Welcome Back “Finnen”

Former newscaster at Bennington’s Radio Station WBTN, Jim Finnen & his wife Bea returned to Bennington to stop by the station, check out the changes in town and visit old friends recently. Jim and Bea moved to Bennington in 1957 when Jim began his career in broadcasting. It was great to have them as guests here at the Eddington House while they traveled down memory lane.

Jim worked as one of five at WBTN, the local radio station, in the mid 50′s…a time when EVERYONE listened to the local channel to find out what was happening in Bennington and the world. WBTN was the pulse of Bennington and was the source for local news & sports, school closings, weather and traffic updates and of course the Boston Red Sox and music. It was fun to reminisce with Jim & Bea…they knew my Dad and many of his friends who are no longer with us. Jim worked closely with another WBTN announcer Bob Douglas whose family lived across the street from mine growing up.

Jim & Bea loved North Bennington especially Kevin’s and had a great time hanging out with their Vermont buddies. It has been several years since Bea & Jim have been back and Jim asked many questions about the area , changes etc….Once a newsman, always a newsman. Jim & Bea raised their family in Pennsylvania where Jim took a job after leaving Bennington. They are a close knit family and I can see why….Jim & Bea are a delight!!

Enjoy the Best of North Bennington with our new “Summer in  North Bennington Package”

Summer in North Bennington has never been better.

• Two night’s Lodging
• Dinner for two at Cozy Pangaea Lounge
• Dinner or lunch for two at Kevin’s, our neighborhood sports pub.
• Breakfast each day
• Picnic Lunch from Powers Market
• 2 Passes to tour Park McCullough Estate
• 2 Passes for Lake Paran for an afternoon swim
• 2 Movie Passes to Hathaways Drive In Theatre
• 2 Tickets to Bennington Battle Monument Observatory
• Afternoon refreshments daily at the inn
• Locally made creamy chocolate truffles
• Take the Covered Bridge Tour
• Walk the trails at Mile Around Woods
• Tour Vermont Arts Exchange
• Shop Whitman’s Feed Store

Suzie’s room has a new look!

We have painted, added new furniture and fabrics in Suzie’s room.  You’ll enjoy that same uncluttered feel that you experience throughout the house…that hasn’t changed.  Lounge in the comfy new chair next to the fireplace this winter. We have added a spring bird motif comforter and shams.  I just love the way Suzie’s room looks out over the Green Mountains.  The bath remains the same with the great clawfoot tub with its mountain views. 

Don’t forget the Village Nook with its twin bed, desk and window seat…perfect for families visiting Bennington College.  This room combination is also used a great deal for Girl’s Getaway Packages….for old friends or mom’s and daughters who want to enjoy some time together but not sleep in the same bed.

Shires of Vermont – Summer 2011

Summer season has arrived and those attractions that took a little break for the winter are back in full swing.  I am sharing a quick view of a few of the  great museums and attractions in the Bennington/Manchester area….the Shires of Vermont.   Vermont summers are fabulous, the Southern Vermont area is rich with places to recreate, take in a little history and enjoy the arts. In addition, the scenery is breathtaking.

 Apple Barn & Bake Shop – Open for the season Apples, pies and pastries – Gift Shop Pick your own berries – end of June though early August

Bennington Battle Monument  -Open 9 -5 p.m. daily through Oct. 31. Admission – $2    Elevator to Observation deck and Gift Shop

Bennington Museum – Open daily except Wednesday, Hours 10-5 Admission  $10  Grandma Moses schoolhouse, Sharing Heritage of Southern Vermont

 Bennington Center for the Arts – Vermont Covered Bridge Museum  June – November closed on Tuesdays only – Admission $9 World Class art, history & theatre – history of Covered Bridges

Bennington Potters – Open Daily – Self Guided Tours and Store Hours Monday – Saturday 9:30-6pm, Sunday 10-5 No fee for tours

Hemmings Motor News – Vehicle display open weekends in May; June – October 10-3 pm daily. (November thru April by Appointment only)Sunoco Station & Car Lover’s Store – Cruise Ins – Open daily 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (closed holidays)

