Grafton, Vt., is perhaps the most idyllic Vermont community, in my mind. There's so little here, but, ultimately, this community has everything you could ever want as a Vermont traveler looking for a true getaway -- a classic old inn (the Grafton Inn), a few shops to enjoy (including the phenomenal Grafton Village Cheese), a covered bridge, tree-lined streets to stroll and beautiful southern Vermont mountain views. Unlike some of the fabricated, superficial Vermont towns (you know, restored to look more like an outdoor museum than a real town), Grafton is the real deal. It was so sad for us to hear how the community was greatly damaged by a flood, due to August's Hurricane Irene. Most of the downtown district escaped harm, as the outskirts received the brunt of the violent storm's damaging effects. However, Grafton has made a rapid recovery -- fantastic news for the residents as well as travelers looking for that fall foliage magic in the area. Amazing the community has rebounded so quickly, given the stories we were hearing not too long along from the local and national news.
I recently received an email from Julia Lyon, of People Making Good (a PR firm out of Burlington, Vt.) describing Grafton's comeback:
After experiencing devastating flooding resulting from hurricane Irene, Grafton Village Cheese and the town of Grafton, VT have recovered at an astonishing speed and are in the midst of a spectacular fall foliage season. Grafton Village Cheese has been the maker of world-class artisanal cheddar for over a century, and the creamery is proud to be back to hand-making their traditional cheddars as well as aging their new varieties in the cheese cave.
And here is some additional info Julia sent us on Grafton Village Cheese:
With plenty of time until Vermont’s foliage season begins, Grafton Village Cheese of Grafton, VT has fully recovered from the flooding caused by Hurricane Irene that recently affected the area. The cheese creamery and village of Grafton were able to pull together quickly to rectify any and all damages. Grafton Village Cheese’s retail stores in Brattleboro and Grafton are both open for business. The scheduled milk deliveries are now back in place allowing for both locations to be handmaking cheese, including usage of the cave aging facility at the Grafton location.
The main points of access, Route 35, Route 30 and Route 121 in and out of Grafton, VT are open.
This is just great, great news! We hope you can check out Grafton, Vt. It's a true New England gem of a community, and we're so happy to hear that our New England neighbors up there are doing so much better!
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