A few weeks ago a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to join her for a weekend road trip to Vermont. She had gotten a great deal at a hotel in downtown Burlington and needed a travel buddy. She knew the right person to ask because of course I said yes without hesitation!
People who know me, or have been reading my blog, know that travel planning is one of my favorite things to do. However, for this trip, all the credit goes to my friend Jill. She crafted an amazing itinerary filled with as many “Vermonty” things as we could fit into two days in the Green Mountain State. It is a high compliment coming from an incessant trip planner like me that I was able to just go along for the ride, both literally and figuratively!
Our weekend started bright and early on Saturday morning when Jill picked me up in her convertible – the perfect road tripping car. Alas, Mother Nature did not cooperate with us this weekend. It was a bit too chilly and rainy to put the top down. And when I say “a little rainy,” I mean it was a torrential downpour for the entire first leg of the trip.
Table of Contents
Stop #1: Hanover, New Hampshire
The first stop on Jill’s itinerary was for lunch at one of my favorite places in Vermont, the Simon Pearce Restaurant in Quechee. My one requested addition to the itinerary was to first stop at my alma mater, Dartmouth College, on the way since it is only a 20-minute drive to Simon Pearce! Luckily, the rain had stopped by the time we pulled into the Dartmouth campus. We did a quick driving tour and then popped into a few stores on Main Street before heading onto lunch in Quechee.
Stop #2: Quechee, Vermont
The Simon Pearce Restaurant is set in an idyllic location overlooking the Ottauquechee River waterfall and a quintessential covered bridge (a classic Vermont staple). Travel and Leisure magazine has called the Mill at Simon Pearce one of “America’s Most Romantic Restaurants.” It has also been bestowed the “Best of Award of Excellence” by Wine Spectator.
The farm-to-table restaurant is reason enough to visit Simon Pearce. However, they are actually more famous for their gorgeous, handmade glassware and pottery. After lunch, we headed to the downstairs workshop to watch the glassblowers in action.
Here we saw them make the very items sold in the shop above, and all across the country. You can see the entire process from start to finish. First, the rocks are melted into globs of fiery molten. These are then expertly blown into various shapes by the glassblowers. And, finally, they are smoothed and perfected into beautiful masterpieces.
Fun Fact #1: I bought a glass table lamp from Simon Pearce as a present to myself on the 1-year anniversary of buying my first home!
Stop #3: Waitsfield, Vermont
After our classy lunch, we got into the fun part of the trip – touring different craft breweries in the Burlington, Vermont area! Our first stop was at Lawson’s Finest Liquids in Waitsfield, Vermont. We happened to be there during their 11th-anniversary celebration so there was a festive vibe in the taproom and a band playing music in a tent set up outside. We also took advantage of the free brewery tours and vintage beer tasting! They had the most amazing-looking homemade “everything” pretzels (like an everything bagel but a pretzel) but we were too full from lunch. I’ll have to try one on my next trip back!
Stop #4: Williston, Vermont
Next on our itinerary was a stop at Burlington Beer Company in Williston, Vermont. Whereas Lawson’s taproom had a Vermont ski lodge feel to it, BBC’s taproom was much more industrial. It is literally located in a nondescript industrial park so I guess that makes sense! It was fun to experience two breweries with totally different vibes. My favorite thing about BBC, however, was not the beer (although that was good, too, if you like IPAs). No, my favorite part was the fact that it was dog friendly!
Fun Fact #2: I am OBSESSED with all dogs but especially with Golden Retrievers. This puppy didn’t stand a chance of avoiding me.
Stop #5: Burlington, Vermont
Stop #5a: Hotel Vermont
After two brewery stops, we decided it would be the most responsible idea to drop the car off before continuing on the brewery tour. We checked into Hotel Vermont, our accommodations for the night, and the impetus for this road trip. The hotel describes itself as rustic and modern and I would agree that they achieved this aesthetic. The rooms were relatively simple but also luxurious. I know that doesn’t make sense so you’ll just have to trust me on this one that it is true. They have an awesome help-yourself coffee and tea bar on every floor, complimentary bikes, and a beer concierge. Oh, and did I mention they are dog-friendly?!
