Outdoor Activities
St. Johnsbury is home to a magnificent 18-hole golf course at the St. Johnsbury Country Club on Route 5, just a few minutes’ drive north of downtown. The course is semi-private, which means that there are members, but the public is welcome to play there, too. “That suits us well, especially for visitors in the summer,” says Colin Gillies, the new golf pro at the club. “People who are vacationing in the area really enjoy playing a round or two of golf during their visit.”
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And what a round of golf they will play! The St. Johnsbury course is known for its beauty, scenic views, and challenging holes. “It’s a hilly course, with many elevated tees, which makes for beautiful views wherever you go,” says Gillies. “The 17th hole, for example, has a very elevated tee, which gives you a fantastic view of the hole and that section of the course. It’s really spectacular.”
The course has been home to several statewide championships, including the Vermont State Amateur championship and the Mid-Amateur championship (the latter excludes college-age amateurs). In fact, a young man from St. Johnsbury, Trevor Murphy,
is currently making his way onto the professional golf scene, following great success as an amateur. Murphy won the Vermont Open championship last year while still an amateur, and begins his professional career this week in the same tournament. Murphy plans to play a “mini tour” in the Phoenix area this summer, and hopes to play in the PGA tour in the fall. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte last month, helping his team to an eight-place finish in the NCAA tournament.
Local golfer Trevor Murphy
According to Gillies, “It’s remarkable to have someone from northern Vermont do so well in the golfing world. We’re used to skiers coming from this area, not golfers. Everyone at the Country Club is so proud that Trevor is a local guy with ties to the club. His father and grandfather are both members here. We all wish him lots of success.”
The Country Club is host to a number of fundraising events throughout the season, which runs from April through October. Two of the largest events are sponsored by St. Johnsbury Academy and the local Hospice group. There are at least 20 such events throughout the season, and the public is encouraged to join the fun.
The club pro, Colin Gillies, is new to the St. Johnsbury Country Club, but not new to golf. He has been a pro for 25 years, mostly at a semi-private course in Maine. He made the move to St. Johnsbury a few months ago when his old course was sold, and feels the atmosphere here is very comfortable and welcoming. He offers group and private lessons, and is the club’s General Manager. In that role, he is also responsible for the club’s full-service restaurant. The restaurant is open to the public for lunch and dinner and is available for large functions such as weddings and banquets.
To learn more about the Country Club, or to get your tee time, call 802-748-9894.
Head for the Hills!
It’s springtime, and one of the best ways to explore the beautiful rolling hills and vistas of the St. Johnsbury area is on a road bike.
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| Bonnie Bashaw-Cole on her bike |
According to Bonnie Bashaw-Cole, manager of the The Club at Old Mill in St. Johnsbury and a member of the bicycling group there, biking in Vermont is a totally different experience than riding in New Jersey or Florida. “People can ride twice as far in Florida in the same amount of time because there are no hills,” says Bonnie.
But even though the roads are hilly, the St. Johnsbury biking group emphasizes safety. Roads on the bicycle trips are paved and have wide shoulders.
Last year, a small group of about eight local riders started the informal bicycling group that goes on rides every Monday night in biking season, which starts when the snow leaves in late April and continues until daylight savings time comes to an end.
The group has expanded and now there are at least 25 bikers who go on the Monday rides. The rides start at 15 to 20 miles and can lengthen to 30 to 40 miles. They take from an hour and a half to two and a half hours. The St. Johnsbury group also has informal ties to a larger group located in nearby Littleton, NH, and some members of the St. Johnsbury group also join in on the Thursday night Littleton bike rides.
One of the members of the Littleton group, John Ryan, maps out the routes for the St. Johnsbury group. The southern routes leave from the Comfort Inn in St. Johnsbury at about 5:30 p.m. on Monday. The group rides south to Barnet, and sometimes to West Barnet around Harvey’s Lake. Sometimes the group travels to Wells River and comes back on the New Hampshire side through Whitefield.
The northern route taken by the St. Johnsbury riders leaves from the White Market Plaza in Lyndonville. The group takes routes around East Burke, West Burke, Burke Hollow, and Sutton.
Generally, all the bike rides taken by the St. Johnsbury riders are loops, starting and ending at the same location.
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| Spinning at the Club at Old Mill |
Some St. Johnsbury bicyclists love riding so much that they travel around the country for other challenges. This spring, nine St. Johnsbury bicyclists joined almost 30 riders from Littleton for a week-long tour of Virginia. Other St. Johnsbury bicyclists have been even more adventurous, participating in bike trips that go across the country.
Many bicyclists have the time to take longer trips because they are retired or semi-retired. “Some of our strongest riders tend to be older,” says Bonnie. “Some of them are former runners. They’ve found that bike riding is not as hard on the joints.” Bonnie says that bicycle running is great cardiovascular training and really helps the leg muscles.
Bicycling opportunities in the Northeast Kingdom are not limited to the St. Johnsbury area. The Northeast Kingdom Travel and Tourism Agency has a large listing of bicycle activities at its website. You can also request a free Cycling the Northeast Kingdom map at the website or by calling 800-884-8001.
On Saturday, June 14th there is a special “Tour de Kingdom” of the lake region of the Northeast Kingdom. For more information, contact IROC at 802-334-8511.
(photo credits: top photo by Peter Brooks, North Country Bike Tours; photo of Bonnie biking by Tom Allen)
For a comprehensive look at all the great outdoor activities in the St. Johnsbury area, be sure to visit the Northeast Kingdom Travel and Tourism web site.
For more activities in and around St. Johnsbury, please go to our Calendar of Events page.
There is always something for you and your family to do in and around St. Johnsbury. Because the weather changes from season to season, outdoor activities change from spring to summer to fall to winter.
Here is a peek of what you can you expect in every season:
Early spring is Vermont's own Maple Sugaring season, when the maple sap begins to flow and sugarmakers produce the golden liquid for which Vermont is famous. The St. Johnsbury area is home to many farmers who produce the highest quality maple syrup, and they welcome visitors to see how maple syrup is made. St. Johnsbury has often been called "the Maple Center of the World."
Summer in Vermont is a pleasure to behold. Warm sunny days and cool, comfortable evenings allow for never-ending possibilities. Summer is a time for hiking and biking, horseback riding and swimming. Watch for a country fair, farmers market, antique car rally or art show to appear around the next bend. Antique hunting, flea market shopping, casual or elegant dining, summer repertory theatre, and concerts under the stars are offered up for all to enjoy.
Glorious vistas with a backdrop sky of deep blue appear at every turn during the autumn foliage season. Harvest time festivals, farm stands and hayrides provide ample to do. What more enticement does one need to tour the roads around St. Johnsbury?
In the winter, you can visit four ski resorts within an hour’s drive of St. Johnsbury. St. Johnbsury’s “home mountain” is Burke Mountain, only a 20-minute drive from downtown St. Johnsbury. Now owned by the Ginn Company, Burke Mountain is adding more year-round activities to its challenging ski and snowboard trails, including plans for a new golf course and vacation home community. More information about Burke Mountain is available at their web site: http://www.skiburke.com/