Okemo Mountain Resort 2016/17 Season Passes on Sale at Discount, With Bonuses

Enjoying the bubble chairs at Okemo Mountain Resort, Vermont © 2016 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

LUDLOW, Vt. – Okemo Mountain Resort Season Passes for the 2016/2017 ski and snowboard season are available for purchase now. Savvy skiers and riders enjoy substantial savings when they buy their season passes for next winter by April 30, 2016. Some Okemo season passes offer benefits including skiing at Okemo’s sister resorts: Mount Sunapee Resort, in N.H. and Crested Butte Mountain Resort, in Colorado, plus three days at nearby Killington. As an added bonus, any skier or rider who purchases a pass for next winter on or before April 30 will receive discounts for Okemo’s Adventure Zone this summer.

New this year, anyone with a registered Okemo Real.Easy Card can purchase a season pass online at okemo.com and load their season pass onto their RFID-enabled card. Made of durable plastic, cards can last for years and Real.Easy Cards offer direct-to-lift convenience.

For ultimate access and the best benefits, Okemo’s Ultra Pass covers it all. Skiers and snowboarders can enjoy the slopes every day at Okemo, Mount Sunapee or Crested Butte with no restrictions for $1,519, for adults, if purchased by April 30. This premium pass offers special benefits like three complimentary days of skiing or riding at Killington, early lift access at Okemo on weekends and holidays, discounts on dining, retail purchases, Spring House fitness memberships and more.

A popular season pass returning for 2016/2017 is Four.0 The College Pass. It provides full-time college students with unrestricted access to Okemo, Mount Sunapee, Killington and Pico at a price that fits a student’s budget: just $349 when purchased on or before August 31.

Additional season pass products include Okemo’s Peak Pass, Value Pass, Millennial Pass, Sunday Plus Pass and Midweek Pass.

For more information, call 802-228-1600 or visit okemo.com.

See story:

Bubble chairs, great snowmaking give Okemo Mountain Resort, Vermont an edge and slideshow

 

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Vermont, Staking Claim for ‘World’s Best Foliage’ Provides Weekly Foliage Reports

After years of watching other states attempt to position themselves as autumn destinations, Vermont has thrown down the gauntlet and declared itself the home of the World’s Best Foliage.

“No one does foliage better than Vermont,” declared Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin. “Three-quarters of our state is forested, and we have the highest percentage of maple trees in the country. With our flaming reds, blazing oranges and glowing yellows, we have the most vibrant fall colors in the world.”

In previous years, states as far away as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona have claimed their fall season was as pretty as Vermont’s. “Clearly, we’re the bar,” said Megan Smith, Commissioner for the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing. “Our fall advertising campaign will articulate the myriad reasons we have the World’s Best Foliage. Our hope is that people will be inspired to come see it for themselves.”

Smith added that Vermont’s fall campaign isn’t just about bragging rights. Visitors spend $460 million during the foliage season, which represents about a quarter of overall visitor spending each year. Nearly 3.5 million people travel to Vermont in the fall to experience its unique working landscape of bucolic villages, pastoral meadows, and forested hillsides.

To help visitors plan their trip during “peak” season, the state’s official tourism website, www.VermontVacation.com, will offer weekly foliage reports, Best Bets for driving tours, and a foliage tracker. The website will rely on information from the state’s Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation and its commissioner, Michael Snyder. Snyder is a well-regarded forester, and with over 30 years of professional experience, has earned the title of Vermont’s official Foliage Forecaster.

“Predicting fall’s color changes is part science and part luck,” admitted Snyder. “We know the science of color change and the factors that influence it, but we don’t know exactly how it will unfold in any given year. The good news is, our foliage is like a day on the slopes—when it’s good, it’s great. And even when it’s a bit off, it’s still really good.”  Snyder says Vermont’s abundant spring rain and summer sunshine have created the right conditions for a spectacular fall in 2015.

To see the top reasons why Vermont has the World’s Best Foliage, go to www.VermontVacation.com/worldsbestfoliage.

