great river outfitters & the path of life garden

This place was recommended to us as an alternative to skiing one of the days. We loved it. we went snowshoeing, had some great hot chocolate and took amazing pictures... Had lunch at the Harpoon Brewery as the Concierge at our hotel recommended us! it was fantastic!! great sleigh rides as well!!!

We went snowshoeing here as a family. Our three year old grandson was able to snowshoe and so was my almost eight month pregnant daughter. It is a memorial to life that was very moving and serene.

We had come to Artisans Park to visit the Harpoon Brewery, but were really happy to stumble onto the Path of Life Garden. Walking through the garden was a very peaceful, contemplative experience, and it was a welcome place to relax and think.

Located on the banks of the Connecticut River 18 works of art fill a 14-acre field with symbols which signify our collective journey through life. Like life, it can be joyful, deliciously fun or earth-shatteringly mournful. The day my friend and I visited, we were the only folks there and took our time to let each exhibit work its way into our conscious. Some of the installments are interactive and I know we enjoyed "playing" with them, so I can just imagine how much kids would enjoy this place, too.

We did a large family tubing trip on the river and had a great time. A bit more expensive than a place we usually go to but this place has a great set-up, good equipment and transport, and also nice that you finish next to a brewery! We are coming back next year!

I loved it there! The most Spiritual place I have been to in a long time. I will be going back! I mostly enjoyed Contemplation I sat on the stump for a while taking in the air and the beauty

This sculpture garden walk is awesome! It's a beautiful, natural walk through all of life's stages. We had a great time exploring and talking about life as we went. There is something for everyone, and I highly recommend taking your family here for an afternoon! Btw, it's right next to the Harpoon Brewery...

If you happen to find yourself visiting the Upper Valley of Vermont/New Hampshire, do add to your sightseeing list The Path of Life Garden in Windsor, VT. Over 4 acres of hillside are covered with 18 sculptures and a huge hemlock maze. The sculptures relate to stages of life and encourage reflection. It is perfect for children to run about and they will especially like the maze at the center. Other attractions within Artisans Park include the Harpoon Brewery and a wonderful store selling almost all products made in VT. The cheeses and soft maple ice-cream were great! As the Park sits right on the Connecticut River, there is an opportunity to go kayaking or canoeing along the river. Don't miss it!

This "complex" of artisan/businesses is really a gem. There are crafters, the wonderful gardens, HARPOON BREWERY, SILO DISTILLERY, great parking, walking paths, oh, and a world class glassblower works, AND a fine pottery artist's production center. THIS IS A MUST STOP HERE ATTRACTION!

We happened across the Path of Life garden on our way up to Santa's Village in NH. We just toured the garden, but would definitely come back to do one of the guided river trips. This place is sooooo cool. It's a very different experience as you walk through the symbolic phases of life. Bring a picnic lunch, and there are places to sit and enjoy the scenery, OR head down to the river to sit on the rocks. Clean bathrooms and a cool little gift shop before you enter the garden, and there's also a Harpoon brewery next door we must get back to! Overall, highly recommended.

What a wonderful, beautiful, thoughtful and joy-filled Garden! We really enjoyed our time there walking down the paths to see each of the stages/stations that have been carefully and artfully planned. Eating blueberries(straight from the plant) in the section on joy that comes after forgiveness was just amazing. We highly recommend bringing a picnic, a journal, friends to talk with and also be silent with and your heart and mind for this wonderful garden!

We took our family of six adult kids, plus 2 spouses, for a mini family reunion. Had a fabulous time kayaking and camping! We started the day by kayaking down the CT river. The owners, Craig and Nicki, were wonderfully accommodating and friendly. They ensured all our needs were met, and that we had everything we needed in our camp. The river was slow the day we went, and we really had to do a lot of paddling to get anywhere, but it was a beautiful day and it was a lot of fun just the same. We brought lunch and found a little beach to eat on. After kayaking we were met by Nicki. She loaded the kayaks and took us back to the camp site. The camp site was right in the path of life garden. We had the entire place to ourselves! And our family of 10 occupied both teepees!! We had cots and sleeping bags, and brought sheets and pillows from home. Amazingly, we were quite comfortable sleeping on the cots--maybe it's because we were exhausted from paddling all day! The only thing I would say about the teepees, is they were a bit moldy in spots and I was worried the odor was going to bother me, however it was fine and after a bit the slight smell dissipated. There was an area were we were able to build a bonfire, and we spent a couple of hours sitting around it playing games. Since we were there on a Monday night, the Harpoon Brewery closed at 6, so we're not able to eat dinner there, but did enjoy a beer. I am not a camper, but really enjoyed this place, and would highly recommend it! Our family enjoyed it is well, and it was perfect for getting away and just spending time with each other.

This is the best place to have a family reunion. This will be our 5th year camping out with all of your family and friends. It is a weekend we all look forward to every year. The owners are great and help you out any way they can. One of the BEST parts is that Harpoon Brewery is only 50 feet away for the camping area and they have a full restaurant with great beer and food. If you have time you should take a tour of the brewery.

I visited the Path of Life Garden with my husband and toddler in mid-July 2014. It is a sculpture/nature garden that walks you through the lifespan of human experience, from birth through death and all of the stages in the middle. It was so lovely and peaceful that it actually brought tears to my eyes by the time I entered the respite/contemplation section. And the walk, and what you see on the walk, really reflected the essence of the different stages of life - from the maze of hedges with a bell in the middle (toddlerhood - and my "real life" toddler laughed and ran and had a blast in the maze!) to a hill of ambition where you could go to the top or around it (middle adulthood) to a peaceful respite hammock that you could easily pass but the careful and thoughtful get to pause and savor the benefits. I loved this place! After the walk, go and refresh yourself with a local beer at the Harpoon Brewery which is right next door. I can't comment on the rest of the outfitters as we did not use any other services besides the garden, but I asked a few questions and the staff seemed knowledgeable and organized. Do yourself a favor and GO TO THIS GARDEN!!!!! You won't regret it! One more thing - the walk is a bit long (but not too long - good exercise...) so be sure to bring water on a hot day.

I called three different kayak companies in the area and this one seemed the best. My boyfriend and I scheduled a double kayak and arrived on time. We received a briefing on the temperature, wind and water flow conditions and they also talked us visually through a map of the river to discuss drop off and pick up points and possible stop off point for beach time/lunch on the island. We were also provided Personal Floatation Devices (life jackets), paddles and a sealable bag for our items that we didn't want to get wet. There was lots of room in the kayak so we could bring a lunch and anything else we wanted for the day. Once we arrived at the drop off location, we were shown how to efficiently paddle and what to do and not to do in the kayak. We were dropped off just below a set of waterfalls which was a great place to take pictures. The kayaking was very easy as the water was moving very steadily. There were bald eagle nests to see along the river banks. We did the 12 mile route and we finished just before the longest covered bridge in the U.S. We were able to get beautiful pictures, and our driver let us get out near the bridge and take some close-ups as well. Once back, we toured through the Path of Life Garden. This is definitely a "must-see." If you have time, the Harpoon Brewery and a restaurant/store is in the same parking area. The restaurant/store has lots of varieties of cheese, cider, jams and maple syrup to sample. Outside the restaurant/store, there are grass courts for the children and adults to play badminton and other types of games. Absolutely a fun and relaxing day!