Congratulations to Us!

Brattleboro North Recognized as One of the Top Three KOA Campgrounds Leading the Way in Green Practices!

At the 2012 KOA Owners Convention in Orlando Florida, the Brattleboro North KOA received a plaque in honor of it being one of the top three campgrounds incorporating eco-friendly practices and upgrades. The Dummerston Vermont location is one of 480 KOA campgrounds across Canada and the United States.

In 2011, the Brattleboro North KOA Campground received Kampgrounds of America’s Kamp Green Certification for environmentally friendly steps taken. The goals accomplished in 2011 included replacement of all T12 fluorescent lighting in the park with highly efficient T8 lighting. Motion sensors in the campground’s game room, laundry, lounge, bathhouse and utility closets were installed to automatically shut off lights when the rooms are not occupied. Other steps included:

• The addition of CFL lighting to all lamp fixtures in the cabins.
• The expansion of recycling programs for bottles, cans, paper and plastic.
• Site maps that are printed on 100 percent recycled paper with eco-friendly inks.
• Use of ecologically friendly cleaning solutions with on-site dilution to reduce packaging.
• Updated the campground’s refrigeration and laundry appliances to be more energy efficient.

In 2012, green goals that were accomplished included replacement of multi-gallon per flush toilets with one gallon per flush ones in the cabins and bath house and upgrading the showers in the bath house.  In addition, with the adoption of the pony Sway, it was decided to participate in Project COW. Project COW is Windham County, Vermont Solid Waste Management District's Converting Organic Waste composting program. This is a great opportunity for local residents to compost their household food, low-grade paper, and animal waste and bedding. One a week, the buckets that contain the daily collected waste are brought to the composting facility in Brattleboro.

 

We look forward to see you here in 2013!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Here is a little history lesson about Thanksgiving in honor of the holiday:

Primarily celebrated in the United States and Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday of every October for Canadians and the fourth Thursday in November for Americans. 

It is customarily classified as a secular holiday today, even though it had roots in religion and cultural tradition.

That being said, it is not unusual to participate in prayer before digging into a Thanksgiving feast. This is derived from the prayers of thanks common amongst most religious people after a successful summer harvest. This is interesting to note because harvest in New England (where praying for harvest originated) was finished well before the Thanksgiving date we celebrate now.

“First Thanksgiving” occurred in 1621 when Governor William Bradford of Plymouth colony organized a celebratory feast for the Pilgrims and invited a few Native American allies (including Wampanoag chief Massasoit) after a very successful harvest. It lasted for three days, although the exact menu is unknown. 

Speaking of the menu, most of the Thanksgiving staples we think of today that define the holiday would actually be impossible to prepare back then, including pies and desserts.

It took two years for the next celebration to occur. In 1623, in regards to a long drought that threatened harvest, people gathered together to give thanks for some much needed rainfall. 

 In 1789 GeorgeWashington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation. Before that, Thanksgiving was celebrated very inconsistently and was not recognized in a nationally significant caliber.

New York became the first to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday in 1817 while the American South remained unaware of the tradition for multiple years that followed. 

It wasn't until ten years later that Sarah Josepha Hale, author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” among other things, started her 36 year journey of publishing editorials and letters calling for the establishment of Thanksgiving on a national scale. 

Finally, in 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation unifying the North and the South stating all Americans should give thanks on the last Thursday in November. 

After that, in 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday to what it is today as an attempt to spur retail sales during the bad economic times. 

Canada's origin of Thanksgiving is a little unclear. “There is no compelling narrative of the original of the Canadian Thanksgiving day.”  

 

What little knowledge we do have can be traced back to 1578 when explorer Martin Frosbisher wanted to give thanks for surviving the long and treacherous journey from England to Canada. 

People speculated Canada’s earlier celebration of the holiday was attributed to an early onset of winter in the north, thus having an earlier harvest season.

That being said, there was not a specific date for celebrating harvest until the late 19^th century. Before the Canadian Confederation, many of the individual Canadian provinces would celebrate Thanksgiving at different times per their governor's request.

The first unified Canadian Thanksgiving occurred April 15, 1872 when the nation was celebrating the Prince of Whales’ recovery from a serious illness. 

In 1957, the Canadian Parliament proclaimed Thanksgiving to be officially observed the second Monday of October.

Now we can all say we learned something new today! I certainly didn’t know all of that before! 

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Brattleboro North KOA! We hope you have a truly blessed holiday!

                                               

To KOA or Not to KOA?

People often ask: Why KOA? What are the perks of going to an established KOA campground versus a regular tent or RV campground?

The Martin family visited us in mid-July and gave some great insight on their blog about why a KOA is a preferred outlet for outdoor enthusiasts. We had such a great time with them and want to give them a BIG thanks for choosing us on their cross country journey!

They mentioned having the comforts of home as a perk you will experience at a KOA. We take pride in offering clean, comfortable and well-regulated camp sites; we have consistently sparkling facilities and an experienced staff that anticipates guest’s needs and coordinates age-appropriate activities for all of our campers.

We continually surpass expectations because we survey over 250,000 campers every year to learn where and how we can improve.

Having options helps too! Most KOAs (including BrattleboroNorth KOA) give an option of RV, tent or cabin camping. From no hook ups to full-fledged glamping, we are positive we can accommodate your every need.

