Marty's 1st Stop

Danville, Vermont
Rt 2


So I am almost embarrassed to admit that one of my favorite places in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont is a convenience store. So enamored by this establishment that when we decided to sell our Danville house that even our children would check a potential property off the list if it's proximity to Marty's was not close enough (no joke). Aah, but Marty's 1st Stop is so much more than a convenience store, in fact we like to call it a gold mine.

Located on Rt 2 Between the town of St. Johnsbury and the center of Danville, Marty's has positioned itself as a first stop and a last stop for many a hunter, camper, skier and leaf peeper alike. But don't be mistaken, this is not a tourist trap as the locals seem just as fond of this small grocery/gas establishment as the tourists. And as well they should.

Marty's, and yes there is a Marty, provides its shoppers with the perfect alternative to the grocery store. The deli and meat department is quite possibly the best stocked meat counter I have ever encountered. It is regular part of our weekend routine to stop by Marty's and pick up some marinated beef tips and marinated chicken breast for cooking out on the grill. but you can also get rosemary encrusted lamb roast, salmon steaks and yes even fresh lobster! If you are looking for a sandwich to go, their deli subs and grinders are delicious with a generous helping of cold cuts and vegetables.


After you move on from the meat counter you realize that you might have been hasty in your choice as you notice the huge crocks of homemade soup. On this particular day I actually found the chef himself stirring the pots, Marty! Although he was hesitant to have me take a picture of just him alone claiming that it takes a whole lot of folks to make this business run. Soup of the day....shrimp and scallop bisque and pot roast and potato stew...not too shabby for a small town convenience store.

Along with the soup, you will find fresh made egg sandwiches in the morning, Pizza throughout the day and a variety of other comfort foods that change daily. Need a bottle of wine to go with dinner, Marty's has got you covered. Located next to the produce is a nice selection of wines to please every palette.




But there is even more! For all you coffee lovers, there is an entire counter filled with fresh brewed Green Mountain coffee (baked goods to the left) Hot summer evening, stop in for some ice cream at the ice cream shop out front, need some food for the livestock, yes there is even a feed store. According to Marty, you will even be able to do your banking soon as a local bank will be setting up two tellers. Oh yeah and did I mention that it was a gas station and on the VAST trail!

As I said earlier, we often call Marty's a gold mine. Undoubtedly it is busy every moment of the day four seasons out of the year. But the store is well equipped and experienced to handle the love fest with several registers ready and manned. Many of the customers and employees seem to know one another and take a few minutes to say hello and catch up at the counter.

The down side of Marty's, well I haven't actually found one yet...even the bathrooms are nice and clean!

Medelise

An Unfortunate Change In Plans

Due to health issues, I will not be covering the 2008 TD Banknorth Craftsbury 27th Annual Race and Tour on February 2nd. If there is anyone who would like to take over the coverage as a guest writer, I would be so appreciative.
Look for my coming posts on two great places in the Northeast Kingdom, Marty' 1st Stop in Danville Vermont and the Village Sports Shop in Lyndonville. I am behind but hope to be back writing shortly.
Thanks for your patience
Medelise

New Lodge at Craftsbury Nordic Center

We just returned from Vermont after the long Martin Luther King holiday weekend. As usual we split our days between Burke Mountain and the Craftsbury Nordic Center. I justed wanted to post some pictures of the Craftsbury Nordic Center's new Nordic Lodge. We witnessed the work in progress this summer and have been anxious to see the interior. Although a few conveniences and finishing touches need to be added, such as more cubbies for stuffing bags, hooks to hang things on and a bench or two in front of the Wood Stove, the new lodge is open, sunny and bright. It also boasts a second floor with a large table for eating and plenty of seating.

2005




































2008

Burkie Bear

Hey Burkie!!!

I finally got to meet Burkie Bear. After five years of skiing at Burke Mountain, I managed to track down the elusive bear and snap a quick photo with him. I am sure that he is off hibernating once again as the temperatures have dropped since this picture. Maybe you too can be photographed with the famous Bear. So drive on up to Burke Mountain.... you are sure to have a great day of skiing or snowboarding and you just might find my furry friend.

Head North!!!

Medelise

2008 TD Banknorth Craftsbury 27th Annual Race and Tour

February 2, 2008

I remember five years back I signed my husband up for the 25k cross-country Nordic Ski Marathon at The Craftsbury Nordic Center. I was helping him make good on a New Years resolution to start racing again after a twenty-five year hiatus. A 25k marathon was not exactly what he had in mind at the time of verbalizing his New Year's resolution several weeks earlier, but I had complete faith that he could handle it!!!