 

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Topnotch Partners with Outfitters to Offer Excursions to Immerse in Stowe, Vermont’s Fall Foliage

With the highest percentage of maple trees in New England, Vermont’s reputation as the most vibrant destination for fall foliage is undisputed.  At Topnotch Resort in Stowe, travelers are encouraged to do more than peep at leaves from the car window and has a new program of activities for guests to explore the resort’s natural surroundings, in and among the colorful maple trees.

The new Topnotch Experience Center has been designed to create customized and memorable guest experiences. For the nature-loving, active travelers, the resort offers an array of new activities like Pilates sessions under a canopy of trees in the forest, introductory climbing and bouldering, guided river walks for kids and wake-up foliage hikes. For foodies, visits to local selection of Vermont’s many blossoming Micro Breweries, Creameries and Organic Farms are offered as well as on-site Mixology classes to whet guest appetites.

“The new programming utilizes every one of the 120 acres and acclaimed facilities that have long been the essence of the Topnotch experience, from the base of Mt. Mansfield to the equestrian center and the five-mile Rec trail around Stowe,” says Bob Sassani, general manager of Topnotch Resort. “With vantage points to see foliage right from the windows and outdoor space of our restaurants and from inside the guest rooms, our guests also have the opportunity to not just look, but to get out there and do.”

In addition to a roster of complimentary activities for kids and grown-ups – like hair braiding in the salon, guided nature walks and more – Topnotch offers activities through partnerships with local tour operators and outfitters including:

• Sunrise Mountain Guides offers morning three to six mile runs or hikes, half day hike options and introductions to climbing and bouldering. Prices range from $25 to $150, per person.
• Daily guided mountain bike tour through the forests of the Green Mountains led by Mansfield Cycle Bike Tours, priced at $180.00, per couple.
• New fitness classes like stand up paddleboard classes in the resort’s indoor pool to tone and learn the basics ($20 per class); and “Into the Woods” hike and Saturday mornings Pilates sessions.
• Topnotch Beer Tastings are held every Tuesday evening starting at 6pm at The Roost in the resort, priced at $10 per person.
• Five-hour Topnotch Guided Brewery tours to The Crop Brewery, The Rock Art Brewery, The Lost Nation and the von Trapp Brewery, led by Greg Doremus of Vermont Guided Tours, priced at $125 per person.

Leading the charge on program development, Topnotch has enlisted the expertise of Jesse George, the resort’s new “Experience Manager” to research, create and implement activities suited for a wide variety of personalities and ages as well as build partnerships with local vendors.  “The new Experience Center pulls in Topnotch elements and amenities across spa, fitness, and dining, as well as valued partners like Sunrise Mountain Guides, Mansfield Cycle, Vermont Guided Tours and Paddle North to create bespoke vacations for each and every guest,” explains George.

Set within 120 acres of woodland at the foot of Mount Mansfield in the village of Stowe, Vermont, Topnotch Resort blends the gracious charm of a ski lodge with the luxurious amenities of world-class resort. A recent $15M renovation encompassed all 68 guest rooms, 9,000 square feet of meeting space and added a new concept restaurant, The Roost, to complement the locally sourced, full-service restaurant Flannel.   Additional accommodations can be found in a variety of Resort Homes. Amenities at the luxury boutique resort include the 35,000 square foot Topnotch Spa; the Tennis Center with four indoor and six outdoor courts; a state-of-the-art Fitness Center; and water features such as an indoor pool, a whirlpool/Jacuzzi, and two outdoor pools with mountain-views – one of which is heated year-round. Among the outdoor pursuits is cross-country and downhill skiing, mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding.  One of members of the MetWest Terra Hospitality collection of boutique hotels, Topnotch Resort is a AAA Four-Diamond property and a Preferred Boutique Resort. www.topnotchresort.com

For more information on Topnotch Resort and the new “Activities & Experience Center,” visit www.topnotchresort.com or call 1-800-451-8686.

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Stratton Mountain, Vermont is Buzzing with Activity this Summer

Wanderlust, the world’s largest multi-day yoga festival, takes place at Stratton Mountain, Vermont, June 21-24.

Stratton Mountain will be buzzing with activity this summer. Live music, the world’s largest multi-day yoga festival, outdoor challenges, fireworks and good old summertime fun fill the calendar from spring to fall. The calendar will continue to be updated, so please check www.stratton.com/events for the most recent information! Below are the 2012 summer highlights.

