Vermont Country July-August 2023

Miss Kitty takes grand tour

Our clever columnist is back with her opinions on Southern Vermont's quirkiest getaways

Get caffeinated in character

Our staffers share region's top coffee shops

Meet your local growers

Cannabis farmers discuss their craft

Bob Audette is a cranky old white guy experiencing the world anew under the tutelage of an 11-yearold forest sprite. He’s been writing for the Brattleboro Reformer for nearly two decades.

Stewart Cairns is a photographer for the Bennington Banner. Growing up in the NYC suburbs, he didn’t make it to the mountains much as a kid, but when he was 8, his family visited the Adirondacks, and he was convinced that he photographed Bigfoot. He was certain that the picture would be in the newspaper, and that he would be famous. His parents broke the news to him that he actually photographed a very hairy man who was renting the cabin next door, searching for firewood. He was disappointed but undaunted. He has photographed many barely believable things over the years, and now that he roams Route 7 throughout Vermont, he always keeps his gaze focused deep into the woods … just in case.

Jeff Diehl is definitely not a cliche, despite having moved to Southern Vermont from California during the pandemic. He's in love with his new home and is building a company, Craft State Media, in its honor. He writes and produces videos about the legal cannabis industry and other stuff, and is skilled at talking about himself in the third person.

Gordon Dossett traded the traffic and urban ugliness of Los Angeles for the Green Mountains. He lives with his teenaged children, a cat and a dog, packing urban sprawl into one home. Sadly, he is a cliche.

Kathleen Hawes — aka "Miss Kitty" — is a creative writer who enjoys morning cocktails and holding grudges. You can read her work in The Sun Magazine, The Massachusetts Review, and other random publications.

Gena Mangiaratti, whose first name rhymes with henna, is arts and entertainment editor for Vermont News & Media.

Sometimes she goes

to local bars to see live music and meet people and infodump about her cat, Theodora, who can be followed on Twitter, @fedoratheodora.

Chris Mays is a reporter for the Brattleboro Reformer. He plays guitar in three groups and has a Yorkie named Lemon, who can be followed on Instagram @lemon_the_yorkie. He enjoys spending time in the mountains.

Kristopher Radder is a photographer for the Brattleboro Reformer. Often compared to Ed Sheeran in looks, or Prince Harry pending on his hair, he can be often found with a camera in hand ready to capture life in Southern Vermont.

Tara Schatz is a freelance writer and travel blogger who still thinks she can make a living by camping, hiking, and taking road trips. Her dogs reckon this is as fine a life plan as any, and have agreed to accompany her while posing for photos, and inspiring her farther down the trail.

Dan Tebo is a Boston-based film critic whose work regularly appears on his mother’s refrigerator. He works as a waiter and amateur archivist and runs a VHS blog with a readership in the high single digits.

Lucas Woods (Luke) was raised in Dublin, N.H. and has worked in restaurants since he was a teenager. After spending far too much money at every eatery in the area over the last 8 years, he decided it might be a good idea to learn more about his indulgences. Being an avid foodie and a wine lover, it seemed only fitting to garner a proper knowledge of the industry and turn his passion into progress. As he is both a sommelier and a natural extrovert, he enjoys meeting new people and teaching them all about wine.

President and Publisher

Jordan Brechenser

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Editor Gena Mangiaratti

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Senior Sales Executive

Richard Lolatte

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Vermont Country magazine is a publication of

Viking Villages in Guilford.

Photo by Kristopher Radder.

Gena Mangiaratti — Vermont Country

The author dressed for the cool temperatures at a June self-guided tour event at Naulakha, author Rudyard Kipling's home in Vermont.

A cool summer calls for spiked coffee

By Gena Mangiaratti Vermont Country

I recently heard someone ask how everyone is enjoying their fall this summer.

In early June, when I visited an open house event at Naulakha, "The Jungle Book" author Rudyard Kipling's house in Dummerston, there was a need for a winter hat. Nights are still chilly. I still use a space heater in the mornings. The good news is, it's possible to go for a run without melting into the asphalt. As of late June, it remains a wonder when the other shoe that is real summer will drop.

If you determine Southern Vermont is the place to wait out this fall-summer (fummer?), Miss Kitty is back with her take on colorful places to stay in the region. And whether the temperature suits hot coffee or iced coffee or even spiked coffee, staffers Gordon Dossett, Bob Audette and photographer Stewart Cairns have you covered with an extensive list of tasty caffeine options.

Indoors and outdoors, summer concert series abound. Reporter (and local musician)

Chris Mays and I highlighted two in Brattleboro at Saxtons River Distillery and the new Bar 580, respectively.

Ever wondered what factors actually determine a good glass of wine? New contributor

Lucas Woods, a sommelier — which I learned via Google search means "wine steward" — gives us a detailed lowdown. Back Road Ramblers' Tara Schatz is back and has us covered with a list of swimming spots. For an unusual earthbound experience, Gordon Dossett takes us to a spot in Manchester where visitors can get to know birds of prey on a personal level.

To highlight a budding new industry in the Green Mountain State, we welcome new contributor Jeff Diehl, who brings us along on a visit to some cannabis growing operations in Vermont.

And of course, back with his comforting, sardonic presence is movie columnist Dan Tebo, with a list of beach trips we can take from the couch.

It's not the beach, but if you're just needing life to slow down, book a stay at Naulakha — which I write about in this issue — for an experience from long before "doomscrolling" was a word.

Stay cool, or warm.

Gena Mangiaratti, whose first name rhymes with "henna," is editor of Vermont Country and arts & entertainment editor for Vermont News & Media. She lives in Brattleboro with her cat, Theodora, and a space heater. One is a reliable source of warmth and one is a small appliance.

By Gordon Dossett

By Gena Mangiaratti

By Tara Schatz

By Jeff Diehl

By Gena Mangiaratti

By Chris Mays

By

By Bob Audette

By Gena Mangiaratti

By Dan Tebo

By Kathleen Hawes

By Lucas Woods

Abuzz for coffee in Manchester

By Gordon Dossett Vermont Country

A watchful goatherd named Kaldi around 850 CE may be responsible for our consumption of coffee. Kaldi’s goats were staying up all night and even dancing, according to old stories and the internet (reliable sources all). The goats, Kaldi noted, had been munching beans from a nearby shrub. He took the beans to monks, who thought the beans must be the work of the devil and promptly threw them into the fire. The first roast supposedly created such a delightful aroma, though, that those gathered knew it came from a heavenly source.

Now … if you’ve ever smelled a coffee roast, the “heavenly source” might

seem more like burning asphalt roofing. And what thought process then would lead to grinding or boiling these heavenly beans and making a drink?

But then again, imagine the poor yet inspired human who looked at a cow’s udder and said — “ah, milk!”

So — let’s embrace the Kaldi legend. Yes, he stands at the start of that long road that led to coffee today in Manchester, Vermont.

To seek out coffee in town, which of the four basic groups below best fits you?

1. Caffeine seekers.

Just like the dancing goats, you people crave caffeine to function, and any old gallon of coffee will do. Pull up

to Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s, Willoughby’s Depot Eatery or Stewart’s, or grab caffeine with breakfast at Nippers, The Little Rooster, Up for Breakfast, or Bob’s Diner. (Fun fact: the longer and hotter the roast, the darker the bean — and the more caffeine is removed. Want caffeine? Drink lighter roasts.)

2. Coffee fans.

You people taste the overtones of marzipan, molasses and blackberry. Or, if you’re like me, you may stumble to identify licorice notes or hints of bamboo, but you like the full mouthfeel of coffee — and you know a fine cup of coffee when you taste it.

You have two good choices in Manchester.

Coffee drinks being poured at Bonnet and Main in Manchester.

Stewart Cairns — Vermont Country

Charlie’s Coffee House. Manager and sometime baker Kimberly Stone and barista extraordinaire Melissa Glazier lead a team serving Mocha Joe coffee, roasted in Brattleboro. Simple black coffee? You have a choice of roasts — decaf to dark — all stored in pump thermos and changed often to keep fresh. The Café au Lait is smooth and tasty, the Cappuccino full-bodied and creamy. The iced mocha with peppermint blends the rush of coffee with sweetness and just the right touch of mint: Melissa even remembered my daughter had ordered it two days earlier.

Bonnet & Main. Owners Suzanne Fontaine and Fiona Morton take their coffee seriously, serving a wide range of cappuccino and espresso from Equal Exchange, employee-owned Fair Trade and the Little Vermont Coffee Company. The black coffee is smooth and full, cappuccino and cafe au lait foamy and luscious. Bonnet and Main has a nice lounge area, and the cafe connects to the Northshire Bookstore. Although open only until 4 p.m., Bonnet and Main surprisingly serves alcoholic coffee (more on that below).

3. Starbucks lovers.

(Not the Taylor Swift kind.) Love it or hate it, at least Starbucks helped drag Americans away from Sanka and coffee steeped on burners to attain flavor notes of a roasted tire. A secret Starbie source suggests these tips to enhance your Starbucks experience.

Be nice. Maybe Starbucks screams multinational monolith, but that doesn’t entitle you to purge your aggressions onto anonymous baristas and demand, oh, one and three quarters pumps of pumpkin spice and scream, “No — do it again!” Slow your roll, buster. Be patient. Yes, your hometown Starbucks in Bigtown, America employs a human inflatable tubeman barista who exchanges frothing coffee and cash as you whiz by at 24 miles per hour. Good on him. But here in Manchester, population 1/600 of Manhattan, be happy to have a smiling human in an apron. Order cream and sugar on the side if you want to doctor your own cup. Oddly, cream and sugar are not set out. Try the blonde espresso, a barista favorite. It’s sweeter and smoother than regular espresso.

Try an iced shaken espresso, also smoother. Cannot be ordered with light ice — since shaking near-boiling liquid in partially-filled shakers creates a hazard. Skeptics: please try at home.

