Landgrove
This tiny town ( only 9.2 square miles , pop . 158 , alt . 1,407 ft .) has its charms , except in mud season , since the roads can get a little soft in early spring and there ’ s not a paved surface among them . But summer and fall – and winter , too – are another matter in this mountain enclave . Second-home owners predominate , and horses graze in many summer pastures . Little traffic , no stores , cool temperatures , and access to culture and shops in nearby Peru , Londonderry , Weston , and Manchester make this town a strategic Vermont retreat . In winter , Bromley , Stratton , Okemo , and Magic Mountain provide great downhill skiing , and Wild Wings in Peru has miles of groomed trails for cross country adventures .
However quiet the town may be , everyone turns out for the 4th of July celebration and the annual softball game between the “ hill ” and “ valley ” neighborhoods ; it ’ s been going on since the late 40s . The Landgrove Inn brings a series of distinguished art teachers to its InView Center for the Arts every summer , and students come from all over the world to attend more than 30 intimate workshops in watercolors , portrait painting , oils , and digital photography in a 30 x 50 post-and-beam studio surrounded by miles of dreamy landscapes .
Town forests are open to strollers , and the Hapgood Pond Recreation Area is close by in Peru . A little mud in early spring is a small price to pay for all that .
COME EXPLORETHESHIRES . COM 31 FOR INFO CALL 802.447.3311
Photo courtesy of @ dclynn