Directions to 218 Birch Knoll Road, Rutland Town, Vermont

From the south: take I-91 north to exit 6. The signs will say, variously, Chester, Ludlow, Rockingham, Rutland and Rt 103. Off the exit turn left onto Rt 103. Go into Chester (maybe 5-7 miles). Watch your speed in Chester. You really need to go the posted speed limit here.

After passing 2 diners on your left and the first junction for Rt 11 on your right, you’ll soon come to another junction that takes 103 to the right (across from St. Joseph’s RC Church). Turn right and continue on 103 through Ludlow (10-15 minutes).

A mile or so after leaving Ludlow (again, watch your speed here), you’ll come to the junction of 103 and Rt 100 North. Turn right onto 100 and stay here for close to 15 miles. It’ll seem like it never ends, but you’ll pass some beautiful lakes on your right, so it’s worth it. In the winter look for the ice shanty communities.

At the end, you’re at a T-junction with Rt 4 (blinking light), you’re in West Bridgewater. Turn left onto Rt 4 West. You’ll be on this for close to 15 miles again, but soon after you get on 4, you’ll pass Church of Our Saviour, the Episcopal Church at Mission Farm. You can see it through the trees on your right as you drive by. Very photogenic.

Landmarks on the way on Rt 4 after the church, in order: Kokopelli Inn and then Aspen East on your right, Killington Center (Killington Access Road on your left) and jct. of 4 and 100; you’ll go over Sherburne Pass and come down with Pico on your left; as you continue on Rt 4, look for various motels, Cortina Inn on your right, Econolodge on your right, Sugar and Spice Restaurant on your right. 
 

When you pass the meadow that abuts Sugar and Spice, you’ll take the very next right, onto Park Lane. If you pass the Mendon Country Store (at that turn), you’ve gone just too far and will need to turn around. Go almost exactly 1 mile on Park Lane and turn right onto Post Road Extension. This is a very sharp and sloped turn, has a Dead End sign.

Go past a couple of houses and turn right onto Birch Knoll. Drive up the hill and all the way to the end. We’re the last house on the right (a long ranch, stone-colored with green shutters and roof). There’s a big green mailbox in a whiskey barrel (we inherited it …) at the top of the driveway.

From the north: take I-91 to I-89 interchange at White River Junction. Take Exit 1 on I-89, the Woodstock/Rutland exit, and turn left off exit onto Rt 4 East. Go all the way through Quechee (over Quechee Gorge, the Grand Canyon of the East), through Woodstock, and Bridgewater. From West Bridgewater – the blinking light at the junction of Rts 100 and 4 – follow directions above.

Alternative from the north and south, coming only on I-89: Turn right off exit onto Rt 107 and go 4-5 miles into the village of Bethel. Watch for signs for junction of Rts 107 and 12. Rt 12 goes straight, but you need to turn left. This is a 3-way intersection, but it’s very difficult to see what’s coming from the left, so be very careful. Go under the trestle bridge and continue on Rt 107 until the junction of Rt 100. Bear left here onto 100 South. Stay on Rt 100 until you reach the junction of Rts 4 and 100. Turn right onto Rt 4 West and follow directions from Killington and Sherburne Pass above.

From Whitehall, NY and the west: Take Rt 4 East to junction of Rt 7 north. Go through Rutland City (several miles) – going straight (but move out of right-hand lane) through junction with Business Route 4 West and East (this is the junction that has CVS on your left, Walgreens on your right, in dueling digital signage)– until you come to the traffic light immediately after Mr. Twitters on your left and its purple picket fence. At this traffic light turn right onto Post Road.

Continue on Post Road, going or bearing left at both forks in the road, each of which takes you back to Route 4 East. You’ll be on Post Road for almost 2 miles.

At the second fork you’ll bear left (it’s actually more going straight) onto Post Road Extension, which has a “Dead End Road” sign. After passing the second house (yellow) and an empty lot on your right, you’ll come to Birch Knoll Road and turn right. Go all the way up the short hill to the end of the road. As noted above, we’re the last house on the right, a big green mailbox in a whiskey barrel at the top of the driveway. Welcome!

Please call 802-773-1422 if more specific directions are needed or while you’re in transit. MapQuest.com and the others do pretty good maps. While their directions aren’t always completely accurate, they do provide more specific mileages, so you might want to check them too.

Lodging elsewhere is necessary at this point (though I hope that will change soon), but breakfast and/or other meals are available here, as are space to write and generate ideas, paths in the woods to wander, birds to watch. Shopping, cultural events, library, worship, excellent restaurants, tourist attractions, schools and colleges are less than 10 minutes away; skiing and hiking are 15 minutes away. Area lodging is plentiful, and the price range is extensive and seasonal.

This advisory should be noted: This household is owned and operated by 5 cats and a large, very sweet and very intelligent dog. If you are allergic and can take medication, please be sure to bring it with you. As clean as we try to keep things, it is impossible to get every little hair or bit of dander. Our animals love people and are very sociable. It goes without saying that service dogs are welcome, but if you have a well-behaved, socialized dog of any size or occupation, she or he is welcome here too, if you provide the food. I apologize that we cannot accommodate more cats.

No hunting, firearms or ATVs/snowmobiles are allowed here, but please bring your camera. Except for Mud Season and early Spring, the paths through the woods are delightful to wander among. This is a sanctuary of 3.5 acres, and the creatures and creation thank you for your gentleness and thoughtfulness. Depending on the time of year you might surprise the resident flock of turkeys or small herd of deer, smell the bear scat (there's an experience!), watch the red salamanders race across the leaf litter, glimpse the Pileated woodpecker or see a barred owl, watch the hummingbirds, listen for the Canada geese coming home or going south, smell the sweetness of newly-mowed hay on a warm summer night.

ADA accessibility: We are moderately accessible and can probably arrange to be more so with advance notice. Please call for details. No alcohol or smoking on the premises, please, although you may smoke outside with careful disposal due to the proximity of the woods. Please refrain from wearing scented perfumes, deodorants, shampoos, colognes, aftershaves, and the like. Just as I and others have environmental sensitivities so does the earth: no toxic cleaning products are used here -- baking soda and vinegar are the primary cleansers, with the exception of dishwasher liquid with a little bleach for sanitary purposes -- and unscented laundry detergent.
 

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