4. Coffee tricksters (alcoholic coffee).

You people love outsmarting your bodies by mixing a depressant (alcohol) and stimulant (coffee). (Ok, alcohol, confusingly, may be a stimulant and depressant. I believe a goatherd named Kaldi discovered alcohol — but I digress.) You coffee-alcohol people have three destinations in Manchester, considering the old-school standard Irish coffee and the new retro-'90s Espresso Martini.

A fussy traditionalist, I aver that Irish coffee must have: a shot of Jameson, Tullamore Dew or Bushmill’s whiskey, or an even fancier Irish whiskey, strong enough to taste; a teaspoon of sugar stirred in; fresh, decent coffee; thickened cream (not poofy whipping cream). Drink the coffee through the cream; fling aside any proffered straw. Feel a silky, semi-sweet, jolt of Riverdance in your mouth and a rumble into your pre-

Gordon Dossett — Vermont Country

An Irish Coffee served at the Equinox Hotel features a heap of sugared whipped cream.

Bonnet & Main Cafe, 15 Bonnet St., Manchester Center, VT 05255 bonnetandmain.com

Charlie’s Coffee House, 39 Bonnet St., Manchester Center, VT 05255 charliescoffeehousevt.com

The Copper Grouse, 3835 Main St., Manchester Village, VT 05254 coppergrouse.com

The Marsh Tavern at Equinox, 3567 Main St., Manchester Village, VT 05254 equinoxresort.com/ manchester_village_dining

frontal cortex and down your veins.

The Espresso Martini, created by a British mixologist in the late 1980s, danced itself into the 1990s, took a seat for a decade or two and then jumped back onto the dance floor lately. Bartenders mix vodka, coffee liquor and espresso, and traditionally float three coffee beans on top (representing health, wealth and happiness).

Bonnet & Main. Even though it closes at 4 p.m. daily, some locals and tourists think: what the heck, it’s 5 o'clock somewhere, so let’s splash some coffee and alcohol together. And — surprise!

— Bonnet & Main has the best Irish coffee in town: Served in a flared glass, its layering of heavy cream perfect for sipping through. Its Espresso Martini of vodka, espresso, Kamora and chocolate liquor will kick-start your holiday or weekend, no matter the time: a balance of sweet and smooth.

The Copper Grouse. For its Espresso Martini, Patrick, the genial bartender, blends Tito’s vodka, pre-cooled espresso, simple syrup and Perc Coffee Liqueur (winner of the in-house taste test, from Vermont’s Saxtons River Distillery). Slightly sweet, it pleased even our taster who doesn’t like sweet coffee drinks. The Irish coffee gets a pleasing jolt from its Tullamore Dew, sipped through its heavy cream.

The Equinox. The hotel’s Marsh Tavern blends Tito’s, Kahlua and a splash of Bailey’s for an Espresso Martini that

skews sweet, but is still tasty and satisfying. The Irish coffee relies on Jameson, but the sugar is blended into a small tower of whipped cream. Trying to sip through the whipping cream would result in a mini-pieface. One of the tasters gobbled up the sweetened whipping cream: what remained was a skim of cream and bitter whiskey coffee.

If you, like one of us tasters, has an eye out for creaminess in Espresso Martinis, here’s our verdict: most creamy: Bonnet and Main; moderately creamy: Equinox; least creamy: Copper Grouse. Wherever you go in Manchester, I hope you raise a toast to Kaldi, the unheralded goatherd, and enjoy your coffee.

Gordon Dossett — Vermont Country Barista Melissa Glazier, left, and manager Kimberly Stone greet customers at Charlie's.

Stewart Cairns — Vermont Country Coffee drinks being poured at Bonnet and Main in Manchester.

Taking a coffee tour of Southern Vermont

By Bob Audette Vermont Country

Whether it’s an iced latte on a hot summer morning or a bag of freshly roasted beans in the hopper of your home grinder, Southern Vermont has your caffeine fix options.

You can sit and sip while noshing on a pastry, get a few cups while having a hearty breakfast or fill up that travel mug to keep you company by the river or before a walk.

Some people might even want to consider a coffee tour, visiting different coffee shops and roasters every weekend, keeping a little notebook about each stop.

But where to go first depends on where you are in Southern Vermont.

If you’re starting in Brattleboro, you’ll probably want to hit Mocha Joe’s on Main Street, where they’ve been serving up espressos made with single-source beans from Cameroon for the past 30 years.

Right there on Main Street you can also get a coffee with a treat from Amy’s Bakery Arts Cafe or a freshly baked bagel from The Works, which, by the way, also has a cafe in Manchester.

At Duchess Coffee, just a little farther north on Main Street, you can get a fresh pour or pick up some small batch roasted beans sourced from women-owned farms in Central and South America. In Putney, you can also find Duchess Coffee at Antidote Books.

If you’re getting off the highway at Exit 3 in Brattleboro, turn right at the Roundabout and a couple of hundred yards south you’ll find the coffee cart belonging to Love Buzz Coffee Company, which serves organic coffee.

If you’re heading out on Route 30 up to Jamaica or points further, you can make a stop at Fire Arts Bakery & Cafe just outside of Brattleboro.

If you’d like to try a liege waffle with your coffee, pull up at Bigfoot Coffee’s coffee shack on Route 30 in Newfane. Off of Interstate 91, at the end of Exit 5, you can find Allen Brothers, where you can get some Green Mountain Coffee and a couple of cider doughnuts, or Cafe Loco, where you can get

a cup of joe and a breakfast sandwich. In Bellows Falls, you can find several options for coffee, including Moon Dog Cafe and Flat Iron Cooperative, a worker-owned coffee shop. Rockingham Roasters, which is also on The Square, roasts its own beans and serves coffee and pastries.

Isabel Wissner — Vermont Country file photo

A specialty drink at the Coffee Bar in Bennington.

On a tributary of the West River in South Londonderry, Ungrounded

Coffee Roasters is busy roasting beans from all over the world and mixing up sensational beverages such as lattes made with maple or chai.

Halfway to Bennington from Brattleboro, stop off at 1a Coffee Roasters in Wilmington and ask to book a private coffee roasting event where people and their friends can learn about specialty coffee, and roasting, cupping, brewing, and tasting coffee.

Also in Wilmington is Village Roost Cafe & Marketplace, where you can find an iced matcha latte and a freshbaked cookie, and Coffee House, a coffee shop in a tiny house where even the ice cubes are made from coffee.

Near Mount Snow is the Coffee Barn and in the village at Stratton, you can find Mad Coffee Roasters.

If you’re in Bennington and you have a hankering for some Mocha Joe’s coffee, the Coffee Bar on South Street is brewing up their beans and serving tasty snacks.

You can also find a bagel at The Local, formerly known as Love a Bagel, on Main Street.

In North Bennington, look for Prospect Coffee House, which carries beans from Iron Coffee Company, which roasts its own beans in its shop in Hoosick Falls. Just over the border in Hoosick Falls you can find cider doughnuts and coffee at Lumber Jack’s.

And just over the southern border, in Williamstown, Mass., Tunnel City Coffee is roasting up small batches of beans, including its dark roasted Thunderbolt Blend.

At Bonnie and Clyde’s Corner Market in Arlington you can find a breakfast burrito and a splash of coffee.

In Manchester, there’s Charlie’s Coffee House for a cappuccino and a scone, or you can grab breakfast at Bonnet & Main Cafe. If you like your coffee with a little European flare, stop in at the Little Rooster Cafe on Main Street.

Zoey's Deli & Bakery, also in Manchester, is a great place if you’re look-

ing for a gluten-free lemon bar to go with your java.

While Sexy Llama Coffee Roasters roasts its beans in Manchester Center, you’ll need to keep an eye out for its pink mobile espresso bar, which can be found at various locations and events around town.

At Dorset Rising Bakery, where you can pick up a loaf of fresh bread, its espresso bar is complemented by sweets and treats.

Another place to visit in Dorset is H.N. Williams Store, where you can sip a cup of coffee with its famous Rumney’s Breakfast Sandwich on a Portuguese bun.

At Mach's Market in Pawlet you can pull a cup of coffee while placing an order for a sandwich at the deli.

As you can well see, there are lots of options in Southern Vermont when it comes to getting a cup of coffee or some freshly roasted beans. So the next time you're in the neighborhood, stop in at one of those places listed above and say hello.

Kristopher Radder — Vermont Country file photo Matt Nicholas, owner of Love Buzz Coffee, on Putney Road, in Brattleboro, prepares an iced coffee.

Unique places to stay

Your non-traditional, must-stay locations in Southern Vermont

Most remarkable about the archeological gem that is Viking Villages, is evidence that Vikings were not just technologically savvy, but that they also had fabulous taste in furniture.

By Miss Kitty

This kitty feels it her duty to ensure all travelers who pass through her beloved “Viridis Montis” secure lodgings both remarkable and civilized. Of course, it is difficult for one to find the latter of these requirements when local Vermont tradition celebrates such barbarisms as dining over a Coleman stove or (one dare not say it!) use of an outhouse.

Alas, if it were up to this Kitty, all overnight stay would require lush carpet, brass elevators, Italian marble, Austrian crystal, English silver, evening turndown service, and morning mimosas — the last of which would be consumed in the soft embrace of Egyptian linen in the penthouse suite of the Waldorf Astoria — though the Mandarin would do.

However, this Kitty understands much of Vermont’s charm lies not in the material but in the transcendental; among the bowed hemlocks, in the cool scent of moss, and the dry crackle of birch under paw. For this reason, she has carefully curated a list of unique accommodations, ones sure to honor the great majesty of her green mountains while also supplying the cozy kitty-comforts a discerning journeyer demands.

Photo provided by Lorianna Weathers

If one holds this Kitty’s passion for architecture, there is no better treat than a weekend at South Shire in Bennington. Shown is the lobby.

Kristopher Radder — Vermont Country

Though Humphrey Bogart (all kitties love Bogie) won’t be making any cameos at the Casablanca Motel in Manchester, a kitty will be reminded of simpler times as she gazes over the 3 acres of lush farmland dappled with vintage cabins, each restored in vibrant technicolor.