Stop #5b: Foam Brewers
After freshening up, we walked a short distance to Foam Brewers, which is ideally located on the waterfront of Lake Champlain. Coincidentally, Foam Brewers was also celebrating an anniversary (their 3rd). There was a good crowd, a food truck outside, and live music. Although I think those three things are probably there on regular nights as well!
Stop #5c: Farmhouse Tap & Grill
Next, we stopped for a beverage at a Burlington favorite, the Farmhouse Tap & Grill. I had stopped here for lunch on my way to go skiing in Québec in January. This time, however, Jill clued me in on the “secret” bar downstairs. I don’t think you’d know it was there if you weren’t looking for it. The restaurant describes what is known as The Parlor as “a subterranean speakeasy with a cult following” and the description seemed apt. After a beer by the fireplace, we took a stroll down the famed pedestrian-only Church Street, and then it was time for dinner.
Stop #5d: Hen of The Wood
Our hotel was conveniently located next to one of the most highly-acclaimed restaurants in town, Hen of the Wood. We had stopped in earlier to put our name on the list for bar seating later in the night. And as luck would have it, it was Restaurant Week in Burlington! So we got to enjoy a spectacular meal for half the normal price. We started with a cheese course, then I had a scallop appetizer, and finished with the rib-eye steak. We definitely didn’t have room for dessert and actually couldn’t even finish our beers with dinner. I guess that is a sign of a good night!
Stop #5e: Penny Cluse Cafe
The next morning we headed to brunch at another local favorite, the Penny Cluse Cafe. Knowing there would be a wait for a table, we put our names on the list and then strolled around Church Street in the daylight, popping into a few stores. Then it was back to the cafe for a brunch that met all expectations I had about this place. It had come highly recommended by many friends!
Stop #6: St. Albans, Vermont
Next on the itinerary was what could quite possibly be the most “Vermonty” thing possible – we drove to St. Albans to check out the 53rd annual Vermont Maple Festival! The festival is held every year during the last weekend of April. St. Albans is a small town (although they call themselves a city) near the Canadian border. Main Street looks like a movie set and the townspeople have a penchant for all things maple. I’m talking fresh maple syrup, maple milkshakes, maple cotton candy, maple donuts, maple creemees, Sugar on Snow (which I had for the first time on my trip to Québec over New Year’s Eve!). They have a saying that the maple syrup harvest in the Spring is the “reason for the season” – how adorable is that?!
Stop #7: Shelburne, Vermont
But the weekend fun didn’t end after the Maple Festival. The next stop on our road trip was to Shelburne Farms in (you guessed it) Shelburne, Vermont. Shelburne Farms is actually a non-profit educational organization that has all sorts of programs about sustainability and farming. We were there just before the start of the season so not much was open except for a bakery where we were able to buy some delicious homemade bread!
At this point in the weekend, the sun had come out so we took a nice long stroll on the walking trails that wind through the farm property. Then we drove through the farm grounds to the storied Inn at Shelburne Farms, on the banks of Lake Champlain. The inn looks like it comes straight out of the Gatsby Era. This makes sense since it was the country home of a member of the Vanderbilt family! We had hoped to have a drink at the inn but it didn’t open for the season for a few more weeks. A good excuse to make a return trip!
Stop #8: Middlebury, Vermont
Our last stop on a jam-packed itinerary was at Jill’s alma mater, Middlebury College. Jill gave me a quick tour of the campus and then we grabbed sandwiches from Noonie’s for the ride home. I love how we started and finished our weekend with a trip down memory lane at each of our old stomping grounds.
I honestly don’t know how we fit so many things into this weekend, and yet were never rushed. It seemed much longer than a weekend normally does and Friday felt like a distant memory by the time we made our way back to Boston on Sunday night. Kudos to Jill for planning the perfect Vermont weekend getaway!
Which of the stops on our itinerary would you most like to visit?
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2 Comments
Oscar Arencibia
June 21, 2020 at 8:39 AMOh you should of had the 🥨!!!
Laura
June 21, 2020 at 9:07 AMA perfect excuse to make a return trip!