Parrothead Paradise

On my drive to work today I was glad to see this ever changing sign now reading "Parrothead Paradise". It prompted me to think about all the great activities going on at Okemo this year including the 3rd annual Parrothead Party on October 10th. We welcome back Changes in Latitudes to put you in a beach mood one last time before winter, and this year to get the party started we'll have the high energy reggae funk band Spiritual Rez opening for CIL.

You don't have to wait for October to enjoy summer and great music though. The Jackson Gore Music Series is in full swing. Tomorrow (June 26th) we host The Vermont Symphony Orchestra in their annual summer tour. Tickets are on sale at Coleman Brook Tavern, online at okemo.com, or at the gate. It's sure to be a great evening ending with a fantastic fireworks display!

July 3rd we welcome back local band Twiddle as the free Friday night series continues. Each Friday the Coleman Brook Tavern BBQ is cooking up the best ribs, chicken, and burgers around, and we have cold beer on tap from Bud Light as well as local favorites in bottles.

Speaking of the best brews, on August 8th Okemo will hold the first annual Hops in the Hills beer festival. We'll welcome local and regional brews by Harpoon, Long Trail, Magic Hat, Otter Creek, Sam Adams, and many others. The afternoon kicks off at 1pm, just about the time you'll be getting back from the Heart of the Valley bike ride, with a BBQ and great blues music from The Chris Kleeman Band and Nobby Reed.

That's the 411 from the events department. Summer is here (temps in the 80's today!) and we're ready to have some fun.

Only in Vermont

For those of you who picture Vermont as the quintessential place to be, to get away from the daily rat race of life, then this is for you. As I drove to the mountain this morning, and turned up the Mountain Road toward the clock tower base area, I drove past a maple syrup sap bucket top. Yup, the top of one of those buckets you see stuck to the side of a Maple tree in early Spring. It's that piece that looks like a little a-frame house perched on top of the bucket.

In other places I've lived, I would likely drive by the mysterious "single sneaker", or other unique things like muffler parts, road kill, etc. Only in Vermont can you drive by sap bucket parts on the side of the road. And the odd thing is.....it's almost July. We don't tap trees this late in the year.

It just reminds me of what a wonderful place Vermont is. (yeah, I know...I left it dangling). The range of tradition and technology in this state is pretty dramatic. I'm writing this down in a blog, which sends out across the Internet and I just passed by a symbol of tradition which is hundreds of years old. That's pretty cool.

Today's Suggestion: Remember to look around you even on your way to work

Have a good day!

Hey kids, how about some golf?

My dad was an avid golfer and my mom referred to herself as a golf widow. The shelves of our den were lined with Dad's trophies and tournament loving cups. Mom especially liked it when Dad brought home a new electric percolator or frying pan - what can I say? It was the '60s.

Dad turned our suburban backyard into a pitch-and-putt course for a few years. He planted some tin cans and even crafted pins. With such a passion for the sport, it was surprising to see his reaction when one of his golf buddies gave me a set of clubs for my eighth birthday. They were miniature clubs in a pint-sized bag that his daughter had long outgrown. My dad wasn't particularly thrilled by this kind gesture. He showed me how to hold the clubs and sent me off into the backyard to whack some colorful plastic balls around. I imagine he felt that I was dangerously close to infringing on the one thing where he found escape from his Leave-it-to-Beaver homelife. And I was somehow cognicent of that - even then.

Ironically, it wasn't until after my dad passed away and I claimed his clubs, that I took up the game of golf. I've been at it for a few years now and I can't help wonder how different things would be if I had showed a real interest back then. Here's a little encouragement to all you youngsters out there ...

Okemo Valley Golf Club is an ideal facility for introducing youngsters to the game of golf. Starting June 27, OVGC will host a series of junior clinics, from 2:30 to 4 p.m., every Saturday afternoon through August 1. The fee is $20 per clinic or $100 for all six. For more advanced young golfers, OVGC offers a Junior Golf Camp July 7-10. Instruction will run from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. each day. The fee is $350.

To reserve a spot in the camp or in one of the clinics, call (802) 228-1396. Cheers!

