One of the unique stops along the Retreat Trails is the Retreat Tower.  This tower was built by the patients of the Vermont Asylum (now the Brattleboro Retreat) in 1887.  At the time, doctors believed that hard, meaningful labor could help mental patients regain their stability.  So a group of patients was put to work building this large stone tower, as a scenic overlook of the Asylum grounds.

While I’m sure that the doctors had the best of intentions, some patients chose to use the tower in a different manner.  In the years following its construction, according to the book “Weird New England” a fair number of patients climbed to the top of the tower and hurled themselves off of it onto the rocky cliff below.  While the number of suicides at this site is a closely guarded secret, the tower was sealed off and remains so today.

For those looking for the haunted side of Brattleboro, ghost hunters report sightings of an airborne human-like form at the top of the tower that appears briefly and then disappears into space.

You can find the tower off of the “Tower Climb” trail on the Retreat Trail system.  It’s a fairly easy 10 – 15 minute walk from our Inn.  The tower is visible from the Retreat Meadows and a lot of the north side of Brattleboro as well – particularly in the winter and fall as the trees clear.

The tower opens to the public typically just one or two times per year.  The dates are not consistent, but you can certainly keep an eye on our twitter feed to know when it opens – as we will definitely be there.

Fall foliage and a good corn maze go hand in hand. One of the best corn mazes I have ever navigated is in nearby Guilford, Vermont at Gaines Farm.

The 5.5 acre maze is shaped like a giant cow, every bit what I would expect a Corn Maze in Southern Vermont to be shaped like. This Maze also offered a “Cornundrum” game, where using a map you search out 10 riddles in the maize, write down your answers and are entered to win a grand prize.

Tim had a blast playing with the Corn Cannon (pun intended).  Hit the tire or ring the bell by shooting corn from a compressed air cannon and you win a hat.  We walked away hat-less, but with big smiles instead.  finally, we wrapped up this beautiful fall day with a cup of warm apple cider from the refreshment cart and a quick look at the animals in the barn.

You can enjoy these great events at Gaines Farm on weekends only from Columbus Day weekend through Halloween weekend.   Hope you enjoy this short video.  We look forward to showing you more of Southern Vermont and our great town of Brattleboro when you come stay with us at Forty Putney Road B&B.

With Halloween approaching, I put together this quick video to showcase some of the spooky side of Brattleboro.  This video takes you on a quick tour of the  Retreat Cemetery and Retreat Tower as well as Madam Cherie’s “Castle”.  Each of these sites has a “haunted” history and several sources mention ghost sightings.   Best of all, each of these places are a short walk from our Brattleboro Vermont Inn.   Check out each of our individual posts for details (some are still coming, so be sure to keep an eye on our site or follow us on Twitter to get the updates) about the locations, and enjoy this quick look at the haunted side of Brattleboro – if you dare…

Last year the Brattleboro Retreat completed updates on a series of trails that climb throughout their expansive property.  The trails date back to the 1800’s when many of them were created for the use of the patients and staff of the “Vermont Asylum”, which continues to operate today as the Brattleboro Retreat.  As a matter of fact, the Brattleboro Retreat is celebrating it’s 175th anniversary this year.  Many of the trails today still use the names they were given 175 years ago – including the pictured “last step”.   Lucky for us, our home was once part of the Brattleboro Retreat and these trails connect to those that are located right in our backyard.

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.

Our guests often ask where they can go to go see some live music during their stay.  Luckily a local musician, writer and artist keeps a weekly list of offerings and with his permission we are going to start re-posting that here for our guests.  Look forward to each weeks live music listing on Tuesdays.  You can follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our blog to get the updates automatically!

Guide to Local Live Music: October 6 – October 11, 2009:

Courtesy of Derek Gladding

OF NOTE THIS WEEK: The Wailers, Richard Thompson, The Disco Biscuits, & Yonder Mountain String Band!!!

You should probably call the venues to confirm before you make the drive anywhere!

Tuesday, October 6:

Yellow Barn Music School & Festival presents the Parker Quartet, 8pm, Centre Congregational Church, Brattleboro, VT
Open Mic, PK’s Pub, Bellows Falls, VT, FREE!
Open Mic, Bishop’s Lounge, Northampton, MA, FREE!
Mark Hummel’s Blues Harp Blowout, 7pm, Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
Richard Thompson & Loudon Wainwright, 8pm, Calvin Theater, Northampton, MA
Mumiy Troll, World’s Greatest Dad, 8:30pm, Pearl Street, Northampton, MA

Wednesday, October 7:

Open Mic, 7pm, Brattleboro Bowl, Brattleboro, VT, FREE!
Open Mic/Jam Session, Colonel’s Cabin, Dummerston, VT, FREE!
Irish Music, 8pm, JD McCliment’s Pub, Putney, VT, FREE!
Kurt Rosenwinkel Group, Kami Lyle, 7pm, Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
The Fine and Dandy Trio, 9pm, The Basement, Northampton, MA, FREE!
Beau Sasser Trio, 10pm, Bishops Lounge, Northampton, MA
Mihali from Twiddle, 8:30pm, The Perfect Wife, Manchester, VT, FREE!

