Thanks to everyone who came out last Thursday to our literary club meeting where we chatted about "The Reading Group". It is fun to see some new faces, welcome! The last few months, we have basically been choosing books a bit randomly but we are going to start rotating the choice between the group so things should start to get interesting. We will start that next month, but so many of us had either read or wanted to read "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett that we made it our September read. Our meeting is always scheduled for the last Thursday of the month at 7:30PM. So we'll see you September 29th!
If you would like to come, let us know, and we can add you to the email update on facebook.
This morning is truly the calm after the storm. The sky is clear blue, the air is crisp and the sun is shining but here is a glimpse of what Vermont experienced yesterday as Tropical Storm Irene hit the state. There has been widespread flooding all over and hundreds of roads have been closed due to wash outs. What we experienced, essentially, were flash floods and the name describes it perfectly because within hours we went from full rivers to raging rivers that literally knocked down bridges. Fortunately, we all stayed safe and dry but that isn't the case for so many others. Vermont hasn't seen such widespread flood damage since 1927.
The images are heartbreaking. This covered bridge in Quechee, VT, just 20 minutes up the road from us, was completely pummeled. Our historic Cornish-Windsor covered bridge is still standing and luckily the Connecticut did not reach flood capacity. It was nearing it.
The old dam at one of our ponds here in Windsor was rushed with water coming down from the surrounding mountains. Luckily it held but the excess water caused our high school athletic fields to fill with so much water, the bleachers were covered.
Here, a Vermont weatherman takes a moment to express his shock at what was happening yesterday in in his home state. Gratefully, some of the bigger cities did not see the effects they prepared for but our Green Mountain State sure did.
You never know how these hurricanes are going to move or suddenly dissipate but as of now, Irene is on track to hit New England this weekend. As we are further away from the coast, we might not get hit as hard as some of our coastal neighbors but all of New England is being told to prepare for strong winds and heavy rains. Our thoughts are definitely with the folks down south who are gearing up as we speak.
The Burlington Free Press is running a photography contest, Capture My Vermont, to collect shots from all over Vermont. You can sign up to vote for photos you like and help get those pictures published in a book. We have some friends entered. If you feel so inclined, you should check it out and vote!
Is it really August 24th? School will be starting up here in Windsor next week and then it will really feel like summer 2011 has come to an end. There are certainly signs of Autumn all around us as the foliage begins to shift and the weather at nights is getting noticeably cooler. Make sure you take in the last of the warm days, the lighter evenings, and cool evening walks in what is really one of the most beautiful times of the year in Vermont! And if you aren't in Vermont, come up and see us!
Remember these beautiful books that were spotted last month? This past weekend, we saw some more striking hardcover classics that have been placed on our "wish list" for the Maxwell Perkins library. Too bad there aren't any of Perkins' books in the mix but we have some contacts down at Penguin so we will see what we can do ;)
Also, Thursday night at 7:30PM is August's literary meeting where we will be discussing, "The Reading Group" by British author Elizabeth Noble. All are welcome to attend and discuss or listen to others discuss ;) You can also join our facebook event. See you there and come with ideas for next month's book!
We are excited to be sending these rack cards to print today! It has been a busy summer but we wanted to get something printed before our foliage rush which continues to fill up every day! If you are looking for an autumn getaway, consider The Snapdragon Inn. Send us an email or give us call today!
On these rainy rainy days, it's hard not to want to wrap up in one of our soft bathrobes, curl into a feather bed, and watch movies or read all day long. What do you like to do on rainy days?
Thanks to our weekend guest for this lovely review on TripAdvisor!
The folks at the Snapdragon Inn got it right. The inn has a comfortable, contemporary vibe even as it references its considerable history (former home of Maxwell Perkins, literary editor of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Wolfe). The rooms are comfortable with nice touches (fluffy down comforters, maple sugar candies, heavy white bathrobes hanging in the clean, airy bathrooms). Continental breakfasts include good coffee, Greek yogurt, granola, great breads, and heaps of fresh fruit, among other options. Rocking chairs beckon on the large back porch, and there's plenty of great reading material (plus flat screen TVs in every room, if that's more your style). Definitely worth a return visit.