Originally built in 1780 as a stagecoach rest-stop and tavern on the old Green Mountain Turnpike, the Franklyn Farm Inn is a historical diamond that harkens to amalgamation of simpler-times-meets-early-industrialism in Vermont.

Falling

Photo provided by Ali Kaukas Reluctant Panther is a luxury hotel with 20 dazzling rooms and suites on an elegant colonial estate to boot with English gardens and mountain views.

Provided Photo

Provided Photo Willow B&B and retreat center is a sanctuary for those who wish to reclaim harmony in their lives.

Provided Photo

somewhere between the “camp” and the “glamp,” NV campsites are walk-in ready, equipped with solar lighting, single cots, queensized beds, and extra thick sleeping pads.

Provided Photo

Todd and Suzy's daughter enjoys the company of an animal.

Provided Photo

When Kitty must travel with the litter ...

HARTLAND: If one is forced to travel with children (though Kitty does not suggest this as sticky fingers and a love of mozzarella sticks offends her nature) there is no better place to stay than Fat Sheep Farm and Cabins. Boasting five luxury cabins on 60 acres of wooded farmland, Fat Sheep Farm has all the modern amenities a kitty requires, while offering an on-sight playland of wholesome and educational activities sure to keep one’s tiny sociopath occupied for hours. Activities include: an extensive natural playground offering many rustic adventures, walking goats, milking sheep, harvesting crops, collecting eggs, and (even this kitty’s heart melts) cuddling a baby lamb.

In addition to sourdough bread baking workshops, proprietors Todd and Suzy host cheesemaking demonstrations as well as cheesemaking workshops for both adults and children.

On cheese: One must visit Suzy’s cheese cave where her “passion for exploration” has been inspired from local Vermont cheesemaking traditions all the way to the reaches of Sardinia. Suzy begins with a homemade culture and ends with a bounty of delicate to piquant heaven-on-a-cracker. Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow.

Important to note: Many of the cabins at Fat Sheep Farm are pet-friendly, but all boast modern furnishings and gorgeous views, making it not just a destination to bring one’s bothersome litter, but also a lovely all-season couple’s get-away. Enjoy lovely foliage in fall, cross-country skiing in winter and (if one insists on such ridiculous outdoor athletics) both Okemo and Killington are just a short ride away.

To book: 802-436-4696, info@fatsheepfarmvermont.com

When Miss Kitty gets all Beowulf ...

If one is forced to travel with children (though Kitty does not suggest this as sticky fingers and a love of mozzarella sticks offends her nature) there is no better place to stay than Fat Sheep Farm and Cabins.

GUILFORD: In addition to being scholar in the art of not camping, this Kitty is a well-studied historian. She has spent much time researching the lesser-known ancestry of one Norse kitty clan, a particularly ruthless litter of felines who once hailed from Scandinavia. As legend has it, one brisk morning, said kitties became accidental stowaways whilst in pursuit

of a river rat who happened to scamper aboard a great ship. The ship was bound for the Atlantic and belonged to none other than the big bad Viking explorer, Leif Eriksson (Meeeeeeeeow). This kitty is aware the pedestrian anthropologist will claim that after arriving in Newfoundland, Vikings simply turned their ships back home. However, antient lore passed down by the Kitty clan stowaways tells a different story, one where Viking travels did not end in boring old Canada.

In truth, those strapping Norsemen climbed back in their long boats, then steered their way down what is now known as the Connecticut River.

This Kitty is not pulling your tail. If one does not believe her, they must visit Viking Villages in Guilford, where

the only Viking settlement in all of America remains hidden in the woods, perfectly intact. Upon entering the fortress walls, the journeyer will be transported back in time. Explore the Great Hall where mead and merriment once flowed in bounty. Stay overnight in one of the six pristinely preserved Viking longhouses, each adorned with Norse knotwork, thatched roofs, and unique, hand carved roof gables. Most remarkable about this archeological gem, is evidence that Vikings were not just technologically savvy, but that they also had fabulous taste in furniture. Each longhouse is furnished with lovely kitchenettes and luxurious mid-century (we are not talking BC here) modern décor. Apparently, the Norse were also mad about Netflix because these stunning two-story 650 square-foot cabins boast smart TVs and lightning-fast Wi-Fi.

Viking Villages is just a 10-minute drive to restaurants, galleries, music venues, and the local Brattleboro food co-op. Adventurers who visit the village in winter, may also take tour of the nearby sugarhouse to learn how authentic Vermont Maple Syrup is made. To book a cabin or to inquire about larger select functions, visit: vikingvillages.com

Provided photo

Kristopher Radder — Vermont Country

At Viking Villages in Guilford, the only Viking settlement in all of America remains hidden in the woods, perfectly intact.

When Miss Kitty must pretend to be outdoorsy as to appear the wholesome type ...

TOWNSHEND: This is not a new phenomenon: A kitty has been seduced by the biceps on some teetotalling, overly tanned rock climber. Perhaps the rock climber has an ex-girlfriend named “Liz” whom he talks about endlessly. Maybe the kitty finds out by way of the rock climber’s annoying habit of oversharing, that Liz just loves the outdoors, that she spent five days climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, but only after working in the Peace Corps to help dig wells for villages in Haiti. The rock climber then suggests he take kitty for a long romantic weekend in the woods. She likes camping, doesn’t she? Do not panic.

NV Farms Outfitters and Camping offers a rustic cowboy experience sure to impress your rock climber, while saving a kitty from the exhaustion and savagery associated with the customary tent-pitch. Falling somewhere between the “camp” and the “glamp,” NV campsites are walk-in ready, equipped with solar lighting, single cots, queen-sized beds, and extra thick sleeping pads. Every camp has fireside seating, backup firewood, and a covered kitchen area with any cooking utensils one might need. Other amenities that are all just steps from campsites include: a babbling brook, onsite kayaks one

may take for a spin on the sparkling lake, endless hiking and biking trails, rivers for fishing, the longest covered bridge in the state of Vermont, not to mention a solar-powered shower house — the last of which will help a kitty freshen up before she takes a snuggle

When Miss Kitty has lost her flow ...

SOUTH NEWFANE: Dear Kitties, has the toxic tedium of life’s everyday grind led you off your chosen path? Maybe, like this kitty, you have forgotten the primal rush of stalking a cardinal through the bushes, the simple pleasure of belly-creeping between the blades of grass. Have such rituals, ones that once made you feel connected to the world, now been replaced by the monotony of Zoom meetings, follow-up emails, and (meow, meow) extended happy hours?

Fear not Kitties, Willow B&B and retreat center is a sanctuary for those who wish to reclaim harmony in their lives. Whether it be painting, meditation, yoga, or outdoor sports, retreat owners Tom and Ravi will nurture any passions you’ve put on the backburner while helping to integrate them back into your daily life.

with her tom cat beneath the stars. In addition to being pet-friendly (kitty approves!), NV Farms proprietor Denise Marcum runs an on-premises “general store,” where one may purchase weekend warrior luxuries such as the “s’mores kit” as well as essentials like a toothbrush, comb, or other idols of the civilized world that may have been forgotten on a kitty’s pilgrimage into the wild.

Do also check out Denise’s food cart where she sells wagyu burgers made from her very own cattle as well as old-fashioned hot dogs and country mac n’ cheese. And if one is pretending not to count calories, they must visit Denise’s “Sundae Bar,” a Willy Wonka level of ice cream service sure to knock the tiny socks off one’s sticky-fingered interloper.

A bit more on Denise Marcum: In addition to being the owner of NV farms, she is also a grandmother who built the campgrounds, by herself, from the ground up. Whilst this kitty prefers not to get her paws dirty, she cannot help but puff with pride for a fellow female feline when observing such kitty bad-ass-ness.

To book: 802-289-1618 / 802-380-0576

NVFarms@yahoo.com

vfarmsshedsandcabins.com/ nv-farms-outfitters

Whether one chooses to come for an individual stay, sign up for a specialized retreat, or even host their own event, all will find quiet solace in Willow’s main house, a charming colonial where guests may enjoy the grand foyer, a formal library, a sunny veranda, and a 14-person yoga studio. There are also six individual bedrooms, each equipped with AC, private bathrooms, electric fireplaces, and (as a kitty must keep up with her stories) Smart TVs.

Partake in morning yoga classes with Tom, eat healthy Indian inspired meals cooked by Ravi, or just wander the grounds beneath the rustling giants who are the namesake of this peaceful oasis.

Sidenote on rustling giants: A kitty will find herself quite at home in Willow’s privately situated Tree House, a fabulous two-story A-frame alchemy of Rudolph Schindler meets Swiss Family

Provided photo NV Farms Outfitters and Camping offers a rustic cowboy experience sure to impress your rock climber, while saving a kitty from the exhaustion and savagery associated with the customary tent-pitch.

Provided photo Willow B&B and retreat center is a sanctuary for those who wish to reclaim harmony in their lives. Shown is a treehouse.

Robinson. Clad in both cedar and copper and supported by pine and willow, here a kitty may scamper about in her natural habitat with the comforting knowledge that a hot shower, locally

When

MANCHESTER: If one looks back with fondness upon the heyday of mid-century American travel, the

made soaps, and fresh linens await her. For info on retreats: willowvt.com/ upcoming-retreats

Upcoming event at Willow: Exhibition of Contemporary Classical Realism fea-

Casablanca Motel will not disappoint. Though Humphrey Bogart (all kitties love Bogie) won’t be making any cameos, a kitty will be reminded of simpler times as she gazes over the 3 acres of lush farmland dappled with vintage cabins, each restored in vibrant technicolor.

Provided photo Though Humphrey Bogart (all kitties love Bogie) won’t be making any cameos at the Casablanca Motel in Manchester, a kitty will be reminded of simpler times as she gazes over the 3 acres of lush farmland dappled with vintage cabins, each restored in vibrant technicolor.

