Nice historical museum. This is where President Calvin Coolidge went to school, graduating in…read more1890. There are three stories with exhibits to view. There is also a nice gift shop (cash only). It is fitting that I came here on their opening day, and apparently was one of their first admission visitors (ok now I am done bragging). Check this place out if you find yourself driving through Ludlow.

One of my favorite places to stop when I am in the Upper Valley area. Feeding the alpacas is fun,…read moreand I love being able to buy yarn that tells me which animal it came from, and being able to meet that animal. A special place that you can bring home special memories from. Delightful ornaments, garments, socks, gloves, hats, toys, yarn, wool, crafting kits, and little souvenirs.

It is such a cute place. You could spend 30 minutes to an hour here. Maybe more if you want to…read morevisit the other shops. We all loved the alpacas and the owner said they were all rescued too!!

Stopped here after visiting Quechee Gorge nearby. This is an impressive musuem! I have been to a…read morebunch with my kids, and we could have spent quite a bit of time here. Inside, there are exhibits and events, with tons of hands on activities. My kids went right for the Bubble exhibit. The exhibits appealed to both the kids and adults in our group, from aquarium tanks to contraptions, puzzles and instructions on how to solve a Rubik's cube, to natural history and a live leaf cutter ant colony. The kids also had a blast creating a marble run in the "Tinkering Lab", a classroom full of supplies to get your imagination and creativity flowing. There is a large gift shop, filled with all kinds of goodies from toys to science kits. I love that the museum extends outside. There are trails, a summer cafe under a tent, water features, and more. This was a great way to spend the day, and if we lived locally, I would definitely get a membership so that we could come back.

Museum is a children's paradise that entertains the young and enchants the young at heart. However,…read moreas a mother with two special needs children, I do not recommend it. The hyperstimulation caused by some of the exhibits is far too stressful for them and there needs to be more ADA infrastructure for physically challenged children. For example, I could not take one of my children on the beautiful nature path because the gravel would have gotten lodged in their wheelchair. Also, some of the visitor services staff were quite short and impatient with us, because we were not aware and familiar with all their rules and policies. One of them actually yelled at my child for tapping repeatedly on the fish glass because it was 'annoying' them. My advice: do some research on the museum to see what kind of amenities, rules and policies they have in place before you go to decide if it's the right place to spend a family afternoon.

As if Woodstock Vermont wasn't already so charming, so beautiful and so perfectly New England,…read morethere is Wassail Weekend to make one fall even more in love with the village and with this part of the country. This event has taken place every December for the past 26 years. The town gets crowded as people show up from near and far to take part in any number of festive events transpiring over the weekend. One of the highlights is the parade of horses and riders decked out in early 19th century garb making their way along the streets of downtown Woodstock. There are riders on saddled horses and others in surreys and sleighs. Everyone waits for the end where Santa makes an appearance. And to keep things tidy there is a costumed man on roller-blades making fast and short work with his shovel of picking up the "droppings" the horses leave behind so the streets are kept pristine. There are various open-houses throughout town including one at the historical society, there's a reading of a Child's Christmas in Wales at the picturesque library, and later a big bonfire on the town green. You'll see throngs of people, dogs and kids on the town green and everyone it seems is in great holiday spirits. We always appreciate how welcoming and friendly the locals are whenever we've visited Vermont and Woodstock is no exception. Stores are open and beautifully decorated, some offering treats and beverages. Christmas cheer abounds. We love Vermont any time of year but for me, I truly find it a winter wonderland and love to go during the Christmas season. Although Wassail Weekend is over for another year, if you have a chance to visit Woodstock (and neighboring Quechee) before Christmas, I say take your horses and sleigh and hurry on over.

