Rain, Rain Go Away! This has been one of the rainiest summers. It seems every minute we look out the window, it’s raining again. As soon as the sun comes out, you can refer to our 10 Ways to Enjoy the Water in Vermont or 2017 Summer Bucket List, but for now just try to stay dry and have fun! 1. Vermont Teddy Bear Factory – Shelburne Open seven days a week throughout the year, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company offers tours of their factory. In addition to the general factory tour, guests have access to the on-site Bear Shop where they can purchase specialty teddy bears. Learn more 2. Spa at the Essex – Essex The Spa at the Essex is a full service spa experience that provides many different treatments. The site features 10 treatment rooms, saunas, fitness center, massage packages, and a complete salon. Learn more 3. National Museum of the Morgan House – Shelburne The historic National Museum of the Morgan Horse is a museum that is dedicated to preserving and displaying artifacts related to the history of the Morgan Horse. The museum is best known for the ‘Lippit Exhibit’. Learn more 4. Get Air Vermont – Williston GET AIR Indoor Trampoline Park features wall-to-wall trampolines, basketball dunk lanes, tumbling tracks, dodgeball and a ninja course. Learn more 5. Petra Cliffs Climbing Center – Burlington Beginners and advanced climbers hone their technique in an 8,500-square-foot indoor climbing gym or outdoors with an experienced guide. Petra Cliffs focuses on climbing and mountain-related education and recreation, accessible to all ages and abilities. They seek to offer premium instruction and services through experience-based education, uncompromising attention to safety and customer satisfaction, growth with empowered employees, and an inspiring atmosphere for families and friends to gather for challenge and fun. Learn more 6. ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Center – Burlington The ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Centre is an interactive attraction centered around ecology, culture, history and stewardship in the Lake Champlain Basin. Permanent exhibits include an aquatic habitat, Frog World, Discovery Place for toddlers and a hands-on paleontological dig box. Learn more 7. Vermont History Museum – Montpelier The museum’s core exhibit, “Freedom and Unity: One Ideal, Many Stories,” opened in March 2004 and won a national award. The multimedia exhibit, which represents Vermont’s history from 1600 to the present, fills 5,000 square feet in the Pavilion Building in Montpelier. Visitors walk through time and experience a full-sized Abenaki wigwam, a re-creation of the Catamount Tavern where Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain Boys gathered, a railroad station complete with a working telegraph and a WWII living room furnished with period music and magazines Learn more 8. Vermont Country Store – Manchester Center Located on Main Street in Weston, across from the Village Green, the store invites you to step back in time and enjoy a leisurely stroll down Memory Lane. Wander the aisles, stocked to the rafters with penny candy, Vermont maple syrup, award-winning Vermont cheeses from many of their neighboring farmsteads, personal care remedies, household problem solvers, and so much more. Be sure to sample some of the many cheeses, crackers and dips available in their food section. Learn more 9. Lake Champlain Chocolates – Burlington Lake Champlain Chocolates is a chocolate factory, shop and cafe offering a wide selection of confections made onsite. A tour includes a short informational film, watching the factory in action through a window, and sampling a variety of chocolates. Learn more 10. The Escape Room – Williston Choose your mission, then work together to find clues, crack codes, unlock locks and escape – before time runs out…you only have 60 minutes! Learn more If you have any questions about buying or selling real estate or relocating to Vermont, contact Mike Conroy at 802-363-3356 or [email protected]. Conroy & Company is a Keller Williams Vermont team of Realtors located in South Burlington, Vermont. Our mission is to serve our clients with the highest level of personal commitment to helping them reach their goals. Our focus is to bring the latest technology and marketing skills to our clients, and do so in the most personal, hands on way possible. Our collaborative, strength in numbers approach to exceeding your expectations, has helped keep us in the top 2% of Vermont agents/teams ever since 2003.  