June 21 to 24 – Wanderlust

Wanderlust, the world’s largest multi-day yoga festival, is everything a yogi, nature lover, music fan and localvore could wish for. The festival features yoga classes, guided meditations, hikes, concerts, local and organic eats and lectures for young or old and everyone in between. Come for one day or four, wander the Market without a ticket or try your hand at something new for any ability level.

June 30 to July 1 – Mountain Friends and Freedom Celebration

An all-American weekend to ring in the fourth of July at Stratton. A full day of music on Saturday, capped off by evening Independence Day fireworks. Pie eating, whiffle ball, outdoor games, hay rides, horseshoes, a giant slip and slide and much more fill the weekend.

Weekly, starting July 7 – Stratton Saturday Under the Stars Concert Series

Warm summer nights and live music go hand in hand making Stratton’s Saturday Under the Stars the place to be starting on July 7 and continuing weekly through Labor Day. Held in the base area, this summer concert series is a fun, free event for the entire family with food and beverage for purchase on site. So pull up a chair, bring a blanket and get your groove on under the great weather.

July 7 – Tour de Bondville Bicycle Rally

The Sixth Annual Tour de Bondville is a bike ride, golf outing and after party benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Whether you choose the 50, 25 or 18 mile bike ride or want to spend the day on the links, join us for a day celebrating the best Vermont has to offer and to raise money for a good cause.

August 3 to 5 – The FIRM Racing Triathlon

A sprint distance triathlon that lets you swim, bike, and run in one of the prettiest parts of the USA. The half mile swim takes place at the Snowmaking Pond, followed by an 18-mile road bike course of classic New England cycling and a 3-mile run.

August 12 – Heels to Paws 5k Fun Run/Walk

Four legs are just as welcome at Stratton as two! Bring your furry friend along for a vigorous 5k Fun Run/Walk. Money raised benefits Second Chance Animal Shelter.

August 15 to 19 – The Vermont Challenge Bicycle Tour

The Vermont Challenge is a 3- or 4-day bicycle tour through southern and central Vermont which draws upon the creative energy of local businesses and people of Vermont, ski resorts, restaurants and farms in each local community that we visit. See the beauty of our part of Vermont from behind your handlebars during this unique event and take the Challenge!

September 1 to 3 – Labor Day Festivities and Annual Tent Sale

Come up to the lush Green Mountains of southern Vermont for a Labor Day Weekend full of live music, local food and healthy competition!

October 6 to 7 – Columbus Day Weekend

Columbus Day Weekend will be jam packed with family fun, fall foliage and a run to the Summit. Events include the annual Chilifest Cookoff, Brewfest, the North Face Race to the Summit and all-American summer activities like hay rides, apple picking and much more!

For more information on Stratton and events, visit www.stratton.com.

For more travel features, visit:

www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

New Life Hiking Spa Opens in Green Mountains of Vermont for its 35th Season

New Life Hiking Spa in Killington, Vermont in the Green Mountains has just opened for its 35th season, through the last weekend in September.

Founded by Jimmy LeSage, M.S., in 1978, New Life has become one of North America’s most recognized spa vacations.

“I came up with the idea of New Life after attending a six week yoga retreat in Val Morin, Canada in 1977”, states Mr. LeSage. He went on to say, “I had been living and working in Vermont for a few years after graduating with a degree in education from Florida State University and took the opportunity to use a ski hotel in the summers for my idea in 1978.”

The first 12 years of New Life Hiking Spa were spent in Stratton Mountain, Vermont and the program consisted of hiking, yoga, aerobics and healthy food. In 1990, he moved New Life to the newly opened Inn of the Six Mountains in Killington, Vermont where it remains today. In the early 90’s Mr. LeSage also received his Master’s Degree in Counseling and studied nutrition at Harvard University, which he uses for lectures and individual counseling sessions for guests wanting to learn how to deal with stress and obtaining or maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

SpaFinders, which is the world’s largest resource for the spa industry, has selected New Life Hiking Spa as one of the 25 Pioneer Spas which have shaped the spa industry as we know it today. New Life is consistently picked as one of the top ten spas in the world by SpaFinder’s Reader’s Choice Awards for hiking, solo travel, weight loss, affordability and fitness classes. In addition, in 2011, Jimmy LeSage, M.S. was chosen as one of the world’s top ten best spa managers.

