Whitewater Rafting is a great way to spend a hot summer day. We recently enjoyed an awesome whitewater rafting adventure with the great team down at Zoar Outdoor.  Just a short 45 minute scenic drive from our Vermont Bed and Breakfast, Zoar Outdoor is located in Clarlemont, MA.

Being new to this, we went on the beginner whitewater rafting trip called the Zoar Gap.  This trip is 10 miles of fun on the Deerfield River consisting of mainly class I and II but a small stretch of class III rapids.  That makes it perfect for all ages and skill levels.  Of course if you are a more advanced whitewater rafter they recommend you check out one of their tours down the Miller River where you can find some class IV and V rapids.

But back to our adventure, we arrived, signed in and met their fun staff.  We point that out as sometimes guided tours can be a bust solely because of the guides.  On occasion we have found that they forget that while they are experts, we are not.  The folks at Zoar really went out of their way to introduce the sport to us and got us excited about our trip, and about coming back for more.  So after a short lesson on how to use the equipment we were off getting fitted for life jackets PFDs (learned that in the lesson), helmets and oars. Then we jumped on the bus to the “put in”. Once in the water our instructor Katie began cracking a few jokes and chatted us all up so we could get to know one another better.  There were 2 other Zoar Outdoor rafts on the water with us, so when we were not navigating the rapids we found ourselves horsing around and having splash fights with the other rafts.  Just after we maneuvered our way through the most aggressive part of the journey, the class III rapids, we stopped for a homemade picnic lunch.   Lunch consisted of homemade salsa, hummus, organic lunch meat, freshly baked rolls, homemade pasta salad and cookies for dessert.  That was just the energy boost we needed to finish our trip.

Overall, we had a blast! Not only was this the perfect activity to cool off on a hot day,  but we got a little exercise and made some new friends.   So weather you are a beginner or an expert at whitewater rafting, you should check out Zoar Outdoor for a great afternoon adventure during your trip to Brattleboro.  And of course, we hope that you’ll spend the night with us at Forty Putney Road B&B!

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The Newfane Country Store is one of my favorite country stores in southern Vermont.  When you walk through the door you are brought back in time.  The experience begins with a welcoming greeting by their friendly staff.  In the front room the walls are covered in floor to ceiling built in shelves with counters in front of them on both sides.  The counters display their homemade fudge and the built in shelves hold a plethora of Vermont made products.  The next room is jam packed with small isles fill with old fashion toys for children and other great trinkets.  The next room offers handmade quilts, candles and other home items.  Finally the last room offers the cutest baby products.  The Newfane Country Store is just the kind of place you want to stop and poke around in.

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What sets the West Dummerston Covered Bridge apart from the many others in Vermont?  Well it is the longest still operational covered bridge in Vermont.  It is 271 feet long and 22 feet wide and what a sight to see!  This historic landmark was rebuilt in 1998 and is fully operational today.

The West Dummerston Covered Bridge is a treasure here in Southern Vermont and should not be missed.  One of the most frequently asked question we receive as innkeepers regarding covered bridges is…why are they covered?  Well, our research seems to indicate that the bridges were built covered to keep snow and ice off of them.  As you may know ice forms faster on a bridge than a road due to the cold air flowing under it, so that seems to us to be a reasonable answer, but of course there are several theories out there.  Today they are mostly preserved for historical significance.

The best part about this gorgeous architectural structure is that it is only minutes from Brattleboro, VT.  Which of course makes it a just a short drive from our B&B, Forty Putney Road. So weather you are interested in the covered bridges of Vermont, or just taking a scenic drive down route 30, be sure to pause and cross over the Dummerston Covered Bridge, as travelers have been doing for over 130 years.

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