Southern Vermont Inn to Inn Walking Tours; "The Trail" Part 4

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The three previous blogs introduced the self guided walking tours from Inn Victoria, a Romantic Vermont Bed and Breakfast, on to The Old Town Farm Inn, home of Vermont’s finest Japanese cooking, and on to The Combes Family Inn, the quintessential Vermont country B&B.  Then on to the pretentious Apple Knoll in the Historic Village of Weston.

Today’s journey is an 11.2 mile walk to Tatter Hill and then downhill through “popple-dungeon”, a unique valley crossing that transverses a brook several times along the way.  At one time, Popple Dungeon was an, expansive farming community with its own one-room schoolhouse.  The tree growth along the road was so tall and expansive, the poplar trees actually spread over the road seemingly covering it, creating a dungeon one would have to walk through.  Today, expansive farms can still be seen on the offshoot roads as well the trek route.  

Highlights include views from the top of Tatter Hill Championship Golf Course, a beautiful pond which will likely have a moose standing in the middle of it or perhaps a deer standing at the edge.  Enjoy the cool water as it makes its way down your route forming a small stream which decimated homes and the roadway during the Summer Hurricane, Irene in 2011.  Along the way you will meet wonderful people who live along the stream and have rebuilt.  Wave and smile, they are your new found friends.  Some may even invite you in for a cool drink.  Enjoy these moments; they are precious indeed.

This walk will take you back to Inn Victoria in Chester, the "Prettiest Painted Village in Vermont".

Written by; Dan Cote, owner of Inn Victoria, a Romantic Vermont Bed and Breakfast Okemo

Vermont Inn to Inn Walking, Self Guided Tours; Part 3 of "The Trail"

Part one and two of “The Trail” from Vermont Inn to Inn Walking Tours took us through the village of Chester Vermont.  Starting at Inn Victoria, the Romantic Vermont Bed and Breakfast to the Old Town Farm Inn, home of the best Japanese food in Vermont., and on to Coumbes Family Inn, a quintessential country Inn situated in the lakes area of Southern Vermont.  

Part three of “The Trail” will lead us from the lakes area of Coumbes Family Inn to the home of The Vermont Country Store in Weston and over the hills into the lower valley.  The village of Weston, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the prettiest villages in Vermont.  There is plenty to see and explore in this small village; take time to relax and enjoy its small stores, museums, picturesque churches, mill dam and falls, & building architecture. Weston village is a great place to stop for lunch; plan on a memorable time.  
 
 This 9.8 mile walk starts at the Weston Priory.  The Priory is an active home for Benedictine monks, founded in 1953.  From here the walk takes you through portions of the Green Mountain National Forest and into the village of Weston to the Apple Knoll Inn, just a mile outside of the village in a picturesque farm setting.  The owners of Apple Knoll, Lisa & Wes Hupp, await you with gracious open arms, cool drinks, and a swimming pool.....just for you!

 

Written by Dan Cote, owner of Inn Victoria, a Bed and Breakfast Okemo Vermont

Vermont Walking Tours Part 2 of "The Trail"

Part one of “The Trail” from Vermont Inn to Inn Walking Tours took us through the quintessential village of Chester Vermont.  Starting at Inn Victoria, Romantic Vermont Bed and Breakfast to the Old Town Farm Inn, home of the best Japanese food in Vermont.  A 9.1 mile walk through the Chester Village green, down the streets of New England charm, through the hills and across forests, this walk is a perfect start for anyone wanting to enjoy the best Vermont has to offer.

Part two of “The Trail” takes us From Old Town Farm Inn through the lake country where lakes and water falls are plentiful.  Starting at the head of Lake Ninevah where moose can often be spotted cooling themselves in the waters, we will walk a few miles along gravel country roads and babbling brooks.  You will definitely want your binoculars for this trek because the odds of seeing waterfowl, moose or other wildlife, is good.  At the very least, the scenery is spectacular Vermont at its best.
Linger awhile at the Old Revolutionary War grave site before moving on to several more lakes and streams, along quiet lake shores of unmatched views.  If the air is still, you will want to take pictures of the hills reflecting into the water…and then break the stillness with a dip into the cool, fresh, clean waters!

A part of this trek travels through an encampment by soldiers of the Revolutionary War in 1777 as they traveled from Fort Number 4, (Charlestown NH) to the Battle of Ticonderoga, New York. In the mid 1800's gold was discovered in this area.  At today’s gold prices, it may be worth taking your gold pan!

Before the day is done you will have arrived at Combes Family Inn Bed and Breakfast, a beautiful farm setting just seconds from the beautiful lake shores of Southern Vermont.

Written by:  Dan Cote owner of Inn Victoria, a Bed and Breakfast of Southern Vermont

Walking Tours New England, Vermont Inn to Inn

In recent months, Vermont Inn to Inn Walking Tours has revamped the web page in order to offer more services.  Blogs and pictures of Vermont Inn to Inn Walking trails will be a major addition to the site.  This blog is an example of what I hope will be, informative and descriptive word pictures of the trials, the people who walk them, the Vermonters who live along the trials, interesting walking gear and more.  Lets begin this week with a several part series, I simply call; "The Trial".

The Trail will take us through four Inns and their associated walking routes.  The first is from Inn Victoria, a Chester Vermont Bed and Breakfast, to the Old Town Farm Inn, Rte 10, Chester.

A 9.1 mile route, this walk will take you through the Chester Green in the town center, passing small book stores, antique shops, the old rail Depot, past the old grist mill and on the road to country fields and vistas. Once on Flamstead road you will walk a few miles on a very quiet asphalt road that takes you up along the ridgeline of a hill, which allows for incredible views of the valley below.  Horses, wild turkeys, deer and spectacular views are the charm of this area.  The sky is bigger than big and you’ll wish you could live here!  Eventually you will walk onto dirt roads most of the distance and ranging through fields, ponds, very old cemeteries and more.  

Some of my favorite spots to rest and contemplate the beauty of my surroundings include this field atop of Crow's Hill, looking into the valley below.  There are countless rock walls, some showing the wear of the sun and wind, and others tucked away in the cool shade of the woods with soft, damp green moss skins on the rocks. 

Another favorite spot is the cemetery in the middle of the woods that only grows a short mossy grass which flowers in early summer....and never needs mowing.

This pond was home to a family of Canadian geese through the summer.  Many guests that walked this route came back with wonderful pictures of the wee little ones.


My next blog will focus on the walking route from Old Town Farm to Combes Family Inn.


Dan Cote
Owner of Inn Victoria, a Romantic Vermont Bed and Breakfast