BENNINGTON: If one holds this Kitty’s passion for architecture, there is no better treat than a weekend at South Shire in Bennington. A beautifully preserved Queen Ann Victorian, South Shire has all the grandeur and romance of the late 19th century while maintaining an intimate and attentive setting.

Here the journeyer may choose from nine spacious rooms, each equipped with private bathrooms and decorated with individual period furnishings. If one is feeling especially luxurious (or perhaps has maybe just finished reading Wuthering Heights), this Kitty suggests the Otto Suite: Think sweeping valences, a Georgian fireplace, and a particularly impressive canopy bed in which one might imagine (not this kitty of course) that a brutish Heathcliff could really do some ravishing.

However, the dining room at South

Named “Best Retro Escape” by Yankee Magazine, the small village that is Casablanca appears a whimsical summer camp for Santa’s elves. One may play horseshoes or volleyball on the lawn,

Shire is unmatched in its pomp and outright splendor. A true homage to the Gilded Age, the walls here are laced with Corinthian cornice and flutter with plaster puttie. In this impossibly elegant setting, an a la carte breakfast made with locally sourced ingredients is served each morning, and in the afternoon, one may enjoy a formal English Tea. Side note on the dining room: Next month will be the soft opening of South Shire’s premier restaurant, “Cuisine of Siam,” where owners Jariya Wannapat and Joseph Polito will specialize in Elevated Thai,

turing 18 artists of the Grand Central Atelier in Brooklyn, NY., Aug. 27, 1 to 7 p.m. Preview for pre-registered guests from 10 a.m. to noon. Willow, 369 Dover Road in South Newfane.

grill steaks by the screened-in gazebo, or just take a stroll through the Casablanca gardens. Each cabin is furnished with a private porch, AC, free Wi-Fi, and unique Vermont themed décor. The socially conscious traveler might also note that Casablanca Motel is a woman owned and operated business (kitty roar!). Linda and Diane are hard-working on-sight proprietors there to attend every need, making the motel a puuuurfect venue for family reunions, wedding parties, or simply a cozy weekend escape. In addition, many cabins are dog-friendly and listed at very affordable rates, the last of which means Kitty may budget herself a little something extra when she hits Manchester’s famed designer outlets (three meows!) that are just a mile down the road.

Here's lookin’ at you, Kitty!

To book: 800-254-2145 or 802-3622145, casablancamotelVT@gmail.com

a select cuisine that uses only the freshest ingredients and ensures the integrity of authentic Thai recipes. To book: southshire.com, 802-447-3839

Miss Kitty gets all retro ...

When Miss Kitty gets all Wuthering Heights ...

Photo provided by Lorianna Weathers

The dining room at South Shire is unmatched in its pomp and outright splendor.

When Miss Kitty gets all Louisa May Alcott ...

CHESTER: If the journeyer seeks the quintessential Vermont experience, they must visit Franklyn Farm Inn, nestled on an idyllic stretch of countryside near the confluence of river and railroad. Originally built in 1780 as a stagecoach rest-stop and tavern on the old Green Mountain Turnpike, the inn is a historical diamond that represents early industrialism in Vermont. Guests may choose from eight sun-filled rooms and suites, with wide pine floorboards and furnishings so classically New England that one might suspect Alcott’s March sisters to be flitting about the dining room downstairs. One must take advantage of the 35 acres of farmland where Franklyn Farm Inn rests: Relax by the pond outside

the inn, take a dip off Rainbow Rock, or simply cozy up with your tom cat by the fire pit outside. For day trips, visit the historical Calvin Coolidge Homestead or take a ride on the Green Mountain Railroad. Other nearby attractions include Green Mountain Sugar House, Camp Plymouth State Park, Quechee Gorge, Bartonsville Covered Bridge, and Harpoon Brewery and Taproom.

Bonus: Mitches Maples is a neighbor of Franklyn Farm Inn so all guests will enjoy, along with fresh baked goods, Mitches maple syrup with breakfast. To book: franklynfarminn.com, 802-875-2206, information@franklynfarminn.com

Originally built in 1780 as a stagecoach rest-stop and tavern on the old Green Mountain Turnpike, the Franklyn Farm Inn is a historical diamond that represents early industrialism in Vermont.

When Miss Kitty finds harmony among the savage landscape ...

MANCHESTER: Obviously, a big kitty shout-out must be given to one of the fiercest and most majestic of kitties. Reluctant Panther is a luxury hotel with 20 dazzling rooms and suites on an elegant colonial estate to boot with English gardens and mountain views. Here a kitty will enjoy a tub in her marble en-suite bath, after which she may wrap herself in one cozy Frette robe (all kitties loooove Frette bathrobes) as she lounges on her four-poster bed by a crackling fire.

Do: Ask for the Pierre La Motte suite. Named after the Colonial French

Captain thought to have established the first European settlement in Vermont in 1665, this luxurious suite is decorated in appropriate colonial style with antique furnishings and artwork worthy of Sotheby’s auction house. Don’t: Miss out on the Reluctant Panther Restaurant. Whether one chooses to dine Al Fresco on a covered terrace or enjoy a formal dinner in the modern dining room, all will encounter a sophisticated menu and, most importantly, an unsurpassed wine list. The annual recipient since 2008 of The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence,

Reluctant Panther has, (kitty has said this before), a cellar to purr for. To start, pair the Schramsberg Vineyards Brut Rose with Lobster Brie Fondue. For dinner, there is no better emulsion of flavor than to sip a Borolo, La Spinetta while eating the Reluctant Panther’s famed pistachio stuffed lamb loin. Oh. My. Meow.

To book: reluctantpanther.com, 802-362-2568

This Kitty hopes you have been inspired to explore the unique reaches of her cherished green mountains. For tips on beauty and fashion in Vermont, do stay tuned for periodicals such as: “I Give Up” or “Has Yeti Become the New Chanelle?”

Until next time fellow Kitties, take care, drink well, and be thankful you are not camping!

Xoxoxo, Miss Kitty

Provided photo

Provided photo

Reluctant Panther is a luxury hotel with 20 dazzling rooms and suites on an elegant colonial estate to boot with English gardens and mountain views.

A fusion of tunes and spirits

Brattleboro distillery launches summer music series

By Chris Mays Vermont Country

BRATTLEBORO — Saxtons Distillery, known for its exceptional craft spirits, is hosting a brand new summer music series in its beautiful backyard. Greg Labshere, production assistant at the Brattleboro distillery, came up with the idea and booked the acts.

"This is a great space," he said. "It's a great atmosphere and we're just trying to create an experience for everybody, a family-friendly experience."

The weekly event promises to bring together the rich flavors of Saxtons' signature beverages with the infectious sounds of talented musicians. Shows

started July 1 with Woody & the Rebel Alliance and continue through Sept. 2 and feature an impressive lineup of local and regional artists from various genres. Admission is free.

Each event will feature a different music group and food truck. Labshere said he wanted to keep the series interesting.

"It's a mountainous area so I was going for string bands, folk bands, acoustic stuff, just that mountain vibe," he said. Having worked for the Garcia Project over years, Labshere gathered connections in the music industry.

"With that, I just got in deep with the Grateful Dead culture, and it's a lovely

culture and community of folks who take care of each other and respect one another," he said. "I think it would be cool to have that vibe here because we're all about local and craft here."

Labshere said he's getting the biggest response for the series finale, Sept. 9, when Zach Nugent Duo is scheduled to play. The Burlington guitarist, who plays with JGB (Jerry Garcia Band) and Dead Set, tends draw a big crowd. Three members from the Garcia Project, another highly popular act, will be playing as Acoustically Speaking Trio on July 8. They will perform a collection of soulful songs from Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and more.

Tobias Moore plays some music at Saxtons River Distillery.

Kristopher Radder — Vermont Country

"We are happy to bringing our unique flavor of acoustic Grateful Dead to Brattleboro, Vermont," guitarist and singer Mik Bondy said.

The schedule also includes Jess & Jeff on July 15, Tobias Moore on July 22, Life on Venus on July 29, Conor & The Wildhunt on Aug. 5, Alex Jordan Band on Aug. 12, and Deep Size on Aug. 26.

Deep Seize, a Southern Vermont electronic/world fusion duo formed in 2014 by producer Wyatt Andrews and handpan composer Jed Blume, pioneered a new sound combining complex and ethereal melodic lines of live handpan with hard-hitting electronic grooves grounded in hip hop, downtempo and electronic dance music.

"I'm thrilled to see Saxtons Distillery launching a Summer Music Series and supporting our region's live music scene," said Jed Blume, who plays a set of three handpans and the ATV Electro-organic aFrame Drum in Deep Seize. "This exciting new Saturday afternoon showcase through the summer promises to be a fun weekly event with a variety of caterers alongside a lineup of both local and visiting bands."

Labshere said he wants to make Saxtons Distillery a place where the local community wants to hang out on Saturdays. At the time of the interview, he was busy building a stage outside. His plans also include having a bubble machine, lawn games, face painting and sprinklers. He said he wants the events to have "a summer fair feel."

Saxtons Distillery is unveiling a menu with light bites and brand new cocktails. An exclusive cocktail will be served up for every show. A "cocktail passport" punch card will result in prizes once a certain number of drinks are purchased.

"We want to be the best cocktail bar in Southern Vermont," said Joslin Roderick, business development and brand manager at Saxtons Distillery. Mocktails, sodas, kid beverages and boozy milkshakes also are available. Roderick said the concert series is "part of building Saxtons on Saturday, meaning this is the place to come on Saturdays." Every Saturday, staff plan to host events. They've held classes on bartending, coffee tasting and espresso martini making.

Kristopher Radder — Vermont Country Emily Majewski and Jane Mellow talk over food and mocktails at Saxtons River Distillery.

A cheese and meat platter.

Kristopher Radder — Vermont Country

Kristopher Radder — Vermont Country Christian Stromberg and Joslin Roderick of Saxtons Distillery.

