Discovering the Upper Valley’s hidden gems, inspiring adventures, and local favorites with the LOH family.

Because she’s the founder of Finding Our Stride, a nonprofit that provides after-school running programs, it’s no surprise that Jenny Williams’ Art & Soul recommendations favor an active itinerary, balanced out by a love of good food and music.

What’s playing on repeat
The Revivalists. I saw them down in New Orleans when I went to hear my son play at Jazz Fest.

LOH favorites

  • Lake Street Dive many years ago, because I love that band!
  • Josh Redman from fall of 2024, because he was so wise about the tough political times — he was exactly the voice I needed to hear at that moment.
  • Zach Nugent with the Bob Weir show earlier this spring — I absolutely loved seeing a diverse group of people coming together, and so appreciated the generosity that made that free show possible. I am not really a “Deadhead,” but it was really fun to watch folks lose themselves in the music and the experience.

What gets me moving
There’s an embarrassment of riches with trail running in the Upper Valley. In Norwich, VT, there’s Parcel 5 on Beaver Meadow Road that’s like the gateway drug. It’s a 3.5-mile loop, and you can add on and branch off. It’s hilly. You can run it, hike it, whatever. It’s dog-friendly. And because you’re just making a circle, you won’t get lost.

Shopping local
If I’m buying a bike, I love Omer and Bob’s in Lebanon, NH. There’s also a thing called Cowbell Mobile Bike Shop. He’s a roving bike mechanic. The owner, Todd, will come to your house or wherever, bring your bike into his van, and tune it up or fix it. He’s awesome

Favorite place to eat
I love good food. My favorite is Santé in Woodstock, VT. The food is creative, and it’s locally sourced. It’s varied with really fresh ingredients. Great cocktails, and the vibe is just so cool. I can only get a table there at 5:30 because they quickly get booked, but I don’t care. I’ll go blue plate special.

The local word
Daybreak is amazing. It’s an Upper Valley email newsletter that’s always showing you new stuff. It talks about what’s on tap locally: weekly events, the best hiking trails, restaurant reviews, and cultural stuff. It’s an amazing resource and it tries to make it upbeat.

Supporting diversity in the arts
We support LOH because we believe in the power of the arts to help bring people with diverse backgrounds and views together in a joyful way and help them process difficult issues. We especially love the LOH focus on barrier-free programming, and programming which highlights LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists and experiences.


Share your recommendations on what makes the Upper Valley great!

LOH launched the Art & Soul Ambassadors campaign as an effort to shine a spotlight on the people, places, and things that make life in this community interesting, unique, and rewarding. Now, we’re looking for more people to join in.

The campaign will appear in LOH’s social media channels, emails, and other outlets regularly throughout the year.

Ready to share? Just fill out this form.