Wassail Weekend is the quintessential New England holiday experience in the most picturesque quaint…read moretown of Woodstock, Vermont. Hubs and I first fell for this adorable town in autumn of 2014 and just HAD to return for the holidays that same year (and every year after) when we found out just what the town does for their famous weekend. People were talking about it even in October! Besides all the charm the town has to offer all year round...covered bridges, adorable shops filled with homemade goods, family owned businesses, friendly inhabitants, historic farms, general stores, home made candles, made in the USA flannels and more, there's an entire weekend filled with holiday festivities.... Story telling, open house at historic homes, caroling around a Yule long bonfire, a life sized gingerbread house the kids will flip over, dog sledding, horse-drawn carriage rides, a horse parade and of course, Santa. The green is where 500 paper lanterns are lit and Christmas carols are sung is in the center of town. The Woodstock Inn sits just behind and is where most people prefer to stay. These rooms are the most popular in town and definitely fill up way in advance so book early! Don't fret if you don't have a room booked here, you can still enjoy a glass of wine by their lovely fireplace, charcuterie boards in the cozy game room and dinner at one of their fine restaurants such as Richardson's Tavern. Do not miss stopping by the Inn! The festivities run Friday through Sunday all day. There's a schedule of events listed in the event website so you can plan accordingly. The parade and singing are definitely highlights for us. Other things not to miss while in town are: -a trip to the Gorge...because it's gorg-ous (I can't help myself). If you're feeling up to it, it's a pretty nice hike to the base although the overlook is stunning alone! -dining or at least shopping and watching live glass blowing demonstrations at Simon Pearce. If you dine, ask for table #5! It's located over their waterfall and it's voted the most scenic in all of Vermont! We sat their for our anniversary one year and it was dreamy! The glass blowing is in the basement and There's a door that leads out to the waterfall! -We have enjoyed staying at Parker House Inn, a delightful Bed & Breakfast directly next to Simon Pearce with delicious farm to table meals. (This one is adults only however!) -A trip to Cabot Creamery for all the Vermont cheese tasting you can handle! If you're vegan, don't worry, there's plenty of other locally made things to taste such as maple syrups and mustards. -Made in The USA flannel at Woodstock Flannel Company. Ladies, you must own at least one pair of "vongs" aka Vermont things. -Mountain Creamy for peppermint stick ice cream. A perfect seasonal treat. -Bentley's for cocktails and live music. The place is always decorated so sweet for the holidays with tons of hanging ornaments above. -Woodstock Farmers Market for locally made wine, chocolates even candles. -Farmhouse Pottery for live throwing and the most gorgeous made in house, simplistically stunning wares. -FH Gillingham & Sons which has been family owned and operated since 1886!! Reason enough!! You'll find an awesome selection of craft beer!! Tons of local gems and the option to create your own 6 packs. Childrens' toys, locally made jams and such. I always pick up some paper white bulbs here too. Wassail Weekend is truly the "All American" Christmas experience, one you'll enjoy even if you don't celebrate. There's just such a love in the air, a sense of community and a warmth to the town. It's absolutely lovely!

I love real maple syrup, and especially prefer the end of season dark robust variety which is amped…read moreup in flavor. I have tried a few and found Ferguson Farms to be my favorite! I'll visit the farm if I find myself on that side of Vermont during my travels but have only ordered by mail. You can order direct from the farm on their website or through Amazon. Don't be scared by the shipping price which isn't cheap. Most sellers include shipping costs in their base price but Ferguson does not. Total price is a fair price and competitive for mail order REAL Vermont maple syrup. Jim Ferguson is the guy responsible for this maple treat! I have communicated with him, and you can too if you have questions or wish to discus syrup with him. I don't know how big the farm is but my experience has been a personal, small farm encounter. Tasting notes: The bouquet brings fruity notes (think apple cider) and rich hazelnut. Flavor is heavenly! I'd call the roast a medium, caramelized sugar. Confectionery dark brown sugar is predominant. Good vanilla/marshmallow creaminess. It's got an excellent buttery foundation. It's really thick! This is the real stuff, not watered down! MAPLE SYRUP GRADES EXPLAINED The grade is not indicator of quality, but rather of when it was harvested during the season. In 2014/2015 the grading system was changed, probably because people confused grade "B" as lower quality than grade "A", which it wasn't. - Grade A Golden Color and Delicate Taste. Used to be called "fancy". Early season. Popular for pancakes. - Grade A Amber Color and Rich Flavor. Used to be Grade A medium and dark amber. For those that want stronger flavor. Also popular for pancakes. Late season when weather begins to warm. - Grade A Dark Color and Robust Flavor. Used to be Grade B. End of season. Mostly for cooking to impart maple flavor but this is my favorite syrup, even for pancakes.