In recent years, New Life Hiking Spa has been recognized as a top destination for weight loss and a healthy vacation. Since 2005, New Life has been selected as a top ten fitness vacation by MSNBC, and a top weight loss spa by Shape Magazine and Health Magazine. “In the past decade, there has been a major focus on healthy vacations and weight loss spas due to America’s expanding waistlines and reality TV programs that focus on losing weight. We have always been about health, hiking, whole foods and stress reduction since we opened our doors in 1978, but now there is a major focus in the media on the subject”, said Mr. LeSage.

For the 19 weeks a year New Life Hiking Spa is open, approximately 600 guests from all over the world come to visit New Life in the Green Mountains of Vermont. New Life Hiking Spa averages approximately 40 guests per week and employs an average of 35 people each season. Massage therapists, chefs, office staff, hike leaders and fitness instructors make New Life a caring and comfortable vacation where guests at any fitness level feel at ease coming alone or with a friend or partner.

Currently, New Life is in the summer edition of Yankee Magazine’s Travel Guide to New England and NewsMax Magazine, both on newsstands now. New Life Hiking Spa was chosen in Yankee Magazine as the 2012 Editor’s Choice for “Best Place to Rejuvenate” and in NewsMax Magazine for “Best Singles Vacations”.

Guests at New Life Hiking Spa experience rejuvenation with an all-inclusive spa vacation. New Life offers mini-getaways of three to four days, healthy “Jump Start” packages of 5-10 days and an 11 night or longer Weight Loss Retreat. Prices range from $249-$219 per night and include a private room with a private bath, three nutritious meals per day, healthy snacks, guided hikes along the Appalachian Trail and Long Trail (three levels offered per day), yoga classes, fitness classes, water aerobics in a heated indoor pool, cooking demos, healthy eating lectures, and one massage is included for every three night stay.

More information can be found online at New Life Hiking Spa’s Website: http://www.newlifehikingspa.com or http://www.WeightLossSpa.com.

For more travel features, visit:

www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

Celebrate the Holiday Season with Woodstock’s Winter Wassail Weekend, Dec. 9-11

Woodstock, Vermont celebrates the holiday season with its annual town-wide Wassail Weekend held December 9-11, 2011. The Woodstock Inn & Resort is offering a special package for guests to enjoy this enchanting holiday celebration including tickets to see the highly acclaimed Vienna Boys’ Choir.

Woodstock, Vermont celebrates the holiday season with its annual town-wide Wassail Weekend held December 9-11, 2011. The Woodstock Inn & Resort is offering a special package for guests to enjoy this enchanting holiday celebration including tickets to see the highly acclaimed Vienna Boys’ Choir in one of their only New England performances this year, indulge in a traditional holiday feast celebrating Charles Dickens and enjoy a performance of the play Scrooge! based on Charles Dickens’s, A Christmas Carol.

The resort’s Wassail Weekend package is available December 9-11, starting at $940 per couple for a two-night stay based on double occupancy. The package includes:

• Accommodations (two night minimum stay required; tax and gratuities extra; other restrictins may apply).
• Admission to Vienna Boys’ Choir at The Town Hall on Friday night
• Wassail Feast on Saturday night at The Woodstock Inn & Resort
• Tickets to Scrooge!, a play to be held at The Yoh Theater (follows the feast)
• The Holiday Homes Tour on Saturday sponsored by Pentangle

The Woodstock Inn & Resort will be hosting a Charles Dickens-themed Wassail Feast Saturday evening followed by a play called Scrooge! by Leslie Bricusse based on Charles Dickens’s, A Christmas Carol. The Wassail Feast will feature traditional English fare with a local Vermont flavoring including Roasted Mutton (garlic studded leg of lamb with rosemary and caper sauce), Dicken’s Chicken (curry chicken and rice casserole), Tatties & Neeps (mashed turnips and potatoes with ginger) and Chocolate Bread Pudding.

