VERMONT - WHAT THE HELL IS THERE TO DO IN THIS BITCH?

The problem is, I don't like downhill skiing. I like cross-country skiing, and that's hard, what with all these mountains around.

Ah, my mum has just seen an advert for X-country skiing in the newspaper. Whoo! Tomorrow I'm going to walk to the pretty twee church and look through the graveyard for Beetlejuice.

apparently you can:

hike taxes, expand the government, drink lattes, eat sushi, drive a volvo, read the New York Times, pierce your body, love hollywood, and be a general left-wing freak! Go wild!

The funny thing is, actually, I had sushi for lunch today! I was so pleased that you can get sushi in Vermont!

The Club for Growth ad was insulting and obviously created by outsiders who don't have a clue about the midwest OR old people OR tightwad doctors from Vermont.

Anyway, I know precious little about Vermont.

Whenever I'm in Norwich, I take my cousin's lab for long walks, go swimming & laze around outside reading. It's a nice place to be in the summer.

If you're planning a trip to Amherst/Northampton, MA, email me and I can give you lots of recommendations.

According to a recent report by Share International, towns and cities covering the northeastern United States have all had similar reports of people witnessing strange and beautiful light patterns. From Long Island, New York, Burlington, Vermont and other locations in Rhode Island, residents have said they observed unexplainable geometric light patterns.

Most of the shapes are only caused by light reflected off the windows of adjacent homes. They move as the angle of the sun changes, and may also appear on the ground.

Vermont resident JD Rabbit, has been investigating this phenomenon since 1999, when she had first learned of it. She has either solely discovered or been made aware of light patterns in five northeastern states, with about 150 patterns seen in Burlington, Vermont alone and over 400 noted in Rhode Island.

However, these sightings are no longer a New England exclusive. There have been recent sightings with photos to prove it reported all the way from Denver, Philadelphia and Edinburgh, Scotland. "Typically there is a sense of awe when one observes these beautiful manifestations," JD states in a recent article in Share International magazine. "Persons familiar with sacred geometry have identified such forms as the vesica pisces, or Flower of Life, within some of the designs."

Source: Share International

Cosmiverse Staff Writer

And the punk/hc label Old Glory used to be located there (maybe still is?)

not that i'm an expert in all things GG (where's dave q when you need him?)

And in the local paper, there's photographs of a fire in Maine, where the fireman's hosewater (heh) froze solid. The building they were fighting to save? A MASONIC LODGE!!! Spooky or what, eh?

I am pleased to see that New England remains a bastion of Freemasonry.

Today I found Robert Frost's grave. Even though I am categorically Against Poetry, well, that's alright. I found the Grandma Moses museum, as well, but I couldn't go in because I had the dog with me.

The Blue Benn Diner outside Bennington! Yummage! Cheap and plentiful diner food with loads of Veggie options!

Williamstown was a bit disappointing. Found the Clark a bit of a letdown. However, shame on you all that no one mentioned MASS MoCA!!! Mass MoCA ROXA!!! There is culture in New England that is under 100 years ago. (That is how long the Grateful Dead have been going, isn't it?) Reminded me a lot of the Tate Modern, but in a New England mill. Gorgeous building, utterly stunning gallery space. All filled with contemporary art and installations and even soundart (so I could explain to my mum what exactly it was that HSA does).

Their big exhibit was ... oh what is his name? The photographer who did that Yo La Tengo album cover with the strange space alien style light in the ultra-normal suburban setting. Crewdson? Is that his name? Well, the exhibit was brilliant. Really good.

(*)this may not be true. I've never been to Cleveland before (or ohio), but I also can not remember anyone calling it exciting anywhere.

Other things to do on a typical Vermont day include:
cow-tipping ( Summer only - ask a local )
Thawing frozen water pipes ( 3 seasons )
Installing a new car battery as the friggin' old one shit the bed.
Shopping for Subarus
Christmas in July ( Too F'n cold in Dec. )
Cow Bingo: At summer, we draw out squres on a plot and guess which one will crap where 1st. It's popular!
Discuss Howard Dean
Enjoy the scenery ( I really haven't tired of this one )
Catch your death of cold ( it, too, is popular )
Hike up Jay Peak, feign injury, and ride the tram down. ( IT WORKS )
Go ice fishin' ( lotsa ice )
Put another battery in the car
Mates here are the best, although, I personally avoid the red haired variety
Go swimming ( July 1st - 8th only )
Rent videos at Nancy's ( only $1. and they forget the late charges. Now how righteous is dat. )
Go for a ride. ( Think the Grand Am circuit has hills n' twists ? )
Give the finger to Canadians
Eat Butterworks Farm All-Natural, Certified Organic, Maple Yogurt. You ain't lived till ya had it. ( Ben & Jerry knows these guys...)
Visit the local guitar shops ( Best I've been to - knowledge-wise )
Go to a record / CD store ( almost all indies ) very laid back, but current in almost all venues.
Say "Ayuh" a few times after each sentence. People will look at you funny.
If your viz'tin and you want to make like a local, pretend you're a redneck { Drink some beers - Shoot some queers }
Ride on a Snow Machine or a 4- Wheeler ( Dispose of this planet as fast as you can )
Look into your loved-ones eyes and say something like... "Honey it's your turn to change the oil in the truck".
With all due respect, I think I'm starting to sound like Jeff Foxworthy here, and that is not at all the intention. But I am doing my best to convey life as-it-is in the most accurate way.
Did you kow that some Vermonters would like to see us become a member of the UK? It's true and it wouldn't bother me at all, because I am a direct descendent of William the Conquerer, I am told and that would mean "respect", carry some clout, on the streets of Coventry ( Vermont, that is... )