That is how it began. Not only did Dan handle the 25k marathon but placed a respectable ninth in his age group. He has been participating every year since. And this year, yours truly is entering the tour portion of the race!!! The date for this years event is February 2, 2008

The Banknorth Craftsbury Annual Race and Tour is
"a point to point cross-country ski adventure traversing Vermont's Northeast kingdom presented by the Craftsbury Outdoor Center."

Read More

Although the race is in its 27th year, It has just been in the last seven years that the tour segment of the race has been added to combine skiing with gourmet food. And for the first time, this year the food stations will be competing with one another to be the most creative.

"Seven years ago John Brodhead, the Craftsbury Outdoor Center's Director of Skiing, proposed a partnership among several Craftsbury and Greensboro inns to produce a marathon with special food stations along a linear course stretching 25 kilometers from Greensboro to Craftsbury, Vermont. To his surprise they eagerly agreed and participation has since increased almost 700% to 1000 participants including racers and tourers."
Read more

If you are interested in joining me or participating in this event, please go to The Craftsbury Nordic Center site and register. Below is a list of the food station participants and a map of the course and food stations.

Note, You can see the location of the stations on a course map and a course profile at http://www.craftsbury.com/skiing/marathon/course_map.htm

Food Stations:

Highland Lodge Willie Smith, highlandlodge@verizon.net, 802-533-2647 (1^st station before start).
Craftsbury Inn, Bill Maire, cburyinn@together.net 802-586-2848 (5^th station in Craftsbury Village).
Craftsbury General Store, Dave Stember, dstember@aol.com, 802-596-2893 (2^nd-4^th stations, Skunk Hollow, Rocking Rock, and Craftsbury Road Stations between
Highland Lodge and Craftsbury Village).
Craftsbury Outdoor Center, John Brodhead, johnbrod@craftsbury.com 802-586-7767x26, (6^th-8^th stations for the last 25 kilometers).

Look for complete coverage of this event in February. Let's pray for nice weather! I hope to see you on February 2nd!!!

Howard Frank Mosher

Years ago, long before I even knew of the existence of a place called the Northeast Kingdom, my book group introduced a short novel called Northern Borders by Howard Frank Mosher. I fell in love with it. Little did I know that Mosher's piece of heaven would become mine. I have recommended this book to many friends over the years, but it was just recently that my brother Geoff reminded me of the book again. He found it on our shelf in Vermont on a recent visit and I told him, "take it... you'll love it". We talked the other day and he said "by the way that book was great", so great in fact, his daughter is now reading it and he has moved onto another one of Mosher's books....and there are plenty to choose from. Last count, I believe he was up to ten books written. Many of his books are set in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont with the most strikingly unique set of characters you could possible image. In Northern Borders, Mosher's storytelling about the life of a small boy sent to live with his grandparents in the wilds of Northern Vermont are so incredibly fascinating and twisted you can't help but to hope that they are actually based in some truth from Mosher's own experience. Each chapter reads like a short story as a collaboration to recount one grand tale.

You will not be disappointed by Northern Borders or any of Mosher's books for that matter.

Burke Mountain

View From Burke











From the warm waters of Costa Rica to the snowy mountain tops of Vermont....that is the life we have been living this past month!!! Living the Dream as we like to say, and what a dream it has been. If you have been following along, you know that we have just arrived back in the states from a great surfing and language trip to Costa Rica. This past weekend we put the waves behind us and headed up to one of our favorite winter destinations, Burke Mountain, in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.

New England has had a much needed dump of snow this December and the owners of ski areas across the six states are praising mother earth for her generosity. The past few years have had minimal snow fall in the months of December and January. So little snow in fact that this year we went to Costa Rica instead of Vermont for Christmas!!!

Here are a few snapshots of our first ski of the season at Burke Mountain, located in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. The snow was incredible and with mild temperatures in the high twenties we had a fabulous day.

Although Burke is on the smaller side, it does not lack for diversity or challenge. We discovered this gem about five years ago and have been coming back ever since.

From Burke Mountain's website:
Renowned for its breathtaking views and ski racing heritage, Burke Mountain is the best kept secret in the Northeast. Home of the Burke Mountain Academy, the preeminent ski academy in the country with 40 Olympians to its credit, Burke Mountain features sweeping, winding trails, an average of 248 inches of snowfall each year, 45 trails and glades on 250 acres of terrain, and a vertical drop of 2,011 feet. A unique blend of friendly, genuine staff and traditional terrain define the character of one of the last remaining Vermont ski classics. With major upgrades to its snowmaking system in recent years, Burke Mountain features 80% coverage on a variety of trails accommodating skiers of every level with 25% novice, 45% intermediate, and 30% expert trails. Burke also has four terrain parks to keep the freestylists in your family busy all day long..

