This week’s podcast features an interview with Whitney Phillips, the president of Mad River Rockets.  If you can imagine taking a white water kayak down a snowy mountain side, you can imagine hitting the mountain in one of these high performance sleds.  Check out this video and listen to my latest podcast to hear Whitney tell the Mad River story.

Stowe Barn by Kathryn Rotondo on Flickr The past two episodes of my podcast take you on scenic tours around Vermont.  This week’s podcast lets you know about a special part of Vermont’s architecture that you will see along the way – barns.  They are scattered all across Vermont and they are not just for keeping cows dry and warm.  Listen to the podcast and hear Nancy Boone of the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation talk about their  Vermont Barn Census project. (photo credit to Kathryn Rotondo on Flickr)

Scenic Drive from Bennington to Manchester Vermont is a Podcast
Bennington Battle Monument  After a little delay, my day job as a school principal is getting busy!  I recorded the Secret Scenic Drive from Bennington to Manchester as a podcast today.  Click on my podcast link or on the podcast player to give it a listen.  Are there more places you would like to drive to?  Drop me an e-mail and let me know – you can be part of My Secret Vermont! (photo credit to WalkingGeek on Flickr)

My Secret Scenic Drive in Vermont

Moss Glen Falls in Granville VT Finally I am back to posting to My Secret Vermont.  I have been working on a new feature for you – Secret Scenic Drives.  This week I am guiding you from Montpelier to Middlebury over the Green Mountains through some quaint Vermont towns and past some beautiful waterfalls.  To take this tour you can download this week’s podcast to your player or print out the Secret Scenic Drive page.  You’ll find so many links on the Scenic Drive page that you will need extra time for this drive. (Photo credit to Doug Shick on Flickr.)

My latest podcast is about my own camping trip at Ricker Pond State Park in the Groton State Forest of Vermont.  I love Vermont’s state parks – they are how I was introduced to the state as a kid.  I’ve stayed in lots of parks and even worked for the parks during college.  Ricker Pond is one of my favorites.  It has a great little pond for paddling my canoe and it has bike trails.  Find out more about Vermont’s State Parks by visiting their web site. See more photos of my camping trip by clicking on my Flickr link.

Today’s podcast is about the Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock.  Throw out your thoughts about a stuffy museum because Billings is anything but.  I should know, I used to work there.  Billings has something for everyone, young and old.  There are very well done farm exhibits, a real working farm with animals to visit, and a restored 19th century farm house that is restored to the last detail.  If you are visiting near Woodstock, VT, you should plan a whole day to visit the Billings Farm and Museum.  Check out the podcast where museum curator Robert Benz can tell you more about his museum.

This week I talk with Jonathan Wahl of Vermont’s Green Mountain Club.  Click the podcast link on the left to hear more.  Hiking is a great way to visit Vermont.  There are easy hikes and rigorous hikes.  You can take a day hike or hike the state from end to end.  The Green Mountain Club is a great source for all kinds of information about hiking in Vermont.  You can also visit Jonathan’s web site to hear his own podcasts about hiking in Vermont. (photo credit to longdistancehiker on Flickr)

I visited with Rosalyn Graham of Shelburne Farms this weekend as IGirl with sheep at Shelburne Farms visited the Vermont History Expo.  Shelburne Farms is more than just a farm.  Located just west of Shelburne, Vermont, Shelburne Farm began as the estate of William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt in the 1886.  This estate was turned into an environmental  education center in 1972 and is open to visitors of all ages.  You can stroll the lovely grounds, have your children visit with farm animals, or stay for a romantic evening at the Inn at Shelburne Farms.  Listen to my podcast this week to find out more about what you can see and do at Shelburne Farms.

Just a quick post this time. I just posted a podcast about watching baseball games while visiting Vermont.  Here are the baseball links from the show:
Vermont Mountaineers
Vermont Lake Monsters

My green tip for the week was about buying bio-diesel in Vermont.  That link is:
Vermont Biofuels Association

Visit a Vermont farmer’s market by listening to my new podcast episode.  I visited with the manager of the Capital City Farmer’s Market and with local Farmer and Gardener Kevin Thompson.  A trip to a farmer’s market is a lot more than buying produce.  There is music, crafts, and lots of food.  Plan your lunch around a visit to a farmer’s market and meet the great folks who make it happen.