California flair in Vermont

Bar 580 a spot for local music, brews and 'fun for everyone'

On any night of the week, Bar 580 is a spot for food, drink and watching sports.

By Gena Mangiaratti Vermont Country

BRATTLEBORO — Walking into Bar 580 as a local, the new gathering spot often described as an upscale sports bar, brings to mind the tagline from "Cheers." On a busy night, the inside is like a town reunion.

If you're a visitor or passing through, the watering hole near Exit 1 provides

a welcoming opportunity to get a taste of Southern Vermont.

"The idea is creating a place that's fun for everyone," said owner Derek Soldenski, who opened the establishment in the recently renovated Vermont Marketplace earlier this year.

With a full island bar, TVs and pool tables, he modeled Bar 580 — at 580 Canal St. — after a place called Hinano Cafe in Venice Beach, California.

Booths line one of the side walls. On the opposite wall are windows where patrons can order food from different local restaurants. This summer, Soldenski hopes to open an outdoor patio and woodchipped area with picnic tables, an outdoor fireplace and games. Looking ahead, he hopes those coming to Vermont to ski and snowboard will stop by and sample the craft beers, of which there are around 60.

Kristopher Radder — Vermont Country

And local tunes

A few nights a week, patrons will enter to find a local musician performing near the front of the bar. On Thursday nights, local musician Don McCullough organizes the Local Music Showcase, which is exactly what it sounds like: a weekly concert series that spotlights artists in Southern Vermont and surrounding areas.

"I feel very strongly that Brattleboro should be a music destination town," McCullough said. "I've been saying this for a long time."

The shows happen Thursday nights

from around 6 to 8 p.m., with no cover. The format varies between a singular artist playing for the full two hours and a showcase of different artists playing shorter sets. He hopes visitors to the area will appreciate our "very art-centric town." "The coolest thing about Brattleboro is, whatever creative pursuit you're into, I feel like you can almost close your eyes and reach out your arm and touch it because everything is right there to do. Included in that is just this incredible wealth of talent that we have here," he said. "We have so many great musicians, great performers and great

songwriters. People are making really incredible music that rivals anything you can find on a national level."

The music series was previously hosted at Tine in Brattleboro, where McCullough was lead server. For more information about the Local Music Showcase, visit lmsbratt.com.

Bar 580 opens at 11 a.m. each day — Soldenski has plans to launch a weekend brunch — closing at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, visit bar580.com or look up "BAR 580" on Facebook.

Kristopher Radder Vermont Country Derek Soldenski is owner of Bar 580 in Brattleboro.

Gena Mangiaratti Vermont Country Jessie Brown performs at Bar 580 in Brattleboro during a Local Music Showcase event. In the background is fellow musician Helen Hummel.

An escape from modern life

Naulakha offers chance to sail hills of the Vermont countryside

By Gena Mangiaratti Vermont Country

DUMMERSTON — If you need a break from 21st-century life, look no further.

Naulakha, once the home of "The Jungle Book" author Rudyard Kipling, is like stepping into a time before iPhones and the constant stream of news and connectivity. Built in 1892 and 1893,

the Kiplings lived in the home on 11 acres in Dummerston until 1896. Now, the property is owned by Landmark Trust USA and is available for overnight rentals. There are occasional opportunities for the public to tour the home and its yard, including a rhododendron tunnel planted around 100 years ago.

Stepping onto the property is like

entering a dream, or a film set before the internet took over the world. The three-story building sleeps eight in rooms decked out with 19th- and early 20th-century furniture and artwork. Visitors can experience the Kiplings' kitchen and dining room, a "loggia" from where the landscape can be viewed and the study where Kipling wrote "The Jungle Book" among several other works.

Kristopher Radder — Vermont Country Brattleboro residents Claudia Caine and Linda Naylor look at some of the rhododendrons at Naulakha in Dummerston.

In a handwritten guestbook, members of the public who attended a recent self-guided tour and fundraising event shared their impressions. One guest wrote, "As an aspiring nature journalist/writer, I am inspired by Kipling's study and surroundings!" The guest went on to recall Kipling's poem "If —" and its reminder to "remember the possibilities that come with living a life that is truthful to both myself and those I love most."

Another guest, alluding to the strangely cold weather for a June day, wrote, "The chill did not dissolve the beauty of the flowers."

On the third floor is the attic, which functions as a game room with a pool table and mini museum displaying Kipling's golf clubs from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. And even from the attic, there is a view.

"You really get a sense how Kipling designed this home to be a ship or to resemble a ship sailing the hills of the Vermont countryside," said Jeremy Ebersole, communications specialist for Landmark Trust USA. "When you're up on that third floor looking out over the view and you see all of the rolling hills beyond, it really does give you that sense that you're the master of your surroundings," he added with a chuckle.

Visiting the property for the self-guided tour in June were Stuart and Manjula Salomon, who came from the Amherst, Mass., area, but for whom Brattleboro is a central location in their lives — both, though at different times, completed masters in teaching at the School for International Training. They met when Stuart was in the Peace Corps in India, and next year, plan to host their 50th wedding anniversary at Naulakha.

Sharing their story while standing in Kipling's attic, the couple recited some Kipling quotes that have happened to intersect with their lives. Manjula recalled how Kipling told early Brattleboro chronicler Mary Cabot that there were only two places in the world where he wanted to live: Bombay (now Mumbai), where he was born — and Brattleboro.

"There's probably a handful of Kipling quotes that people might know," her husband said. "But one of them that I'm fond of reminding them is, 'East is East

Kristopher Radder — Vermont Country People tour the home of Rudyard Kipling, Naulakha, in Dummerston.

and West is West and never the twain shall meet' — wrong," he exclaimed, gesturing to Manjula, who laughed.

"I met my wife in India in the Peace Corps. I was here for the Peace Corps training. So this part of the world means an awful lot to us," Stuart said. "And this house is a godsend."

Suzanne Flynt, who was helping visitors around the property, shared her experience of her family and her husband's family renting the house and the nearby carriage house, which sleeps four, for Christmas last year.

"It was wonderful, because between having the two houses, there was an opportunity to go back and forth between the houses," she said. The younger generation enjoyed playing pool in the attic, and everyone congregated around the fireplace in the evenings. With no televisions, the families took to reading books and working together on a large puzzle on the kitchen table.

"We took walks and enjoyed the landscape. They're all from New York City," she noted of her visitors. "So for them, it's very exciting to come here to the country and be able to take advantage of all that is offered here."

Exploring the grounds of the Kipling house is an experience in itself. There is, of course, the rhododendron tunnel, which provides a timeless experience of natural beauty. Off the tunnel is a filled-in swimming pool surrounded by a rock wall. The day I visited, during the fundraising event that offered self-guided tours, I used this space to get away from the crowds, and imagined it would be an ideal spot to read and journal. The yard also contains a stone archway and structure reminiscent of Madame Sherri's castle or a Shakespeare film. And of course, there is a patio with picnic tables, of which many guests that day took advantage.

The Landmark Trust USA has five local properties. The others are the Dutton Farmhouse, The Sugarhouse and Scott Farm Orchard in Dummerston and Amos Brown House in Whitingham. The houses are also available for rental, and the orchard is available for pick-your-own-fruit. For more information, visit landmarktrustusa.org.

Kristopher Radder — Vermont Country Starr Wolfe, of Brattleboro, walks through the rhododendron tunnel at Naulakha.

Kristopher Radder — Vermont Country Aimee Junker, of Londonderry, looks at a guestbook on the desk of Rudyard Kipling.

A local’s guide to Southern Vermont swimming holes

By Tara Schatz Back Road Ramblers

Southern Vermont’s hot, steamy summers often require a mid-afternoon dip, and the local rivers and streams are ideal for cooling off in. If you’re seeking relief from the heat or a spot

to while away the afternoon, there’s a Southern Vermont swimming hole with your name on it.

Living in New England’s only landlocked state, Vermonters have long had an affinity for soaking in the rivers and streams that run down from the mountains. Swimming holes in Southern

Vermont tend to be more shallow than in the northern part of the state, but they offer plenty of opportunities to cool off when the temperatures soar. When swimming in local rivers, be mindful of potentially strong currents, and inspect the depth of any pools before jumping off rocks or cliffs.

West Dummerston Covered Bridge: Dummerston, Vermont

The West Dummerston Covered Bridge is the longest covered bridge entirely within the state of Vermont, and it’s worth checking out even if you don’t plan on swimming underneath it. Park in a small lot next to the bridge entrance and walk down stone steps to the West River. There is a very nice gravel beach, and the swimming is awesome in July and August when the current is lazy and the sun is hot.

Covered Bridge, park in a small lot next to the bridge entrance and walk down stone steps to the West River. There is a very nice gravel beach, and the swimming is awesome in July and August when the current is lazy and the sun is hot.

At the West

Tara Schatz — Back Road Ramblers

Dummerston

Salmon Hole: Jamaica State Park, Vermont

Salmon Hole is one of several deep swimming spots in the West River that you can access from Jamaica State Park. Spend a day exploring the river, the West River Rail Trail, and nearby Hamilton Falls, or book a leanto for the weekend, and spend a few days unplugging. In the summer, this part of the West River is slow-moving, clear, and plenty deep enough for swimming. If you bring goggles, you can even watch the large trout meandering along the bottom.

In the summer, this part of the West River is slow-moving, clear, and plenty deep enough for swimming.

The Dorset Quarry: Dorset, Vermont

The only swimming hole on this list that isn’t in a river, the Dorset Quarry is one of the most popular swimming holes in all of Southern Vermont. The quarry opened in 1785 as the country’s first commercial marble quarry and supplied marble for building the New York Public Library, several amazing mansions in NYC, and the Memorial Continental Hall in Washington, D.C.

The water here is deep and cold, and there are plenty of places for cliff jumping, picnicking and relaxing. There are a few port-apotties. Visitors will need to pay to park, at least on the weekends.

