After a leisurely breakfast, we'd head out for a hike in Pisgah Park, enjoying the peace and quiet, the fresh air, and the birds singing. Then over to Brattleboro for a wander down Main Street, looking in on Sam's Outdoor Outfitter's, A Candle in the Night, the Book Cellar, Vermont Artisan Designs. When hunger struck, we'd drive up to Walpole, N.H. for a late lunch at Burdick's Café and Chocolatier, and a look around Ruggles and Hunt, the eclectic little shop around the corner.
With the afternoon winding down, we'd come back to the inn, have a nap, and wake up with enough time to enjoy a glass of wine on the terrace while the sun is setting. Dinner in the candlelit dining room follows as a fitting end to the day. After dinner, we might go over to hear some live jazz at the Jazz Center, or folk music at the Hooker Dunham Theater in Brattleboro. |
1. Hike up to Indian Pond on the Anne Stokes Loop in the Madame Sherri Forest in West Chesterfield. Bring ice skates if the weather is very cold and there is no snow cover.
2. Visit Adams Farm in Wilmington, VT for a romantic sleigh ride in a sleigh built for two pulled by a Morgan horse.
3. Rent kayaks and explore the Retreat Meadows and West River in Brattleboro, VT.
4. Drive over to the Colony Mill Marketplace and poke around in Antiques at Colony Mill and Toadstool Bookstore.
5. Go cross-country skiing and snow tubing at Grafton Ponds, Vermont with lunch following at the Old Tavern at Grafton.
6. Play a round of golf at Brattleboro Country Club, a classic New England golf course with 18 holes and wonderful views of the foothills of the Green Mountains.
7. Snowshoe into Pisgah Park on the Kilburn Pond Loop where the world is a cathedral of silent green and white.
8. Hike up Mount Wantastiquet for a bird's eye view of Brattleboro, VT.
9. Drive up to Quechee, VT to Simon Pearce at the Mill and watch the glass blowing before lunch at the restaurant.
10. Climb Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, NH for a view that stretches to Boston.
11. Drive over to Marlboro College in Marlboro, VT and catch an open rehearsal during the Marlboro Music Festival. |
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Chesterfield is ideal for access to outdoor activities for all seasons in Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
Biking
On the roads or in the woods, we can suggest routes for you. Or visit one of our local bike shops to get the last word from the biking authorities:
Burrows Specialized Sports
West Hill Shop
Hiking
Chesterfield
There are many places to hike nearby. Our favorite is Pisgah Park, which is a 14,000-acre park in Chesterfield and neighboring towns. We also recommend the Ann Stokes Loop as well as Chesterfield Gorge, both in Chesterfield.
Mount Monadnock
If you'd like to climb the most climbed mountain on the East Coast, Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, NH is a short 45-minute drive from the inn. On a clear day you can see Boston from the summit.
Canoeing/Kayaking
Rent a canoe or kayak and take a paddle on the Connecticut or West Rivers in Brattleboro, Vermont.
Vermont Canoe Touring Center
Swimming
Spofford Lake
You can swim nearby at Ware's Beach or the North Shore Beach for a nominal fee.
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Golf
Golf your heart out on our uncrowded courses:
Pine Grove on Spofford Lake
9 Holes, Spofford, NH (603-363-4433)
Bretwood
36 Holes, Keene, NH (603-352-7626)
Brattleboro Country Club
18 Holes, Brattleboro,VT (802-257-7380)
Crumpin Fox
18 Holes, Bernardston, MA (413-648-9101)
Horseback Riding
Winchester Stables in Newfane, Vermont (802-365-9434)
Sleigh or Hay Rides
Adams Farm in Wilmington, Vermont
Fairwinds Farm in Brattleboro, VT
Stonewall Farm in Keene, New Hampshire
Tennis
Brattleboro Outing Club
Chesterfield School in the center of Chesterfield, NH has a public court
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Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding
All are an hour or less from the inn:
Mount Snow
Okemo
Killington
Bromley
Stratton Mountains
Cross Country Skiing
Grafton Ponds
For rentals, lessons, snow making and groomed trails, head to Grafton Ponds in Grafton, VT. which is about 40 minutes from the inn.
Pisgah Park
If you are an experienced cross-country skier and have your own equipment, the cross-country skiing in Pisgah Park is wonderful.
Snowshoeing
Grafton Ponds if you need rentals and like groomed trails, otherwise
Pisgah Park and the Ann Stokes Loop are nearby and underutilized
Tubing
Grafton Ponds in Grafton, VT
Granite Gorge in Roxbury, NH, about a 30-minute drive from the inn
Ice Skating
Skate on our pond if weather conditions are right (bring your own skates)
Nelson Withington Rink at Living Memorial Park in Brattleboro, VT
Snowmobiling
High Country Snow Mobile Tours in Wilmington, VT
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MUSEUMS & HISTORIC SITES
Historic Deerfield
Is about 25 minutes from the inn and shows you what life in New England used to be. There are many historic houses to wander through and lots to learn.
Hildene Mansion
In
Manchester, VT, this is Robert Todd Lincoln's family home. It's worth the 1-hour drive through the mountains to Manchester.
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
Discover the beautiful home in Cornish, NH, studios and gardens of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America's greatest sculptors.
Smith College Museum of Art
Northampton, MA is 45 minutes from the inn.
Brattleboro Museum and Art Center
In downtown Brattleboro. There is always something interesting being shown at this museum.
The Clark Institute
A wonderful museum in Williamstown, MA, about an hour and a half drive from the inn.
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
A
very interesting museum about an hour and a half from the inn.
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TOWNS & VILLAGES TO EXPLORE
Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro is known for its vibrant Main Street with its colorful shops, bookstores, and galleries. Visit Amy's Bakery for lunch or a treat.
Keene, New Hampshire
The home of Keene State College has nice campus to explore as you wander down Keene's broad Main Street.
Walpole, New Hampshire
Picturesque village, the way all towns in New England used to look.
Grafton, Vermont
Between Grafton Ponds outdoor activities, the Grafton Cheese Company and the Old Tavern for lunch, there is plenty to do in this little town.
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SHOPPING & ANTIQUING
Colony Mill Marketplace - Keene, NH
Vermont Country Store - Rockingham, Vermont
Basketville - Putney, VT
Yankee Candle - Deerfield, MA
Simon Pearce Glass - Queechee, VT
Walker Farm - Dummerston, VT
Olallie Daylilies - South Newfane, VT
Vermont Artisans - Brattleboro, VT
King Arthur Flour - Norwich, VT
Not Just Yarn - Brattleboro, VT
Green Mountain Spinnery - Putney, Vermont
Sam's Outdoor Outfitter's - Brattleboro, Vermont
Twice Upon a Time - Vintage and second hand store in Brattleboro, Vermont
A Candle in the Night - Gorgeous rugs and furniture in Brattleboro, Vermont
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THEATER, MUSIC & ARTS
The arts abound in the area and there is always something going on, year round.
New England Youth Theater
Hooker Dunham Theater and Art Gallery
Latchis Theater
Sandglass Theater
The Church
Vermont Jazz Center
Brattleboro Music Center
Marlboro Music Festival
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