[nhyrnut]

I have a uncle in Danville he host city kids every summer. He informed me that Manchester N.H. airport is usually about $400 to $500 cheaper he said it is about 1.5 to 2 hr ride but for the $ diffrnce it is worth it. lol anyway the airport code is MST so you can check and confirm for yourself i'd assume it depends where you fly from.

[vter]

Manchester Airport (MHT) is 2.5 hours from Montpelier. Not exactly convenient. By the time you figure gas/parking/time to/from Manchester, Burlington makes more sense.

[Jason_Els]

He informed me that Manchester N.H. airport is usually about $400 to $500 cheaper

Why is it always that the most inconvenient airport is always the cheapest?

[nhyrnut]

Ya map quest said same 2Hrs 7 min or something like that I was just relaying what I was told.

[Saphyre]

Another question - Can you tell me about the wildlife, critters, bugs, etc? Are there problems to be aware of? I'm talking about Central to Northern VT. Thanks!

[looking4home]

I'll chime in here - what about Lyme disease? since Saphyre is from So Cal he/she will not be familiar with it at all. How common is it in Vermont? Being a more northern location (colder)Vermont might not have it as bad as MA or NH or CT.

[Jason_Els]

Good news

- No venomous snakes
- No killer spiders
- No scorpions
- No killer bees

Things That Could Maim or Kill You

- Mountain lions
- Black bears

Things That Could Maim or Kill You When You Hit Them With Your Car

- Moose
- Deer
- Black Ice

Things That Could Annoy You When They Come Into or Near Your House

- Ants
- Mice
- Rats
- Silverfish
- Crickets
- Lady Beetles
- Cockroaches
- Wasps/Yellowjackets/Hornets
- Skunks (docile but dogs don't seem to realize to leave them alone)
- Raccoons (smart and have opposable thumbs)
- Porcupine (another thing dogs get way too curious about)
- Coyotes

Unique Vermont Things That Could Kill or Scare You Out Of Your Wits

- Champ

The most famous of American lake monsters. Champ has never been known to kill anyone but one might overturn your boat as he's about 25-35 feet long. It is illegal to kill a Champ as it's protected as an endangered species by both Vermont and New York.

- Memphre

Champ's lesser-known cousin from Lake Memphremagog.

- Pigman

From the Devil's Washbowl comes pigman. Originally seen only around Northfield, pigman appears to get around, being reported now in areas outside of Northfield.

- Glastenbery Mountain

Just as creepy as its Britannic namessake. People disappear in the area of Glastenbery and are never seen again. Strange lights, bigfoots, and murders. Even the native Americans thought the place was haunted. Enjoy it from a distance.

- Grave of Mr. Timothy Clark

Mr. Clark passed away in 1893 but you can still see him... and he can see you. He's over in New Haven Cemetary. Mr. Clark worried about being buried alive and so ordered a window installed on his crypt so he could get out in case he awakened one day... or night. The glass is still intact.... so far.

- Emily's Bridge

Poor Emily. Emily was a local Stowe girl who was in love with a man of whom her parents did not approve. So one night Emily and her lover plotted to elope and he promised to meet her late at night at the covered bridge in Stowe. The cad jilted Emily and she was so distraught she jumped from the bridge and drowned. Be careful driving over it late at night. Emily has a tendency to scream for help and even claw your car with her fingernails though usually she's just an odd whitish blob or disembodied head. Unlike many ghosts, Emily has become more... vicious... as time has passed.


- The White River at Hartford

The winter of 1887 was cold, evil cold. Even the oldest residents hadn't recalled a winter so cold. And into that cold, in the dead of a Februrary night, came the Montreal Express. The train carried 78 people, most sleeping, but a few talking quietly to each other. As the train approached Hartford there was a sudden great creaking sound and then the train lurched. People were thrown from their berths as they realized the train was hurtling downward, into the frozen White River. The people of the town were roused and, to their great credit, 40 people were saved, but 38 had been either crushed, drowned, or burned alive.

