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.
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.
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.
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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