Oops, wrong planet, again...

Do they shout French imprecations back at you?

I'll be visiting the Berkshires in April. Perhaps I shall take a trip up to Vermont.

How was your trip to the Berkshires, sgs?

Is this KARP, or a totally different band named KRAP? (I'm not being snarky! I swear!)

Anyway, I heard Montpelier has some excellent restaurants.

http://www.vermont.org/

already? super cool. i thought we'd be too early.

Bring a sweater.

thanks for the tip. too many restaurants? can i ask for just one you'd recommend that's, uh, veg friendly? (does the stereotype hold? is that like all of them?)

Sweetwaters and the Daily Planet downtown. Little Saigon by car on the Shelburne Road is fantastic though.

Has Killington Seceded yet?

Nope. Though the New Hampshire legislature has opened the door, it seems unlikely that the VT reps will let it go without a fight - and they have the final say. Too much tax $$ involved with the ski area and pricey real estate holdings in town. It's all about school funding and its perceived illegal distributions to other districts. Killington's got a point here, though.

Or, better yet, if you want to go to Real Man's State: go to New Hampshire. And go here: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~doc/moosilauke/ravinelodge/?DOC=b59911c01dd393cbe967dec37bd88e45

Used to work/live there. Tell 'em skowly sent ya. They'll, uh, give you an extra helping of soup or something.

:(

All a man needs, really.

I'm doing everything in my power not to end up back there at Xmas.

!!!

Nice. I loved going up there, but it was always such a haul from Hanover. Dawn patrol stylez and everything: 5am. I remember my sophomore year in college: a bunch of buddies were bumming Jackson Hole and Jay collected something like 150" MORE inches of snow that year

also, where are your favorite places to cross-country ski?

because it's in new england you goddamn pussy.

i do not ski.

more accurate.

-- gabbneb (gabbne...), January 4th, 2007 8:14 PM. (gabbneb) (later)

i do not ski.

-- gabbneb (gabbne...), January 4th, 2007 8:24 PM. (gabbneb) (later)

does not compute.

And if you like being active or outdoors-type shit in any way then yes there is 'life' in Vermont. There are also comfortable small towns, and if you stay away from outlet-mall-lite downtown Manchester or hippie-infested bennington then there are lots of interesting places to go, restaurants, bars, taverns, diners, etc.

That is, if we're just talking vacation. Living there as an adult I imagine would be kind of shitty.

Oi!

Way more hippies in Brattlebro.

-- gabbneb (gabbne...), January 4th, 2007 8:29 PM. (gabbneb) (later)

poseur.

if you can't downhill ski because of no snow, it's likely you won't be able to x-c ski either. duh.

Things I did in VT this October: eat some yummy ice cream in Norwich, go hiking, steal Dartmouth wifi in their swanky library. actually, they're in NH, so ignore that one.

gabneb, I took the tram down for two reasons. time was running short that day and it seemed a good ploy at the time. I later learned that anyone can ride the tram down. to further that story a bit - It was just my nephew, me and the tram operator riding and the guy decided to show us what he had learned with the controls. I guess there's a fast and a slow speed and he started fast and slowed up suddenly which created a huge pendulum effect. (tram operator's equivalent of popping a wheelie) We were sooooo impressed!

There is fairly good snow cover presently at the higher elevations, so xc skiing wouldn't be too bad at, say, Smuggler's or Hazen's notches which are unmaintained roads in the winter. The last two days have been perfect for it too, but the forecast calls for rain this weekend.

This winter has been a total bust so far. 50 in Burlington today, saw 3 whole skiers at Jay, and critters that usually hibernate are roaming around like zombies.

Y'all realize I was a severe crackhead when I posted earlier right?

This book is my Vermont bible. We stay at my sister's cabin in Brattleboro several times a year, and hike every day. The Brattleboro area is colonized by serious foodies, too. So if it's not snowy enough for skiing, pack a backpack with great cheese and apples and go for a hike!

