As I mentioned in my last post, I was on vacation last week. And boy did I need it. I hadn’t taken much vacation time up until this point and it was really starting to get to me. No one thing was the issue, but just a set of little things making me more irritated than normal. It was time for a week off.
Our trip was to Vermont, specifically Stowe. None of my family had ever been to Vermont, which is what drew us to going there this year. Things have been kind of hectic, so we couldn’t plan a big trip or a really expensive one, but through a Groupon we were able to book a nice hotel at a cheap price. So, Sunday morning we packed up the van and began our four-hour drive.
I won’t gush too much about Vermont, and my mom forgot her camera, so I don’t have any pictures. But I will say this. Vermont is beautiful. One of my friends who has been in the past described it as a postcard, and that couldn’t’ve been more true. Once you pass into the state and start up into the mountains, everything feels too picturesque to be real. Mountains climb up towards the sky, green trees stretch as far as the eye can see, and quant farmhouses are the norm rather than the exception. It was, in a word, New England at its best.
The hotel was old but charming in its own right, with surprisingly delicious food. We ended up with a giftcard to the hotel restaurant, and we didn’t dread using it. Everything was affordable too, even more surprising.
We saw the Von Trapp Family Lodge, which you may know as the family lodge from The Sound of Music. Surprising no one, the lodge was a beauty. Huge, clean, with wooden walls and a large dose of charm. Plus, on the front steps was a great view to the mountains beyond. Perfect.
We also saw the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream factory, which was neat if brief tour into how ice cream is made. We went to the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory which was as adorable as you’d expect. We had homemade cider donuts, we went to a New Englandy farm, we took my parents to Guardians of the Galaxy (which they loved), and we just had a good time away from it all.
I could go on, but I think it’s safe to say at this point that it’s something that you really have to experience yourself. Words can be wonderful things, but sometimes, you just need to be in the moment. I recommend checking out Vermont. You don’t get much more New England than that.
Derek Pietras 