By:Marcia Abramson
With my usual grandchild traveling companion, 11-year old Bradley, at sleep away camp, it was my 8-year-old granddaughter, Maris' turn to join me on a short trip to the Equinox Resort in Manchester Village, Vt. I thought that she would enjoy the two and a half hour business class Amtrak train ride to Albany where we would connect with a limousine service for the one and a half hour drive to the Equinox Resort. She did indeed like the cafe car with its deep dish pizzas. The added incentive for business class passengers of all the free soda a child could possibly drink was something grandma could do without. I wondered what ever happened to milk or water to quench one's thirst?
When we arrived at the Equinox Resort, we found ourselves in a charming New England town, with marble paved streets, surrounded by white clapboard buildings more than two centuries old. l was informed by Gary Thulander, the Equinox resort manager and authority of the area, that marble was the principal industry of the 19th century and that there are more than four miles of marble sidewalks throughout Manchester Village. He also told us about the history of the area when the original Equinox hotel was the meeting place for the fathers of the American Revolution going back to 1769. It was the hot bed for the British Tories who met in combat with the Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen's family.
I was happy to plant the seeds of future social studies for my granddaughter. Maris should remember that many American presidents, which included Taft, Grant, Harrison and Teddy Roosevelt, delighted in the scenery and comforts of the Vermont venue. In fact, Mary Todd Lincoln had plans to return to the area with President Lincoln, but John Wilkes Booth, the assassin, had other plans for the President. However, their son Robert Todd Lincoln did build a 24-room mansion, Hildene, as a summer retreat. It is now a museum with many historic artifacts and a 1,000-pipe Aeolian organ and a great place to visit.
Maris on her first trip away from her parents was completely at ease. She was very comfortable in our spacious room, but had little time for the television. On our first evening at the resort, Maris and the other children at the resort were given putting instructions from the golf pro on the putting green at the Gleneagles Golf Course at the Equinox. I can still hear her yelling "Fore" as she missed the hole. But she did enjoy her version of the Clam Bake at the Dormy Grill on the deck of the Golf Course Clubhouse. It consisted of shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad and penne pasta, an ideal children's menu, (her daily dinner) while I feasted on a wonderful New England lobster. The other activities for the children at the resort included instruction in driving a small replica Land Rover with all the obstacles of an off-road driving trail. She was thrilled when she took grandma for a ride. There is also the first Land Rover Driving School for adults on a year-round basis patterned after the "Driving Experience" program in Great Britain. It is programmed for four-wheel enthusiasts and beginners alike. We both enjoyed the driving lesson.
Where else but at the Equinox with its strong roots to the American Revolution could we experience falconry, the ancient sport of kings? This, the first British School of Falconry in this country is located in the picturesque Hildene Meadowlands. A short two-mile drive brought us to the school where we toured the caged area. A huge eagle held court with 15 hawks here. The eagle actually weighed five pounds but looked the size of my 20-pound Thanksgiving bird and the hawks weighed in at under one and a quarter pounds. The weights of the birds are carefully accounted for, because if the bird is underweight or overweight it cannot fly and hunt for prey. Our visit to the falconry school ended with my wearing the falconer's glove with a piece of raw meat in the "v" between my thumb and index finger, and raising my left arm as a welcoming signal for the hawk to land on the glove. The admiring expression on Maris' face when the bird landed on grandma's arm was just wonderful. Even though children under 12 cannot receive the flying birds, they seemed genuinely fascinated by the falconer's demonstrations.
Our trip ended too soon for us to partake of all the other activities at the resort. However, from our experience I can recommend the Equinox Resort as a great family destination all-year round as well as a source of joy for the intergenerational traveler.
You can visit the Equinox online at www.equinoxresort.com or call 800-362-4747.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
E-mail: mascribe@aol.com