Because this summer has been especially rainy, every time we get a stretch of hot and sunny weather, try to get to the water and appreciate it. We’ve compiled this list of 10 Ways to Enjoy the Water in Vermont so that you can explore and relax in our beautiful state this summer. 1. Cruise on the Spirit of Ethan Allen in Burlington Operating as Lake Champlain’s only cruise ship and floating restaurant, the Spirit of Ethan Allen offers tons of fun on every cruise! Check out their Daily Cruises page for more information on everything they offer. Everything from pizza parties to romantic sunset picnic baskets. Learn more 2. Pedal Boat at Sandbar State Park Sand Bar State Park takes its name from a natural sandbar between South Hero Island in Grand Isle County and the town of Milton on the Vermont mainland. There is a two thousand foot (2000′) sand beach offering great swimming. Canoes, kayaks, peddle boats and row boats can be rented through the park office, as can stand-up paddle boards. There are shaded and open picnic grounds with tables and cooking grills as well as a play area. Learn more 3. Snorkeling & SCUBA diving at Waterfront Diving Center Whether it’s diving into the history of one of Vermont’s Underwater Preserve shipwrecks, or exploring a beautiful tropical reef, trust the experienced professionals of Waterfront Diving Center to lead you safely through the underwater world. The Waterfront Diving Center is located in downtown Burlington and is opposite Perkins Pier. Learn more 4. Paddleboard with PaddleSurf Champlain Take in the spectacular Lake Champlain sunsets, while gliding past lush and colorful shoreline, enjoying Green Mountain and Adirondack vistas, all while taking part in a growing new sport rooted in the Hawaiian spirit of Aloha. Stand Up Paddleboarding – SUP – is located at 1 Flynn Ave, Burlington. You can take a tour or rent boards. Learn more 5. Lazy River Tube with Tweed River Tubing Located at the junction of Route 100 and 107 in Stockbridge, VT, Tweed River Tubing prides themselves on offering the best tubes in Vermont, as well as the most fun stretch of river! They provide life jackets, paddles, and a free shuttle back to the start point. Learn more 6. Whitewater Raft at Mount Snow with Zoar Adventure Center The Green Mountains are home to some of the most popular whitewater rafting runs in Vermont and are the headwaters for nearby rivers in western Massachusetts. From the class II-IV rapids found on the West River just a 20-minute drive from Mount Snow, to the continuous excitement and class III-IV rapids of Millers River in western Mass. If you’re looking for an adventure and to cool off in the spring and fall, whitewater rafting in southern Vermont is a great place to start. The West River provides 8 miles of continues class II-IV whitewater during scheduled dam releases from Ball Mountain Dam, which take 2-3 hours to raft. The season runs Early Spring – Fall. Learn more 7. Canoe and Kayak at Bert’s Boats Bert’s Boats is the areas first canoe and kayak tour business. Paddle in the heart of Vermont’s beautiful Green Mountains. Whether you canoe or kayak Vermont you can swim, picnic, fish, or just take in their beautiful scenery. Guided or self-guided tours available. Learn more 8. Sail with the International Sailing School The International Sailing School offers lessons, club membership and boat access, and moorings on Mallett’s Bay of famed Lake Champlain in Vermont. They offer residents of Vermont and Canada convenient access to sailing opportunities. Curriculum has grown to over twenty different courses for the beginning to advanced sailor. Learn more 9. Pontoon through the Champlain Islands at Apple Island Marina Nestled on Lake Champlain, Apple Island Marina is the first stop for your boating, sightseeing, and fishing adventures. Boat rentals are available from our wide selection of pontoons, pedal boats, kayaks, canoes, and row boats. Enjoy the beauty of America’s sixth-largest, freshwater lake with a relaxing family tour, some spectacular bird watching, or some serious fishing. Learn more 10. Go Swimming! Bayside Beach in Colchester, Bomoseen State Park in Castleton, Burton Island State Park in St. Albans, Button Bay in Vergennes, Crystal Lake in Barton… the list is endless. Grab a sand chair, put it in the water, and enjoy the summer. If you have any questions about buying and selling real estate contact Mike Conroy at 802-363-3356 or [email protected]. Conroy & Company is a Keller Williams Vermont team of Realtors located in South Burlington, Vermont. Our mission is to serve our clients with the highest level of personal commitment to helping them reach their goals. Our focus is to bring the latest technology and marketing skills to our clients, and do so in the most personal, hands on way possible. Our collaborative, strength in numbers approach to exceeding your expectations, has helped keep us in the top 2% of Vermont agents/teams ever since 2003.