People in Hartford avoid that section of road near the failed trestle late at night. Probably just as well since the few who have rallied their courage to go out have come back in shock. The smell of burning wood, a ghostly railman, and a small boy who materializes just above the river as if standing on the ice, have been just some of the apparitions. But what really sobers even the hardest soul are the shouts for help, the wailing and screaming, as if those lost that night are reliving their greatest tragedy.

These are just some of the most famous, there are other things all over Vermont. Haunted springs, dinosaur fossils, sightings of dinosaurs themselves, even the oldest Devonian coral shelf in the world. And the people! Spiritualists, witches, spies, battlegrounds, and old people put into coffins and placed in caves for winter hibernation. Vermont is a very interesting place.

Danger Specific to Montpelier

- Annual Rotten Sneaker Contest.

It's a contest for the world's smelliest sneakers, sponsored by Odor Eaters.

[Saphyre]

Jason, your post was great!! I am somewhat informed about Lyme Disease. There have been more reports of it here than a lot of people realize. But, looking4home, you're right. Here in So Cal, it's not something I ever think about and it didn't even occur to me to ask about it! Thank you for bringing it up

[Jason_Els]

Some Things That Make Vermont Beautiful

- Fireflys

On a warm, humid summer night, where the long grass marks the edge of the water, take a walk. You will come upon something magical. If you've never seen them, then they are something out of fairytales, and one of the most unexpected things those who have never seen, treasure for a lifetime.

- Dawn in late summer

Cracking your eyes open in the morning is difficult, more so when the bed is warm. But do it one day in late summer and go to a place where you can view a valley with a river. The morning fog blankets the valley causing the mountains to appear as islands in a sea of swirling gray, crowned with clouds above and the subtle greens between. When Tolkien wrote of the Misty Mountains, this is of what he was thinking. Listen closesly and you'll hear the dwarven forges deep in the mountains.

- The Heavens

Come August, when thoughts of enjoying what summer is left come to mind, look for a local group of amatuer astronomers and spend a few nights with them enjoying one of the greatest planetarium shows in the sky, without the outrageous "suggested admission" and sappy music most planetariums charge. For on the nights the Perseids come to earth, the best seat on earth is Vermont. The pitch black summer sky reveals jewels with a price above rubies, streaked with gold, red, and green from the falling stars raining around you. Bring a blanket and a thermos of coffee, binoculars, and a flashlight with a red filter. Lie in awe like our ancestors have for millenia and be just as awed.

- The Heavens Part II

In late March or April, again in September or October, comes the aurora and yes, she is a goddess. The Greeks were right. First seen its like a UFO or the remnants of an atomic blast; frightening in its intensity and magnitude. This is earth at work, and aurorae are her daughters. It's best to subscribe to an aurora alert service so you know the best nights to catch it, and when you do, you will be taken aback because the immense size, the power, and the mystery of it can fill you with a dreaful awe. Astonishing.

- Vermont in Autumn

Vermont is little. It's not extraordinary for anything but a brand of ice cream and maple syrup. There are cows and even fewer people. The people of Vermont spend winter dreaming of wandering Paris, gondoling through Venice, strolling the grounds of the Taj Mahal, walking the Great Wall, or climbing the pyramids of Egypt. But every year, for a short while, little Vermont competes with all these things and takes its place among the greatest sites on earth. It's the combination of the kinds of trees, the mountains, and the quick first snap of autumn chill that does it. All at once the trees rise up in a burning ecstasy of flame and gold and scarlet, shimmering over the countryside everywhere and it is then that Vermont repays her faithful people for the short summers and interminable winters. And they come. The people of Paris, Venice, China, India, and Egypt, from all over the world, they come and see Vermont's contribution to the world stage. Vermonters pretend not to enjoy it, but deep down the pride is there. This is the marvel of Vermont, a marvel of the world.

[Saphyre]

Wow, I could actually feel myself there! Well done Jason!! Please, tell me more. I love your vision!