We thought that we were in pretty good shape after the battled we waged against the barrels and tubes of Costa Rica, but much to our dismay, as good as the snow was we didn't make it past three. Our quads were screaming for us to stop.

Get out and ski!!!
Medelise

Craftsbury Nordic Center

Ringing in the New Year

As we drove through the Commons, we noticed a street named Auld Lang Syne. At that moment it became clear that we had made the right decision. This New Years Day, determined not to wallow in the post holiday blues, we packed the car with skies, sleds and kids and hit the dusty trail or rather the snowy one! We were headed to the quintessential Vermont town of Craftsbury Commons, our final destination: Craftsbury Outdoor Center.

Know originally for its superb sculling program, Craftsbury Outdoor Center is a thriving four season resort that allows you a peaceful and down to earth setting while enjoying a variety of outdoor activities such as cross-country skiing, running and sculling, just to name a few. For years, my husband and I have been enjoying the freshly groomed cross-country trails of this long established business, located in the heart of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, but we were about to discover that the Craftsbury Outdoor Center is much more than a cross-country ski area, it is a virtual winter playground for families.

As we pulled into the parking lot we noticed that it was full. It seemed that others too might be making good on their New Years resolutions: spending more time with the family, getting more exercise, returning to the great outdoors. Crowded as it appeared, it was far from the overloaded, highly fashionable parking lots of the nearby downhill ski areas. We quickly found a spot, unloaded the gear and headed towards the touring center.

We paused briefly as we approached the ski center(warming hut) to allow a line of children, imprinted to their instructor like ducklings to their mother, to glide by on their skies. The group was heading towards the teaching area which was embellished with a variety of snow structures to serve as an obstacle course. Although we all knew how to ski we couldn't help to imagine how fun that lesson would be.

One of the wonderful things about Craftsbury Nordic Center is that to spend a day there with your children won't break the bank. Adult tickets for a full day start at $16 without rentals and $30 with rentals. Kids under 12 can ski for about $8 without rentals and $18 with the full rental package. What can you do now days anywhere that will only cost you $8? The beauty of it all is that skiing is not the only thing to do!!!

Just when our kids had had enough of being bribed with m&m's for one last ski run, we sent them off to the sledding hill. Despite my shrieks of be careful, gaining air off the makeshift snow jumps remained a popular theme of the afternoon. fortunately, everyone managed to escape any real injuries.

And if the skiing and the sledding does not quite exhaust and/or exhilarate you enough, it is only a step(literally) from the touring center to the skating pond. If you have your own skates by all means pack them. However half the fun of the skating at the Center is stepping into the skate room and looking for a pair of skates that will fit you. In the skate room you will find, arranged in no particular order, a collection of skates that may very well contain a pair of skates as old as your grandfather. Just tell the kids that uncomfortable skates are prerequisite for a true ice skating experience! Once you have found the golden pair, grab a hockey stick and get out on the ice. There is always a pickup game of hockey between adults and their kids in full gear. Just don't shoot the messenger the next day when you have difficulty rolling out of bed.

Well... we certainly made good on our New Years resolution this New Year's Day. Grabbing one last hot chocolate for the ride home we packed the skis, sleds, skates and kids back into the car. We drove off just as the sun settled behind the hills and cast a beautiful orange glow across the snowy trails of the Craftsbury Nordic Center.

Beautiful Starlight Meadow

Aah...love at first sight!!! We couldn't help but to fall in love with this little gem as we motored up the long dirt driveway surrounded by glorious green fields. I know the cardinal rule is never let the real estate agent know how much you love the house...but it was hard to contain our excitement.

It all started back in 2003 when we purchased our first house, a small little place, off the grid, in a quaint little town in the Northeast Kingdom. Oddly enough the town was called Danville. We loved our little house despite the fact that it had no electricity. But after three years of candles and gas lamps, not to mention only one bathroom, we decided to start the search for a retreat a bit more.... guest friendly.

Having inherited the knack for perusing real estate magazines and Internet real estate sites from my mother, it was not long before I stumbled upon Starlight Meadows on the MSL listing on the Internet. Immediately, I put a call into my favorite Realtor, Barb Machell, and we booked our appointment to see it. We never imagined it would surpass all of our expectations.

Starlight Meadows, named surely for the unobstructed nightly show of the heavens above, is located on forty open acres of rolling hills and meadows. It is in a small town called Walden just west of St. Johnsbury. Although its location made it a longer drive to our ski mountain, Burke, it was closer to Craftsbury Nordic Center and two other ski areas we enjoy, Jay Peak and Stowe, both within an hours drive from the new house.