With a history spanning over 500 years, the Vienna Boys’ Choir is one of the oldest and most renowned boys’ choirs in the world. On Friday, December 9, they will be performing contemporary and classic holiday favorites. Billings Farm & Museum, which is free to guests of The Woodstock Inn & Resort, will be showcasing Vermont life as it was during the 19^th Century including an authentically decorated 1890 Farm House tour, traditional music and sleigh or wagon rides. Festival highlights also include a town-wide Wassail Parade on Saturday with more than fifty horses and riders dressed in holiday costumes and period dress from the early 19^th Century. Woodstock’s most charming and historic houses open their doors for guests to experience their New England hospitality and holiday decorations during the Holiday Homes Tour on Saturday. Shops in the Village of Woodstock are often open late, providing guests’ ample opportunity to wrap up any last-minute holiday shopping.

Along with the Wassail Weekend activities, The Woodstock Inn & Resort provides guests with a number of recreational and dining options to enhance their stay. The Woodstock Inn & Resort is now home to a new 10,000 square-foot LEED-designed spa, offering a nature-inspired ambiance and featuring nourishing treatments and organic products. In celebration of Winter, guests can experience the 100-minute Deep Forest treatment which begins with an exfoliating body scrub and hydrating wrap and ends with a full-body massage. Guests can dine at The Red Rooster, the resort’s award-winning fine dining restaurant which emphasizes fresh, local ingredients sourced from the best purveyors in New England. Guests can also enjoy downtown Woodstock filled with antique shops, art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, specialty food markets and more.

Located in idyllic Woodstock, Vermont, The Woodstock Inn & Resort defines country sophistication in one of New England’s most charming and popular year-round vacation destinations. The 142-room, AAA Four Diamond Resort and member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, offers award-winning dining in three restaurants, ranked among the finest in New England. The Woodstock Inn & Resort is owned and operated by The Woodstock Foundation, Inc. Proceeds from Resort operations support The Woodstock Foundation and Billings Farm & Museum education and conservation programs.

For more information, visit www.woodstockinn.com or call (888) 481-8802.

For more travel features, visit:

www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

Vermont Fall Foliage Lodging Packages Give You Time to Immerse in Changing Colors, Outdoor Activities

MONTPELIER, Vt. – The ideal Vermont foliage experience involves total immersion. Take time to meander back roads and find the perfect resort or historic inn; grab a warm blanket and stay a while.

Lodging packages offer up all the state’s finest amenities, many paired with foliage season activities to get up close and appreciate the changing colors. Choose from canoe trips, mountainside yoga, biking, golf, ziplining, food festivals or spa retreats; plus there’s more than 50 midweek packages at VermontVacation.com:

Best Western Canoe & Stay, Mendon
www.visitvt.com/CWT/External/WCPages/WCCoupons/CouponDisplay.aspx?CouponID=60

Killington Resort’s Fall Foliage & Gondola Package, Killington
www.killington.com/summer/plan_your_trip/packages_and_specials/featured_packages/index.html/206041760

Latchis Hotel & Theatre: Hollywood, Dine, and Recline, Brattleboro
www.visitvt.com/CWT/External/WCPages/WCCoupons/CouponDisplay.aspx?CouponID=62

Mountain Top Inn & Resort Autumn Midweek 50% Off, Chittenden
www.mountaintopinn.com/seasonal_specials.html

Okemo Foliage Package Includes Third Night Free, Ludlow
www.okemo.com/okemosummer/resort/accommodations/packages/fallfoliage.asp

Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa’s Best of Package, Stowe www.visitvt.com/CWT/External/WCPages/WCCoupons/CouponDisplay.aspx?CouponID=73

Smugglers’ Notch Resort Canoe, Zip Line or Food & Wine Packages, Jeffersonville
www.smuggs.com/pages/fall/packages.php

Sugarbush Bed & Breakfast Foliage Package, Warren
www.sugarbush.com/vermont-resort-dining-lodging/ski-stay-packages

Stratton Mountain Savor the Seasons Foliage Package, Stratton
www.stratton.com/deals/hot-deals/savortheseasons_2011.htm

Trapp Family Lodge History Package or Three Day Yoga Retreats, Stowe
www.trappfamily.com/accommodations/specials-packages

Wildflower Inn Northern Woods Pedal and Paddle Package, Lyndonville
www.visitvt.com/CWT/External/WCPages/WCCoupons/CouponDisplay.aspx?CouponID=65

Visitors can complete their calendars with more Vermont Fall Foliage Events or review comprehensive Fall Foliage information at VermontVacation.com.