Is this that place that sells all the crazy beads as well? If so, I've been there, and it's great! There are great hippie type shops in Brat.

Yes, I can vouch for the maple syrup. What on earth can be done with maple syrup? My mum brought me a litre oilcan of the stuff for Xmas and I've no idea what to do with it, considering I don't eat pancakes, really.

Maybe I'll start putting it in my porridge or something. Actually, that might be a good idea.

OH! OH! I forgot to remind everyone that there is no statute forbidding public nudity in Brat, so local teens were hanging out nekkid in the main town parking lot last summer!

I have no problem with occasional displays of public nudity 99 (24.75%)
I am offended by all displays of public nudity 19 (4.75%)
I am uncomfortable with public nudity but not enough to want to ban it 18 (4.50%)
I am not offended but don't think people should be nude in a shopping district 61 (15.25%)
I love nudity and think we should see more of it 153 (38.25%)
I believe that God made cotton so that humans would wear clothes 5 (1.25%)
could care less about nudity one way or the other 37 (9.25%)
Other 8 (2.00%)

The town's Select Board decided Tuesday to take no action on an anti-nudity ordinance that was introduced in response to a clothing-optional movement launched by local teenagers this summer.

"Winter is coming. If spring comes and we still have a problem, we'll take another look at it," said Select Board Chairman Steve Steidle.

Vermont has no state law against public nudity, though at least eight communities have banned it locally.

Brattleboro, however, has long had a live-and-let-live culture. Its 12,000 residents have seen clothing-optional swimming holes, streakers, and even an event known as "Breast Fest," with women parading topless.

But the public nature of the latest movement — naked teens smack in the heart of downtown — raised eyebrows.

The stripping apparently started in early summer when a young woman sat naked on a park bench, said Police Chief John Martin. Then another woman took her shirt off downtown, a music festival inspired nude hula hoopers in a downtown parking lot, and in August a half dozen young people bared their bodies in a parking lot encircled by the backs of bookstores, coffee shops and restaurants.

One of the nudists, 19-year-old Adhi Palar, told the town board the issue was freedom.

"Our acting in nudity is an act of celebration of this history and traditional values as a place where you're allowed to be nude," he said. "I find that important, and I find that proud."

Not everyone agreed.

"I just think it's anarchy, because they won," said resident Theresa Toney, whose complaint about the public nudity prompted the debate. "It's inappropriate behavior for downtown. It has nothing to do with the weather. There's good behavior and there's bad behavior and that's bad behavior."

Town Manager Jerry Remillard said the town's image was tarnished by the uproar.

"We have been the brunt of phone calls from all over the world," Remillard said. "The media made this into nothing less than a circus."

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

And more importantly, WHY?

Why: For waffles, silly!

I just don't like waffles enough to be bothered getting one! Though maybe I could get a gridle thing to make drop scones.

Also... I don't like waffles that much!

http://www.nakedinvermont.com/photos/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=57&g2_serialNumber=2

My mum says it is 65 degrees and no snow in Bennington.

This time last year and the year before, snow was knee high on the ground.

how is Bellows Falls?

*sigh*

i heart vermont.

Swim in the lake. I went last week and it was COLD but so refreshing!

That was in Burlington, btw. HIGHLY recommended.

lake champlain!

do you live in VT, adam?

It is my understanding that one may find some rather good baked beans in Vermont, if one looks in the right places. And some naked teenagers. Correct me if this impression is misinformed.

Yeah, Champlain! I don't live there, was just visiting. First time i'd ever been and it was beautiful!

lake sandberg is p dope

I need to visit Vermont again. But this time in the summer and avoid the snows.

My mum has gone further upstate, she's in Brandon now. Which seems to me like total HP Lovecraft country up there.

Maybe next summer. If I ever get bored of Cornwall.

brandon is in southern vermont, on route seven south of middlebury

It's still way further North than Bennington. Bennington is about even with Schenectady, Brandon is, for me, like up there with Lake Champlain.

Any recs for hotels or BandBs to stay in Brattleboro and/or North Adams in October?

my first vermont trip of 2016 is on saturday :) so pumped!

welcome!

any good places to go for a short hike (like 45-90m total) around the waterbury-stowe-whatever area? w/ pretty surroundings etc.?

hmmmmm --- the only thing i know in that area is camel's hump, which is considerably longer than 90min

word... i think i might do what i did last time and just walk to bingham falls?

sorry! i am over near norwich, so if you're ever down here i could probably make some recs

ah cool! possibly next time, i really like going to vt (altho i don't usually make it past burlington/waterbury/etc) but it'd be cool to explore further south!

how Bread & Puppet hasn't been mentioned is wild. i absolutely adore all the weird little secrets the Northeast Kingdom has.