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Vermont fall road trip: Mount Peg & Grout Pond (day 4)

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Me looking out at the view from Mount Peg’s summit

October Sunday mornings in Vermont are crisp & quiet. Joseph & I drove through the bright orange, red & yellow leaves, both of us too in awe by their beauty to break the silence with conversation. There is something magical about Vermont in the fall that seems to evade any description. Words simply aren’t enough to capture its beauty.

Our first stop was Mount Peg. While the weather had been cold all weekend, Sunday was particularly frigid. We bundled up in our warmest hiking gear & then began the walk up through the trees to the summit.

The hike to the top from Woodstock is quick & only moderately challenging. Soon enough, the trees parted to reveal a stunning view of the town below. We sat together on a rustic wood bench, breathing heavy from the exertion of the climb & the unbelievable beauty of the view. Mountains painted in a rainbow of warm colors & dotted with small, white homes rolled across the landscape. Above us, birds soared with the wind. In the distance, we could just make out the familiar neat rows of pine trees, the hallmark trait of a Christmas tree farm. 

Me & Joseph at the summit of Mount Peg

When we finally were able to tear ourselves away from the view, we hurried back down the mountain, stomachs rumbling. It was time for breakfast. We drove to The Skinny Pancake, a popular spot for good reason. We had to wait about an hour to be seated, but it was well worth it. There were an array of crepes to choose from, & each option sounded even more delicious than the last. We finally settled on a cheesy Veggie Monster Crepe for me, a Pulled Pork Crepe for Joseph, & a Hot Apple Crumble Crepe that was topped with a cold scoop of vanilla ice cream to share. On the side, we shared the most delicious waffle cut sweet potato fries I have ever tasted, which we dipped in ketchup & sweet Vermont maple syrup. To finish out the meal, we ordered a latte & americano, which were served to us in large, round mugs topped with foam art.

Stomachs more than satisfied, we headed back to the car for an afternoon of leaf peeping. The sky had been cloudy all day, but as we stopped to soak in the view, the sun made an appearance for just a moment, spilling golden light over the landscape & bathing the leaves in yellow. It seemed there was somewhere to stop every other minute. The views along Kelley Stand Road were especially beautiful. It took us far longer than it should have to make our way down the lane – we were too arrested by the view to go any faster. 

After we finished our drive, we headed to Grout Pond for a hike around the water. The trail itself was a few steps away from the most beautiful views of the pond, & the clouds above unfortunately kept us hurrying forward. We did not want to get caught in another rainstorm like we had a few days ago. But we enjoyed the cool air in our lungs & the conversation that kept us moving forward. 

Me hiking around Grout Pond

It was nearly dark by the time we finished our hike. We stopped by an odd little town on our way to our Airbnb & bought pot pies to make for dinner. Then we drove the hour to a small campground, where we would be staying in a trailer for the evening. As I prepared dinner, Joseph started a small campfire & got out our s’mores fixings ready. We opened some wine & toasted the perfect weekend in Vermont, which was, unfortunately, nearly over now. Seated by the campfire, gazing up at the stars while roasting marshmallows, I remember experiencing that same magical feeling overtake me. There was something special about Vermont that I just couldn’t seem to grasp. But I knew it was the kind of magic you only experience once in a while, & instead of dreading when it’s going to leave you, it’s meant to be savored for every moment you exist within it. 

Now looking back, I still can’t quite put my finger on what was so magical about Vermont. The leaves were unlike any I had ever seen before – the colors were vibrant & stunningly bright against the landscape, but I don’t think that is where the magic came from. There is a rich history to the place as well, & it excited me to walk across a landscape I knew so many long ago had also traversed. But still, I don’t think that was what the magic came from. The people were pleasant & seemed to love their home just as much as I loved visiting, but still, the source of the magic seems to be evading me.

It was something deeper. There seemed to be an energy around the place that beckoned people to come, sit back for a while & appreciate the view. And maybe it was just that – the way we were forced to slow down a little & just admire the beauty of this place. And perhaps the finality of the moment, the knowledge that these colors had just appeared & would soon be disappearing to be replaced with dreary cold, was what made them even more spectacular. 

I wonder if that magical feeling would return if I took a step back from the busyness of life more often & just appreciated the view. If I took notice to the things that will only be here for a moment, & instead of feeling sad about that fact, I appreciated the beauty of endings, perhaps the finality of life would make it more special instead of sad. 

I wonder if the magic actually lives within us all, if we are just as beautiful & magnificent as the views I was admiring in Vermont, & all it takes to bring it out in each of us is a recognition of just how special we are. 

