Unless you’ve been hiding out in a cave, you know that vacation rentals have gone through the roof since the pandemic. Actually hotel occupancy has surged as well, particularly in resort destinations. (Not so much in big cities.) Many people have tried Airbnb or Vrbo for the first time these past couple of years. Folks have definitely been enjoying the benefit of living in a home (or apartment/condo) away from home while staying within their contained unit.

But now that we’ve all been breaking out of our bubbles far more, many are pondering if renting a vacation home is better than staying in a full-service hotel. Let’s weigh the pros and cons of the key factors that help you to select your place of lodging.

Gary is the map artist!

He's been an artist since the 80s.

If you’ve done any kind of traveling this summer–or talked with someone who has–you know that for many it has been a hellish summer in terms of travel. Initially dubbed the summer of revenge travel, for many, taking revenge on the fact that they have been cooped up by the pandemic has turned out to be an arduous chore. For others, they’re just rolling with the inconveniences of poor service, long lines, crazy high prices, nutty delays and disruptions and a whole litany of woes that require extra patience and coping skills. Let’s face it, even with all of the problems, there’s still a big thrill to traveling. So the next time you consider flying somewhere, consider the below tips.

Katie is the Discovery Map Marketing Manager.

She grew up in Virginia, but now calls Vermont home.

Chris works with Laura in Production and Design.

He is a Vermonter, but spent time in Georgia and Las Vegas.

Whether you’ve packed a picnic and set up your lawn chair at one of the free outdoor music events hosted in communities around the country (around the world in fact) or scored some pricey tickets to see a rockstar at a renowned outdoor music venue such as Red Rocks (in Colorado), Saratoga Performing Arts Center, or SPAC (in New York), Tanglewood (in Massachusetts) or the Hollywood Bowl (in California). Music and summer go together like pretzels and beer. It seems as though this summer especially, it’s all about freedom.

With the worst of Covid behind us and soaring temperatures that command us to spend many a summer night outside, the theme “let freedom ring” seems to be more widespread than ever at the outdoor concert scene. This means more of letting it all hang out in every sense of the word. There’s a lot more skin being bared, much of which is tattooed. There’s no better place to show off your ink than at a summer concert. From skimpy halter tops, to super-short shorts, to teeny-tiny sundresses and long flowing skirts, there’s plenty of eye candy to behold at these venues and that’s not even counting all of the bare-chested brawn.

The day is finally here for us to reveal our new website design! Besides a more modern and simplified design, major differences include:

-Improved and more user-friendly layout
-New eye-catching destination header images
-Modernized fonts and colors that are closer to the map aesthetic
-State and country landing page

Susan is the head of Finance and Administration.

She's a life long Vermonter!

Laura is the Map Production Manager, but has many talents.

"I grew up in a small town outside Grand Rapids, MI and attended Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, where I studied Child Development and Psychology. A self-proclaimed “jack of all trades,” I have acquired experience in a variety of fields including childcare, education, social work, outdoor recreation, summer camps, lifeguarding, and several years as a state park ranger (which is what brought me to Vermont).

Next up is Peter Hans, our CEO!

Peter grew up in Albany, NY.