Killingtonvillage.com - All about Killington Vermont, all in one place 

With great pleasure, I would like to introduce to you Killingtonvillage.com.

Over the course of the summer, I had mentioned that I was involved in a "project". Well, the first phase of it is done with the release of Killingtonvillage.com. The website is designed to allow prospective visitors to the Killington Region to learn a lot more about the area. Basically, using the site, people can map out their Killington Vermont experience before travelling to Vermont.

Promotion for Killingtonvillage.com has just begun. Many businesses are signing up to be included on the site. Search engines are starting to pick it up. If your business is interested in participating in Killingtonvillage.com, your can visit Killingtonvillage.com/get-listed for more information.

Base Camp Outfitters and Cabin Fever Gifts under construction at the junction of Route 4, Route 100 and the Killington Road 

For anyone driving around Killington this summer, a large construction project at Route 4 at the base of the Killington road should have caught your attention. This will soon be the home of "Base Camp Outfitters and Cabin Fever Gifts".

Base Camp Outfitters will be a mountain sports store. Cabin Fever gifts will be a table top, home decor store with a focus on Vermont Artisans. A grand opening in Mid November is planned.

The property is being developed by Mike and Diane Miller and family, who own the Mountain Meadows Cross Country Ski Area on Thunderingbrook road in Killington. -- Mary

Lades State Day is produced by the Vermont State Women's Golf Association 

Ladies, if you like playing a variety of golf courses, and enjoy a little friendly competition, then joining the Vermont State Women's Golf Association may be for you. You need to be a member of a participating golf course and have a current GHIN Card.

This summer I was able to play Crown Point, Manchester, and the Barre Country Club golf courses for the first time. Competition is broken down into five divisions so that players of all handicaps can compete. I play as a substitute with a group of women who play each week. But you can sign up as a single and play as often or as little as you wish.

There is a separate organization which has a similar arrangement for the guys. -- Mary

Alert Level Elevated per Department of Homeland Security 

OK... We are fighting a war!. People are dying (no disrespect here...this is really serious.) Troops need body armor and armored vehicles. The budget deficit is heading to the moon faster than you can say NASA. And yet, we take a pause in the action to do a Homeland Security Survey of business in Killington. Yes, you got that right, a Homeland Security Survey of business in Killington.

Yesterday afternoon, around 5PM, there was a nice gentleman wandering around our inn, bright red shirt on, clipboard in hand. He is here to do a survey of the property for the fire department paid for and required by the Department of Homeland Security. Now I have absolutely no complaints about the Sherburne Volunteer Fire Department. The people in the department are great, and are working for the best interest of the town of Killington. I also have no problem with people or agencies acquiring funding for projects based upon what our legislative leaders decide to fund. If the money is available by some statute, go for it and get it... because somebody else will...However, why is the money available in the first place?

It is quite rational for the Fire Department to survey business to be prepared just in case something awful happens. But why is this coming out of the Homeland Security Budget? Don't we have more important things to do with our national tax dollars than a pencil sketch site drawing of a small inn in a small town in Vermont? Bottom line... if the funding is available for this sort of thing, I congratulate local officials for figuring out how to acquire it and spend it. But why is funding available for this sort of thing in the first place??? Just my opinion, no body asked...

Mountain Bikers preparing for a lift up Killington 

Mountain biking is not just for the young and foolish. Just recently we played hosts to a delightful couple from Germany who came to Killington to mountain bike. They have stayed with us before, experiencing Killington for skiing during the winter. At the time they expressed an interest in visiting us in the summer, and we were happy to see them when they arrived.

Being thirty somethings, and in impressive physical shape (she ran the Boston Marathon this spring and was disappointed in a sub 3 hour time) they decided that they were going to bike up as well as down the mountain. They started at the Basin Ski Shop where they rented a bike (he brought his with him) and proceeded to bike straight up the mountain. They spent the day using Killington's trail system as a playground, returning to the Basin to pick up their car and purchase an assortment of ski gear to prepare for the upcoming winter.

On their second day, they took the bikes by car to the Chittenden Reservoir. Around the reservoir there is an 11 mile loop that combines mountain terrain with stunning views of the water. They finished up on the contra trail in Pittsfield with another 6 miles of workout.

The Killington region offers a real variety of biking challenges for those so inclined. Drop us a line if you have something to share about your mountain biking experiences at Killington.

Happy Birthday Dad 

I have not had a chance to post much over the last couple of days due to a project I have been working on, and a much needed trip to Cape Cod to visit with my folks. My father turned 80 this week. As much as I dislike traveling to the Cape in the summer, after all I prefer the mountains versus the beach, it was important to visit and celebrate one of life's milestones.

When you think of all that has occurred in the world in the last 80 years, it's hard to comprehend. I won't bore you with some pithy commentary about all my father has experienced during his time on the planet. Just simply, I realize I would not have the opportunity to live at Killington and write this blog without the hard work and sacrifice he endured to make sure life was good for his family. If you are among the lucky ones reading this blog whose father is still with us, give him a call. You both will appreciate it!.

Riders on the alpine slide at Pico 

No summer adventure in Killington would be complete without a trip down the Alpine Slide at Pico Mountain. The ride up to the slide, on a triple chair lift, is fun especially for those unfamiliar with winter activities at Pico. But it gets really exciting when you get on the slide and start careening down a chute on a sled equipped with a rudimentary braking system that most people only use at the very bottom to stop the sled at the end of the ride. A single ride on the slide, including the chair lift up, is $7.00. No one can do just one ride however, so a 5 pack is available for $28.00.

In addition to the Alpine Slide, you will also find mini-golf, a climbing wall, and a "Bungee Thing" located at the Pico base lodge for summer fun.