 Hildene – Open daily 9:30-4:30 Tour Lincoln Family Home and Gardens

Lake Paran – Open Memorial Day weekend- mid June on WeekendsMid June- through Labor Day daily – Admission $3.50.  Swimming, Canoeing, Special Events

 Mt Anthony Country Club – Open to the Public Seven Days a Week
Golf Course  Open Apr-Nov7 am to 8 pm, Restaurant Open Year Round11 am to 10 pm

Old First Church – Open weekends from Memorial Day weekend to July 1, and daily from July 1 to mid-October Hours:Monday-Saturday: 10 to noon and 1 – 4 p.m. Sundays: 1 – 4 p.m.

Park McCullough Estate – Open Mid-May through mid-October. Historic Home and Garden tour.  Open daily 10-4 – Admission $10

Robert Frost Stone House Museum – Open May 1 through November 30, 2011: Open Tuesday through Sunday (closed on Mondays) 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Vermont Arts Exchange – Exhibit Open Daily 9-5pm – Free admssion. Special events, Concerts & more.

Remember the Shires of Vermont is an easy getaway –  only 3 hours from NYC or Boston.  So close…. but a world apart.

Girls, Girls, Girls

 This weekend Girl’s Getaways were the thing at the Eddington House Inn.

Childhood friends who grew up in Nanuet, NY all converged on the Eddington House for catching up, spa treatments, dinners out, shopping and breakfasts in (that they didn’t have to cook)  …basically a PJ party for adults.  The girls are celebrating their upcoming 40^th birthdays and left the guys in charge of home and kids for a weekend gathering.  Karen from New Hampshire, Noel from Connecticut and Tricia & Carolyn from New York met on Friday afternoon here in North Bennington and hung out for hours here at the inn before heading to Kevin’s for dinner.  After a leisurely breakfast in pajamas, it was off to shopping at Bennington Potters, the Village Chocolate Shop and Panache followed by luxurious spa treatments at Green Mountain Oasis Day Spa.  The “girls” then regrouped at the inn before they strolled to their dinner for four at cozy Pangaea Lounge.

Joining them at our bed and breakfast this weekend were former Benningtonian sisters Cheryl & Cindy who were back in town for a class reunion.  Cindy nows lives in Maine and Cheryl in Florida so it was a sister reunion as well. I went to high school here in Bennington with Cindy so there was definitely some reminiscing going on.

 It was ALL about the girls this weekend at the Eddington House Inn and a fun time was had by all.

Vermont’s Oldest Villages, New England’s Newest Marathon

Discover the 2011 Shires of Vermont Marathon, a scenic 26.2 mile course connecting the Shire Towns of Bennington and Manchester on May 15, 2011, as they celebrated their 250th anniversaries!

This marathon is a point-to-point race from Bennington to Manchester Center, Vermont. The course follows mainly secondary roads through the villages of North Bennington, Shaftsbury, and Arlington, the campus of Bennington College, and rural countryside. There is a net elevation loss of 160 feet, with 500 feet of vertical gain between Miles 2 and 13. The last six miles of the course are flat. About nine miles consist of hard-packed dirt, with the remainder of the surface paved.

The Eddington House Inn was on the marathon route and our guests cheered as fellow guest, Kenton ran his 12th marathon on that rainy Sunday morning.  Kenton’s family was here to cheer him on as well.  Also joining us at the Eddington House that morning was my best friend Pattie, husband Mark and nieces Melissa & Megan to cheer on Pattie’s daughter & sister Gail. Kelly returned to her hometown of Manchester from her current home in Fargo, North Dakota to run in this southern Vermont race and of course to visit her family and friends.  Gail is a local schoolteacher and this was her first marathon.  Kenton, Kelly & Gail successfully finished the marathon.  Congratulations to all.

We look forward to welcoming those running in the Shires of Vermont Marathon in 2012.

Keeping up with the Jones

It is Spring in SouthernVermont after a long winter.  Our garden is beginning to sprout bulbs…our cherry tree is amazingly beautiful and our ferns, hostas and soon our amemones will be in full bloom.  However, our next door neighbor’s yard, with its 180 year old perennial gardens, is amazing with lush greenery, bluebells, flowering trees bulbs and the estate’s expansive green lawn which wraps all around our house and barn.  What a fabulous view from our inn especially from our sunny dining room.

