Northeast Kingdom: Celebrating The Four Seasons by Courtney Ronan
If this year's winter still finds you in shorts and T-shirts and all hopes for a white Christmas have been dashed, a trip to Vermont's Northeast Kingdom should remind you of what an idyllic, Courier-and-Ives winter is like. This year-round natural beauty has attracted Hollywood directors to the Northeast Kingdom to shoot such films as "The Spitfire Grill" and "Ethan Fromme." Visitors who arrive in the Northeast Kingdom right now can enjoy an abundance of snow and excellent cross-country and alpine skiing facilities, in addition to groomed trails for snowmobiling, snowshoeing and hiking. Little visitors enjoy sledding, sleigh rides and skating on lakes and ponds (how many of us city slickers have ever taken a glide on a frozen pond?). Foremost among the Northeast Kingdom's skiing centers are Burke Mountain, highly regarded for its challenging cross-country trails; and the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Wintertime isn't the only time to take in the spectacular wonders of nature here, though. The fall months are among the most profitable for the Northeast Kingdom, when hordes of leaf-peeping tourists descend upon the area to snap photographs, join bike tours of the brilliantly colored countryside and visit a different country inn each evening. The spring months are cool and pleasant, and while the summer months bring humidity and a proliferation of mosquitoes, a Vermont summer is much kinder than those in the Southwest, Southeast and some parts of the Midwest and North Central states. Summer heralds the arrival of camping at Maidstone Lake, cycling among the Northeast Kingdom's numerous villages, and canoeing and boating in Harvey's Lake. Die-hard hikers head to the region's most challenging trails, including Mount Hor, Mount Pisgah and Wheeler Mountain. It's hard to imagine a more stunning landscape than the rolling hills of Vermont during the autumn months. Lining the countryside are patches of fire -- brilliant shades of red, yellow and orange. Experienced leaf-peepers know that while Vermont's foliage typically arrives in October, its prime time arrives quickly and leaves nearly as fast. Typically caused by the season's first sudden drop in temperature, this spectacular foliage usually arrives around the third week in October. Tourists take a gamble and book their reservations months in advance. Even if they miss the prime foliage, they'll still be treated to covered bridges, craft fairs and country stores, homemade apple cider and maple syrup, plenty of history and such forgotten relics as "town criers" -- blackboards set up in the town square which tell residents and visitors of the goings-on. Nature-lovers should plan to bring their binoculars to the Connecticut River Watershed, where native birds and other wildlife may be viewed during a hike or picnic. In addition to a thriving tourism industry, the Northeast Kingdom profits from the sale of its local delicacies. Maple syrup, of course, reigns supreme, but you'll also find such goodies as maple sugar, cider jelly (a condiment usually served alongside chicken or other cuts of meat), ice cream with butterfat contents that probably should be made illegal, chocolates, cheeses and other dairy products, homemade preserves and smoked meats, among many others. All of these foods are the product of Vermont's hard-working rural population. Their farms produce some of the highest-quality delicacies you'll ever sample; you'll want to buy plenty for your road trip. The Northeast Kingdom's economy also is strong in the retail, banking, real estate, government and service industries. The Northeast Kingdom has a fairly sizeable inventory of homes, both new and old. The region has welcomed a significant number of retirees who elect to brave the winters in exchange for a quiet, more relaxed lifestyle than the metropolitan centers they left behind. Properties, which include every architectural style from contemporary to Victorian, range anywhere from well below $100,000 to $200,000 and up, and are usually situated on generous lots. There's plenty of land here on which to build your dream home, or choose from existing lakefront homes, which are generally more expensive but still very reasonably priced by national standards. In general, the vast majority of single-family homes throughout the Northeast Kingdom fall within the $100,000 to $150,000 range. Vacation properties are available but are sometimes hard to find; tourists quickly fill up the small number of rentals in the area. Ski resorts, including Burke Mountain, have capitalized on the proliferation of tourists looking for more than just a hotel room. You'll find condominiums here for short- and long-term rental and for purchase. While the Northeast Kingdom serves as an escape for thousands of tourists each year, visions of permanent residency dance through every visitor's mind. It's not to be enraptured by the beauty of Vermont's four seasons, the hard work ethic of its locals, its quiet, safe atmosphere and generally high quality of life. In short, its charm is contagious, and reminds all who visit that idyllic towns really do exist. |
