Ever had a cute little chipmunk come up and take a couple of peanuts out of your hand, scurry away and then return for another set? That's how our tour of the Sugartree Inn began. Frank Partsch greeted us with a pouch full of nuts and showed us how he has trained a handful of these little guys to entertain guests during their visit. He has pictures & testimony of a lady that lets them steal peanuts from her pockets. It was a great start to a great week in Vermont.

Sugarbush - Mad River Valley hosts this great find. It is right next to the Green Mountain National Forest and is well known by skiers as a great place to stay. More and more are finding this is also the place to stay in Spring, Summer and Fall. Frank and Kathy have owned the inn for seven years and have turned this mid 60's ski lodge into one best of the places in Warren. The Inn even has a student from Russia coming in to learn the trade and work for the summer.

Frank showed us to the Cardinal Room, which features a canopy queen size bed, dresser, a table made from an antique sewing machine base, rocker and side chair. All the rooms have private baths, extra blankets, pillows and fans for those days when it's just a little warm. In the hallway is a small chair with a big teddy bear.....holding his butler's basket full of amenities that a traveler may have forgotten.

After showering and changing, we headed off for a review at a nearby restaurant that Frank had arranged for us, The Common Man. And before you ask, this one is not related to the one titled the same in Ashland, New Hampshire that we reviewed last year.

Afterwards, we returned to the Inn and I got on the computer to check the email while Mike took more pictures of Kathy's stenciling and quilting works around the inn. This 9-room inn features many beautiful qualities from the stone floor, to great guest rooms furnished in simple country fashion with tasteful antiques. There is a large common room and a small kitchen for guests that doubles as a ski-room during the season. There is even a rack for ski-boots and a system set up to dry the boots! The rooms are all named after the birds that flock to their bird feeders.

The next morning, Frank served us a great breakfast before it was time for us to take off once again. There was coffee, tea, orange juice and tomato juice. We started with banana bisque, then chocolate chip-banana muffins, followed by a huge waffle with pecan-praline sauce made by Kathy.

We would like to thank Frank for the extra effort he went to for us. We had been trying for 2 weeks to find more batteries for Mike's camera....unsuccessfully. He made a few phone calls and found them! As a bonus, he even found the other Sony digital camera we have been wanting, so we able to get it and 2 extra batteries at the same time! Thanks!

We're sorry we missed the chance to meet Kathy. We were busy working when she returned home in the evening and they didn't want to disturb us and by the time we were up and about in the morning, she had already left for her day's work. We hope to be able to meet her the next time we are in the area.

This is a charming inn located in some of the most beautiful scenery in Vermont. Be sure to visit their Website and plan your next ski vacation, summer escape or fall foliage jaunt. When you make your reservations.....
be sure to tell them Cruising America says Hi!