Keeping up with the Jones

The neighboring house, barn and grounds have been in the Welling family for generations.  Edward M Welling, who owned a local mill,  built the home on Main Street in North Bennington Village in 1827.  The home’s current resident is Edward’s great, great granddaughter Mary, who married a fine young man, an architect and painter named Kevan Jones (Though our gardens are lovely-”keeping up with the Jones” fine property is difficult).  Mary & Kevan raised their family in upstate New York but moved to North Bennington to care for the estate following Mary’s parents.

The Welling property always looks magnificent and Mary is a wonderful neighbor.  She loves to share the beauty of her beautiful gardens with local residents as well as our guests.

Guests from Around the Globe

I am constantly pleasantly surprised that people can find our boutique bed and breakfast in Vermont from all over the world.  Finding us through the internet and guidebooks, guests have visited our North Bennington Vermont bed and breakfast from all over the globe….Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa , Italy……you get the picture.

Recently I had the opportunity to host Marco & Lucia from Sao Paulo, Brazil. They had planned to visit Lucia’s homeland of Japan but since the Tsunami, they were concerned about the choice of vacation this year.  They re-grouped and chose a last minute venture to New England and Canada instead.  Though Marco has spent time in Montreal and Quebec, it was his first visit to Southern Vermont.  Of course, they loved it!!

Marco & Lucia work together in banking in Sao Paulo.  Sao Paulo is the largest financial center in Brazil. Marco is fluent in English and Lucia does quite well though is more reserved.  Her English is certainly MUCH better than my Portuguese. 

They have been surprised at the number of people dining in restaurants throughout their travels. It seems that in Sao Paulo much of the cooking is done at home with their families and restaurants are not as numerous as they are here in the US.

I always enjoy learning from our guests, whether they are locals on a much needed getaway or guests from around the world.  Life is always interesting at the Eddington House Inn.

May 1st is rapidly approaching and it is the deadline for Fall 2011 college decision making for high school seniors.  The Eddington House Inn has been  ”hopping” this spring with students visiting nearby Bennington College, Southern Vermont College & Williams.  Accepted students and their families have filled our Vermont bed and breakfast over the last couple of months, while students take classes and families check out the Bennington community and surrounding Southern Vermont area.  We have also seen many high school juniors just beginning the college tour process.

Since the Eddington House Inn is walkable to the village entrance of  Bennington College we are a natural lodging choice for Bennington College visits.  We are only 10 minutes from SVC and 30 minutes from Williams.

Suzie’s room & adjacent room, the Village Nook are our most popular room choices as the student gets his/her room with a twin bed, desk, window seat and tv.  Our suites can easily accommodate 3 with a rollaway bed.

To help ease the pain of college tuition, we offer a Special College Midweek Rate of $99 per room, based on double occupancy (Valid February- May, midweek non-holiday).  This rate includes a full breakfast, afternoon refreshments and endless desserts.

With just a few days to make a decision, I wish all the best of luck to you college bound students and hope to see a few of you back as neighbors.

The Prescriptions

VAE does it again.  North Bennington’s own art center presents another fun night of music.  The Basement’s “house band” is back filling the dance floor for their annual rock n roll party.  The Prescriptions will be performing on Saturday March 26 at 8pm at Vermont Arts Exchange on Sage Street in North Bennington Village.  Tickets are available at 800-838-3006.

Enjoy some of the area’s finest musicians delivering the best tunes – Blues, Rock, Funk & Soul…………!!!  Dance the night away. 

An additional treat is CAFE AMBITION! After two first runs of serving sweets and chili during the shows, VAE now offers a light dinner before the show.  Drop by at 7:00 (when doors open), grab your seat, then go to the Cafe for traditional coffee house fare including Soups, Stews (vegetarian or not). A great way to squeeze in dinner before or after the show and relax!  

 Or you can catch an early dinner at Pangaea Lounge or Kevin’s….both within a short walk from the Eddington House and Vermont Arts Exchange.