The only swimming hole on this list that isn’t in a river, the Dorset Quarry is one of the most popular swimming holes in all of Southern Vermont.

Tara Schatz — Back Road Ramblers

Tara Schatz — Back Road Ramblers

Arlington Green Covered Bridge: Arlington, Vermont

One of Vermont’s most photographed covered bridges, the Arlington Green Covered Bridge is part of a pastoral landscape of an almost forgotten era. The bridge was built in 1852, and along with the local church and a historic inn nearby, is often featured on Vermont postcards and calendars. There are a few picnic tables sprinkled about and excellent swimming underneath the bridge.

After cooling off in the Battenkill, stroll down the road to Rockwell’s Retreat, a historic inn that was built in 1792. The view of the bridge from in front of the inn is the very same that Norman Rockwell enjoyed in the decade he lived here from 1943 to 1953.

The Tubs: Pownal, Vermont

This beloved local swimming hole is in North Pownal and includes two small pools, under small waterfall cascades, that are deep enough to swim. The area is incredibly scenic, but the hike down to the falls requires a bit of scrambling, making it a challenge for small children or folks with limited mobility.

The Tubs can get busy on hot summer afternoons. If you want to avoid the crowds, opt for an early morning swim on a weekday.

Photo provided by Shannon Barsotti

The Tubs in North Pownal includes two small pools, under small waterfall cascades, that are deep enough to swim.

Jerrye & Roy Klotz MD, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Arlington Green Covered Bridge, built in 1852, spans the Battenkill River in Arlington, Vt.

Heard it through the grapevine

A sommelier's introductory guide to wine

By Lucas Woods Vermont Country correspondent

If you have ever found yourself enjoying a glass of wine and had questions about what you’re actually drinking, you’ve come to the right place. Here you will find a better understanding of the different types, flavors, possible food pairings, and glasses that will make your wine drinking experience more fruitful.

Let’s talk about BLIC

People ask me regularly, what makes a good wine? My answer is always the same. If you like it, then it’s good. But from the perspective of a sommelier — a wine steward — there are certain things we look for that determine the quality of a bottle of wine. That’s where the acronym BLIC comes into play. BLIC stands for balance, length, intensity and complexity.

Balance: After that first sip, you should ask yourself: Is everything I’m tasting working together? That means that the sugars, flavors, alcohol content and acidity should all be acting on equal levels. Nothing should be drowned out.

Length: Once you’ve swallowed the wine, do the flavors immediately dissipate or do they remain for a period of time? Be careful not to confuse the heat of the alcohol with the actual length of the flavors themselves.

Intensity: This is referring to the aromas and flavor profile of the wine that you’re drinking. Even an inexperienced wine drinker should be able to identify the more pronounced flavors and scents if the wine is of high quality. Do you pick up notes of cherry, white pepper, lemon? Or does the whole thing taste like blackberries and practically nothing else?

Photo provided by Metro Creative Connection

White wine should be served just above fridge temperature, between 48 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Complexity: To that point, if the wine you’re drinking is lacking in flavor and aroma, then it would be referred to as a “simple” wine. That does not mean it is bad. Certain wines are meant to be very drinkable and easy. Higher quality wines will have a range of complex flavors and aromas that will indicate that this wine was made with more time and prudence.

Length is measured in Caudalies. One Caudalie is equivalent to one second. When you take a sip of wine, start counting the seconds until you can no longer taste it. “Easy-to-drink” wines are typically two to three Caudalies. Average wines are usually five to six Caudalies. Wine of exceptional quality tend to range closer to 15 to 20 Caudalies.

How to discuss wine: Part 1

You may have heard some terminology surrounding the descriptive words we

use for wine, but may not have understood what they meant.

Sweet: Exactly what you’d think. Some of the sugars were left over from the fermentation process, making it sweeter Dry: This means that there was no sugar left from the fermentation process and it has a noticeably dry flavor with zero sweetness

Off dry: This is sort of a combination of both of the above terms. There is some sugar present after the wine making process but it is not overly dry or sweet. More of an in-between.

Body: This is referring to the “weight” of the wine in your mouth as well as the prominence of flavors that are present. A full-bodied wine will feel rich and heavy in your mouth and the flavors will be quite complex. A light-bodied wine will be closer to the consistency of water and the flavors will be more delicate.

Acidity: Certain fruits have more natural acids than others, which pass through to the wine once the fermentation process is complete. This tends to make the wine taste more crisp and fresh.

Oak: Some wines, such as Chardonnay, are aged in oak barrels. This gives them a certain aroma that typically presents as vanilla, spice, or a light smokiness. It should be noted that swirling a glass of wine is not simply a pretentious act portrayed in movies. This is a necessary component to tasting wine properly as you literally release hundreds of aroma compounds that are unique to that wine when they attach to oxygen in the air. This makes the wine taste better and forces the aromas to open up, making them easier to identify

How to discuss wine: Part 2

Bitter: Wines that are high in tannins tend to have a bitter flavor. This creates a sharp, pungent wine with a stronger “bite”

Old World: This refers to the more traditional wine regions of the world such as France, Italy, Germany, Spain, etc. These locations have far stricter wine-making standards and processes. They are usually light-bodied, low in alcohol, have brighter flavor profiles and present more earthy flavors.

New World: Countries like the United States or New Zealand, though they make incredible wines, are categorized this way. The regulations governing their wine-making processes are far less strict and the wine produced is usually full-bodied, high in alcohol, low in acidity and are much riper on the tongue.

Tannins: These come from the skin of the grapes and are a byproduct of the fermentation process. They add bitterness to the wine as well as cause that dry fuzzy feeling you get in your mouth. While tannins may cause this sensation, that does not necessarily mean the wine you are drinking is a dry wine.

Smooth: This means that the wine is lacking in acidity, bitterness and “bite”. You may also hear people refer to this as “well-rounded,” which means the tannins are aging, creating a softer flavor.

Tart: Some wines have such a high concentration of acidity that they cause your mouth to pucker. Not to be

Photo provided by Metro Creative Connection

For red wine, optimal serving temperature is going to be slightly cooler than room temperature, between 62 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

confused with bitterness.

Helpful hint: If you see a bottle labeled “estate grown,” this means that the grapes were grown on a vineyard that is owned or controlled by the winery. This also means that the entire wine making process, from vine to bottle, was completed on the premises.

A bottle of white, a bottle of red

While there are more than 10,000 grape varieties in the world, only a select few have widespread popularity. Here are some you've likely seen in your local supermarket and liquor stores.

Whites

Chardonnay: Dry, medium-bodied, tastes like lemon zest, green apple, grapefruit. If aged in oak, there will be a more buttery flavor profile with notes of vanilla and spice. Unoaked pairs well with sushi and white meat. Oaked Chardonnay pairs well with cheesebased sauces, salmon, Brie.

Sauvignon Blanc: Off dry, light to medium-bodied, tastes like citrus, passion fruit, peach, gooseberry. Aromas of citrus, fresh cut grass, and green bell pepper. Pairs well with green vegetables, herb-forward sauces, shellfish.

Pinot Grigio: Off dry, light to medium-bodied, tastes like lime, lemon, pear, white nectarine, and apple. Floral and honeysuckle aromas. Pairs well with salads, seafood, white meat, light pasta dishes, risotto.

Riesling: Off dry to sweet, light-bodied, rounded subtle flavors of grapefruit, apricot, peach and apple. Pairs well with fish, seafood, white meat

Reds

Cabernet Sauvignon: Dry, full-bodied, tastes like blackcurrant, black cherry, blackberry, with notes of green bell pepper, spices, tobacco, wood and vanilla. Pairs well with red meat, lamb, tuna, pasta.

Merlot: Dry, medium- to full-bodied, tastes like herbs, graphite, blackberries, dark chocolate, black cherry and plums. Pairs well with roasted vegetables, turkey, duck, lean cuts of beef.

Pinot Noir: Off dry, light to medium-bodied, tastes like raspberry, cherry, spice, mushroom and vanilla. Pairs well with creamy cheeses, BBQ, salmon, fungi.

Malbec: Dry, full-bodied, tastes like blackberry, plum, black cherry, milk chocolate, violet flowers. Aromas of leather, sweet tobacco and cocoa powder. Pairs well with steak, pork, lamb, rich red sauces, cheddar cheese.

Types of wine glasses

Chardonnay: U-shaped bowl that highlights the multifaceted flavors and aromas that come with an unoaked or oaked Chardonnay.

Cabernet/Bordeaux: Taller bowl with a tapered rim helps round out the flavor intensity of high alcohol, tannin-heavy wines and highlights their complex spice and red fruit flavors.

Champagne: Tall, tulip-shaped bowl that preserves the carbonation that naturally occurs in sparkling wines and influences the release of the wine’s aromas and flavors.

Universal: Versatile, mid-sized bowl balances the aromas and flavors of most types of red, white and sparkling wines.

Pinot Noir: Very wide bowl with a slightly tapered rim that softens the acidity and tannins in a light to medium-bodied red that allows for plenty of oxygen to get to the wine, which helps release the flavors and aromas.

Dessert/port: Smaller in size and meant for sipping high-alcohol wines with bowls that enhance their natural fruit-forward notes and complex aromas. It is important to always purchase stemmed glassware for your wine. This is to preserve the optimal serving temperature for your wine. For red, that is going to be slightly cooler than room temperature, between 62 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. White wine should be served just above fridge temperature, between 48 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Incorrect serving temperature results in muted flavors and dull wine.

And how to choose a good wine

What makes a “good wine” outside of sommelier standards begins with simply deciding whether or not you like it. My advice would be to not stick in one lane. Taste all different types of wine. What you enjoy may surprise you. You do not have to spend a fortune on a delicious bottle of wine. Take note of flavor profiles on the back of bottles as well as possible food pairings. One cannot truly enjoy wine without food. All in all, whether you’d like to educate yourself and become a wine expert or would rather stick to being an aficionado and lover of wine, choosing good wine starts with you.

