Guests from Chicago climb up Okemo

A wonderful couple visited with us this week from the Chicago area, traveling through New England.  We were blessed to enjoy their company for two nights...but during the day they were extremely active!  Ralph and Karen climbed Okemo in the morning, ate lunch in Woodstock, walked the Quechee gorge, and made it back to Inn Victoria in Chester Vermont by dinner time.......whoooo wee!

I have their permission to post some of their hike photos!  Oh, by the way....today they are traveling north to Lincoln NH, will traverse the mountains through the Kancamagas Highway, up 302 and onto 16 past Mt. Washington and on to Gorham NH to visit with family.  At some point in the next day or two, they will be a top of Mt Washington by climbing, cog rail or auto road.

   FUN!

Perfection

Penny and day old Anna Magdalena Hampson.  Born at 6:22PM on July 22.  She is 19 inches long and weighs 6.2 pounds...3 weeks early.

So now you know who is doing the cooking at Inn Victoria in Chester Vermont....It certainly isn't Penny!!...But, she is a very happy grandma!

Anna Magdalena Hampson 19 inches and 6.2 pounds

We are excited to announce the birth of Anna, our first grandchild!  Sarah & Chris are the proud parents of Anna....can you believe the start to finish birthing process took 3 hours!  Penny got the call about Sarah's water breaking at about 2PM today.  Penny was in the car to Manchester CT before I knew what was going on.  By the time Penny got there 2 1/2 hours later, Sarah was just starting contractions....Anna was born at 6:30.......the dream birth of every mother!

More pictures to come in the days to follow............

Hike Okemo Mountain Trail

Rachel and I took the day off earlier this week to climb Okemo mountain.....WOW, what a fun time that was!  We've hiked many places in the world, but none can compare to the cleanliness of the trail and open spaces throughout the forest.  The trail winds its way through large hardwood trees of Ash, mostly Maple, Beech, White Birch & Golden Birch.  The size of many of these hardwoods is what amazed me...many are 20+ inches on the stump reaching over a hundred feet high.  Incredible!

Our initial trail took us along a very nice babbling spring brook from the top of Okemo Mountain.  The view through the very well managed tree growth was superb...I can only imagine how gorgeous this will be just 9 weeks from now when the fall colors grace our life!  The top of Okemo is spectacular after climbing another 52 steps on an 8 story fire tower.  The 360 view is absolutely worth the 1:45 minute climb...and this fall, should be out of this world!

The trip to the base of the Headville trail is only a 30 minute drive from Inn Victoria, Vermont's Best Rated Romantic B&B.  This is a moderate climb with no strenuous spots.

Chester Historical Society & the Old Yosemite Fire Station

In just a few days on the 22nd of July, the Old Yosemite Fire station in Chester Depot on Rt # 103 will be open to the public from 6PM - 7PM.  This is truly an amazing place; if you have any love for old fire houses / trucks / stuff...you NEED to be there!  Here is a sneak preview of what you will be able to see and touch!

The Chester Depot Yosemite fire house is less than a mile walk from Inn Victoria, Vermont's Best Romantic B&B.  See you there!
Oh, by the way.....please sign up to be a follower!

Six Months as InnKeepers...and we LOVE it!

In just a few days we will celebrate our sixth month as Inn Keepers of Inn Victoria, the Romantic Bed and Breakfast of Chester Vermont and the Okemo Valley!  For many years Penny and I talked about fulfilling a dream to develop our own business.  We finally did it after recognizing that working for someone else was cramping our creativity and lifestyle.  It was July of 2009 when we got serious about looking for the right B & B.  It took five months to find just the right place, to negotiate the right financial package with the right lending partner, and so on.

After six months of owning Inn Victoria Chester Vermont under our Corporate name of "Exceptional Experience", we are thrilled we took the step forward and we consider ourselves blessed to have had quests who support us with exceptional Tripadviosr ratings!   
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g57213-d82544-Reviews-Inn_Victoria-Chester_Vermont.html 

As you can see, we are now over 200 exceptional Tripadvisor ratings for Inn Victoria Chester Vermont!
We truly are Blessed!  Thank you to all who guided, mentored and prayed for us....Thank you to our guests who have been so gracious as we learned and grew!

Five days after we opened the door, I said the following:

We Followed our Dreams

  In August, Penny and I celebrated 30 years of marriage on an island in Casco Bay, Portland Maine.  Fifty close friends & family were invited to the lobster feed and wedding renewal.  Penny even got a new wedding dress in the process!....the event was a BIG surprise for Penny.

After 30 years of marriage, 25 of which was spent working the corporate life with little time for each other, we figured it was time to follow our dream.  Penny is now the proud President, and I am the CFO...(I always wanted to be a CFO), of Exceptional Experience, a corporation developed to support our new venture;  Inn Victoria, Vermont's #1 rated Romantic B&B. 

Check out the links below and come visit....!  We promise you an "Exceptional Experience"!!!

Inn Victoria was named by TripAdvisor as one of the "Best B&B's in the United States" and Yankee Magazine named Inn Victoria as "Editors Choice, Best Romantic B&B in Vermont".


Dan & Penny Cote