From Forest To Fine Furniture

The weather isn’t looking so great for leaf peeping in Vermont this weekend.  So if you’re traveling around the Green Mountain State and looking for indoor activities, try heading to Woodstock, VT for the Ninth Annual Vermont Fine Furniture and Woodworking Festival.

This year’s theme is “From Forest to Furniture:  Take Home a Piece of Vermont”.  It dovetails with our plans at Vermont Woods Studios for a showroom at Stonehurst in that the focus is to raise awareness about where your furniture comes from.

Much like the organic food movement, the organic furniture movement is catching on.  Customers are realizing both the economic and health benefits to buying locally crafted furniture, handmade from real, solid, sustainably harvested wood.

Come visit with some of the regions (and world’s) most respected fine furniture makers in Woodstock this weekend.  You’ll be able to see and feel their furniture creations and also learn about the well-managed forests where their wood is harvested.  Free tours are available of the nearby Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.  Here customers can experience the forest and learn about each of the many links in the chain from forest to trees to furniture.

Shown above:  Brent Karner of ClearLake Furniture in Ludlow VT won first place for production furniture in the 2011 Vermont Fine Furniture Festival.  Who is going to win this year?

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We're celebrating Fall with a Shaker style furniture sale that lasts for a few more days (till next Tuesday, Oct 2). Stop by to shop or just check out the colorful maple trees at the water's edge.

Autumn has arrived in Vernon, Vermont and I had to snap this photo today as I was leaving the showroom at Vermont Woods Studios.  It feels great to see water back in our pond at George's Mill after the summer's drought left it pretty well empty for several weeks.

We're celebrating Fall with a Shaker style furniture sale that lasts for a few more days (till next Tuesday, Oct 2).  Stop by to shop or just check out the colorful maple trees at the water's edge.  Heather or Liz will be more than happy to accompany you for an Autumn leaf-peeping stroll around the pond.

The post Fall Colors Outside Vermont Woods Studios appeared first on Vermont Woods Studios.

This is the time of year when our Green
Mountain State
begins to transform into a world full of red, orange, and yellow hues. The
brilliant colors of autumn attract leaf peepers from across the world, and it’s
easy to see why. Vermont is the
best place to see fall foliage in New England, and
arguably the United States.
With nearly 80% of our state being forested, the opportunities to see the
dramatic hues are limitless.
Additionally, Vermont has
the highest number of maple trees in New England, which
produce the ultimate red leaves during the fall season.

This year the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing
will be producing a Foliage Report that will be issued weekly. Starting
September 18, the Foliage Report will provide a map of the finest driving
routes, an audio update and trail recommendations. In addition to visiting the website, leaf peepers can stay up-to-date on Vermont’s foliage progression by calling 1-800-VERMONT.

When is peak fall foliage in Vermont?
The trees outside our offices at Vermont Woods Studios have already begun to change, but looking at the foliage Forecaster, it appears that Columbus Day weekend will be the best time to see the
dramatic colors cover Vermont.
This is a perfect opportunity to spend a weekend in Vermont
to breathe in the cool, crisp air of autumn, enjoy the outdoors, and listen to
leaves crunch below your feet.

Heather Barrett is a Marketing Assistant at Vermont Woods Studios, an online furniture gallery which showcases Vermont’s finest wood furniture. Follow our blog to learn about Vermont fine furniture, Vermont happenings, our mission, and our team.

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Save up to 20% with Vermont Woods Studios' Fall Dining Furniture Sale!

September has arrived, and with it, the feeling that fall
has begun. In Vermont, the signs
of fall are: pumpkins replacing summer berries at the farm stands, pick your
own apple signs, and of course, leaves coloring our landscape. The last of the
harvest brings us some of our favorite seasonal treats, like apple cider and
pumpkin pie. With cooler weather approaching, there will be a shift to inside
dining to enjoy these seasonal decadents with family and friends. It is time to
start thinking about retiring your barbeque grill and patio furniture for the
season, and preparing your dining room for fall feasts. What better way to
spruce up your dining room than getting some new furniture? So, we're making
that easier by putting all of our hardwood dining furniture styles, including
modern, contemporary, traditional, and shaker on sale until September 18th.
Save up to 20%, plus free shipping and a lifetime guarantee.  See our online gallery for details.

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I spoke with my Dad in Pennsylvania yesterday to give him my regular update on what’s been happening here in Vermont. My parents have plans to visit us at the end of the month for “Leaf Peeping Season” and Dad is concerned about the roads and the general condition of area. “Will there even be anything to see and do when we get there?”  (Silent pause)… hmmm… “Do you mean other than visiting with your favorite daughter and son-in-law?” Joking! Not really.

