we miss anything?  What are your favorite Brattleboro things?  Please share your favorites in the comments!

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