There is no place like home 

Every May we step away from Killington for a few weeks to try to catch up on life in the real world. What are people wearing... what are the trends in food... what are people drinking... What are the trends in free time activities... Sometimes it's to exotic destinations. Sometimes it includes some business activity thrown in. It usually includes trips to see our respective Moms and Dads. This year we stayed a little closer to home, wandering around New England.

We started our journey with a visit to Burlington Vermont to attend a wine show being held at the Burlington Country Club. I tasted some nice wine that will probably find it's way onto our restaurants wine list. But while we were in Burlington, we did a little around town ourselves. We walked the shops on Church Street. We did not know that Burlington was quite a fashion plate.. but we did not realize it at the time. We ate dinner at a little Italian Bistro L'Amante on College Street. Really nice. I finished my night with a snifter of WhistlePig whiskey from Shoreham Vermont. (Need to add that to our selections at the bar).

On our trip through Vermont up and down to Burlington, we were impressed with all the work we saw being done as Vermont continues to recover from last years Hurricane Irene. All across the state roads and bridges have been repaired. Lots of work is still being done in a lot of local communities, but the hard work of recovering from such a huge natural disaster is clearly in evidence.

From Burlington, we headed to Boston for a few days, staying near the waterfront in the Harborside Inn. Its a nice property, sitting in the shadows of the Boston Customs House, just a block from the Aquarium and Quincy Market. While in Boston, we made a deliberate attempt to walk the city and be tourists; taking advantage of our smart phones to find things to do, places to go, restaurants... etc. We obviously don't need to do that while in Killington, but we wanted to see how our guests use technology. Quite impressive.

Using YELP, we found a really great restaurant in Charlestown.. I asked Yelp to find a restaurant less than a couple of miles from our hotel (so we could walk), and it pointed us to the "Navy Yard Bistro and Wine Bar" in Charlestown. We never would have found this place if we relied on traditional sources. It was literally in a building in the Old Charlestown Navy Yard with no sign. We got there at 7 on a Saturday night (very tourist). The place was packed. After a few drinks at the bar and over an hour wait, we sat down to a very nice meal. Maybe there is something to all this technology in our pocket.

Random pictures from our spring 2012 vacation. Click image to stop rotation. Click again to resume rotation.

In another walk about Boston, we visited the Museum of Fine Arts in the Back Bay to view their "Art in Bloom" exhibit. It was a really nice exhibit, with flower arrangements smartly spread out all over the MFA. While in the Back Bay, we also walked through the "Victory Gardens" in the Fenway, reportedly one of the oldest remaining Victory Gardens set up during WWII. We also strolled down the Charles River through the Esplanade. Boston is one of the worlds great walking cities.

On our Boston walk abouts, there were a few things we noticed. In the clothing department, with the exception of Asian Women who appeared to be visiting the city, everyone, and I mean everyone, seemed to be wearing blue jeans. The typical daytime attire for people walking around town looked like blue jeans and a tee shirt with sneakers (or trainers if you prefer) or sensible soft soled shoes. At night, there was little change. Men went from tee shirts to "Collared" shirts, some with a sport jacket. Women when to pretty (some times very low cut) blouses with painful looking shoes. I only saw men over 45 years of age in "Polo" shirts(so much for my wardrobe!!!). Khaki pants, or the black pants of years ago, were totally gone, replaced by the ubiquitous blue jean. It was an interesting trend to see, and it must have clothing designers/retailers shaking their heads.

The blue jean trend in Boston (and on Cape Cod) was not evident in Burlington Vermont. Does that mean that Burlington is ahead or behind a trend...who knows... but the contrast in what people were wearing between the two cities was very surprising.

From Boston, we made our way to Cape Cod, staying with innkeepers John and Kris at their inn, "The Liberty Hill Inn" in Yarmouth. We have stayed there many times, and I highly recommend Liberty Hill if you are visiting the Cape. We played a couple of nice rounds of golf along the way. Had another nice dinner at the Lyric restaurant on Route 6A in Yarmouth, run by a former Killington resident, Anne Austin.

