Vermont Chapel for Dogs

I’m not a big dog lover but this story I found rather interesting and I may have to consider a trip here when visiting the Northern Kingdom.
After a new death experience this Vermont artist, Stephen Huneck, had a vision to build of all things a dog chapel. It would be a place “you could go to communicate with God about your dog” stated the artist. Not just for mourning the loss of man’s best friend but this artist hopes visitors will also contemplate and commemorate our unique human to canine relationship. So what’s different about this house of worship? Staying within the traditional 19th-century church Vermont country decor with two doors, one for women and one for men, but with his the artist added a dedicated dog door by the lower center portal. Decorated with matching raised panels and carved fan above the steeple with one of his “angel dogs”—a full-bodied sculpture, winged and gilded, of his Labrador retriever Sally.
This dog chapel is a must see for the a true dog lover as the funding to build it was from the sales of his art, and time to dedicate was between commissions. “I took any downtime I had and put it into that chapel,” he confesses. It opened in 2000 and now never closes. So if you are in the Saint Johnsbury Vermont area be sure to check out the chapel and his art gallery.

Sunrise Photo of Old Orchard Maine Pier

When winter falls in New England the character of the Oceanside towns changes faster then the autumn leaves. Businesses are shuttered and the snow blankets the town into a quiet sleep. With empty streets it’s a great time to grab a camera and capture the mood.

Caledonia County Fair – fun, crafts, games, demolition derby and more! Rabbit Hill Inn ranked #1 hotel in US by Travel & Leisure

Caledonia County Fair 2009

Lyndonville, VT

The town of Lyndonville, Vermont is celebrating 162 years of Caledonia County Fair at the Mountain View Park this year. There will be plenty of games, food, fun, and best of all… the demolition derby! The 1st place winner for being the last car standing will walk away with $600. There will be plenty more exhibits such as antique demos, floral hall and craft exhibits, cattle/sheep/poultry/aquarium exhibits, a maple display, Alpaca demonstrations, Children’s Freedom Train, and of course King of Silly . There’s surely no county fair without the rides and this year Dreamland Amusements is proud to present exciting attractions for all ages for the last 8 years in a row. For more information visit their website . About a half an hour down the road lies the Rabbit Hill Inn which was recently ranked in the top 100 hotels in the world by Travel & Leisure. With a handsome score of 91.9 and ranked #1 in the U.S. for all aspects such as environment, ambiance, hospitality, service and accommodations. Featured in previous blogs is their Pink Slip Getaway Package that will help those unemployed take some vacation time, too.

“We’re very proud to be placed in such good company with the most distinctive hotels, resorts and inns in the world,” said Leslie Mulcahy, co-owner of the Rabbit Hill Inn. “Knowing that chateaus, safari clubs and island resorts were included on the list, it’s quite a humbling notion to be ranked among the best in the world. We’re delighted that our guests and Travel & Leisure readers shared their insight into our highlights to secure us a place on this list,” finished Mulcahy.

Small ship cruises of the U.S. east coast on American Cruise Lines

American Cruise Lines tours all the nooks and crannies of the magnificent inland waterways, bays and rivers of the east coast United States where all those big, commercial cruise ships can’t get to. This makes for the perfect romantic getaway as you can choose to explore anywhere on the coast between Maine, New England Islands, Hudson River, Chesapeake Bay, the historic Old South and Florida. Having ship capacities of no more than 100, you get the very personal and friendly atmosphere and will have a good chance of witnessing each port of call, up close and personal. All you need is some comfortable attire and your sandals then kick back and enjoy the scenary. American Cruise Lines does everything they can to make your journey as effortless as possible, which is why they have their own travel agents that will match you to the perfect itinerary . There’s a choice between 4 remarkable cruise ships (American Spirit, American Glory, America Eagle, American Star- built in 2007) that are perfectly designed for inner explorations of off-the-beaten-track waterways and charming ports that passengers on large ships will never see. For more information call 1-800-814-6880 or request more information here .