This question, of course, is common among Vermont-loving Americans outside of our state as our trees prime themselves for their Fall Foliage Spectacular. The media has done an excellent job of communicating our devastation and I mean that sincerely.  Yes, many roads and quaint towns have been ‘rearranged’ by Mother Nature? Perhaps she’d become a bit bored with our landscape and wanted to redecorate?  Yet even as I take in the disruption and damage around me I can’t stop thinking about its stunning beauty, rearrangement and all.

You see, I’ve lived in Vermont less than 6 months, which still qualifies me as a tourist and a flatlander. My husband and I are always on the hunt for something interesting to investigate around our new home in Windham County. When our out-of-state friends visit we spring into tour-guide mode. Here in Southern Vermont there are endless options undisturbed by the effects of Irene. Outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, and mountain biking are plentiful. Despite the flooding you’ve seen on the news most everything is still accessible. 

A casual stroll through downtown Brattleboro’s charming shops, galleries and restaurants can pleasantly fill your day. It’s an eclectic and interesting town that some have referred to as the ‘San Francisco of the Northeast’. You may even spot a Brattleboro resident walking his pig on a leash down Main Street! I can’t make these things up.

If you’re lucky to be here for the first Friday of the month don’t miss Gallery Walk, a year-round, festive FIRST FRIDAY stroll, 5:30 to 8:30, in downtown Brattleboro, Vt. and nearby locations.  The Brattleboro Farmers Market is one of the best I’ve ever visited and they have the most delicious prepared foods for breakfast and lunch. Take home some Vermont Maple Syrup, savory cheese and locally grown organic apples, veggies and many other Vermont-made treats.

The Southern Vermont Natural History Museum located atop Hogback Mountain in Marlboro is sure to please nature enthusiasts and the 100-mile view from their location is a show-stopper every time. If you’re an earlier riser there is no better location than this to watch the sunrise over the vast mountain range.

Adjacent to the Visitors Center Grounds and Hogback Mountain Conservation area you can access an entry-level hiking trail leading to the steel fire tower at the summit of Mt. Olga, Molly Start State Park. Those without a fear of heights (not me) can climb to the top for, what I am told, an incredible sight. Using the Molly Stark State Park Trail Guide you can branch off into a trail system with varying difficulty. Campers at Molly Start Campground can connect Hogback Mountain and the museum via this trail system.  Travel just a few miles west toward Wilmington and take 100 north to the Mount Snow base lodge and hop on the Scenic Chairlift Ride. This had been a favorite outing for our guests and I can hardly wait to do ride the lift this fall!

When you’re hungry for a great outdoor meal head straight to Wahoo’s Eatery in Wilmington where you can upgrade your burger, wrap, sandwich or salad with grass-fed beef or free-range organic chicken. Their Bacon Blue grass-fed Burger is the best in the area. Wahoo’s was almost destroyed but with the help of it’s community is back on it’s feet again and donating 50% of ALL sales to directly to helping the hundreds of people displaced by the historic flooding.  Now that’s community!

The Official State of Vermont Tourism Site hosts an extensive amount of well-organized information and writes, “The vast majority of the state is accessible and most lodging and dining properties are fully operational and ready to welcome you”.  Visit their site to learn more about available lodging and activities here in Southern Vermont and points north. All we Vermonters (and Flatlanders) ask is that you have a little patience on our roads, obey the detours and have consideration for our construction, and relief vehicles.  Here’s a bright side to consider; if you have to drive a little slower and if it takes a little longer that’s just more time you’ll have to absorb the scenery of the great state of Vermont in all it’s splendor and beauty!

Oh wait, before you go… Did I mention we’re on tap for the best Fall Foliage Season we’ve had in years. The leaves on the trees have survived and remain strong, in true Vermont fashion, and this year's Fall Foliage Season looks promising. Many thanks to Irene and Mother Nature… Perhaps too much rain does make some things better.

The post Vermont Tourism – Fall Foliage Spectacular – Leaf Peeper Alert appeared first on Vermont Woods Studios.

I just got back from a leaf raking break.

Getting away from work in the middle of a gorgeous Fall day to rake leaves seems such a luxury.

I suppose some people in Vermont would argue with me.

But maybe not the ones who work at a computer most of the day.

Try it!

I posted my fall foliage pics on Flickr, if you'd like to see more.

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