Vermont Apples to iPods Contest

Visitors to Vermont's pick-your-own apple orchards have a chance to win an Apple iPod this fall. Twenty-four specially marked wooden apples are being hidden in orchards around the state, and the lucky customers who find the wooden apples will win an iPod.

This is a fun collaborative promotion organized by the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, Woodchuck Cider, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Small Dog Electronics, and Vermont apple orchards. The program starts Sept. 15 with an Apple Season Kick-Off Event at Shelburne Orchards in Shelburne from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

For details, visit www.applestoipods.com.

Check out the video below of Shelburne Orchards owner Nick Cowles hiding a wooden apple in his 80-acre orchard along the shores of Lake Champlain.

The Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont

Whenever I travel to my hometown of Manchester, I always stop by the Northshire Bookstore. Aside from a fantastic book selection, the Northshire has a cafe with free wireless Internet service, an extensive children's section, and a Zutano clothing store for babies and toddlers. The bookstore hosts many events with world-famous and local authors including Tracy Kidder, Stephen King and Howard Dean.

The Northshire has been around since the mid-1970s and has evolved into one of the best locally-owned bookstores in New England. Perhaps its success stems from its motto, "Building Community One Book at a Time."

A New Face on the Vermont Cheese Trail

Vermont cheese is garnering quite a bit of well-deserved attention lately. National Geographic Traveler has included the Vermont Cheese Trail in its latest "50 Drives of Lifetime" feature. Also, the first-ever Vermont Cheesemakers Festival at Shelburne Farms on Aug. 23 is sold out.

Along Vermont Cheese Trail, you'll find a new cheesemaker at the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in Plymouth Notch. The Plymouth Cheese Factory is open daily with cheese production taking place five days a week. Cheese is made on the weekends and production coincides with visitor traffic and special occasions. The company is producing three types of hand-crafted limited supply cheeses from raw milk – the traditional Plymouth Cheese, East Mountain, and PassionDale.

The Plymouth Cheese Factory was built by the father of President Calvin Coolidge, Colonel John Coolidge, James S. Brown and three other local farmers in 1890. The factory produced cheese from the milk produced on area farms and closed in 1934, but was reopened by the President’s son, John, in 1960.

The facility, owned by the State of Vermont, is now operated by Jesse Werner. A native Vermonter, Jesse graduated from Brandeis University; received a master of business administration degree in Prague in 2006; and most recently attended the Vermont Institute of Artisanal Cheese at the University of Vermont.

I spoke to Jesse shortly before he set up shop in July: “Vermont is known for its high-quality, natural products, and we are committed to producing premium dairy products from the finest ingredients, using the best practices," he said. "We’re looking forward to sharing our products and knowledge with the widest audience possible.”

Sounds like a plan.

Keeping Cool in Vermont

Photo Courtesy of the State of Vermont

Summer weather has finally arrived, and we're all looking to stay cool. Vermont is home to dozens of swimming holes in nearly every corner of the state. Some of these places are easily accessible while others are tucked away. A great resource for finding a place to swim in Vermont is www.swimmingholes.org.

Some of my personal favorites:

1. Dorset Quarry, Route 30, Dorset, Vt.
2. Lareau Swimming Hole, Route 100, Waitsfield, Vt.
3. Jeff Falls, Route 108, Jeffersonville, Vt.
4. Warren Falls, Route 100, Warren, Vt.
5. Hapgood Pond, Hapgood Pond Road, Peru, Vt.

Vergennes: Vermont's Smallest City is Big on Charm

Vergennes may be Vermont's oldest and smallest city, but everything about it feels modern, dynamic and energetic.

National Geographic Traveler took notice of this quirky community and mentioned it in the magazine's July/August issue. Walk along Main Street and you'll find outstanding French fare at Black Sheep Bistro, homemade soups and fresh salads at Park Squeeze restaurant, and breakfast burritos, veggie chili, and hot roast beef panino at 3 Squares Cafe.

Great places to stay in Vergennes include the Strong House Inn on West Main Street, or outside of town along Lake Champlain at Basin Harbor Club.

Vergennes has undergone a magnificent revitalization over the past decade. In the 19th century, this city was a thriving place. Vergennes became the site of a U.S. Navy shipyard during the War of 1812, and subsequently trade on the lake and the arrival of the railroad encouraged extensive commercial development. But in the 20th century, growth slowed and the city went into decline.

The Vergennes Opera House, which stood vacant for two decades before its restoration in the mid-1990s, has been a catalyst for the city's revitalization. Originally constructed in 1897, the building reopened in 1997 and now serves as a local performing arts and community center.

If you ask anyone in town, they'll likely tell you that the Vergennes Opera House is the heart of the city. The building's restoration not only brought Vergennes back to life, it helped Vergennes become one of the most vibrant communities in Vermont.

Historic Shipwrecks of Lake Champlain

A perfect day on Lake Champlain. I took this before heading out for a shipwreck tour with Rachael Miller of Lake Champlain Shipwrecks. You may have seen headlines this week about shipwrecks being found at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. People are always surprised when I tell them that Lake Champlain has more than 300 shipwrecks dating back to the 1700s, including military, commercial and private vessels. It's definitely one of the most interesting facts about Vermont.

Some of these historic ships, which are designated as state historic underwater preserves, used to be accessible only to certified scuba divers. But now, non-divers and those who want to stay dry can also see the wrecks. Lake Champlain Shipwrecks uses a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with a camera that sends images back to a monitor.

Rachael is a fantastic guide and gives guests a detailed, intimate account of how these ships went down. Storytelling at its finest.

A Taste of Vermont

Last weekend I went to the Vermont Fresh Network's 13th Annual Forum at Shelburne Farms, one of the most beautiful places on the planet. The focus was "Growing Our Local Food Economy," and the topic was covered by keynote speaker Woody Tasch, chairman and president of Slow Money.



But the highlight of the forum was the incredible food prepared by Vermont producers and restaurants. For two-plus hours, my husband and I wandered from table to table and sampled delicious dishes made from local ingredients, from gourmet cheese to farm lamb to fresh greens.

Here are just a few of VFN-member restaurants and producers that participated in the forum: Leunig's Bistro, The Perfect Wife, Pete's Greens, Boyden Valley Winery, and Stowe Mountain Lodge.

I am not a success in the kitchen, but the art of food still fascinates me. Vermont is home to so many outstanding restaurants, and I'm eager to get out there and dine.

The Beginning

My goal is to share information about the incredible places I have come across in Vermont.

By day, I work as the director of communications for the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing. HappyVermont.com is a personal project, one that I hope you will follow from time to time.

A little background about me: I was raised in Vermont and worked for two daily newspapers in the Northeast Kingdom and central Vermont during the 1990s. After relocating to Boston for six years, I returned to Vermont in 2006 to work for the state tourism office. I am fortunate enough to have a career that gives me the opportunity to promote my home state for a living. HappyVermont.com is all about exploring Vermont on my own time.