Image by Lucas Woods Different glass shapes are best suited for specific types of wine.

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The rise of Vermont craft cannabis

Meet some Vermont growers

By Jeff Diehl Craft

State

Media

STOCKBRIDGE — El Niño, the warming phase of a two- to seven-year cycle in the Pacific Ocean, is forecast to wreak havoc on weather patterns around the world this year. And indeed, we seem to have kicked off the warm season here in New England in support of that prediction, breathing in poisonous air from Canadian wildfires. But, in a south-facing field in an old river bed next to a mountain in Stockbridge, Vt., El Niño will likely benefit 54-year-old Chris Lillie’s marijuana crop.

“I expect it to be super hot and dry,” she says, “which should be great for my sativas.”

Lillie’s just come in from a hot spring day in her field where she was digging holes for her plant starts. She is a Tier 1 licensed outdoor grower building her brand, Green Mountain Sativa, after sitting out the first year of legal

adult use due to COVID and associated medical challenges. She thinks it will be a good year but, if it’s not, her mission will still have a future.

“Being able to grow 125 plants without worrying about helicopters? That’s all I need,” Lillie says. “The money will be great, but I just love to grow. If I can sell enough so that I can buy my seeds next year, I’m gonna keep going.”

She buys her seeds from a company in Maine. She would love it if they came from Vermont, but it’s not yet in the cards. She puts value in keeping as much of the Vermont cannabis industry within Vermont as possible, especially the money.

Anticipating the arrival that evening of two friends in their late 50s, she talks about how they are coming over to help her plant, but that it’s really about teaching them how to do it themselves.

“They got their cannabis cards for the first time,” she says. “And hopefully it all works and I can hire them on.

Hiring Vermonters and paying a good wage is what cannabis is about, for me. Reinvesting money in people rather than hoarding it in the bank and getting out as quickly as you can.”

Lillie and her friends use cannabis to treat symptoms around menopause, such as pain, depression, insomnia and brain fog.

“My daughter says, ‘Mom, you found your niche!’”

Finding the right strain and figuring out what will make the plants thrive on her land has also been a treatment of sorts. The energy in her voice rises as she goes into the details of how she is preparing for this year’s main strain, “Strawberry Cough.”

“I dig every hole 18 inches deep, 30 or 40 inches around, and then I replace the dirt with local compost, mixed with the Vermont virgin dirt, obviously. I’m a sativa girl, so I don’t grow for weight!”

She’s also planting “Wedding Cake” even though people told her it’s hard

Photo provided by Chris Lillie

“Being able to grow 125 plants without worrying about helicopters? That’s all I need,” Chris Lillie of Green Mountain Sativa says.

“The money will be great, but I just love to grow," says Chris Lillie. "If I can sell enough so that I can buy my seeds next year, I’m gonna keep going.”

to grow outdoors — just to see if she can. “It’s good to work on your skills with something a little more difficult.” Many players in the cannabis industry anticipate difficulties to which they’ll need to adapt. Some, like former carpenter Ben Wilcox, 36, have already started adapting. He operates Off Piste Farm out of Sutton, and has kept his prices low this past year hoping he won’t have to lower them in the future when there is more supply entering the market.

“I could have maybe charged more, but I tried not to be greedy,” Wilcox says. “I’m making my money, and the stores are, too.” He prizes the relationships he has with his retailers, which are locally owned, independent shops.

“It’s a Vermont thing,” he says. “There’s not a lot of big corporate stores around the state, and it’s the same with cannabis dispensaries.”

Wilcox counts himself amongst the signatories of something called the

“craft pledge,” a group of cannabis businesses in Vermont that have publicly promised to continuously create better products and keep shelves stocked, so that factory-produced corporate cannabis and out-of-state investment are not needed to meet demand in the state.

“Even before the pledge appeared, I was only ever going to work with independent stores anyways,” says Wilcox. He prefers going to a store personally, talking with the owner or manager, and having a straight conversation with real people to establish a business relationship.

“When you talk to a purchasing manager at a corporate-owned place, you don’t know if that person’s gonna get fired next week. They’re nice people, but they have no idea what the board is doing. The corporate structure doesn’t care about that person. It cares about making a profit for their shareholders.”

Which is not to suggest that a small, Vermont business owner will never lie to get an advantage. But for Wilcox,

Photo provided by Chris Lillie

Photo provided by Chris Lillie

Chris Lillie of Green Mountain Sativa among her plants.

it’s a simpler matter to just never do business with them again.

“The stores I have been working with are great, with good people, and they want to support other small Vermont businesses like me who focus on the craft more than scaling up.”

Part of that dynamic for Wilcox has been his recent experience of building his own brand, as opposed to selling in bulk to brokers without the end consumer knowing he grew it.

“Now, my information is there on the jar, my license number, everything,” he says. “And, this year, anyway, it all sold. People said they liked it, and the stores want more.”

That feedback is important to Wilcox after all the work that consumes so much of his life, a complex cultivation process that starts with his method for finding the right genetics for a short Vermont growing season.

“This year, all of my plants, 100%, are

from cuttings, from about six moms that I had,” he says. “I look for plants that have a really short vegetation period where it takes just the tiniest change in daylight for them to transition into flower, which for some of them happens at the end of July, to be harvested by the middle of September.”

This process is called pheno-hunting and it is a special kind of singular focus, almost obsession, on the part of the grower.

“Hunters” like Wilcox will identify desirable phenotypes, or genetic expressions, within a cannabis plant population. They carefully observe and evaluate various traits, such as growth patterns, bud structure, aroma, taste, potency and overall plant health, to identify unique and exceptional characteristics. Their goal is not merely to conquer nature, but to curate it, skillfully breeding and nurturing their discoveries to forge new cannabis strains that captivate and elevate the senses. In this hunt, the weapon of

choice is not a rifle or bow, but a green thumb and a passion for unlocking nature's botanical marvels.

Pheno-hunting requires expertise, patience and meticulous record-keeping to track and analyze the genetic variations within a cannabis crop, ultimately leading to the cultivation of exceptional plants with specific qualities desired by consumers and the wider cannabis industry.

But don’t make the mistake of thinking Vermont cannabis businesses never look beyond growing plants to improve and adapt. The Devereux family of Barton has roots in the legacy black market going back decades, and today, the Devereuxs are the only craft operator to have three license types: cultivation, manufacturing, and retail — what they refer to as the “triple crown.”

They insist they’re not doing it to get rich, though. Rather, they’re building something lasting for their two sons, Camden, 24, and Joel, 21. They want

Photo provided by Chris Lillie Sun-drenched fields and thriving craft operations sketch a picture of personal connections and communitydriven values that seem to set Vermont cannabis apart from the corporate landscapes of other newly legalized states.

them to have a livelihood that is fun and adventurous, so they don’t have to leave the farm or Northeast Kingdom to find it elsewhere.

“I hear a lot of folks talking about how they can’t wait for their kids to move away,” says 57-year-old Cam Devereux, the boys’ father, who co-owns the operation with his wife and has been growing the crop in the shadows since he was 16. “I never understood that. I like having my kids around.”

Another reason they chose to stack business types was to keep their process in-house so they can control the quality of their products and keep customers happy. That means growing both indoor and outdoor crops, extracting oil for vaporizer cartridges and tinctures, and running a retail location that is the main way they sell to customers.

“To some people it might sound, I don’t know, exciting or something, owning four businesses,” says co-owner and schoolteacher Karen Devereux, 54, with a slight smirk. “That is not

the word I would use. It’s tough. Even so, we wouldn’t do any of this if we thought we had to outsource most of what we do to make it work. We take pride in making our products ourselves, as best as we possibly can. We want our people to know we made it, and we are the ones who will answer for it, hopefully in a good way.”

As warmer temperatures usher in a season of change, the cannabis industry in Vermont stands poised for growth and transformation, stewarded by a group that is passionate, competitive and publicly aligned with the long-term viability of the entire state market. Sun-drenched fields and thriving craft operations sketch a picture of personal connections and community-driven values that seem to set Vermont cannabis apart from the corporate landscapes of other newly legalized states. The players are trying to build lasting legacies, foster livelihoods for future generations, and cultivate a sense of pride that resonates with each product they create.

Photo provided by Chris Lillie Chris Lillie and her friends use cannabis to treat symptoms around menopause, such as pain, depression, insomnia and brain fog.

Photo provided by Chris Lillie

As warmer temperatures usher in a season of change, the cannabis industry in Vermont stands poised for growth and transformation.

‘Birds of the fist’: Hawks work with humans

Green Mountain Falconry School is a trip into the glorious past

By Gordon Dossett

Vermont Country

MANCHESTER — Do we locals ever act as tourists at home? A tourist dives into some of the best spots of a place, eager to experience what it has to offer. Too often, I settle into a routine and skip the places tourists travel hours to seek out. I decided to be a tourist in the Northshire, and see what I was missing. This is a part of an occasional series.

Centuries-old falconry, with its elaborate dance between bird and human, has

inspired poetry. Yeats, in decrying the decline of civilization, writes that the “falcon cannot hear the falconer”: the subtle communication between people and the natural world has broken down. Fortunately, that is not the case at Green Mountain Falconry School in Manchester where falconry flourishes. Rob Waite, from Buckinghamshire in the south of England, with his cast of hawks carries on the tradition at the beautiful 50-acre Boorn Brook Farm. From May through late October he gives visitors a glimpse into the lives of “birds of the fist.”

The school Waite operates is not one of desks, exams and diplomas, but simply of learning: he’s offering experiential education — walks with hawks. And the name “falconry” is by Waite’s definition, “hunting with a trained bird of prey.” Birds of prey come from certain families, including falcons, owls, osprey, kites, vultures. But as Waite says, “we’re not really interested in flying owls and vultures.” Falconry need not imply falcons. Instead, for their temperament, he’s chosen hawks — Harris’s hawks, specifically, native to the scrub brush of Arizona. Hawks are

Stewart Cairns — Vermont Country

Rob Waite, master falconer at the Green Mountain Falconry School in Manchester holds one of the Harris hawks that reside at the school.

trained to come to meat displayed on a gloved fist; falcons, in contrast, chase meat on a string.