A Time and a Place

There's a time and a place for golf. The time is now and the place is Tater Hill.

The height of the golf season is fast approaching and golfers know how tough it can be to secure an optimal tee time when the season is underway. Now is the best time to play a leisurely round at Tater Hill Golf Club in nearby Windham, Vermont.

Tater Hill is the Okemo Valley's best-kept golfing secret and the locals really like it that way. With the same attention to course conditions and maintenance as Okemo Valley Golf Club, Tater Hill offers a more casual setting with its white-clapboard farmhouse clubhouse, fieldstone fences and cottage gardens. It just feels more homey - something you'd naturally expect from a site that lived its former life as a potato farm.

But don't let the humble facade lull you into thinking that a round a Tater Hill is going to be a cake walk. Similar to Okemo Valley in yardage, par and USGA rating and slope, Tater Hill can offer some serious challenge - the greatest of which, is for golfers to keep their eye on the ball with the spectacular scenery that surrounds this championship course.

Now is the time to take the lovely drive down Route 100 or through the charming village of Chester, to Tater Hill Golf Club. Give Head Pro and Club Manager John Pawlak a call to set up a tee time or a lesson ... (802) 875-2517. FORE!

Great summer option for kids

The last day of school is always a bit bittersweet for working parents. While we look forward to a break in the monotonous routines of a school day, the anticipation of filling our kids' days with active and interesting activities all summer long gets a bit overwhelming.

If you are looking for an alternative to your regular daycare routine, or would just like to try something different, Camp Gokemo is set to open its doors on Friday, June 26th for the season. The camp will be open 7/days a week, so even if your work schedule includes weekends, Okemo's summer camp program could be the opportunity you are looking for.

The camp is open to kids ages 6 months to 15 years - and days are filled with all kinds of themed activities, organized sports and games, swimming (indoor and out) and arts & crafts.

If Camp Gokemo sounds like something you might be interested in, check out all the details on okemo.com

Friday nights, Green Mountains and Happy faces

Well, I got to my first Okemo Friday night concert last week. The Grift was playing at the Jackson Gore Base area. I arrived late, due to work and running some errands, but was pleased to discover that the concert was being held on the valley side of the Jackson Gore Inn. There's a depression in the ground, which will be the future conference center, but for right now, it makes a great amphitheatre.

There was a pretty decent crowd and the weather was good. I am pleased that I wore long pants, because the temperature dropped as the evening went on. With the slight breeze and the low temps, the bugs were not to be found. (yay!)

I had to chuckle, due to the number of young children who were sliding on their bottoms, down the grass, behind the stage. It was the perfect setting for a laundry detergent ad. I'm positive there were more than a few parents who were less than happy with the grass stained clothes which were dropped in the hamper that night.

The evening was capped off by a visit to The Killarney for some beverages and chicken wings. Boy did those wings hit the spot.

Have you played these holes?

Okemo Valley's signature hole is definitely the 17th. According to Head Golf Pro Michael Santa Maria...

This hole offers golfers of all levels a spectacular challenge of both beauty and finesse. The beauty is the dramatic tee shot to a green that is well protected by water, bunkers, and fescue, the finesse is that the tee shot not only needs to carry all hazards but also needs to find the proper part of this rolling three level green to avoid a three putt. Enjoy the view, and good luck making a par.




Over at Tater Hill, Head Pro John Pawlak notes that the 15th hole is not only breathtaking but offers a risk reward like no other...

The Ladies start from a tee that is 30 feet above the fairway. The men enjoy a tee off at 70 feet with the Championship tee at 100 feet. The dog leg right par 5 gives you the perspective of not only hitting over the dog leg, but you are above most of the trees so watching if you clear the fairway visible from the teeing ground is enjoyable. The large landing area allows for the safe player to naturally "lay up" before the green with a 40 to 60 yard pitch on. Meanwhile, the gambler may have a 200 yard (or less) shot in to the heavily bunkered green that requires extreme accuracy. Otherwise, the errant tee shot may end up lost in the trees right, and suffer the dreaded "Stroke and Distance" penalty!

If you've played either of these holes, share your story and tell us about it!