Advice from the Big Kid

Advice from the Big Kid • Babe Ruth, November 29, 1924

Opening Day for the 2023 season will be March 30, with all 30 teams scheduled to play. Barring postponement, it will be the first time since 1968 that every MLB team opens on the same day.

This is only one of my favorite paintings by Graig Kreindler. It’s not only an extraordinary painting, but it just feels good especially during this holiday season. His award-winning sports work has appeared in juried shows and museums nationwide.

When discussing this painting, Graig says, “It’s hard to think of anybody other Norman Rockwell when looking at an image like the one this painting was based on. In that regard, I think one needn’t look any further than the subject matter: a ballplayer interacting with kids. It’s a motif that’s often a winning combination, and something that Rockwell utilized often in his work.”

Graig’s dramatic realism and exquisitely lifelike portraits will fascinate audiences for a lifetime! Additionally, Graig’s historic narratives that accompany each piece are as detailed and impressive as the paintings themselves. We’re both privileged and delighted to share his work with you this holiday season.

Title: “Advice from the Big Kid” | Subject: Babe Ruth, November 29, 1924 | Medium: Oil on linen | Size: 38″ x 28″

http://www.twitter.com/GraigKreindler | http://www.facebookcom/GraigKreindler

We’re always sharing something interesting from Pond Mountain Inn.

The Clark Museum is “Free”

The Clark Art Institute • Williamstown, Massachusetts

Good news from The Clark Museum… admission is free through March 31, 2023. If you have never been, it’s an absolutely must visit—we visit 2-3 times each year, it’s truly magnificent! (Less than 90 minutes from Pond Mountain Inn)

The Clark has over forty Renoir paintings, sculptures and drawings in its collection. The painting is Venice, The Doge’s Palace, 1881. When Renoir first visited Venice in 1881, he was drawn to one of its most famous sights: the façade of the Doge’s Palace across from the island of San Giorgio Maggiore.

A Little More About The Clark Art Institute…

The Clark has an extensive art collection opened to the public in 1955, the Clark has built upon this extraordinary group of works to become one of the most beloved and respected art museums in the world, known for its intimate galleries and stunning natural environment. We visit the museum almost every season.

 

The Most Beautiful Winter Towns

Travel + Leisure Magazine announced the 20 Most Beautiful Winter Towns in the U.S…

 

Look who made the list: #4 is Woodstock, Vermont, followed by #14 Stowe, Vermont. Two hours south and northwest are; #7 Lenox, Massachusetts, and #11 Lake Placid, New York, which we just visited last month. #1, of course, is glamorous Aspen, Colorado. Unfortunately, Wells, Vermont did not make the list again this year…

Thanks, John Knox, for the snowy winter photograph.

Birdseye Diner • Castleton, Vermont

The Birdseye Diner is a 1940’s Silk City Dining Car manufactured in Patterson, New Jersey. Just had to get in the New Jersey reference… Jersey is everywhere in Vermont – it’s hilarious! There are a few other interesting spots in Castleton… see our Poultney & Castleton, Vermont page below. We’re always doing something interesting at Pond Mountain Inn!

https://www.pondmountaininn.com/poultney-and-castelton

***

There’s Something Special About This Beaver Pond and Lodge

During our recent trip to Waitsfield for yak meat we discovered this beaver lodge standing nearly seven feet tall! But, that’s not the entire story… the most interesting part of our discovery was the shallow beaver-engineered pond – just look at the lower left corner of the photo. This large family of beavers constructed an entire ecosystem to live and raise their pups! We’re always stumbling upon something fascinating!

***

 

What’s a Cape Cod Lighter?

Beneath the fireplace grate you’ll see a short rod with a ceramic ball attached to a rod. That’s the Cape Cod Lighter! However, there’s more… very popular in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries these lighters are ingenious requiring no kindling whatsoever to build a fire. The porous unglazed ceramic ball positioned at the end of the rod, which soaks in a pitcher of lamp oil or whale oil, if you can still find it, until you’re ready… light the torchlike rod and place the rod in the fireplace, under the wood, and within 2-3 minutes you see an unimaginable controlled conflagration. It’s magic!

***

Get Back to Nature and Enjoy the Fresh Air!

Staying fit, strong and active during the winter can be a challenge, especially for energetic outdoor enthusiasts. Not to worry; fortunately, the cold weather also opens up countless options for winter-specific activities, including skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. The health benefits of snowshoeing are making it an increasingly popular winter sport that just makes for a healthier and happier winter!

Get your health time outdoors in the fresh air and away from people. Snowshoeing is a wonderful aerobic activity that improves your cardiovascular and muscle fitness, and you can burn from 420-1000 calories per hour. It’s a great low-impact winter activity! And, you can snowshoe here at Pond Mountain Inn.

 

A Day in Lake Placid

We spent the day at the 2023 Winter World University Games—11-Day International Competition in Lake Placid… a beautiful winter village within the Adirondack State Park. The Lake Placid Olympic Museum exhibits and artifacts were fascinating. Here’s a brief compilation of our day… Just over two hours from Pond Mountain Inn.

Lake Placid Olympic Center

Tribute to the 1980 Miracle on Ice

Switzerland Speedskater Practicing

Czech Republic vs. Norway (Norway won 8-6)

 See All Seven of Our Inspiring Day Trips & Unique Itineraries

Incredible Breakfast Diversity

The morning begins with fresh seasonal fruit— an assortment of five types of melon and berries. “Elegant, Local and Delicious.” is how our guests describe the morning’s first course.  From exotic fruit, Asian mangos, to locally grown berries, fall apples from Champlain Orchards, to the best and freshest melon found in surrounding markets. We serve mostly local, organic fruit provided by family farmers…

Fresh Georgia Peaches—Local Blackberries and Blueberries, and that’s our mint leaf…

Raspberries and Blackberries from Champlain Orchards.

Philippine Mango or the Manila Mango are the Sweetest Variety.

Sometimes, it’s just about the morning view… and, those are Rainier cherries.

In late-spring, summer, and early fall, our legendary gourmet farm-to-table breakfasts are served al fresco surrounded by perennial gardens, early sheep pastures and lush undisturbed distant mountain views, “It’s just magical here, and one of the prettiest outside dining spots in Vermont!”

See Our Complete Breakfast Menu

 

Dashing Through the Snow

 

Another outdoor winter experience… let two Friesian Horses take you on an unbelievable horse-drawn sleigh ride through some of the most beautiful fields of snow on private trails in Vermont. This picturesque farm is the perfect setting to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience in Vermont’s winter wonderland. See all of Pond Mountain Inn’s Inspiring Day Trips & Unique Itineraries.

Friesians of Majesty