Vermont Magazine Fall 2019 | Page 57

W hen the late, great, Hollywood director, Alfred Hitchcock chose Vermont as the set- ting for his 1955 mystery comedy, The Trouble With Harry, he hoped the idyllic town of Craftsbury with its panora- ma of rich autumn foliage would provide the perfect backdrop. Unfortunately, by the time the movie crew got to The Green Mountain State, most of Craftsbury’s leaves had given up the ghost and the team had no recourse but to paint and glue some last minute extras onto the trees to make up the deficit. I can’t blame Hitchcock for going the extra mile. Vermont is an iconic New England destination, especially in fall. The air is deliciously crisp, porches are decked out with fat pumpkins, and the trees are ablaze with shades of crimson and tangerine that would rival any sunset. For locals and visitors, it’s a time to bask around wood fires, eat cider doughnuts, and sip some of the best micro-brews the country has to of- fer. And, if you happen to be looking for a spooky place to rest your bones after a day of exploring, we’ve got that, too. As a ghost tour guide and writer of haunted history, I’ve never really met a spirit I didn’t like. Still, like the living, some are more interesting than others. What follows are five of my favorite haunted places to stay the night, for those who don’t mind sharing a room with someone supernatural. By Thea Lewis Illustrations By Leonard Kenyon Stowe’s spectacular scenery has made it a vacation destination since the mid 1800s. The town’s local lore is as colorful as its foliage. If you are a lover of the paranormal, you’ll definitely want to visit the site of Emily’s Bridge, located in the Stowe Hollow area. Tales vary, but most agree that Emily was a woman scorned, whose life ended in a ghastly fashion on what is formally named the Gold Brook 59 VTMAG.com VTMAG.com 55