PERFECT MATCH
Moose Meadow Lodge Treehouse
When Willie Docto and Greg Trulson arrived in Waterbury, Vermont in 1996, the village was primarily associated with the Vermont State Hospital for the Insane, or Waterbury Asylum, from 1890. Having relocated from D.C. to start a new life in hospitality, the couple heard about the institution from the painters working on their B&B, Moose Meadow Lodge & Treehouse (www.moosemeadowlodge.net). “They said Waterbury was where their parents threatened to send them if they misbehaved,” recalls Docto. “It was part of the village’s reputation.”
Waterbury was, according to Docto, more of a pass-through for travelers bound for the area’s quartet of world-class ski resorts, including historic Stowe. The Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory opened here in 1986 and has since become Vermont’s single leading visitor attraction.
“We discovered Waterbury when I was offered a contract opportunity in nearby Essex Junction,” says Trulson, then a computer systems architect with IBM. “But our real dream, inspired by our travel and hospitality experiences together, was innkeeping.”
In 1998, they unveiled their Adirondack style-luxury log home haven. Set on 86 secluded hilltop acres, it’s truly a dream realized. Featuring Trulson’s masterful woodwork throughout, the property offers four luxurious rooms in the main house; the glass-walled Sky Loft at the property’s summit, available for overnight camping; and added in 2013, the private two-story, four-person Treehouse.
Moose Meadow Lodge
For LGBTQ tourism especially, their arrival was a classic example of being in the right place at the right time. “Two years after we opened, Vermont passed the landmark Civil Union law, becoming the first state to legally recognize civil unions for same-sex couples,” says Trulson. “For us, that presented a ready opportunity to host LGBTQ weddings and civil marriages, which continues to help put Moose Meadow, and Vermont, on the map.”
The couple has also delivered lasting tourism-driven economic impact through their respective leadership
roles. “In 2001, the year Wille and I married, I became a justice of the peace,” continues Trulson. “As an elected position in Vermont, this allows me to officiate weddings around the state. Averaging 60 ceremonies a year at Moose Meadow and elsewhere, it’s one way we attract visitors and attention, including hosting the nation’s first gay military wedding in 2011, immediately following the repeal of the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy. Many other Vermont inns and B&Bs list me as a preferred vendor, too.”
Moose Meadow Lodge Bedroom
Docto’s significant roles include founding and leading the Vermont Gay Tourism Association (VGTA), incorporated in 2003. “That led to then Governor Peter Shumlin appointing me to the Vermont Travel and Recreation Council, with subsequent reappointment by current Governor Phil Scott,” says Docto, who remains on VGTA’s board and serves as treasurer. “For several years, I also served as President of the Waterbury Tourism Council, which now operates as Revitalizing Waterbury, focused on economic development and tourism.”
Recognized by the state as the official “go-to” for promoting LGBTQ tourism in Vermont, Docto also produces Vermont festivals, concerts, and events through his association management company. As a professional classical violinist, he performs in the Vermont Philharmonic. He also founded the Eleva Chamber Players, Central Vermont’s only professional string chamber orchestra, with Trulson as treasurer. Their efforts have gone far in advancing the region’s destination appeal.
Willie Docto and Greg Trulson
“I believe that our activities, along with the legislative changes and expansion of Waterbury’s visitor offerings, have had a snowball effect, with symbiotic benefits for the entire region and Vermont itself,” says Docto. “Counting several other LGBTQ-owned businesses and offering open-arms hospitality to LGBT visitors, Waterbury’s identity has significantly changed since we arrived. Along with Ben & Jerry’s, there’s a strong specialty food manufacturing base, including the Cabot Cheese Annex and Cold Hollow Cider Mill. Harking back to Central Vermont Railroad days, which brought economic growth and tourism in the mid-1800s, our beautifully restored historic Waterbury Train Station, still served by Amtrak, forms part of the corporate headquarters of Keurig Green Mountain, formerly Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Opened in 2003, Alchemist Brewery spearheaded the growth of a local craft industry that earned Waterbury “best beer town in New England” recognition from the Boston Globe in 2012. Playing our part in the revival is richly rewarding, and after 20 years, we are having more fun than ever.”