For more travel features, visit

www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

Killington Holds Online Auction to Help Vermont Farmers

Many Vermonters including local farmers lost everything in tropical storm Irene. Many people are already helping the storm recovery in a variety of ways, however, here’s another chance to offer your support.

Killington Resort created an online auction, “From the Ground Up,” to assist Vermont farms that sustained damage from tropical storm Irene. All proceeds from the auction will go directly to the Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund to help local farmers begin to rebuild.

Starting September 12, 2011 at 8 p.m. EST, From the Ground Up will open online for bidding on items such as an Unlimited 2011-12 Killington season pass, first gondola ride of the 2011-12 season, two VIP passes to any one of the 2011-12 Dew Tour stops, including 2 one-day lift tickets to the host resort, one week of Woodward Camp at Cooper Mountain, Red Sox tickets for four at the Budweiser Roof Deck Table, a Burton Nug snowboard signed by Jake Burton and much more.

Fortunately, Killington Resort received minimal damage from tropical storm Irene, however, many of our local farmers lost everything. From the Ground Up online auction will help Vermont farmers replace infrastructure as well as help cover losses sustained from the storm.

Killington Resort expressed gratitude for the generous auction items provided by local businesses as well as Resort partners and sponsors.

From the Ground Up auction bidding will conclude on September 25, 2011 at 8 p.m. EST.

For more ski and  travel features, visit

www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

Wake Up In Woodstock Package Showcases Vermont’s Summer Festivals

Summer is peak festival season in Vermont and The Woodstock Inn & Resort’s Wake Up In Woodstock package offers value and flexibility for guests to enjoy any number of events.  Wake Up In Woodstock includes accommodations, breakfast, welcome gift, admission to the Billings Farm & Museum, admission to the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and complimentary use of the Inn’s Racquet & Fitness Club.  Guests will also enjoy one complimentary appetizer per room in The Red Rooster for dinner.  Prices start at $282 per night based on double occupancy.

The Woodstock Inn & Resort is hosting its annual Summer @ Six Concert Series at nearby Suicide Six (pentanglearts.org).  The concert series kicks off Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23 with a bluegrass festival featuring performances by Grammy-award winner bluegrass singer-songwriter Peter Rowan; bluegrass virtuosic instrumentalist/singer/songwriters Sierra Hull & Highway 111; David Grisman, famed acoustic string instrumental musician; The King of Newgrass Sam Bush; Ricky Skaggs & The Kentucky Thunder; The Bluegrass Gospel Project and The Infamous Stringdusters.

On Friday, August 26, the Levon Helm Band headlines the second Summer @ Six concert with special guests Assembly of Dust, Bow Thayer and the Perfect Trainwreck.

Other summer events include:

The Killington Music Festival Concert Series will also kick off in July with Saturday concerts July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30 and August 6 (killington.com)

Billings Farm & Museum has a full calendar of events throughout the summer including Foodways Fridays from July 15-October 14 where visitors can learn how to use heirloom vegetables from the garden in historic recipes prepared in the 1890 Farm House kitchen.  Celebrate National Ice Cream Day July 17 where visitors can lend a hand making and tasting the ice cream (billingsfarm.org).

Glassmaker Simon Pearce’s restaurant, housed in a restored mill overlooking a waterfall, hosts complimentary cooking demonstrations each month.  On July 21, visitors can learn about “Summer Produce.”  August will feature “Summer Soups” and September “Vermont Cheeses.”  In addition, enjoy special access “Drinks on the Deck” on select Wednesdays and Sundays.  For specific dates, visit www.simonpearce.com/category/restaurants/quechee.do

Enjoy the “Taste of Woodstock” on August 13 from 10am-8:30pm with local wines, craft beer, organic foods, kettle corn, lemonade and live entertainment ShackletonThomas and Sustainable Woodstock host the Naked Table Project and lunch, on the covered bridge in Woodstock August 20-21.  Saturday, participants construct a table out of sustainably grown sugar maple, harvested from the Marsh-Billings Rockefeller National Park.  On Sunday, all are invited to a locavore lunch served on the newly made tables under the covered bridge.  Admission: $35 lunch or $850 for table making (nakedtable.com)

For a full listing of events in and around Woodstock, visit woodstockinn.com/the-resort/events.