The house is beautifully constructed of timbers. The interior has all wood floors, one woodstove and pme gas stpve, three bedrooms, two baths, a dining area, kitchen and living room. Each bedroom is equipped with a double or full bed, one of the upstairs bedrooms also has one twin bed in it. The basement includes an unfinished area with a ping pong table and a laundry room. The outside of the house is spectacular. Surrounded by perennial gardens and rolling hills, the house boast three different decks to enjoy the view from. And our favorite part, the 100 gallon water trough is exquisite for late night baths(and hot showers) under the stars.

In addition to skiing in the winter, Starlight Meadows is ideally situated for summer recreation being within 40 minutes to the Kingdom Trails in Burke Vermont and several lakes including Caspian and Joe's Pond. The Kingdom Trails are renowned as some of the best mountain biking trails on the east coast. The town of Burke and Lyndon are overflowing with great restaurants and intriguing shops. Stowe Village and Mountain are also within an hours drive with a vast array of summer, fall and winter activities.

However, you might simply enjoy hanging out on the hammock under the Butternut tree or watching the sunset from the top of the hill with a glass of wine and cheese and crackers. You may just find it hard to drag yourself away from the peacefulness and beauty of Starlight Meadows.

Rates
Christmas and Holiday Weeks $225per night
Weekends and non holidays $175per night

House can accommodates up 6-8
special note: There is no TV or Dishwasher

















Enjoy
Medelise and Dan

Alternate Route(Vermont Edition)

Recently, while enjoying the sunset from the top of our property in Vermont, we had an idea. One of our favorite things to do while we are visiting Vermont is to venture out on what we have termed the Alternate Route. It works like this; First we decide where we are going, then we pull out our Vermont Atlas and Gazetteer, a must have if you are planning on traveling to Vermont, then instead of sticking to the Rt16s or the interstate highways (interstate 91, as those who've traveled it know, is beautiful in it's own right) means of travel, which would surely get us there faster, we choose to travel via an alternate route on roads such as the Rockin Rock Road, Stannard Mountain Road or the Mud City Loop Road. We call it the paved road alternative(Alternate Route), with our secondary goal simply to get off the tar and onto the dirt. As for our primary goal, one never knows what will be discovered on a road named Rockin!!!

A quick note on Vermont's Roadways. The state of Vermont reigns as the champion of maintaining roadways. Their third class roads (dirt) are better maintained than most of the major freeways in our little state of Rhode Island. You do not need an SUV to travel the back roads of Vermont, although I would steer clear from them during mud season. If you are still daunted by idea of traveling the "alternate route" on your own, there are businesses, such as Vermont Backroad Tours , that can arrange such a experience.

We don't actually choose our route based on the name, but occasionally you can't help but to notice such things. Of course with time we have developed our favorites, hence the idea. We decided to compile and share our favorite alternate routes with you in a series called Alternate Route. Of course we encourage you to discover your own alternate route but at least this is a place to start.


You can find stories in this series listed under the label Alternate Route in the sidebar of our homepage.

Happy travels...Medelise

Beautiful Northeast Kingdom of Vermont

Usually, when we tell someone we are going to Vermont for the weekend their response runs something like this, "Oh we love Vermont...where are you heading?" Our response, quite often in unison, is "The Northeast Kingdom". This is almost always followed by blank stares and confusion.... most of you have never heard of it.

The Northeast Kingdom of Vermont...truly one of the most beautiful places on earth. If you have been to Vermont but have not been to The Kingdom, then you have not experienced the real Vermont. Located in the remote northeast corner of the state, it has managed to allude the over development of it's more southernly sister. It has been called "the Vermonters' Vermont" and when you visit you will understand why.

One of the first things that struck us about the Northeast Kingdom was how spectacular the views and vistas were. With dizzying effects you will often find yourself on a third class dirt road gazing down into a lush green valley with distant mountain tops to cap it all off. Every bend in the road brings with it sighs of wonder and awe. The Kingdom is an outdoorsman's(or woman's) dream come true. With rivers to paddle, trials to hike and bike, mountains to ski, and streams and lakes to fish in, one is hard pressed not to find something to do.


But don't be fooled into thinking that the great outdoors is all that The Kingdom has to offer. It is also home to many an interesting gallery, a multitude of museums and fabulous restaurants. With such eclectic businesses as the Down to Earth Worm Farm in Greensboro Bend and The Red Sky Trading shop in Glover, even the shopper in you will be satisfied. And after a day of hiking, shopping, eating and gallery perusing, you can attend to your spiritual and emotional health with a stay at the Stepping Stone Spa and Wellness Center in Lyndonville.



My husband and I have been vacationing in the Northeast Kingdom for seven years now. So taken by this little piece of heaven , we purchased a home(vacation) there is 2001. We have a saying between us..."living the dream" and how true it is when your in The Northeast Kingdom.