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Vermont fall road trip: Quechee & Woodstock (day 3)

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Me on the Pogue & Mount Tom Trail

What comes to mind when you think of Vermont? Is it local cheese & maple syrup from freshly tapped trees? Is it covered bridges & tall white churches against a backdrop of brightly colored fall leaves? Or maybe its hot apple cider & Ben & Jerry’s ice cream? 

When I was planning our road trip to Vermont, I tried to include every quintessential Vermont thing I could think of. Local cheese? Check. Maple syrup? Of course! Leaf peeping & driving back roads with enchanting covered bridges? Absolutely! With so much to do & only a few days to visit, our activities were scheduled back-to-back each day with little room in between. But, honestly, after a few years of traveling with Joseph, an active trip that has us scrambling to keep up with our pre-planned schedule is pretty typical.

We started our day early in the morning at the Quechee Gorge. You can see the gorge below from a short bridge that connects the road from one side to the other. But its only a short, easy walk down to the bottom & the view from there is spectacular. Quechee Gorge is the perfect spot to visit in autumn – the water is so still, the reflection of fall trees & bridge above looks like a watercolor landscape painting. Unfortunately, a view this good has to be popular – be prepared to snap a quick photo & then step aside because every onlooker wants their turn. 

Quechee Gorge

Because of all the other visitors, we decided not to stall our morning any longer & continue on to our next activity. We drove through quaint towns & underneath covered bridges to Sugarbush Farm, a three-generation family-owned farm that makes waxed cheeses & pure maple syrup. 

“I love all the old looking churches – it’s a vibe,” Joseph said as we drove, which is the most Generation Z thing I have ever heard my husband say. I couldn’t help but laugh at his comment, but what he said was true. It seemed like there was the same white church on every corner, overlooking a valley of brightly colored trees, begging for a quintessential Vermont photo to be taken.

When we arrived at the farm, we walked first through the Maple Nature Trail, a short loop that explains how maple syrup is made & is fun for adults & children alike. Next, we stopped at the shop, where we had the opportunity to sample the farm-made cheeses & maple syrups. It was probably the most delicious marketing scheme I have ever taken part of. We were ushered from person to person, tasting samples that delighted our taste buds while we went. And then, just as we were growing disappointed that the experience was nearly over, we were corralled with the other visitors into the farm’s shop, which had all the cheese flavors & tasty maple treats one could ever hope for. We bought far more than we probably needed & then made our way back to our car, stomachs grumbling & eager for more.

It was only a short drive until we found a good spot to set up our picnic – a wooden table overlooking the trees. We eagerly unwrapped our goodies & shared some local sausage, cheese, & maple fudge. It was more than enough food, & soon we were both lounging happily, stomachs & taste buds satisfied.

But there was no time to rest. We made a short stop for coffee at Abracadabra Coffee Company before heading to the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park. We took a quick peek around the museum & stopped outside the farm museum, where we were happily greeted with free cups of local strawberry & chocolate milk (from the pink & brown cows, of course). Then we pulled on our hiking gear & started our trek up the Pogue and Mount Tom Trail.

Me looking out at the view from the Pogue & Mount Tom Trail

The hike was beautiful & not overly challenging, with great views of Woodstock & the valley below & a relaxed stroll around a lake. The hike back down is a little more difficult – I would definitely recommend hiking boots for climbing down the rocks. But there are cables all the way down to help keep you stable as you hike.

Once at the bottom, we drove to Woodstock. We were lucky enough to slide in a quick reservation at Dr Coburns Tonic, a locally owned restaurant that serves American cuisine. While we waited, we perused the shops &, of course, walked under the covered bridge on the outside of town a few times.

Despite not having the highest reviews, Dr Coburns Tonic was a great choice for dinner. There were an array of delicious cocktails to choose from, & after our first taste of the Hard Apple Cider & Pumpkin Spice Martini, we realized the bartender had a rather heavy hand that made just one drink quite enough. For dinner, we figured we couldn’t go wrong with sandwiches. I ordered the Portobello Panini, which was a hot, melty sandwich with a thick mushroom slice, mozzarella cheese, roasted red peppers, & a creamy, earthy pesto. Joseph ordered a Pulled Pork Sandwich & seemed just as pleased at the end of his meal.

Stomachs full, we drove the hour to our Airbnb, a quaint inn with four poster beds & vintage couches. We laid back, exhausted from our day of adventuring but already growing excited for what the next day would bring. 