We finished our trip in Foxboro MA, staying at Patriots Place, to visit with my son who lives in eastern Mass. Patriots Place is beautiful, but shockingly empty; being designed to support the hundreds of thousands of people who go there during Patriot Football games. But it was a nice, uncluttered, place to anchor for a few days while visiting with my son.

All in all, it was good to be away from home for a few days, but on the ride back it was clear that the mountains of Vermont were calling us home. It's nice to be back in Killington. There's no place like home!

The cloud descends on Superstar as seen from the K1 parking lot 

Like the final curtain coming down on a Broadway Show, the Killington Ski Resort entered it's last day of the 2011-2012 ski season with a curtain of cloud draping Superstar, the last trail standing.

To pretend that this has not been a strange winter season at Killington would require a feat of self delusion worthy of an ostrich with it's head in the sand. From the catastrophic ending to last summer literally rained down on the area by Hurricane Irene, to the dearth of cold air this winter combined with a paucity of natural snow fall; Mother Nature has been quite unpredictable at best and down right cruel to Killington during the 2011-2012 ski season. And with torrential rains once again predicted to sweep the area for the next couple of days, the Killington Resort announced late yesterday that the time has come to move on.

Looking back on the season, there were a number of bright spots which raise hopes for the future of the ski resort. The response of the local community, both it's businesses and private citizens, combined with the actions of the State of Vermont and a wide variety of federal agencies in the wake of Hurricane Irene reminded us all that Killington is a special place to call home, and to visit regularly. Hurricane Irene's destruction at the Killington Resort saw the birth of the Roaring Brook Umbrella Bars at the K1 Base lodge; clearly a shining example of how a business can turn lemons into lemonade. In the next few years it will be very interesting to see how the resort and the community take advantage of this Phoenix that rose from the ashes of Irene.

The "Stairway to Heaven" built last season to connect the top of the North Ridge area to Killington Peak proved it's value many times over. Without it, there would have been no early season skiing and riding at Killington. And the resort turned to it again last week to re-open the top of Killington Peak after the largest snow storm of the season struck the area two weeks ago.

And speaking of that snow storm two weeks ago, the resort threw caution to the wind and "looked the other way" as skiers and riders alike "re-opened" previously closed terrain covered in newly fallen snow. The resort usually takes a very conservative (some would say aggressive) stance in enforcing trail closures. But for this one storm, the resort let skiers and riders enjoy the spring gift from Mother Nature. While I doubt it would be a long term trend, it does provide a glimpse into the overriding principles on how the resort is run; at it's core the Killington Ski Resort is about people having fun on snow!

But it is time to move on. Thursday, Mary and I had our first round of golf for the season at Green Mountain National Golf Course. Yesterday, I went back down to the course and hit a bucket of golf balls at the driving range, just to "air out" my swing. Spring yard work is well underway. Websites have been recoded to summer. (Check out our golf packages this year at both Green Mountain and the Killington Resort Golf Course.)

Many of my local friends will be hiking Superstar over the next couple of weeks; squeezing out the final turns for their personal 2011-2012 ski seasons. But for aficionados of lift service skiing, the 2011-2012 ski season at Killington is "in the can".

Kudo's to the Killington Resort Community for making the most of 2011-2012 ski season. When you have a chance these next few weeks; raise a toast; hail the approaching 2012-2013 ski season. It will be here before you know it!

Let it snow..

Killington Peak 

I just received this message (4:00 PM) from the Killington Resort through the Killington Chamber of Commerce:

Operational Update from Killington Resort for Saturday, April 14th:

We are pleased to announce the K-1 Express Gondola and the North Ridge Triple will operate Saturday, April 14 along with the Superstar Express Quad from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. The trails on Killington Peak and in the North Ridge area are for advanced skiing and riding only on ungroomed terrain.

There is adequate snow coverage at the top of Killington Peak and in the North Ridge area, however, as you ski or ride down from the North Ridge area, 300 yards of walking will be necessary to return to the K-1 Express Gondola.

Lifts are scheduled to open at 10:00 a.m. with the last K-1 cabin at 4:30 p.m. Additionally, the K-1 Lodge will be fully open and the Roaring Brook Umbrella Bars, at the base of Superstar trail, are open daily from 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Lift tickets will be $49 for Adults (19-64), $42 for Young Adults/Seniors (13-18/65 ) and $34 for Juniors.

