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Explore Mysterious Vermont this Fall The Green Mountain state has a long history of haunted places – from graveyards to bridges, old inns and homes, and even in the mountains and along riverbanks. Sometimes the spirits are friendly, even comforting. Sometimes they’re mischievous and occasionally they’re downright destructive. One of Vermont’s most famously haunted sites is the Dutton House, originally built in 1782, on the grounds of the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont. Donated by the Dutton family in the early part of the 20th century, the house was moved from its original site in Cavendish and reconstructed piece by piece on the grounds of the Shelburne Museum. Shortly after the reconstruction, workers at the Museum noticed sounds inside the house that did not belong. When the house was known to be empty, workers heard doors slamming, footsteps walking along the old, creaky boards, and, most eerily, the sound of a young girl crying. The Dutton family was a large one, so it’s not known which of the family members might have moved along with the house, but apparently they are attached to their former home and let their presence be known even today. An unusual spot for a haunting is the White River riverbank near Hartford, Vermont. In 1887, there was a tragic railroad disaster when a Montrealer train jumped its tracks, went over the edge of the railroad bridge and down to the White River below. Both the train and the wooden bridge caught fire, and over 30 people died. The story is that a 13-year old boy named Joe McCabe witnessed his father’s death in the fire and has since been seen playing along the White River riverbank. He is dressed in 19th century clothing and is said to float about four feet above the water. Whether or not you believe in spirits, Vermont is a beautiful place to visit this fall. Come for the foliage, for a balloon ride and stay in one of our beautiful inns. You’ll be warmly welcomed by real humans – and maybe a few spirits as well.

Visit a cemetery to see art? That’s not an altogether usual tourist activity. But Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont, is far from usual. Since 1895, artisans from the Rock of Ages granite quarry have created a beautiful memorial of splendid artwork in a most unusual setting.

While you are in the area visiting Rock of Ages, don’t miss the opportunity to see nearby Hope Cemetery, one mile north of Barre on Route 14.

The scuptures in Hope Cemetery include the “Bored Angel.” Also known as the “Sitting Angel,” she is the work of sculptor Louis Brusa, and rests between columns with crossed legs and her head balanced on her chin. Like many of the other granite sculptors, Brusa was a native of Italy. He immigrated to the United States in the early 1900’s and settled in Barre, Vermont. Brusa’s own grave features a strange sculpture, “The Dying Man.” It shows a man being held by a woman, who apparently strongly resembles Brusa’s mistress!  Brusa passed away in 1937 from a common stone carver’s ailment, silicosis, which was caused by a lifetime of breathing airborne stone particles. Ventilation equipment was added to the stone carving buildings in the mid-1930s to eradicate the hazard.

Perhaps hoping they will spend eternity together, William and Gwendolyn Halyosa’s memorial shows them sitting up in bed in their pajamas, holding hands, with their ‘beds’ stretched out before them. Certainly they are ready for a perpetual sleep.

Other memorials include a race car, a soccer ball and – for someone who was apparently less sports-minded – an easy chair.

One of the most dramatic pieces is at the grave of the Italian sculptor Elia Corti. Carved from a single piece of granite, it is a life-sized depiction of the artist resting on a column, with the tools of his trade at his feet. It was carved by his brother, William Corti and brother-in-law John Comi.

The cemetery contains over 10,000 monuments of Barre Gray granite over 65 acres. The landscape architect Edward P. Adams created the original plan for the cemetery. Hope Cemetery is a popular tourist destination and part of the Rock of Ages granite quarry tour.

We hope you will visit soon!

Rock of Ages Visitor Center
558 Graniteville Road
Graniteville (Barre Town), VT 05654
802-476-3119
www.rockofages.com

Rock of Ages Visitor Center
558 Graniteville Road
Graniteville (Barre Town), VT 05654
802-476-3119
www.rockofages.com

You might think we have rocks in our heads to suggest you visit a quarry on your vacation. But once you’ve come, we think you’ll agree Rock of Ages is a fun place to visit.

For starters, the quarry is cavernous—nearly 600 feet deep. Tall cranes tower above the surface, capable of lifting a whopping 250 tons. That’s one-half million pounds or the equivalent weight of about 449,740 pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream being lifted simultaneously! Once you’ve seen the ant-like workers cutting giant-sized blocks in the quarry, you’ll enjoy watching the artisans at the factory as they transform hard stone into incredible statuary and memorials. You’ll then be inspired to TRY IT yourselves at the Cut-In-Stone Center. Grab the gun, squeeze the trigger and fell the pulsing throb of air and abrasive leap from the nozzle as you cut a design in granite, leaving with a stone gift made by your very own hands!

And don’t forget to check out the gift shop featuring granite gifts, granite and gemstone jewelry and a fine selection of Vermont specialty foods and products. Rock of Ages offers affordable family fun. Add it to your Vermont itinerary this summer. The Rock of Ages offers self-guided tours of its 160,000 sq ft. facility – where you can observe many carving techniques simultaneously. Come watch sculptors using methods little changed over the centuries juxtaposed against the latest laser etchers and diamond saws. See cutting, polishing and rubber stencil layout for sandblasting. Check out the online store.

The factory is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The factory is closed all weekends, holidays and associated vacation days. The factory is normally closed during January, early February and the first two weeks of July for maintenance of heavy equipment and vacation.

