New England Trip: Vermont

So, here we are, the last leg of our amazing New England trip! And Vermont did not disappoint.

Day 7: A scenic drive to our last destination

On this beautiful Saturday morning, we left for Vermont and spent most of the day sight seeing and stopping for the scenery which was incredible. I will say that while Maine seemed to be a couple of days before peek, New Hampshire seemed to be in peak, that Vermont seemed to be a couple of days past peak season. But it was actually glorious to see it all in full swing, more beautiful than any color we’ve ever seen! Here are just a few shots from our drive.

On our way into Vermont, we had to do our usual “find a coffee shop” thing and we stumbled on The Three Bears Country Barn in Wells River. It was adorable! The sweet owner had her Daddy’s old truck out front decorated for Halloween and fall, had pie pumpkins for sale, and inside the store was not only coffee but wares from local artists and vendors from jams and jellies to pottery and more. It was a lovely visit and we left there with a gift or two!

We finally arrived in Stowe, our final destination, and learned they were having a fall festival the weekend we were there. It was crowded but not unbearable and our lodge was only a few blocks from downtown. After we got there, we walked around downtown and shopped and for lunch, we stopped in a place called Piecemeal Pies. Y’all, we’re not talking good ol’ southern pies, we’re talking good ol’ British Pies! And when I saw the menu, I will say as finicky as I am, I almost backed out, but the line there was telling us it was worth it. Our meals were DELICIOUS and the staff was so friendly, we loved it!

We shopped some more and then went back to our lodging at Field Guide Lodge and let me just tell you – this place was our favorite lodging of the trip and it made it hard to leave! It was fun and quirky and woodsy and quaint, the staff was amazing, there were several fireplaces and lots of cozy sitting areas. They also had a newly renovated bar where they served small plates at dinner and we wound up having dinner there both nights, it was just so convenient and comfortable. We did not regret that one bit!

Day 8: Our last full day of the trip

We are early risers, as in we were up by 4:30 or 5 a.m. even before hotel coffee, lol, so we set off to find the one coffee shop that was open nearby. It was just across the street and it was wonderful! It was the Woodland Baking & Coffee shop, filled with yummy fresh baked goods and delicous coffee and by the time they opened, there was a line waiting. Oddly enough, we met a couple getting out of their car who had come to Stowe for a weekend getaway and couldn’t find a room so they had slept in their car outside the coffee shop! Well, if I had to sleep in my car, it sounds like the perfect spot to wake up to!

spent our last fully day lounging slowly and happily at the Lodge, enjoying their breakfast, and lots of coffee, before finally wandering off to downtown Stowe again to get a sweatshirt and tee, a hat, and some other things. It was simply a beautiful, cool, crisp fall day and I felt like we were in a Hallmark movie! For lunch, we stopped in at a place that stayed so busy but was well worth the wait, The Bench. The hostess wasn’t the friendliest but the server was wonderful and the food was delicious. They are famous for their mac & cheese and I had their buffalo chicken mac & cheese, delicious!

After a big lunch and shopping, we again relaxed at our lodge, taking it all in before our next day flying home, and we were two happy campers hanging around a dreamy lodge, eating a light dinner, and relaxing.

Day 9: Travel day home

Thankfully our flight was after lunch on the last day so we took our time lounging AGAIN in the lobby with coffee, reading, and just soaking in the last moments. As we finally headed out, we took in more gorgeous scenery, and wanted to find one more coffee shop. We stopped in Burlington, Vermont, at Kru Coffee downtown. It was in an old corner vintage building, quirky cute, lots of places to sit, and we loved it. Right up our alley and our final stop before the airport!

Speaking of which, I don’t usually comment about airports, but the one in Burlington, Vermont was such a breath of fresh air compared to all the others we’ve been in. Small, easy to navigate, and kind of … adorable… for an airport!

So guys, there’s the last of our trip!! I want to add a couple of comments and lessons learned here. First of all, we made the conscious decision as we started the trip that we were not going to try to cram in every sight seeing stop we could every day. We wanted to relax, do a couple of highlights a day, wander and stop if we chose to, but to just relax and enjoy the scenery… or smell the roses, if you will! We are both so thankful we took that approach because we were so much more relaxed and just the driving and colors and eating in randome places and lounging in great places was amazing. Are there places we want to return to? Yes! And we will, it’s another trip, but this one was perfect doing it the way we did it.

A packing tip I’d give myself is to pack more casual wear like leggings, tennis shoes, comfy jeans, even hiking shoes. I took too many ‘cute’ clothes, lol, and felt overdressed on many of our excursions. That was my only regret but even that was not a big one!

We are so thankful for this trip and would do it all over again!