In Waite’s casual explanation, training hawks might seem simple. “You can go from a completely untrained bird — one that won’t stand on your hand, he’s so terrified — to trained in about a week and a half. They learn fast, because if in the wild they don’t, they die.”

Start to hear the details of the training, and you realize the expertise and patience that go into this week and a half. The first part, called “manning,” occurs where there will be no disturbance. Waite uses his basement. Because hawks are nervous, Waite starts by sitting quietly with the bird in a darkened room, traditionally by candlelight. (Hawks feel at ease in the dark, by instinct perceiving little threat.) Waite spends hours and hours over the first few days, time spent tied to how quickly the hawk settles down. The falconer gradually increases the light and makes slow, steady movements as the hawk shows signs of tolerating the situation.

“The next step,” Waite explains, “is to get the hawk to take food from the gloved hand it is sitting on. This shows it is relaxing a little and is a huge step because … the falconer [can] begin to use the positive reinforcement … crucial to training.” Depending upon

the individual and the species being trained, feeding off the fist for the first time usually takes several days. “A bird may come back to you over 5 feet, but it doesn’t at 7 feet. The next day it comes back 12 feet but not 15.” Waite makes small adjustments, and eventually introduces the lure, which simulates a mouse or rat.

From here, Waite walks around with the hawk, and then gradually trains the hawk to return to the fist, employing a “creance” (a training line that limits the bird’s flying distance).

Hawks need special training for hunts that also use dogs to flush out pheasants and grouse. Harris’s hawks need to be trained to overcome their inbred fear of dogs, coyotes being one of the hawks’ predators.

The falconer’s training of the hawk sets up very specific expectations. For example, the hawk flies in to take the meat only over the back of the hand — and only a gloved hand, the leather a particular color and only the left hand (unless otherwise trained). As Waite explains, “If you raise the bare hand, he’s never been fed from a bare hand, so why come in?” The hawk will remain perched in the tree. Waite demystifies the idea of flying itself. “The bird is a working animal. Whatever you see it doing, it’s get-

ting something out of the deal.” Even though humans might see flying as fun, birds fly to hunt. If the hawks aren’t hungry or if they see no prey, “they’ll sit in the tree and save energy.”

Waite maintains a chalkboard listing “flying weight” and “today’s weight” for each of his six birds. “If they go just half an ounce over their target weight, that’s enough for me to really question whether I want to risk flying the bird,” Waite says. Being full, a bird is less inclined to come back.

Birds don’t “escape,” that is not an intentional act; a bird and falconer can become “separated.” “I chased one bird for 24 hours on up and down hills of Green Mountains,” says Waite, and one bird was gone for six months, returning in good shape.

Once a hawk is brought to an open field, ringed by brush and trees, he or she (females are bigger) scouts for food, even grubs in the grass. “Grubs are like french fries for birds,” Waite says as Elmer pecks at the ground. A Harris’s hawk can see a mouse at a quarter mile, a rabbit at a mile. Next comes an elemental moment, one that will thrill your blood: having a hawk dive at you, pouncing on food. “Brute beauty and valour and act,” says poet Gerald Manly Hopkins of a falcon in flight, “oh, air, pride,

Stewart Cairns — Vermont Country

One of the Harris hawks at the Green Mountain Falconry School in Manchester mistakes this camera bag for prey and attempts to drag it into the woods.

plume, here/Buckle.” Hold out your gloved left arm, hand made into a fist, and the hawk swooshes in, fluttering down from height. In a flurry, Waite is putting meat in your fist, and the hawk is spreading its wings to land, its beak snatching the meat, its talons softly settling on the glove.

In that wedge of time, you feel the “brute beauty and valour” of the natural world, in strange harmony with us humans.

As your heart settles, you hear Waite

talking about excursions with various hawks. Once, on returning from a long hike with two birds, a visitor said, “‘they didn’t catch anything.’ And Monty streaked across the lawn, went into the brush, grabbed a mouse and ate it. Two days before that, Bailey chased a duck.” Waite explains how traditional falconry meant survival.

“That hawk that caught that duck; you want to eat the duck,” so the hunter gets there and takes the duck from the hawk, and then keeps hunting,

because the hawk is still hungry. And at the end of the day, you might return home with enough to feed your family and the hawk.

Even today, Waite says, “we don’t waste the kill.” If a hawk catches a grouse or rabbit, the hunter might choose to eat it or might choose to feed it to the hawk. “The mice — they’re welcome to,” Waite adds with a laugh. Because using guns to hunt became more practical, falconry faded out over the centuries. Waite says that his own first kill with a hawk came only after a year of hunting, and the hawk caught a rat. Unlike eagles with 6-foot wingspans, Harris’s hawks are used to hunting close wooded or brushy areas. Such habitat is tough. Harris’s hawks live five to six years in the wild, perishing from lack of prey or minor injuries that hurt their hunting; 70 percent of birds in the wild die in their first year. Waite’s birds, in contrast, have lived into their early 30s; Elmer, for example, is 27. In Vermont’s frigid winters, they are housed in heated barns.

A visit to Rob Waite’s Green Mountain Falconry School is a step back in time, when people and hawks eked out an existence in tandem. It’s also a step into a hopeful future, where animals, people and the environment can live in harmony.

Visits to Green Mountain Falconry School by appointment only. Visit greenmountainfalconryschool.com or email: greenmountainfalconry@ comcast.net.

Stewart Cairns — Vermont Country Elmer, a Harris's hawk, takes flight at the Green Mountain Falconry School in Manchester.

Stewart Cairns — Vermont Country

Rob Waite, master falconer at the Green Mountain Falconry School in Manchester, talks about this chart which records the daily weights of the Harris hawks that live on the property.

Surf’s up:

10 beach trips you can take from your own living room

By Dan Tebo

California natives are known to brag about how they’re able to ski a snowy mountain and swim in the ocean in the same afternoon, year-round. New Englanders, however, take twisted pride in suffering through the majority of the year to finally reach that moment when they get to sit in traffic, overpay for parking, and dip their toes in water that is only swimmable for about one month. Unless you own a wet suit or are unbothered by low-grade hypothermia, of course. Even the most bitter, cheerless locals will likely admit that summer cannot truly begin until foot meets hot sand.

Or maybe none of that sounds like fun to you! Maybe you’d rather experience the surf and sand from the comfort of your BarcaLounger with the central air blasting. We’ve got you covered there, too. The following 10 beach-adjacent films will take you from the Caribbean to California … from the South Shore to the South Pacific. So leave that bottle of SPF 50 on the shelf and let these surf-heavy flicks wash over you.

Endless Summer (1966): The hypnotizing 16mm surfing sequences in this rudimentary documentary about a couple of bros traveling the globe in search of the perfect wave have aged remarkably well. The film’s social commentary? Significantly less so. Maybe just buy the poster.

Jaws (1975): The film that single-handedly created the concept of the summer blockbuster still raises plenty of gooseflesh nearly half a century later. Hollywood execs told 28-year-old Steven Spielberg that traveling to Martha’s Vineyard to shoot his hangry shark flick on the

open water was a fool's errand. Hollywood execs were wrong.

Summer Rental (1984): Dearly departed funnyman John Candy, who appeared in no fewer than four “vacations gone sideways” films in his short life, stars as

a hapless family man who is forced to sail in a regatta to settle a dispute over a rented beach cottage. Makes for an excellent double feature with 1987’s “Summer School,” which was also directed by comedy titan Carl Reiner. Dude loved summer.

One Crazy Summer (1986): Director Savage Steve Holland followed up “Better Off Dead,” with this equally off-kilter comedy. John Cusack plays a lovable loser (natch) and recent high school graduate who heads to Nantucket for the summer with a cast of legendary B-list ’80s actors and also Demi Moore. Hijinks ensue. Cusack is forced to sail in a climactic regatta and no … you are not accidentally reading the “Summer Rental” blurb a second time.

Point Break (1991): What more can be said about the great-

est summer action movie of all time? An FBI agent goes undercover to infiltrate a merry band of bank robbers who spend their downtime surfing and skydiving aggressively. Amazingness follows. If this film doesn’t get your adrenaline pumping, then your body doesn't pump adrenaline.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998): A profoundly wealthy yet lightly stressed out stockbroker (Angela Bassett) travels to the postcard part of Jamaica for a little R&R and strikes up an affair with an unreasonably handsome local

(Taye Diggs) 20 years her junior. Groove: duly located. Diggs’s Jamaican accent? Still at large.

Cast Away (1999): When his plane crashes in the South Pacific, a FedEx bigwig (Tom Hanks) finds himself stranded on an uninhabited island where he grows his hair out like a rock star and befriends a local volleyball. He’s finally rescued after four long years, only to discover that his wife has started a family with canceled “Sex in the City” castaway Chris Noth. Bummer!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008): A freshly heartbroken and frequently pantsless Muppeteer (Jason Segal) travels to Hawaii to escape his sorrows and checks into the same resort as his ex-girlfriend and her swaggering new beau. Segal strikes up a friendship with a gorgeous hotel employee played by Mila Kunis because of course he does. One of the better films to come out of the Apatow raunch boom of the ’00s.

The Way Way Back (2013): This charmingly inoffensive coming-of-age comedy about an awkward 14-year-old boy summering in Wareham, Mass., with his mother and her philandering boyfriend is a bit of an unheralded local classic. Said 14-year-old finds himself a job at the legendary Water Wizz, which bills itself as “Cape Cod’s only water park” despite not being on Cape Cod.

Old (2021): Embattled suspense-meister M. Night Shyamalan extended his minor comeback streak with this Twilight Zone-esque thriller that finds a group of mismatched vacationers aging rapidly on a secluded tropical beach. Does the film have a twist ending? Is salt water salty?