Thursday, October 8:

Open Mic, 7:30pm, Adagio’s, Brattleboro, VT, FREE!
Live Jazz, 7pm, Rick’s Tavern, Newfane, VT, FREE!
Open Jam, 8pm, Chase Tavern @ EF Lane Hotel, Keene, NH, FREE!
Ameri-MF-Cana, 8pm, The Rendevous, Turners Falls, MA, FREE!
Open Mic, 9pm, Rt 63 Roadhouse, Millers Falls, MA, FREE!
The Original Wailers, The Big Takeover, 9pm, Northampton, MA
Andrew Parker Renga, 8:30pm, The Perfect Wife, Manchester, VT

Friday, October 9:

TBA, 7pm, Adagios, Brattleboro, VT, FREE!
The Guest Who’s, Colonel’s Cabin, Dummerston, VT
Loose End Theory, 8pm, , Chase Tavern @ EF Lane Hotel, Keene, NH, $3
Double Time, 7pm, Fritz, Keene, NH, FREE!
Manhattan Transfer, 8pm, Colonial Theater, Keene, NH
Blanche Moyse Chorale, 8pm, Walpole Unitarian Church, Walpole, NH
DLB Band, 9:30pm, Rt 63 Roadhouse, Millers Falls, MA
Hi8us, 9:30pm, The Perfect Wife, Manchester, VT
Charlie Apicella & Iron City, 8pm, The Basement, Northamton, MA, FREE!
Roots of Creation, 10pm, Bishops Lounge, Northampton, MA
Holly Near, 7pm, Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
Hadoken, The Baltic Sea, 10pm, Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
The Disco Biscuits, Kraak and Smaak DJ Set, 8pm, Calvin Theater, Northampton, MA
Jah-N-I Roots Band, 9:30pm, Harlows Pub, Peterborough, NH

Saturday, October 10:

AIDS Benefit Concert , 7:30pm, Latchis Theater, Brattleboro, VT
TBA, 7pm, Adagios, Brattleboro, VT, FREE!
Helio Alvez Brazilian Jazz Trio, 8pm, VT Jazz Center, Brattleboro, VT
Jim Flynn & Friends, 7pm, Ricks Tavern, Newfane, VT, FREE!
Boogie Men, 7:30pm, Boccelli’s On the Canal, Bellows Falls, VT
Terrapin Island, 6pm, The Sitzmark, Wilmington, VT, FREE!
Turn It Loose, 9:30pm, Rt 63 Roadhouse, Millers Falls, MA
The Nines, Chase Tavern @ EF Lane Hotel, Keene, NH, $7
Replica, McCues, Keene, NH
The Disco Biscuits, 8pm, Calvin Theater, Northampton, MA
TBA, 10pm, Bishops Lounge, Northampton, MA
Asylum Street Spankers, 7pm, Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
The Rural Alberta Advantage, The Lovely Feathers, 10pm, Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
Unfulfilled Desires, 8pm, The Basement, Northampton, MA, FREE!
Brother Josephus and theLove Revival Revolution Orchestra, Red Fox Inn, Bondville, VT
Rick Redington & the Luv, 9:30pm, The Perfect Wife, Manchester, VT
Mawwal, 9:30pm, Harlows Pub, Peterborough, NH

Sunday, October 11:

Open Mic, 9pm, The Weathervane, Brattleboro, VT, FREE!
Blanche Moyse Chorale, 3pm, Marlboro College, Marlboro, VT
Keene Chamber Orchestra, 4pm, Colonial Theater, Keene, NH
Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses, Jonny Burke, 7pm, Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
Yonder Mountain String Band, Danny Barnes, 8pm, Pearl Street, Northampton, MA

Yankee Candle is headquartered in western Massachusetts.  Now, while you cannot tour the actual factory (which is something I would have loved to do) they have built what is best described as a “Hallmark Theme Park” for your candle and nick-nack loving enjoyment.

I visited the Yankee Candle Village with some hesitancy, especially after finding out that I didn’t get to see any massive machinery pumping out candles by the thousands.  However, the village does seem to have something for everyone.  From the obvious enormous selection of every scent of Yankee Candle – to small rooms full of sports memorabilia – to a winter themed space that actually has falling snow.

The space itself is enormous and even has several dining options, including Chandlers, a fine dining restaurant which is illuminated with hundreds of candles.   If you are just in need of a snack, or a place to chill while your partner peruses the candles, there is a central cafe with sandwiches, soups and the like and even an animated bear jamboree – singing tunes about candles…

For the bargain hunters, there is a small room near the center of the building that is filled with discounted candles and odds and ends.

If you are looking for some gifts, there is a huge toy section, complete with Santa’s workshop and full time Santa (off season he chills in the workshop checking his list – probably more than twice).

The whole trip wraps up with a full fledged home store, including designer bags and fashions and a host of small impulse items at the sea of cash registers.

I would say that this is certainly a place worth visiting and will get you brownie points from the lady in your life – particularly if she is a candle fan.   Best part, the Yankee Candle Village is just about a 30 minute ride from our Vermont Inn and part of our larger “heading south” tour of fun and interesting places near Southern Vermont.

Yankee Candle Village is open everyday from 10am to 6pm, with some extended hours during the holidays.