It was a snowy February evening at the warm and cozy Woodstock Inn when my wife suggested a movie…read more We walked across the street to the Town Hall, the doors just opened and we were among the first there. We grabbed some maple butter popcorn and soda pop and went into the theater. We thought we were going to be the only ones there on this cold winter evening, boy were we wrong. The people started to gather and we soon realized this is the place to be. The movie was great (Manchester By The Sea) and we had a wonderful time. I would definitely recommend a visit.

One of my favorite theaters of all time…read more Cozy, fully digital projectors, big screen, small town feel, super down to earth and awesome people. Never crowded. Biggest thing I love? MAPLE BUTTER POPCORN. It is amazing, unbelievable and I love it. I'm lucky enough to live here and go all the time. :)

09/14/24: This was the 3rd annual Whoopie Festival in downtown Rutland, VT; it's hosted by the…read moreChamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region. The festival was located on Center St. and Merchants Row. Free parking can be found on street. There were many tents with bakers sharing their Whoopie Pie samples. Festival goers will need to purchase tickets to be able to get samples from each Whoopie Pie booth. They will then vote which one they liked best. The awards will be given to the bakers based on their Whoopie pies; there are three categories, Overall Best, People's Choice Award, and Most Creative. The booths will have whoopie pies and baked goods for purchase. There were many events happening throughout. They had box car racing where creatively made "cars" would cruise down the hill. There were bouncy houses, live performances, food trucks, family activities, and a cotton candy vendor. There were bakers making the largest Whoopie Pie in Rutland. They even had turf placed on the street with blocks, Cornhole, and other games for the kids. I've had so many samples and my favorites were the caramel apple whoopie and the pumpkin maple whoopie pie. The turnout was great; there were approximately 4500 people there; it definitely got crowded and hard to walk through at times. Overall, a fun event especially for those who love whoopie pies!

Eighth year in a row that the Mount Sunapee Duck Drop has transformed peak foliage season into an…read moreequally spectacular experience while helping children. The event has been made possible through the cooperation of Vail Corporation, the resort operator, the Boys and Girls Club of Kearsarge/Sunapee, and many other sponsors and organizations. Northcape Designs was the main coordinator this year. The event is normally celebrated close to Indigenous Peoples Day but this year it was a week early and they lucked out with both, magnificent weather and the height of the foliage season. Besides the fun event, the views from atop Mount Sunapee were jaw dropping. So many people attended that they had to stop duck sales by noon. From speaking to a person in the know, the event nets close to six figures for the very worthy non-profit. The Duck Drop functions like this: you buy one or many packages of ten mini rubber ducks, each of them serialized and numbered. You then take the main Sunapee Express lift to the top. Along the route, participants businesses have placed signs or another contraption or design on the ground with a center target or a container. These are placed directly below the lift line at different intervals. You ride the chair to the top, then aim and drop the rubber ducks onto the target. Something quite difficult to do as the lift line is a good twenty feet above the target, the lift line is moving at a fast clip, and the Autumn breeze can be quite strong. The ducks often bounce out of the target, but one or two make it to the target area. At the end of the event, the duck closest to the center is declared the winner. The day is not only a wonderful activity with the duck drops, but it is also a true Autumn festival at Mount Sunapee. Children bouncing features, games, corn hole bag games, food stalls at the main lodge and atop the summit lodge terrace, and sales at the Mount Sunapee store. The many volunteers for the Boys and Girls Club, as well as the Vail Resorts staff, were at their best. One wonderful activity for the whole family.