A covered bridge in Woodstock, VT

Vermont is everything I expected it to be. At every turn is another covered bridge, a sign for local maple syrup or apple cider donuts, or a back road offering beautiful views of the fall leaves. When I was planning our trip, I was worried by the end that the activities I had planned might start losing their magic. I mean, how often can you rave over local maple syrup before it starts to taste the same as what you could buy from any supermarket? 

But Vermont hasn’t lost its magic. In fact, I have found something rather comforting & homey in the chilly, mountain air. And it has shown me, despite how much we value the unexpected, unique & exciting, there is something so beautiful & comforting in the predictable.

I feel I always try to do new things in my life. I strive to be unique & unexpected. I think many of us do. But there is something so comforting in knowing who to call when something good or bad happens in your life, & you know they will be there. There is a hominess when we spend time with the people we love, & we laugh when they tell the same story for the fifteenth time, but really, we would miss the ritual if they never told that story again. And at the end of a trip, there is a comfort in returning to our homes, where everything has its place, our bed still holds our shape, & the blanket we love most is draped over the couch for a cozy day of reading.

There is nothing wrong with the predictable. Especially in life, when anything could happen at any time, there is something about this first trip to Vermont, in all of its beautiful predictability, that feels much like coming home. 

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Vermont fall road trip: Burlington & Stowe (days 1-2)

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Me walking beneath a covered bridge in Stowe, VT

“If a year was tucked inside a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour.”

– Victoria Erickson

There is something special about October. The air gets cool & crisp. The leaves fade into vibrant hues of reds, oranges & yellows. There are brightly colored mums & creepily carved faces in pumpkins on every doorstep. It’s nature’s last show of its beauty & color before everything lies dormant in the winter, & it’s always a spectacular finale.

Despite living on the east coast for all of my life, I have never ventured north to see the leaves change. There has always been too much on the calendar, & before I know it, the leaves have already browned & died & the cold winter weather has arrived. This year, I was determined to not let another fall slip by unnoticed. So, shortly after arriving home from our trip to Montana, Joseph & I picked a weekend, booked a few Airbnbs, & began planning the ultimate Vermont road trip. 

The drive up to Vermont was long & uneventful. I always underestimate how long it takes to drive along the east coast. The states are so much smaller than their western counterparts, but somehow it seems to take just as long to get across them. It was nearly 8:00 by the time we arrived at the Church Street Marketplace in Burlington. We stretched our stiff limbs & hurried out into the night, eager to get in a little exploring before the day was fully over.

Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, VT

Lucky for us, it seemed the marketplace was just beginning to wake up for a long night of fun. Burlington is a popular college town full of cute shops & mouth-watering restaurants. We were unwilling to wait or spend a fortune on food our first night, so we settled to eat at Petit Bijou Kiosk, a little cart set up across the street from the Parisian restaurant Leunig’s Bistro that featured pastries, coffees, sandwiches, salads & other grab-&-go options. We ordered two sandwiches, which unfortunately were pre-made & cold, & truffle fries with pesto, which were the definite highlight of the meal. Stomachs satisfied after hours of driving, we headed up the lane, dipping into cute shops & admiring the lights that were strung across the trees. Before heading out, we stopped at Lake Champlain Chocolates for some truffles & maple chocolates. It was the perfect pick-me-up for the hour-and-a-half long drive to our Airbnb.

The following day, we headed out early, excited to get a head start on the day’s adventures. Unfortunately, it seemed the weather was not as eager for our visit as we were. We drove nervously underneath the dark, gray skies, hoping the rain would hold off until we finished our hike.

Our first stop was Mount Mansfield, the tallest peak in Vermont. I remarked at the beginning of the hike that this was a “baby mountain” – less than 4,500 feet in elevation. It seemed like nothing compared to the mountains we have seen out west, which sometimes measure over 14,000 feet. However, I neglected to remember that 4,000 feet is no easy task, especially when the rocks are slippery & footholds are scarce. Our boots slipped beneath us as we trekked up the mountain side, climbing precariously up & down rock faces & keeping our eyes determinedly facing up so as not to see the drop below us. We had grossly underestimated the amount of exertion it would take to climb this mountain, & then to also return back down. I had only brought one KIND bar with me, & Joseph had not brought a single thing to eat. 

I would like to report that the view was worth the hike. For the first bit of the trek up, it was. We sat on the rocks, hair standing on end from the chill of the cool mountain wind, gazing in awe at the valley below. Technicolor trees of orange, red & yellow covered the landscape. I wanted to sit there for hours, taking in the breathtaking view. I could have happily ended the hike there & felt fully satisfied. In fact, that’s probably what I should have done.