--- Commentary ----

The Killington Resort is taking advantage of the late season snow we received early this week to re-open portions of the resort that were closed due to the summer like heat we received at the end of March. Kudo's to Killington for taking lemons and making lemonade!

In addition to skiing and riding off of the Superstar Quad, the resort will also be running the K1 Gondola and the North Ridge Triple. While skiing and riding is for advanced intermediates and experts only, I am sure that the skiers and riders will approve of Killington's effort to extend the ski season in the North East.

Let it snow..

Snow covered Killington Peak 

I blame it on our mothers...

On my side we have Irish-Catholic guilt. On the Mary's side we have Swedish fortitude. Combined, Mary and I don't have a prayer at ever stopping work....

While heavy wet snow was falling across the Killington Resort yesterday, we were dutifully fulfilling our obligations to the State of Vermont and the US Government by working on our tax package to give to our accountant. It was day 3 of a 4 day project we had planned for a couple of weeks. The first pass goes to the accountant today, so he can complete his work for next weeks "Tax Day"... so it goes.

We have started a bunch of spring projects weeks earlier than normal under the theory of turning lemons into lemonade. The more we get done now, in theory, the more time we have for golf later in the spring. We are making good progress and starting to talk about chasing that little white ball down a green fairway in the coming weeks. Unless, of course, that guilt thing raises it's ugly head again!

Killington reported 18 inches of snow yesterday on Killington Peak. They have re-opened the K1 Gondola, at least for now, to take advantage of the spring gift from Mother Nature. If you are interested in making some turns this weekend, Killington is the place to be. Our inn is open to provide lodging should you need a place to stay. Our mothers would not have it any other way.

Let it snow..

Birch Ridge Inn being blanketed in white by spring snow storm. 

Maybe the Mayans were on to something? Maybe all the work being done by Doomsday Preppers is worthwhile after all? Has the earth started to tilt to a different center point on it's axis? The signs are all there!

Yesterday was a perfect example. A cool, crisp, Easter Sunday in Killington. Mary and I went to brunch with some friends in Woodstock. Then we came home to watch the annual rite of spring, "The Masters" golf tournament from Augusta National in Georgia. Augusta National, the staid repose of the plutocracy. And low and behold, someone named "Bubba" from Bagdad wins the tournament. With a Pink Driver no less. The earth must have begun it's off axis tilt

OK... so it's just a random event you say...

This morning in Killington it looked to be a damp day. Light r@!n fell starting after midnight. At around 7:00AM the precipitation changed to snow. It has literally been puking snow outside for 5 hours as I write this blog. After a basically snowless winter, and weeks in the 80's in March at Killington, we now get snow!... Maybe tin foil hats are in order.

But of course, I am writing tongue in cheek. Early spring snow storms at Killington are natural phenomenon. We have them almost every year. And this year is no different.

And Bubba Watson, this years winner of "The Masters"....he is a consummate professional golfer who has been honing his craft for years. He is from Bagdad... not Bagdad Iraq but Bagdad Florida. And that "Pink Driver" he plays. It's part of Bubba's efforts to raise money for charity called "Bubba and friends drive to a million". The driver is part of a year-long campaign sponsored by Ping. Every time Bubba drives the ball over 300 yards, Ping will donate $300 dollars to his charity. At $300 per drive for his first 300 drives over 300 yards -- that's a lot of 300s -- Watson stands to rack up $90,000 for his foundation, just for doing what he always does. We should all be so dedicated to helping others.

So I guess all is still right with the world after all... at least for today.

Let it snow...so it goes..

Killington peak with a fresh coat of pixie dust.
Click for a full panoramic view of the mountains at Killington. 

Proving once again that weather in Killington is anything but consistent, the region was visited last night by a fine dusting of snow. More like a pixie dust raining from the heavens, it was just enough this morning to cover roof tops, coat windshields, and cast a white frosting on the tops of the Green Mountains all around the Killington Region

Now so we don't get ahead of ourselves, we are talking dust... not an epic snow fall. If you already put your skis away for the season... leave them there....think of last nights dusting as Mother Natures way of fertilizing golf courses all around central Vermont. If you have not put your skies away yet, you understand that there is still intermediate and expert skiing to be had at Killington from the Superstar Quad. Not much, mind you... The resort is reporting 4 trails... but enough to allow for an hour or 3 of fun on the snow followed by a celebratory beverage at the Umbrella Bars if that is your shtick.