Because our friendly staff wear our yellow KOA shirts with pride, we would be happy to help you make your way around our camp grounds as well as guide you in the right direction of local hot spots! Just ask!

We are truly blessed here in Vermont to be situated next to so many beautiful nature trails and hikes. 

We are confident you will find exactly what you are looking for when you choose to stay with us on your next camping trip.

Make sure to follow our friends, the Martin family, as they continue their journey through 16+ states. We look forward to reading more!

Find us on facebook or online to see up to date pictures and events going on in Brattleboro! 

Are You Brave Enough to Take on Vermont’s Haunting Past During Halloween?

Folklore always runs rampant around Halloween time. Whether it be a heightened fascination with the unknown or perhaps a desire to play up your secret fears in honor of the holiday, people are always looking for the “most haunted” or “scariest” location to celebrate in October.

With our first settlers (outside of Native Americans) arriving in 1535, Vermont has a lot of eerie history surrounding it. This gets us worked up and excited to share our most haunted and spooky places nearby to visit before the month’s end.

First on the list would have to be Emily’s Bridge in Stowe. There are various rumors surrounding the haunting of this covered bridge by a young girl named Emily. One story says she fell in love with a young man that she planned to wed and they were to meet at this bridge. When he didn’t show, she hung herself from the rafters. Another version, along the same lines, had Emily in her wedding dress after being left at the alter furiously steering her horse and carriage only to misjudge the turn of the bridge and falling to her demise below. Neither of these has been proven, but for the last 150 years, many people claimed to experience supernatural things near or on the bridge. Cameras consistently malfunction, cars have allegedly been shaken and humans have reported visible, bleeding wounds from an invisible source when going through the bridge during the hours of 12 am to 3 am.

The Wilson Mansion, a haunted castle in Proctor, is another frightful place that offers not only a peculiar experience but also a candid tour of its 32 vacant and unfurnished rooms. Legend has it that this Victorian mansion is home to many resident ghosts and has a history of creepy tales from former owners. It is well-known for its paranormal activity and has recorded EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) from ghost hunters.

There are many other spooky locations in Vermont that have rich history behind them. For more information on places that will chill you to the bone, click here and good luck!

From all of us here at Brattleboro North KOA, we wish you a happy and safe Halloween!

The Ultimate Halloween Adventure in Vermont

We hope everyone is getting in to the Halloween spirit as we get over the first, not-so-daunting part of the month and transcend into the ghoulish, eerie part of October. 

In addition to carving pumpkins and dressing in oversized white sheets roaming the campground, we hope you get the chance to check out the Gaines Farm Haunted Hayride and Haunted Corn Maze. Just twenty minutes away from us, these special events will be sure to spook even the bravest of kids!  The Hay Ride gives you a first-hand look at the creepy history of the Gaines Farm as you get personally escorted on hay-strewn wagons. Be sure to watch out for those lurking creatures who seek “Vengeance in the Valley.”

Be careful which way you turn in the Haunted Maze because one wrong turn could result in a very chilling mistake.  Legend has it the spirit of Lester Kallikak, a neighbor of Gaines Farm that mysteriously disappeared 100 years ago, occasionally haunts the corn maze at night but there is no tangible evidence and most say it’s merely an old wives tale.  

Both of these exciting events run Saturdays and Sundays through the end of the month from 6:30pm-10pm and they offer a discount if you are interested in participating in both events.  If you’d rather opt for a friendlier, less scary activity to do with your kids, the corn maze is ghost free on these days from 11am-5pm.

The seven-acre labyrinth of a corn maze also has games and food on site to spend the afternoon exploring and playing. It’s a great way to get in to the spirit of the season.  No dogs are allowed unless they are service dogs so be mindful of that! For more details, call (802) 257-0409 or just ask us! We’d be happy to guide you in the right direction.

2nd Annual Vintage Trailer Rally

We just finished up our 2^nd Annual Vintage Trailer Rally and boy did we have fun! All makes and models of vintage motorhomes, airstream trailers, teardrop trailers and even a renovated 1996 ambulance!

With over 60 people visiting from surrounding areas during the open house and 14 sites booked for the for the weekend, we got the opportunity to participate in a lot of exciting group activities (and also eat a lot of delicious local food!). On Friday we had a local Vermont cheese and apple meet and greet, Saturday we held an ice cream social and Sunday we sent our authentic visitors on their way with complimentary coffee and donuts.

These rallies always give our guests the opportunity to enjoy our park while meeting new people and building connections; hopefully for future rally attending!

A few of our first time guests had nothing but amazing things to say about their stay. From “Brattleboro KOA’s sparkling clean restrooms” to “our host was awesome and helpful,” we are more than grateful to be so well received by our friends and visitors!

Our next rally is planned for July 19-21, 2013 and we are now accepting reservations. We are considered one of the quainter and “homey” options as far as Vintage Trailer Rallies go, with 40 total sites available but we look forward to booking up quickly so make your reservations today at 800-562-5909.

Looking for Fall Colors

Taking a trip to view the beautiful fall color change? The fall is such a great time in the seasons to view the changing of the foliage. We know that there is a ton of places to see, so we thought we would help. Check out this great map that we found to help you out. Be sure to add your city and state!