Ever wonder about those little huts out on the ice around Vermont?  Well, beside creating a great “Norman Rockwell” backdrop at our Vermont Inn, they are used by ice fishermen to keep warm and dry.  A few days ago Tim headed out on the ice with our friend Doug, who operates a small local outdoor adventure guide service, to learn a bit about the basics of ice fishing.

Watch as Doug explains the simple equipment you will need to ice fish, as well as shares some tips for an enjoyable experience on the ice.

The Retreat Meadows is a very popular ice fishing spot in Brattleboro, and is luckily located just behind our bed and breakfast.  We are happy to make reservations with Doug at Brattleboro Outdoors if you would like to borrow an ice shanty for the day, or have a guided afternoon of ice fishing (or other outdoor activities).  Of course, we hope that if you are heading to Vermont, you will stay with us here at Forty Putney Road!

For details about ice fishing in Vermont, you can check out BrattleboroOutdoors.com.

There is something about the feeling of being outside in the Vermont winter. The crisp clean country air and the peaceful silence that comes with a soft snowfall. One great way to get outside and experience this serenity is snow shoeing. Lucky for us, there are plenty of great cross-country ski trails around Brattleboro that also make fore a snowshoers paradise. As a matter of fact, you can snowshoe almost 15 miles of trails right from the backyard of our Brattleboro Inn! But there are also several nearby locations that are well suited for all snowshoeing skill levels.

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.

My first ice skating experience was on a pond – well really it was more of a big puddle, with an eight foot circumference out behind my childhood home in Connecticut. My first skates were double-bladed things that strapped onto my winter boots and my Dad brought out a kitchen stool for me to use for support. Since then most of my skating has been with newer black, single-bladed hockey skates.  However there is something about winter in Brattleboro Vermont that calls out for some good old-fashioned ice skating.

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…

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.

There is a movement across America to begin purchasing products that are made locally.  Whole Foods, food cooperatives and local grocers have gained serious popularity in the last few years.

I think people are moving this direction for several reasons.  One reason is certainly the recent contamination scares from imported produce.  This year it was salmonella in tomatoes (but really they meant peppers) and don’t forget that last year it was scallions.  Of course, I also think Americans are more health conscious then ever before and they are looking for organic choices for their families.  I am reminded of the line in the Counting Crows song:

Farmer, farmer, put away your DDT, I don’t care about spots on my apples leave me the birds and the bees…please.

Of course for me personally, it is mostly about supporting my small commuity and the people in it.

Here in Brattleboro (and I would venture to say most of Vermont) there is a strong showing of support for the fellow “little guy”.  It’s awesome to be able to support the local economy and eat wonderful locally produced produce – and the easiest way to do both is at the Brattleboro Farmers Market.

The market is held every Saturday between 9am – 2pm (there’s a smaller version on Wednesdays as well).   Set outdoors on a great sliver of land with a covered bridge in the distance and next to the oldest house in Brattleboro, the Brattleboro Farmers Market is a must see for anyone visitng the area.

Some of my favorite vendors include True North Granola (which we offer here at Forty Putney Road B&B), Pottery Works (where my sister got her wedding china), and Dutton Farm.  I just can not get enough of Dutton Farms herbs, flowers and fresh produce.  You can also find hand made jewelry, homemade jams, breads, and pastries.  Be sure to save room for lunch as you will find stand after stand of Thai, Mexican, Indian, South African and more.  We are huge Anon’s Thai fans and find that the farmers market is the ideal setting to enjoy their great Thai food.  Of course its all topped off with occasional live music, great people and some pretty killer lemonade…

If you are looking to visit the farmers market, it is located near the Creamery Bridge in Brattleboro Vermont.  It’s open from 9am – 2pm on Saturdays from May through October.  Wednesdays they move a small version of the market into the Brattleboro Food Co-Op parking lot as well, for the same hours.

Of course, the farmers market is just one of the great things to do around Brattleboro.  We hope that you will spend a night or two at our beautiful Vermont Inn and we will be glad to share some more of Brattleboro’s treasures with you.

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!