What did we do?
Vermont was not originally in our itinerary this trip, but we got an offer to stay at the Inn at Grace Farms in Fairfax, VT so instead of going west, we continued our heading up north. The drive there was incredible...we drove through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, so most of New England and the whole time I just fell in love with the rivers, mountains, and forests we passed by.
Vermont itself was gorgeous and the Inn we stayed at was perfect! Just imagine a beautiful red barn with a scenic view of the mountains. The rooms were so nice, clean (always important), and so cozy with these beautiful wood beams on the ceiling. The Inn also has this amazing space for events. Just go to their website (http://www.theinnatgracefarm.com/) and you can see what I mean! But also keep in mind the pictures don't do it justice, plus I think some are older pictures because we noticed the decorating was a little different. It felt like we were in a cozy lodge on some romantic getaway. The whole time we were here I kept thinking of the movie "White Christmas" where they run away to Vermont and while on the trip, the four characters sing "Snow". And just like the movie we arrived and there was no snow! Don't worry though, the next day we got plenty of it!
Commentary by Z: Little did we know that our final day in Vermont would kick off a week of never seeing the thermometer above freezing, and I came to the self-realization that the only home I want where it snows is one to spend my summers at.
We drove to Burlington to see Church Street - an outdoor strip with cute stores selling everything from clothing, to home decor, to a chocolate shop. It also had a great view of Lake Champlain! Only down side was that it was SO COLD! We were outside for ten seconds and we were already so cold ha and half the time we went into a shop just to warm up again! We even tried to go down to the lakeshore, but that was a mistake because it was even colder there! We stayed no longer than 10 minutes and the reason we stayed that long was to get a picture ha.
Where did we eat?
Steeple Market: This is one of Fairfax's grocery stores but they also have a deli in the back. I got a pastrami sandwich and Zack got a BBQ chicken sandwich. I think his was better..mine had a little too much Dijon mustard on it ha. Like each bite cleared my sinuses.
New World Tortilla: This place offered burritos ranging from a caesar wrap, beef burrito, thai, all types really. It was really good but each burrito was massive and we totally could have and should have shared.
Vermont Chocolate: One thing Vermont is famous for (didn't know this until we got here) is their maple syrup. They sell it everywhere and it's added to everything. We came into this chocolate shop, partly to get warm and partly to be tempted with all the chocolatey goodness and ended up buying a chocolate bar with maple caramel filling. Our thoughts? We both loved it! I could get on board with this whole "add maple to everything" lifestyle.
What do we wish we could have done?
Commentary by Z: I wish I could have felt my face and fingers the entire time.
We want to come back in the summer time! We heard nothing but how amazing it is in the summer. There are so many things to do outdoors from swimming, kayaking, boating, hiking..all the things we love.
If we had more time, I would have wanted to snowboard here. It would have been fun to compare snowboarding here vs. Utah.
Final Thoughts
Vermont was one of my favorite stops just for the beauty of it! The landscape was dreamy and I would go back in the summer when it's warmer. It was so cold and we didn't have the best outfits to brave it so it may have been more enjoyable to go out if we had thicker and warmer clothing.
