Summer means warmer temps but in Stowe, it also means car show season. Our humble little town has become a mecca for all kind of car shows. There is a Corvette car show, an Antique Car Show, classic British Car show (British invansion pictured here) and more. I wouldn’t consider myself a car expert but visiting these shows is great fun. If you’re a baby boomer, it can bring back great memories of cars you’ve seen or admired. If you’re younger…well its neat seeing all the old cars! We’re lucky here at the lodge because we are on the parade route for several of the shows. I sit on the front lawn and watch history pass by. If you’d like a unique way to spend a summer weekend, you should check these shows out. It’s a great setting with cool cars and great people. Hope to see you there!
I don’t know if any of you have followed the latest “format war” in consumer electronics. There are two competing formats in high definition for home video…HD DVD and Blu Ray. Some of you may know that I have an interest in home video with the cinema we have in our Hill House building. This week I decided to take the plunge…I could wait no longer. And the winner is…BLU RAY.
Why? Well, several reasons, most notably that more films are available in Blu Ray, with more hollywood studios supporting the format. Unlike a previous “war” ( can anyone remember VHS v. Beta?) all movies released are not automatically put on each format. The second reason is my affinity for Sony products. My projector and surround amp are both Sony and it seemed to make sense to have everything match up.
The picture is amazing! Both formats do this well but I was amazed on how crisp the image was on Blu Ray. I am excited to watch some movies on it in the coming days but equally excited to have some of our guests experience it.
I’m curious if any of you have entered this format war or what you think about it. The home viewing experience is changing before our eyes so if any of you have jumped into this hobby, let me know. Better yet, come up and see us and see for yourself how spectacular home theater can be.
Gov. Jim Douglas declared June as “Vermont Birding Month” which made us at Ten Acres very happy. Stowe is a great place for birding with an abundance of species in the skies. It is also special to us because we have a wide variety of bird carvings in the main lodge. The fact that they are beautiful and lifelike is reason enough to make them special, but they hold a special place in my heart. The carvings were done by my Dad, AB Wilson. After retirement from the Navy, he took up carving as a “hobby” and it soon became a second career for him. Before his death last year, he made sure we had a collection of his works that represent what you will find in Vermont. Goldfinches, Cardinals, Bluebirds, Chickadees and much more. If you find yourself up this way, please do drop by and see these wonderful carvings.
There are many events going on this month in Stowe to celebrate Vermont Birding Month. Seminars, guided nature walks, art displays and more. Some of my Dad’s works are displayed in the Stowe Library. At Ten Acres, we will also show some films on birds in our Hill House cinema.
If you like birds or birding, come on up to Stowe and check it out.
As we start this blog, I thought it would be good to introduce ourselves. We have been the owners of Ten Acres for close to three years now. Our story is a typical one…tired of the rat race, corporate burnout, decide to buy a B&B and live the quiet life. But there is nothing quiet about owning an inn!
I will use this forum to talk about a variety of things. Life in Stowe, Vermont. Owning an Inn. Activities and fun things to do in Stowe. Interesting people we have met….and whatever else moves me!
We lived in Asia before taking on this venture…to be precise we lived in Hong Kong and then Singapore. We left a climate that was year round summer to a climate that was practically year round winter! In Asia, we lived the good life that many ex pats do. While there is much we miss, the thing we miss the most some days were the live in maids we had. As Robin has said, “I went from having a live in maid to becoming one!” Even though we have given up some neat lifestyle amenties, we have gained so much by moving to Vermont. I plan to talk about that as the weeks and months go by.
I hope you feel free to post comments, share your experiences and tell us what you’d like to know about our Inn or about Stowe.
The coming months are an exciting time here with many special events such as car shows, an international tennis touranment, festivals and more. And of course, the beautiful Vermont countryside.
So come join us…either here in the blog or at Ten Acres Lodge!
This view of Ten Acres Lodge was taken in Fall 2006. Stowe Vermont is beautiful in October and the foliage turns the mountains into a rainbow of color. Our little town becomes busy with “leaf peepers” everywhere but the charm of the village remains the same. If you have never experienced fall foliage in New England, you owe it to yourself to witness the magic of a Vermont autumn.
