Notes from the host
Owlswood
Travel back in time to the picturesque, quaint villages and outdoor beauty of the Green Mountains in this sprawling Vermont vacation home! You will enjoy all the comforts of home and more as you awaken every morning from a deep and restful country sleep, gaze through the French doors at the beautiful misty mountains, and brew a cup of steaming French Roast coffee to enjoy on the balcony in your bathrobe.
Maybe you don't even need to leave the house today after all. You can wander between our 3 living rooms, Great Room and Sun Room, trying to decide which one has the coziest spot for curling up with your coffee. Or maybe you'd rather decide which of our 3 decks and patios has the sunniest spot. Or you could wander up the back yard to the pond, relax in an Adirondack chair and watch the fish jump. But if all this fresh air has you feeling like a kid again, head for the tree swing in our big, gorgeous maple, or take a shady nap in our hammock. You can hardly tear yourself away, but there are so many wonderful things to explore in Dorset and Manchester!
Dorset is a most charming, quaint location in every season. In the early spring you can enjoy visiting a real maple syrup 'sugar shack' to see how Vermont maple syrup is made, and by late April and May, our gardens are bursting with color. In summertime, you must pack a picnic lunch and head to the local favorite swimming spot, the Dorset marble quarry, and join the locals in a time-honored tradition of jumping off the ledges. The endless nearby hiking trails beckon to be explored. In the fall, our stately maple trees in the front yard, and the surrounding mountain sides are breath-takingly ablaze with color, and in winter you must skate on our pond, sled down our hill and take a romantic horse-drawn sleigh ride nearby! Downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and snow mobiling are just 15 minutes away, and there's a great ice skating rink just 7 minutes away. Any time of year, exploring the 100-year old covered bridges and meandering down the back roads through the adorable, quaint towns is a cherished favorite pastime. All of these activities and more await you at Owlswood!
Charming shops, bakery cafes and general stores are 3 minutes away on Dorset Green, and 7 minutes away in Manchester Center, not to mention the highly-acclaimed Southern Vermont Art Center, the historic Hildene House (former home of Robert Todd Lincoln) and the famous Vermont Country store. There are many local activities all year round, including the Manchester Summer Horse Festival, the water slide park at Bromley Ski Resort, art fairs, Sunday farmers' markets, outlet shopping, golf, fly-fishing, canoeing, horse-back riding, and don't forget incredible hiking, just minutes away.
When you return home from exploring, enjoy an outdoor game of badminton or volleyball in our dedicated court, all set up and ready to play! We also provide a nice wooden corn hole set, bocce ball and croquet sets, as well as a football, soccer ball, baseball mitts & balls, and frisbees to use in our huge front and back yards. You can even swim in our pond, or row the 3-person raft around! But there's nothing like just relaxing at the picnic table while you throw in a line for some catch-and-release fishing, or taking a lazy summer nap in the our incredibly comfortable hammock under the shady maple tree on a summer's afternoon...heavenly. We even have several fun trails on our property, such as the Pond Loop Trail, and the Bird House Trail. Great for walking your dog right at the house!
Once it's time to head indoors, start the evening by lighting a wood fire in the huge stone fireplace in the Great Room and playing some board games or starting a puzzle (we have lots!). Our brand-new, incredibly comfortable sectional sofa with a chaise lounge is the perfect spot to curl up with a good book, or snuggle up to watch a little TV or movie you've been meaning to see on our new QLED 55" high-def, flat screen Smart TV, with Blu-Ray player. We also have another 42" SmartTV all set up in the lower living room area with a Wii video gaming system, and 25+ games from which to choose, including Guitar Hero.
We have high-speed wireless internet, and you'll especially love our Sonos music system, on which you can play just about any song ever recorded at the touch of a button! We even have blue tooth speakers outdoors by the hot tub, too. There is a house phone with unlimited long-distance calling, and a USB printer for your use, as well.
For dinner your first night, why not bake a delicious home-made Chicken Pot Pie from historic Dorset Union General store on Dorset Green? But be sure to venture out for a great meal at one of the many award-winning restaurants close by. Dorset and Manchester are renowned for their incredible chef-owned restaurants, and farm-to-table cuisine. You could spend years trying all the amazing restaurants within a 10-minutes radius of Owlswood! It's also fun to create your own farm-to-table experience, using fresh produce from local Dutton Farms (the kids will adore seeing their cute farm animals, too). So bring your favorite recipes from home and cook up a feast in our very well-appointed kitchen with a nice breakfast bar, then gather everyone in the formal dining room for a cozy fireside meal. After dinner it's time to relax and watch the sunset over the mountains in our very private 7 person jetted hot tub, or roast marshmallows around the outdoor bonfire pit while gazing at the incredible Milky Way. We even provide the firewood!
Our little hamlet of Dorset, Vermont is located in the Southwest corner of the state, in the heart of the Green Mountains, only 4 hours drive from New York City and 3 hours from Boston. If you fly in, Albany, New York is the closest major airport, and Dorset is 1:15 minutes northeast by car. Burlington, Vermont is 2 hours north of us, and Manchester, New Hampshire is about 2:30 minutes east of us. We know you'll fall in love with Dorset just as we did. We can't wait to have you as our guests!
Keywords: Sprawling House with Stone Fireplace
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Hosted by Suzanne Dortch