The Rock of Ages Visitors Center is located at 558 Graniteville Road in Graniteville (Barre Town), VT 05654, 5 miles off I-89, exit 6, just 9 miles from Montpelier, 35 miles from Stowe (Ben & Jerry’s) and just 45 miles from Burlington.

Narrated Tours of the Vermont Granite Quarry, 2012 Season

Buy your ticket, hop aboard the shuttle and enjoy a ride to the world’s largest deep-hole, dimension granite quarry (nearly 600 feet deep) as your guide shares the Rock of Ages passion for all things granite: history, cultural heritage, artistry, geology and more.

From the safety of a fenced platform providing a bird’s-eye view of the quarry, watch the quarriers in the depths below as they cut world-famous Barre granite into mammoth blocks then lift them to the surface by derricks (cranes) capable of lifting up to 250 tons!

Guided quarry tours operate May 25-September 1, Monday-Saturday, 9:15-3:35 and from September 2-October 15, Monday-Sunday, 9:15-3:35. Please note that tours also operate the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. The whole of the attraction, tours and activities, are CLOSED on July 4th. The quarry tour is about 40 minutes long and departs approximately every 45 minutes as follows:

• 9:15 a.m.
• 10:00 a.m.
• 10:45 a.m.
• 11:30 a.m.
• 12:40 p.m.
• 1:20 p.m.
• 2:05 p.m.
• 2:50 p.m.
• 3:35 p.m.

All departure times are approximate.

Please note that the quarry site itself is very impressive and that we believe you will enjoy the tour whenever you come; however, the quarriers typically work Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. They do not normally work on weekends, holidays or company vacation days associated with holidays. Weekday tours after 3:30 p.m. and weekend tours do not typically feature quarriers at work.

Early in the season they operate caravan tours rather than shuttle tours. The tour content is the same but the mode of transportation differs. Instead of boarding a shuttle, you follow a guide in your own vehicle about 1 mile to the quarry site where the tour begins.

2012 Guided Quarry Tour Rates:

Senior Adults (62 and over) $4.50 Adults $5.00 Children (6-12) $2.50 Children (5 and under) admitted for free as long as they sit on a lap

Quarry tours are outdoor tours. Although the tours usually operate on rainy days, tours may be postponed or cancelled due to severely inclement weather.

For safety and liability reasons, no self-guided tours of the quarry are permitted.

Family vacations are meant for spending time with the kids. But all too often we are distracted by the demands of driving, navigating, finding a place to eat and all the other hassles of getting to and from our destination. When we finally get where we are going, us parents are usually happy to let the kids run free.

That’s the beauty of a Green Mountain Railroad historic train tour. For less than you would pay at an amusement park, you and your family can experience the thrill of a lifetime as you hear the cry “All Aboard” and your ticket is punched by a real conductor.

The Green Mountain Railroad offers historic day trips on The White River Flyer throughout the summer and fall. All trains are historic passenger cars pulled by vintage diesel locomotives and historic narrations are supplied by the conductor or engineer along the way. Many times, musicians are on board to entertain as well. There is a snack bar and bathrooms on all trains.  Go to www.rails-vt.com for a full schedule.

Take a historic and entertaining side trip, on theWhite River Flyer departing Thursday through Sunday from White River Junction during the summer and Tuesday through Sunday during the fall. Check out the special afternoon train rides including Wine Wednesdays, Thirsty Thursday Beer Tastings, and Fiddler Friday train rides scheduled in September and October.

For more information contact The Green Mountain Railroad, 800-707-3530.

102 Railroad Row White River Junction VT 05001. www.rails-vt.com

The leaves are turning and we’re turning over a new leaf. Come see the spirit of Vermont on display along with the fall foliage! The official Vermont Vacation website states that most of our communities had little or no damage from Tropical Storm Irene and the State has done a great job of repairing roads that were damaged. You can view a Vermont is Open map, which is kept up-to-date with any travel delays or restrictions. The Woodstock Inn will re-open on Friday, September 30th, just in time for the Pumpkin and Apple Celebration at the Billings Farm and Museum. This annual celebration of fall takes place on Saturday and Sunday, October 1 & 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Voted a Top 10 Fall Event by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, hands-on activities and programs will highlight these two versatile fall crops, their historical importance, and many uses. The entire Woodstock Inn staff is looking forward to welcoming you! Please call (800) 448-7900 for reservations or (877) 205-3676 to book a spa reservation. If you have plans to come visit, please keep them! We would love to see you and our businesses need you now more than ever.

Don’t miss the Pumpkin and Apple Celebration at Billings Farm

“Vermont is a state I love… I love Vermont because of her hills and valleys, her scenery and invigorating climate, but most of all, I love her because of her indomitable people. They are a race of pioneers who almost impoverished themselves for love of others. If ever the spirit of liberty should vanish from the rest of the Union, it could be restored by the generous share held by the people in this brave little State of Vermont.”

— Calvin Coolidge

These words from Calvin Coolidge were written after the floods of 1927, but they are just as apt for the floods of 2011. The people of Vermont are strong and they are working hard to clean up and get life back to normal.

The leaves are already showing some color and the mornings have been crisper, with a tinge of fall in the air. Many businesses are planning on peak traffic for the fall and look forward to welcoming visitors from around the nation and from abroad