We are heading into a busy weekend at the Inn. What about you? We had our friends over at the Raymond Sugar House drop us some of their fresh maple candies to put in the guest rooms. There's nothing quite like a fresh maple treat to say Vermont!
Oh and last night the air was crisp and we could feel a hint of Autumn. Does that make you excited or a bit sad? We are a bit of both.
We aren't sure how we missed out on this up until today, but we discovered another fun summer (even fall) free activity for kids in the area. It's called Valley Quest and they are a
series of more than150 treasure hunts that teach and share the natural and cultural history of the Upper Valley region. People of all ages enjoy Questing; and many have discovered that it is a special family activity. Follow intriguing maps and clues to find the Upper Valley region’s secret places! A day out Questing will help you discover and learn about the landscape and heritage we share.
Today we took the troupe just across the river to the St. Gaudens National Historic Site and discovered the area through the treasure hunt quest that is available. You can see the clue map here and print it out. There is even a Super Quest going on this summer/fall for the 250th celebrations. There are books available to purchase and a website with lists of quests. Check out just the ones listed for Windsor! I see more Valley Quests in our horizon.
Yesterday was another steamy August day in Vermont so we took the crew and headed to Queechee gorge, just 25 minutes down the road, to play in the river. It's a short .4 mile walk down to the bottom from the car park and there are some nice shallow pools for kids to play in but also some deeper holes for others. The kids could have stayed there for hours but eventually we had to hike back out (goes a bit slower than the walk down) there are some nice shady spots and tables for a picnic at the top. There are plenty of little easy day adventures close by.
We were so happy to read this guest's notice of so many of the design details at the Inn.
The newly renovated inn has both bold and muted colors reflecting a crisp design sense more often associated with urban hotels. The amenities and finishes are elegant while eclectic--post-modern lamps combine with throw pillows provide accent colors befitting the decor. --Guest, Massachusetts
Thank you Thank you!
How's your weekend rounding out? Windsor is gearing up for the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl Game tomorrow afternoon between the Vermont and New Hampshire 2011 high school all star football teams. First, we'll have the always entertaining Shriners parade down Main Street right by the Inn and move into the the big game just down the street at the Windsor high school field in the afternoon. Windsor has two players on the team this year, Jacob Page and Austin Soule so we are very excited for them and wish our VT team three cheers and good luck!
Although, we don't get to do as much traveling as we all might dream of, we try to make little adventures where we can and certainly enjoy helping our guests enjoy their adventure to rural Vermont. We saw this incredible link and it brought rushes of amazing travel memories and awoke the travel bug in a BIG WAY. Thanks to Anne over at Pret a Voyager and her always inspiring travel related links. Check out these short films.
3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films.....
= a trip of a lifetime. move, eat, learn Rick Mereki : Director, producer, additional camera and editing Tim White : DOP, producer, primary editing, sound Andrew Lees : Actor, mover, groover
This week's episode of Design Star on HGTV caught our attention because the challenge was to update a Bed & Breakfast on the Jersey Shore. The owners wanted to modernize the rooms and offer the amenities of a larger hotel but still maintain the warmth of their smaller establishment and of course the rooms needed to be durable. These were definitely thoughts that crossed our minds as we created our design plan for the Inn. Even thought they only had 2 days and 5 rooms, their budget blew ours out of the water. They also let each designer do whatever they wanted where we definitely wanted a cohesive look and feel to the whole project. However, no matter your budget or timeline, it is a challenging and very creative brief. Of course, we had the added challenge of transforming a residential home into a commercial space which certainly brought it's complexities ;)
One of the Design Star Before and Afters
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Some of our Before & Afters
Unfortunately, when we took the before pictures, we didn't always get all the angles of the rooms
Nothing says summer, like cooling off in the fountain like this little snapper.
Is it really August already? Where is the summer going? Well, before we get ahead of ourselves, we still have months of lovely days before the snow falls so let's keep enjoying it!
~ a funkier look at the fireworks over Paradise Park from the other week.
~ another movie in the mix about our Hemingway with Clive Owen & Nicole Kidman. We like everything Hemingway!
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