1-800-209-1049
Mountain Biking at Sugarbush
The trails are open every day from 10 till 4, and till 6 on Fridays and Saturdays. You can bring your own mountain bike or rent one here. And the good news is that you can ride the ski lift up the mountain with your bike and it’s all downhill from there – almost 1600ft of descent!
Also check out a selection of other Summer Activities that you can enjoy when you stay at West Hill House.
Build & decorate your kite
Here at West Hill House we are going to have two afternoons of kite building:
Participants will be making two small paper kites and putting together and decorating a larger sled kite made out of Tyvek, a non-tearing, waterproof plastic paper which can be decorated with markers and crayons. We are reeeeeeally hoping for a nice gentle wind that afternoon so that we can test our kites.
Many other events are happening during these 10 days so there is fun for everyone… hiking, kayaking, bird watching, tennis, cycling, a family day with swimming and a scavenger hunt – all sorts of great things to do outdoors.
Call us to register for the kite building event (802) 496-7162 and check out www.vtoutdoorsfest.com for more festival activities.
Today is stunningly beautiful. Blue sky, a few wispy clouds, a nice gentle breeze and about 79′F. This morning before I started breakfast for our guests I took a few minutes to sit on the front porch with a cup of tea. I gazed over the beautiful orange lilies and enjoyed the song birds, the sound of the busy woodpecker, the wind through the leaves and the antics of a couple of chipmunks chasing each other up and down one of the huge sugar maples in the front yard.
What a great way to start the day and what better place to relax and spend summer days than right here. The hammock is waiting for you…
Ahhh...
Stirring it up! We had a BBQ on the long weekend in May, a day I always think of as the first day of summer. In my books, watermelon is the quintessential summer fruit so of course it had to be included in the menu, but watermelon with a twist.
A cool and crisp summer salad.
Mix the first three ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside to allow the flavors to blend.
Cut the watermelon in half width-wise then cut slices about 1″ thick. Remove rind and cut into bite-sized chunks. (If you wish to serve the salad in a melon bowl, cut the melon either width-wise or length-wise and remove melon flesh with a melon baller. Scrape out remainder of the flesh with a large spoon then turn over the “bowl” and trim a small piece off the underside of the rind so the “bowl” sits flat.)
The skin on an English cucumber is edible so wash the cuke and trim the ends off. Cut the cuke into bite- sized chunks.
Place the melon, cuke, feta cheese, and chopped mint in the serving vessel, sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss.
Place whole mint leaves on top and either serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until serving. It is not a good idea to make this too far in advance of serving as watermelon tends to loose a lot of juice as it sits.
Dishing it out! Many, many years ago we lived two doors down from a family with 5 boys roughly the ages of the four of us. Often on hot summer weekends the two families would pack up food and kiddos and go off to the mountains for a picnic. Watermelon was always for dessert and cooled in a nearby stream while we all enjoyed our lunch. Upon arriving at the picnic ground we would park the cars and the 7 younger kids would race off to find the perfect picnic table leaving the oldest offspring and adults to lug the food. On one memorable occasion I guess my dad was carrying a bit too much as the watermelon slipped from his grasp and landed with a resounding kerthump on the ground splitting open and laying the juicy fruit at our feet. Needless to say lunch started with dessert that day!!
Sugarbush Golf Course
We can arrange your tee times and provide discounted green fees including tax and a golf cart. Golf club rentals are available. Rates vary by date so when you book please select the dates of your planned stay to see the price of a round. To take advantage of these rates please book at least two nights. The standard package is a round for two people – let us know if you need something different. The course is available through October 31st. You can book your Sugarbush golf package directly or call us to discuss.
Start summer off with a relaxing weekend in the Mad River Valley with 3 nights of accommodation and a barbecue dinner included, and several optional activities to choose from. To make it easy we will do the planning for you, but you must book by Monday May 24th so that we can make all the arrangements. Check out the full details on our Memorial Day Package page.
Activities you can include:
Check out the full details on our Memorial Day Package page.
The Vermont Festival of the Arts is a month long celebration of the arts, including demonstrations and workshops in fields such as painting, cooking (& eating!), photography, poetry, meditation, gardening and many more.
Charles Pruitt our Artist-in-Residence
Here at West Hill House we are delighted to be hosting artist Charles N. Pruitt, a West Texas native, born in 1941 near the small farming and ranching community of Colorado City, Texas. An award winning artist, Charles enjoys painting primarily landscapes of the Southwest however from August 24-26, 2010 he will once again be turning his brush and oil paints to the wonderful Vermont scenery in the Green Mountains.
As our Artist-in-Residence Charles will be conducting plein air workshops and demonstrations as well as providing individual guidance to both novice and experienced oil painters. The location will be the beautiful gardens of West Hill House.
We are fortunate to have several of his paintings currently on loan and gracing the walls of the B&B giving guests a glimpse of the special treat we have in store this August. Even if you are not staying with us you are welcome to come and view his paintings – please call to confirm a time.
Workshop Dates: August 24, 25 & 26, 2010
Please call to book: 802-496-7162. Spaces are limited.
It’s not too early to be thinking about summer activities!
Charles N. Pruitt considers himself an “impressionist of the Southwest” because of his devotion to working from life, painting in oils directly from nature using the “alla prima” or “plein air” method. Using close observation of nature, the effects of light, composition and interpretation of values based on intuition, emotion and his experience, has led to a style described as spontaneous and honest.
He is returning to the Valley following a field study visit in the fall of 2008, and will host a 3-day workshop at West Hill House B&B. The painting here is an example of the work he did in 2008.
The daily workshops will start with a demonstration painting by Charles, followed by guidance on an individual basis for each participant as they do their own painting. Participants should bring their own easel, canvas, paints, brushes etc. and a stool.
Field Study - Sugar House on West Hill Road
Prices will be as follows:
Please call to book: 800-209-1049 or 802-496-7162. Spaces are limited.
This is a sanctioned event of the Vermont Festival of the Arts.
Robert J. O'Brien
Update: We have had to cancel this event for 2009. However we hope to be able to run it in August 2010 during that year’s Arts Festival. Please let us know if you would be interested.
We are delighted to announce that noted Vermont artist Robert J. O’Brien will be “in residence” at West Hill House from August 9th for a few days, during the Vermont Festival of the Arts.
Robert will be offering a 3-day workshop among the beautiful perennial gardens, ponds and woods around the B&B.
Guests are invited to book in to West Hill House for 3 or 4 nights starting on the 9th and sign up for this workshop by calling us at 800-209-1049. Spaces are limited.
This is a sanctioned event of the Vermont Festival of the Arts.
Mozart 1756-91
What marriage was created in 1784, perfected in 1786 and is just as good today as it was then? Give up? Why the Marriage of Figaro! Based on a 1784 play, Mozart created this comic opera which continues to be enjoyed today.
The Marriage of Figaro is coming to the Mad River Valley complete with professional opera singers.
If you adore opera or if you’re not sure about opera, here’s a wonderful opportunity to learn more about opera from the experts in a relaxed yet professional setting. Guests in the Mad River Valley are invited to attend open rehearsals, sit in on master opera classes, and participate in numerous other opera related activities between May 28 and June 21, 2009.
The full fledged opera will be staged on June 19 and 21 and tickets range from $10 -yes $10! to $50.
Check out the line-up of events and the West Hill House website for our special.
