Blogs from Vermont, United States, North America
Equinox Resort and Spa Review
Published: February 12th 2012North America » United States » Vermont » Manchester
February 12th 2012
One of the best kept secrets in New England is the Equinox Resort and Spa located in Manchester Village in Southern Vermont. The resort has a long history dating back to 1769. The original building on site was the Marsh Tavern which is still part of the existing building complex. The Council of Safety headed up by Ethan Allen’s brother met here to raise money for the “Green Mountain Boys” during the American Revolution. It has also hosted four presidents and Mary Todd Lincoln as some of its prestigious guests. The property has changed hands several times over the last two hundred plus years and is now part of the illustrious Starwood Luxury Collection managed by HEI Properties. A major renovation of the property was just completed in November 2011 and the results are spectacular. I ... read more
October 19th 2011
After many years dreaming about finally seeing the true colors of the so called Foliage in New England, I got to see that wonder ! I discovered it with my very good friend Walter and we chose small roads driving South to North Vermont along a river. He was my copilot and we had fun !! We drove towards lake Champlain and took a ferry to cross from Grand Ile to Cumberland Bay in New York State and then headed towards Montreal ! Just driving through Vermont was part of a wonderful journey ! Being the driver did not allow me to take as many photos as I wanted, but this is all saved in my brain hard drive :-) We met a woman, who made me think of the late hippies, she had turned a ... read more
On the greyhound bus!
Published: August 13th 2011North America » United States » Vermont » White River Junction
August 12th 2011
Weh hey! I'm typing this on a greyhound bus that has wifi and even managed to find the service station we have stopped at! Ok so we left Montreal this morning at 10.45 and the driver announced the lights werent working so we were going to stop and wait for a replacement but at some airport, so an 8 hour bus journey is now taking about 10 hours ah well. It was very scary crossing the border into the usa as we were all herded into a room, a police car blocked the bus off so it couldnt move and we were all shouted at very loudly by a customs officer who immediately made you feel guilty! One by one you were questioned and then told you could go, except for 2 girls who got taken ... read more
Weeks Two Through Five of Couch Surfing.
Published: August 18th 2011North America » United States » Vermont » Burlington
August 3rd 2011
So, I moved in with Chris and Christine during the month of July. They live in a great little house which is located in the North End of Burlington. I must admit, that I was a bit nervous about the location...I held my breath the first few mornings as I walked out to my car, wondering if it would still be in one piece or if I'd have a broken window or two that I'd need to deal with. Once I got through the first week, I realized that I had completely let my guard down and really enjoyed living in the North End. Although it is known for being a bit sketchy, I also found that there was a great sense of community. When walking/driving up and down the street the first thing I noticed ... read more
Weeks 6-8 The Places I've Bounced To and Fro
Published: September 19th 2011North America » United States » Vermont » Essex Junction
August 1st 2011
After living with Chris & Christine, I spent some time with my friends Tina & Todd. I found this to be another fun experience in very different ways. Tina and Todd have a very busy household. Two boys (ages 17 & 11), three cats, one dog, and various other creatures that consist of hermit crabs, an ant farm, and caterpillars galore. With all of the energy, bouncing around the house, there was no time for being bored. Being a teacher and not having children of my own, I’ve often wondered how teachers with children were able to go home and have enough energy to give to their own kids. I know that when I walk out of school in the afternoons, I am absolutely drained, and for the life of me, couldn’t imagine having to go ... read more
July 12th 2011
Vi har tilbragt en uge ved Lake George sammen med familien og virkelig nydt det. Pias forældre har talt om stedet meget længe, så det var med spænding vi indespiserede huset og grunden. Men Lake George lever op til alle forventningerne. Dog var klippen, som mor sprang i vandet fra da hun var ung ikke 10 meter, men snarere to. Huset er et kæmpe gammelt træhus, som har alt, hvad man har brug for. En porch hvor vi kan sidde og se ud over vandet og grunden. Et stort lækkert køkken, hvorfra vi om morgenen kan se ud til kolibrien, der kommer for at drikke sukkervand. Og en badebro, hvor vi kan springe direkte ud i Lake George, hvor vandet er 24 grader. Udover en enkel dag, hvor vi shoppede i outlets (Kasper tog prisen som ... read more
July 11th 2011
Last step of the Atlantic crossing is completed with the arrival in the US. It was actually quite a routine flight, but still the one I worried most about. There are many stories about big problems with immigration in the US, and although I believed I had filled all the required forms - but the final proof is to do it. So in the morning (after finishing the blog entry about the beautiful rainbow fight at 4:30 local time - jet lag!), I started preparing the flight from Sept-Îles to Burlington (both airports selected on their merit to have customs on the field and official status as 'Airport of Entry'). Of cousre, the internet and the computer were slower than expected, breakfast too longer etc - I got late. And noticed that the original flight plan ... read more
Week One of Couch Surfing
Published: July 8th 2011North America » United States » Vermont » Essex Junction
July 3rd 2011
So I spent my first week with my dear friends, Di and Hillary. They have a wonderful home in Essex Junction, and fortunately for me, I didn't have to sleep on a couch...they had a spare bedroom that I was able to stay in. I honestly though that I would miss my 'alone' time, but quickly realized that I still could obtain that even with roommates. The transition seemed much easier than I thought...I didn't miss my condo one bit. I don't know if that's because the last month that I lived there was consumed by dealing with a basement that was flooding (never had a problem the entire 13 years that I lived there...not until after I signed my contract) or because I was dealing with the stress of moving while also ending my school ... read more
Travel Writing in Britain
Published: May 20th 2011North America » United States » Vermont » Brattleboro
May 20th 2011
It;'s time to revitalize this blog. Tomorrow, I head off to England. The trip leader, Lucy, is already there. I meet the students at Logan and come over with them. It's an overnight flight, and I anticipate not getting much sleep. For now, however, I'm nervous and excited and want to get on with it. The past week, a vacation week so to speak, has been filled with heavy rain, I hope not to prepare me for the English weather. It's early but I put in all my garden, both plants and seeds. I predict some of them will not take, with all the wet, but I wanted to have things going before I left. There are a number of similar fixing-up-the-house sort of details to take care of before departure. Going away for this long ... read more
May 19th 2011
Boy are we jet lagged. Our first night home, we arrived late, went to bed, and proceeded to wake up at 4:00AM. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, except that we had a rough day of traveling the day before. When we got home, we hadn’t gotten enough sleep, and felt a bit dazed throughout the day. Napping would have helped, but that would have made sleeping that evening all the more difficult, so we stuck it out. I managed by constantly moving, either by working in the yard (mowing, firewood) or in the kitchen (we made Greek food for lunch and supper) By the time evening came, we were almost too tired to even eat, but not quite. The goal was to eat and then hit the sack, but going to bed too early would ... read more