The Woodstock Inn & Resort is now home to a new 10,000 square-foot LEED-designed spa, offering a nature-inspired ambiance and featuring nourishing treatments and organic products.  In celebration of Summer, guests can experience the 100-minute Signature Berry Bliss Treatment which begins with an exfoliating body scrub and hydrating wrap and ends with a full-body massage.

Resort activities include a 18-hole Robert Trent Jones designed golf course, a 41,000 square foot Racquet & Fitness Club, which includes indoor and outdoor tennis courts, indoor racquetball courts, a 30-by-60 foot indoor lap pool, a whirlpool, workout equipment and a steam room and sauna.   Guests can also enjoy downtown Woodstock filled with antique shops, art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, specialty food markets and more.

For more information, visit www.woodstockinn.com or call (888) 481-8802.

About The Woodstock Inn & Resort

Located in idyllic Woodstock, Vermont, The Woodstock Inn & Resort defines country sophistication in one of New England’s most charming and popular year-round vacation destinations.  The 142-room, AAA Four Diamond Resort and member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, offers award-winning dining in two restaurants, ranked among the finest in New England.  The Woodstock Inn & Resort is owned and operated by The Woodstock Foundation, Inc.  Proceeds from Resort operations support The Woodstock Foundation and Billings Farm & Museum education and conservation programs.

For more travel features, visit

www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

The Woodstock Inn & Resort Offers A Sweet Springtime Escape

WOODSTOCK, VT (March 11, 2011) –

The Woodstock Inn & Resort welcomes travelers to celebrate the onset of Spring and maple sugaring season in Vermont by enjoying the resort’s Sugar Season Escape package.  Available March 13 through May 26, the package includes accommodations in a standard guestroom with breakfast daily in the Main Dining Room.  Rates start at $159 per night Sunday through Thursday and weekend rates start at $189.

The Woodstock Inn & Resort is now home to a new 10,000 square-foot LEED-designed spa, offering a nature-inspired ambiance and featuring nourishing treatments and organic products.  Each season, a different signature treatment takes center stage among the extensive selection of year-round spa offerings.  In celebration of Spring, guests can experience the 100-minute Signature Vanilla Maple Treatment which begins with an exfoliating body scrub and hydrating wrap and ends with a full-body massage.

The Inn provides guests with a number of recreational and dining options to enhance their stay.  The Red Rooster, the resort’s award- winning fine dining restaurant emphasizes a menu using fresh, local ingredients sourced from the best purveyors in New England.  Richardson’s Tavern offers a cozy old-world atmosphere with a full bar and live music.

Resort activities include a 18-hole Robert Trent Jones designed golf course, a 41,000 square foot Racquet & Fitness Club, which includes indoor and outdoor tennis courts, indoor racquetball courts, a 30-by-60 foot indoor lap pool, a whirlpool, workout equipment and a steam room and sauna.   Guests can also enjoy downtown Woodstock filled with antique shops, art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, specialty food markets and more.  Nearby Sugarbush Farms offers sugarhouse tours, where guests can see sugar maple trees and sample four grades of 100% pure Vermont maple syrup.

Located in idyllic Woodstock, Vermont, The Woodstock Inn & Resort defines country sophistication in one of New England’s most charming and popular year-round vacation destinations.  The 142-room, AAA Four Diamond Resort and member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, offers award-winning dining in three restaurants, ranked among the finest in New England.  The Woodstock Inn & Resort is owned and operated by The Woodstock Foundation, Inc.  Proceeds from Resort operations support The Woodstock Foundation and Billings Farm & Museum education and conservation programs.

For more information, visit www.woodstockinn.com or call 888-481-8802.

 

See more about travel destinations at:

www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

www.examiner.com/eclectic-traveler-in-long-island/karen-rubin