Me enjoying the view from the hike up Mount Mansfield

The rain clouds that had been threatening us all morning blew in as we approached the summit. Soon, we were lost within the cloud, only able to see a few feet in front of us before the landscape was immersed in gray, which is not ideal for traveling close to the edge of a mountain. We stepped carefully, rocks slipping below our feet & falling out of sight. I thanked my past self for one brief moment of wisdom from the beginning of the hike & gratefully pulled on my extra layers to warm my arms, which had grown numb from the cold.

Then, it started to pour. Heavy raindrops attacked us, seeping in through our clothes & chilling our bones underneath. The ground beneath our feet became even more slippery. We looked at each other & couldn’t help but laugh at our luck.

The bright side, if we could even find one in a raging storm, was that the rain did happen to bring out the colors of the leaves around us & make them even more vibrant. With nothing else to do & no way to get down the mountain faster, we accepted our fate & enjoyed the view. Peering through water droplets dripping off the brim of my hat, I soaked in the beautiful view & reminded myself this was what I had come for. We splashed down the mountainside & ran back to our car, & I thanked my past self for one more stroke of brilliance: I had packed a warm change of clothes.

Me at the Mount Mansfield summit gratefully eating a KIND bar

We changed quickly & drove to the Ben & Jerry’s Factory just as the rain was beginning to slow, stopping for some much-needed hot coffees along the way. Earlier in the week, I had attempted to buy tickets for the factory tour, but they had sold out before I was able to book them. For anyone attempting to do the tour, tickets are not released until promptly 11am on Tuesday the week before – not a minute earlier. I had woken up early Tuesday morning to book our tickets & had been dismayed to see they were not yet released. I checked again & again throughout the morning, but still, no available times. At 11am, I was in a meeting for work. When I revisited the site at 11:15am, all the tickets were gone. 

Still, if you are unable to book tickets, visiting Ben & Jerry’s is still a fun experience, & the best part is available for factory tour recipients & your average dessert lover: The ice cream shop. We stopped first at the Flavor Graveyard, a small plot of land with fake headstones bearing the names of discontinued flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. We spent a few minutes perusing & laughing at the comical descriptions of each flavor & its unfortunate demise. We then headed down the hill to the Ice Cream Shop. The line was long, but it moved fast, & soon we were seated on the patio, happily licking our ice cream scoops, which happened to be our first source of sustenance that day. I ordered the sweet & tart combo of Lemonade Sorbet & Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, & Joseph ordered the caffeine-laden Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz! & a scoop of the popular Half Baked. 

My Ben & Jerry’s dessert

After we had finished our dessert, we headed to Stowe in search of an actual meal. Many restaurants are fully booked on prime fall weekends in Vermont, but we managed to slip in to Harrison’s if we agreed to sit on the covered porch instead of inside the restaurant. We happily obliged – with the offer of warm food, an aptly placed heater just above our table, & a beautiful view of the iconic main street, what more could we ask for? We shared a bottle of the featured wine, a delightfully smooth Pinot Noir. For dinner, we shared the house salad to start. Joseph ordered the Harrison’s Burger, which was made with local beef & served on a crusty brioche bun with local Cabot cheddar cheese, fresh lettuce, tomato & red onion, & a tangy house made sauce. I ordered the sweet potato encrusted salmon, which paired beautifully with the wine & was just what I needed to finally feel warm after a day spent in the chilling rain. The pan seared salmon was topped with a sweet potato & ginger crust & served alongside a vegetable medley drizzled with a sweet & tangy maple balsamic glaze. 

After dinner, we spent a few minutes roaming the streets, drinking in the view & walking more times than necessary under the quintessential covered bridges. When it grew too dark to see & the shops closed, we took the remainder of our bottle of wine & headed back to the AirBnb to relax for the evening.

Despite the poor weather, our first day in Vermont did not disappoint. In fact, it truly was everything I had hoped for: Beautiful leaves, tasty local foods, & an oddly homey feel for a place so far from home. 

There is something special about Octobers – as the weather grows colder, we stubbornly bundle up in our sweaters & beanies, eager to soak up the last bit of the year before the weather grows too cold. We sip cider & pumpkin spice lattes & argue pointlessly over which is better. We gather closer & remember, even as the world grows colder & darker, that it still feels warm & cozy when we spend our days together. 

And as special as Octobers are anywhere, I must say, there is something extra special about Octobers in Vermont. Standing under the protection of a covered wooden bridge, gazing out at trees with leaves so brightly colored the eyes can barely soak them in, it’s easy to get lost in the magic of Octobers. And that is precisely what I am here to do. 

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