Around Killington this weekend, Snoop Dog rolls into town with 2 shows at the Pickle Barrel Nightclub. This is Snoop's third year visiting the establishment with his entourage. The first show starts at 4:00 Pm and is 18 and older. The second show is scheduled to go off at 9:00PM and is for people over "21". Tickets to Snoop Dog are available on the Pickle Barrel's website.

For those of you who are just coming up to Killington to enjoy the area, the Killington Art's Guild is holding an exhibition in their gallery on Route 4 upstairs at Base Camp Outfitters and Cabin Fever Gifts. "The Art in Your Life" exhibition will be on display at the Killington Arts Guild through May 20th.

At this inn this weekend, we are serving dinner on both Friday and Saturday night. So as you head to the mountains for some weekend R and R, stop in if the mood fits.

We look forward to seeing you in Killington this weekend. and don't forget your sun screen!

The mountains of Killington, resplendent in bright sunshine. 

So... we already established that you were going to come up to Killington this weekend; ski a few runs; partake of the umbrella bars; get your season pass for next year; buy some new equipment to go with your new seasons pass; and play your first round of golf for the season in Vermont. Your weekend is not done, there is still a lot to do. Here are some other activities to put on your list:

1. Attend the Tweed Winter Carnival at Pico: Running Friday March 23rd through Sunday March 25th, the eponymous Tweed River Music Festival held in August each for the last 3 years in Stockbridge Vermont has decided to branch out with a spring concert series at Pico Mountain in Killington. Featured musical acts at the festival will include Bow Thayer, Perfect Trainwreck, Waylon Speed, Pistol Whipped, Holy Plow, Goldtown, Crunchy Western Boys, Andrea Gillis Band, Township, Jabe Beyer, Flowting Bridge and White Dynamite. Tickets are $20 per day. Further information about the festival can be found at tweedrivermusicfestival.com

2. Picnic Lunch on Deers Leap: As you are heading towards Pico for the Tweed Winter Carnival, if you still need exercise after skiing, consider a hike to the top of Deers Leap. It's a beautiful scenic vista on Route 4 at the top of the Sherburne Pass. It is a great place for a picnic lunch on sunny days. If you go, wear proper hiking shoes, be careful of the mud on the trail (snow is still melting you know), and clean up after yourself by bringing out what you bring in so others may enjoy the hike as well.

3. Enjoy the sweetest time of the year in Vermont - Maple Sugar Season: This weekend also happens to be "Vermont Maple Open House Weekend" where sugar shacks all over the state will be converting maple sap into the sweet maple syrup we all love on my partner Mary's pancakes at breakfast. Activities are planned state wide to celebrate the sugaring season. A great place to partake of the events is the New England Maple Museum in nearby Pittsford Vermont.

4. A little Rock and Roll Nostalgia: if the new music at the Tweed Music Festival proves too eclectic for you, the Paramount Theater in Rutland will be featuring the Shirelles and the Drifters this weekend on Saturday evening. Tickets are on sale at the Paramount Theater Box Office (802 775-0903) or online at paramountvt.org.

5. Be Trendy: or not. How can you avoid the hype. Even in our little corner of Vermont the new movie "Hunger Games" is making a buzz. If you have been sucked in the hype, never fear, you don't need to stay comfortably ensconced in your home town to be the first to catch this new "It" movie. If you drive up Thursday Night, you can actually catch the Midnight Showing at Rutland's Flagship Cinema. One night only. (actual show time is 12:05 AM on Friday Morning which just squeezes this event into the weekend!)

And of course on Friday and Saturday nights, Chef Frizzie and our team will be here at the Birch Ridge Inn to delight you with great food and beverages. Merisa will be holding court in the Great Room Lounge, fresh from a trip to Tuckerman's Ravine earlier in the week. If you are still dreaming of powder, we will play a ski movie of two on the big screen, in between some of the March Madness round ball we have all come to enjoy.

We look forward to seeing you in Killington this weekend. and don't forget your sun screen!