First a Barn, and Now a Sauna

Hello Featherbed Friends,

Inevitably, whenever guests return who haven't been here for a while (thanks for coming back!), the first words out of their mouths after "Hello" are "How's the barn coming along?" Well, the short answer is that it is still coming along. Unfortunately, things went so awry with our builder that we parted ways with him several months ago. The long answer is really yucky, so let's not get into that.

But there is good news on the barn front. First, it's a thing of beauty, a truly majestic post-and-beam barn. The other good news is that Mick, now our general contractor, is having a blast getting his hands dirty, honing his carpentry skills, buying every power tool he ever dreamed of owning, and working with dear friends to get this baby to the finish line. It's getting there, but, as Mick is also running a busy inn, we're looking at next spring before it will be finished. We're getting close to starting to plan guest-focused events (retreats, workshops, teeny-tiny weddings, gatherings, and what-not) for next summer. Stay tuned, and come see us so you can see this gorgeous work-in-progress for yourselves.

And because we can't seem to stop ourselves from shaping the Featherbed Inn into the best bed and breakfast we can imagine, we're already embarking on our next project...a sauna! Working with Yestermorrow Design and Build School, we begin work next week on a large, traditional sauna that, by the end of this summer, will be ready for our guests to enjoy. Imagine a day out skiing, then returning to the inn and having to make the decision between a soak in the hot tub or a schvitz in the sauna. Sorry, we know it will be tough, but that's the way it goes around here. Too many good things. You can always do both. Or just take a nap, which is a valid choice.

Also on the inn-improvement front, you've got to come see our gardens. Thanks to the inspired work of a guest-turned-friend-turned-Featherbed gardener (hi Chris!) and a local friend with a backhoe that he uses like a true artist, our gardens are utterly stunning. As we walk around our grounds, we find ourselves in awe, bowled over by the beauty all around us. It's worth a visit just to stroll among the flowers. And to get a tour of the barn. And to watch the sauna construction.

And to experience the wonderfulness of a Vermont summer. It's hard to resist the urge to tell you about all the incredible things going on in the Mad River Valley this summer, but let's save that loooonnnngggg list for another day. But you can do your own research, or give us a call. While we don't have a ton of availability left for this summer, we do have some (especially, for some reason, the weekend of August 3...got plans?). We'd love to see you.

Happy summer!

Karen and Mick

Featherbed Barn Under the Stars