Coming out of Hibernation

We can happily report that for our little corner of paradise in the brave little state of Vermont, we are finally seeing signs of coming out of hibernation.  We are especially thankful and grateful for our continued good health as we all do our best to put this pandemic in the rear view mirror.

Typical signs of the transition from winter to spring in Vermont include; muddy side roads (hence our “mud season” listed as a 5th season), the aromatic presence of farmers applying “natural” fertilizer on the Mayo Farm fields, squeezing out as many spring skiing runs as possible and yes, preparing for our neighbors that truly come out of hibernation around this time of year, black bears.

Black Bears are Waking Up –

Here in Stowe, we have to consider our black bear neighbors that were able to sleep off much of the past winter (and truly self isolate from the pandemic) and will be making their appearances here very soon. The birdfeeders have been pulled inside, our dumpster will soon be secured with chains and we will continue to take our food scraps to the local recycling station and stop our on-site composting until later in the year.

Last spring, in spite of our best efforts to be prepared to dissuade our bear neighbors from cruising through our yard, we failed to recognize that the residuals from our guest’s take-out food containers would be too tempting. It was quite a “game” as I tried to be, as they say, smarter than the average bear… They are smarter than I initially gave them credit!

For those guests that were able to come here last spring, take-out was the primary and in many cases the only option for dining. The reports from the VT Dept. of Fish and Wildlife indicates that there were a record number of black bear sightings and dumpster diving calls in Stowe in the spring of 2020.

There were many local opinions of why that was the case this past year. The predominant opinion appeared to be that we had fewer visitors due to the pandemic that then allowed the bears some comfort in reclaiming some ancestral territory! Others say that it was a dry spring and the bears were forced to forage for quick, ready to serve food, further down in the valley. Vermont’s black bears, by nature, are typically very timid, though, it is strongly recommended that you don’t approach them and be sure to give them lots of social distance, especially for a momma bear with her cubs!

AND a "Roadmap to Re-Opening Vermont" –

This past Tuesday, our Governor provided us with a roadmap to re-opening Vermont and recovering our business (Lodging is a "Group A" sector in that link). As the vaccination distribution rate continues to improve, we are cautiously optimistic, ok, even excited, about moving back to what we love to do on a regular basis, and that is, welcoming guests from near and far to Stowe, Vermont, with open arms or at least an elbow bump now.

This roadmap explains that we can now host all visitors without the need for a quarantine requirement. If you are 14 days past your second vaccine shot (or 14 days post your Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine) you are free to travel to Vermont without restrictions.

If you can’t meet these vaccine requirements you can still stay with us, Vermont just asks that you please provide us with a covid negative results from a test that is conducted within 72 hours of your planned arrival.

June 1 and July 4th -

Two critical dates in the roadmap;

• June 1 - No quarantine OR testing requirements
• July 4 - No capacity restrictions for gatherings and events, masks and physical distancing encouraged

And while we will still have safety protocols in place that have been with us since early 2020, we do anticipate that as the country becomes more protected, we can therefore get back to the level of socialization that brought us to this dream of a lifestyle to begin with, now almost 12 years ago.

This “roadmap” from Governor Scott shows that by July 4th all gatherings and events will be permitted without a capacity restriction. It will be quite the party here in Stowe for this summer holiday. If you are like us, you are beginning to feel this release from hibernation. There will be lots of fireworks here this 4th of July and we hope you can enjoy this return to normalcy with us, here in Stowe.

We plan to host our guests on the back porch and back yard of our Inn for a front row seat to the fireworks display here in Stowe!

So, what are you waiting for? You know you deserve a dose of Vermont!

Happy Travels,

George and Mary Anne