Green Mountain Inn - Stowe Vermont - Quintessential Vermont Lodging

The Green Mountain Inn is a great place to stay right in the center of the village of Stowe, Vermont.  The Inn has a lot of amenities and within walking distance is shopping and dining in the village.  In addition, hiking and skiing opportunities are all over just beyond the village, with the Stowe ski area less than 20 minutes away, Smugglers Notch nearby and the Green Mountains all around.

The Green Mountain Inn is located on Main Street right near the center of the village of Stowe, Vermont.  It is located about 10 miles north of Exit 10 on Interstate 89. 

Read the full review of the Stowe, Vermont's Green Mountain Inn

Review of National Geographic Trails Illustrated Catskill Park Map

National Geographic has recently released a new map for the Catskill Park in their Trails Illustrated map set.  This map covers most of the Catskill Region with information on hiking, fishing and other outdoor recreational activities.  The scale is pretty small so some details are lost in order to provide coverage of the entire park.  The map itself is made from waterproof, tear-resistant material and seems to hold up to regular use without much problem.

Based on my prior experience with the Trails Illustrated maps, I expected a map of the Catskills that provided a good overview of the park, but that might be lacking some details.  That is what I have found with this map.  It is a great map for trip planning and road travel, but for trail travel, the scale is just too small and the map too big to make it much of a map that you would take hiking with you.

Read the full review of the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Catskill Park Map

EMS Divergence Fleece Jacket

The Divergence Fleece Jacket from Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) is a comfortable and warm mid-weight jacket that offers more protection from the wind than a traditional fleece jacket. I have found it to be a good choice for outdoor activities in cooler weather and as a mid-layer beneath a shell in wetter or colder conditions.

Read the full review of the Divergence Fleece Jacket from Eastern Mountain Sports

Coleman 54x84 Vinyl Tablecloth

When I am going car camping or even just know that I will be having a picnic lunch somewhere with picnic tables, I usually bring along a Coleman Vinyl Tablecloth. They are inexpensive and last for several trips. The only downsides are that they are pretty easy to damage and if they get wet, the color can bleed off the tablecloth.

I always keep one of these tablecloths packed in my car camping kit, but even if I forgot it, they are easy enough to find in the sporting gear sections of places like Walmart or Target. They are usually under $3 in most stores.

Read the full review of the Coleman 54x84 Vinyl Tablecloth

Lynburke Motel - Lyndonville, Vermont

If you are looking for a no frills motel room in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, the Lynburke Motel in Lyndonville, Vermont is not a bad choice. The motel offers a number of different rooms, some of which allow pets and is in a location that provides access to the village of Lyndonville, Burke Mountain Ski Area to the northeast and the trails surrounding Lake Willoughby to the northwest. The rooms are relatively inexpensive and while no one will be giving the place a 5-star rating, we have found it to be an economical choice when we are visiting the Kingdom.

Read the full review of the Lynburke Motel in Lyndonville, Vermont

Seagate 1.5TB External Expansion Hard Drive

As my computer has aged, the hard drive has been filling up with digital photos and music files.  In order to have extra room and to provide a backup for my important files, I started shopping for an external hard drive that could fill both needs.  I discovered the Seagate 1.5 Terabyte External Expansion Drive through a special offer at Staples.  It was actually slightly larger than what I was looking for, but at the price and when compared to other drives, I thought it would be a good choice.

I have discovered that it was a good choice.  The 1.5 terabytes of space gives me plenty of room to backup important files and move some of the larger files off my computer’s hard drive to this drive.  The read and write speeds are quick and the communication with my computer is as seamless as it is with my internal hard drive.  Overall I am very happy with the performance of this hard drive.

 Read the full review of the Seagate 1.5 Terabyte External Expansion Drive

Van Houtte Kenya Kilimandjaro Coffee For Keurig K-Cup Brewing Systems

A good choice for dark roast coffee lovers with a Keurig Coffee Maker is Van Houtte Café’s Kenya Kilimandjaro Dark Roast Blend.  This coffee comes out of the Keurig system strong and solid and does not suffer from being watered down like some brews in the Keurig.  I like it as a strong morning coffee, as it definitely has the kick that some lighter morning blends are missing.

Van Houtte Café’s Kenya Kilimandjaro Dark Roast Blend comes in individual K-Cups for the Keurig Coffee Maker.  They are available in different amounts, but are about the same price as almost any other K-Cup blend that is available.  I have gotten my K-Cups through Amazon as they seem to have the best price for most brews, including Vanhoutte Café’s.

Read the full review of Van Houtte Kenya Kilimandjaro Coffee For Keurig K-Cup Brewing Systems

Celestial Seasonings Sweet Lemon Iced Tea K-cups for Keurig Brewers

The idea of freshly brewed iced tea whenever you wanted it with no effort sounds so great and that is why I picked up Celestial Seasonings Sweet Lemon Black Tea K-Cups for the Keurig Brewing System.  For me, I was not as impressed as I wished I was, but these K-Cups produce decent iced tea (for some) that is easy to have whenever you want.

For me, I was a bit let down when I tried it because I did not find the infused lemon and sugar quite right with my tastes.  However others who I have served this tea to have enjoyed it more than I have, so I think it really depends on your tastes.  The brew is all natural, but in my mind the lemon taste just does not seem that natural.

Read the full review of Celestial Seasonings Sweet Lemon Black Tea K-Cups