Vermont B&Bs

Vermont B&Bs

We've enjoyed a variety of short stays at inns & B&Bs in our region. An early one was a short anniversary celebration at the Arlington Inn in 1992.More involved outings are described below.

August 2013

            After enjoying other Living Social discounts for B&Bs in the Catskills, New Hampshire, and Newport, enticed by an offer in Southern Vermont: the Cooper Hill Inn, near E. Dover, set on a 2700’ hill w/ panoramic views of the Green Mtns., landscaped gardens, surrounded by forest. Originally a 1797 farmhouse, the Inn is now a “sprawling colonial home” w/ 10 guest rooms and large covered porch suitable for “lazing.” It’s a popular wedding venue, judging from photos on their website. The deal includes a welcome bottle of wine, “country breakfasts,” dinner one night at the Inn, a small pizza, and even an Asian cooking class led by the hostess.

            Marjorie started the week staying up past midnight Sunday to watch the impressive Perseid meteor shower (but it’s after Russ’ bedtime). Off to Vermont Tuesday AM (8/13). We had some “tropical heat wave” weather in July, but looks to be very comfortable this week: forecasted temps in the 70s, rain this AM but clearing some in the PM and mostly sunny the rest of the week. Thru Bennington, admiring decorated panther sculptures spread along the main drag, then about 25 miles on Mollie Stark Byway (and past her State Park, also a statue in Wilmington; she was wife of a general and nurse during the Revolutionary War). Our first “Moose Crossing” sign and roads leading to ski areas: Haystack and Mount Snow (which we’ll see from our inn). A local “MOOver” bus painted like a cow. It’s a pretty drive, lush vegetation, deep forests, curves & hills, lots of cows & horses in fields, including many young ‘uns. Thru a 1-lane covered bridge to Newfane, on the National Register of Historic Places.

Fortified by sandwiches we continue on to Townshend and the 1870 Scott Covered Bridge, longest span in Vermont (277’). Back to Newfane w/ a pretty village common: columned courthouse, classic white church & union hall. 

Past Pickle Hill Rd. This is so NewEnglandish! 

On to Olallie Daylilly Gardens in S. Newfane: so many colors spread across large fields! 

            Up to the Inn, rather off the beaten path, too early for check-in. We admire (and photograph) the pretty gardens here, 

then drive back down to Wilmington to wander about. A pretty library (another National Historic Register site), beautiful flower baskets along the streets and across the bridge. We admire work in an “artist collective,” next to the “BeadzNeeds” shop. 

Now we can check in and meet our very friendly hosts, Charles & Lee. They left the “corporate world” to run this Inn about 9 years ago. Other guests include a couple from New Haven, newlyweds who drove here from Cleveland (“Just Married” still in evidence on their car), and 2 young musicians from Brooklyn  ̶  she a singer/pianist, he a drummer (of all things! [our son Matt’s a percussionist]). Back down to Wilmington for our free pizza for dinner, then we watch “Rizzoli and Isles” on the large wide-screen TV in an upstairs lounge before retiring to our lovely bedroom.

Pretty sunrise Wed. over the panorama of layered mountains; brisk & breezy (it was very windy during the night). Breakfast at the inn.

We head about 20 miles toward Brattleboro in the SE corner of the state. First a stop at Grafton Village Cheese Factory store, tasty samples and interesting mustards for Matt’s collection. Into Brattleboro, #11 of “20 Best Small Towns in America;” and parking is only 30¢/hour, a shock to NewYorkers!!

The farmer’s market that drew us here is quite small (the big one is Sat.), but we enjoy wandering the picturesque main street and interesting shops: a framing store where Marjorie finds interesting paper for her artwork; a fabric shop where M & friendly owner talk about her incredible collection of buttons; Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters, “The Biggest Little Store in the World.” No sign of McDonald’s or Starbucks, thankfully; we stop into the very large Food Coop for coffee & snacks, plus some items for M.

Heading back north, a stop for tasty maple liqueur at Saxton’s River Distillery (motto: “From Our River to Your Liver”). [Another interesting road sign: “Slow Church Services;” maybe they need shorter homilies?] On up to Grafton: “One of America’s Top Ten Most Beautiful Destinations.” Seems like everything around here has some claim to historic or scenic fame. More covered bridges.

            Back to our Inn. I continue my efforts to photograph hummingbirds flitting around feeders on the porch; I swear they stop hovering as soon as I raise my camera! But some success. One story dominates the local evening news: OMG, New England Patriots QB Tom Brady has a boo-boo ankle!! A collective sigh of relief the next day when MRI is negative. Highlight of the day is Lee’s “eclectic Asian home cooking” served family style w/ pleasant company of the couples from New Haven & Brooklyn. The extensive menu includes appetizers of pan-fried pork dumplings & tomato cumin soup; main courses of chicken w/ spicy ginger & garlic sauce, beef w/ oyster sauce, and swordfish & tri-color pepper w/ black bean sauce. A wonderful dinner!  

          Another beautiful AM on Thursday, can’t stop taking photos of the mountains, flowers, hummingbirds, etc. 

Marjorie & the woman from New Haven have an almost 3-hour cooking class w/ Lee.

I drive around a bit, do some reading, more photos, and eventually the hubbies are invited in to sample yummy class projects. Sadly, it’s time to leave. A parting gift from Charles: Marjorie has admired his unusual cone flowers, so he digs some up to be replanted in Albany. 

An easy 1½ hour drive back home, with one quick photo stop.

♫Happy Birthday to Me♫

June 2015

 

           My Birthday Celebration Week begins 2 days before with the Capital District Renaissance Festival at Indian Ladder Farms, outside Albany in Voorheesville. We arrive for the boisterous gate opening. The Queen welcomes us, we wish “God Save the Queen!” and enter amidst loud “Huzzahs!” 

 Many attendees in costume, some quite elaborate  ̶  it appears they follow the festival circuit. A number of years ago we attended such a festival north of NYC, much larger in scope & crowds. We like the more intimate setting here allowing personal interaction w/ participants. Much mirth & merriment: pirates singing bawdy sea shanties and performing amusing improv stories guided by audience suggestions (1 pirate becomes Capt. Kangaroo!); parrots perched on a friendly wench’s shoulders; bellydancing & swordfighting; a green dragon (the purveyor of “Dragon Ice Cream”); Thimbleberry the Woodsprite entertaining children under a tree; a “Where’s Waldorf” character in red stripes; even “Royal Flush” port-a-pots.

Exciting jousting by 2 knights in armor on horseback (using rescue horses, a nice touch). Very interesting demo of falconry and other “birds of prey.” We decline the $10 turkey legs, instead opting for ice cream at Toll Gate on the way home. After recovering from our time travel, the day capped off by a picnic w/ our Turkish Cultural Center friends at a big park in Delmar.

Tues., June 16:

            My Main Birthday Event is another of our Living Social B&B offers: Barrows House in Dorset VT. Only a 1½-hour drive from home on a rainy AM. Past Big Moose Country Store in Hoosic w/ many animal sculptures from ducks to bears & moose to gorilla spread around the building and on the roof; many painted like cows (but not the gorilla!). After quite a dry spell, recent rains have turned everything a very lush green.

 Thru Bennington to a panoramic view of Bennington Monument against mountains amid low clouds. Onto “Historic 7A” (aka “Shires of Vermont Byway”) for a more scenic route north.

A stop into Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester Center, many sculptures in fields and woods as we drive in. But disappointment: museum closed, galleries in some disarray, artists in the midst of taking down previous exhibits and installing next ones. An interesting coincidence: we were recently at the Arkell Museum in Canajoharie, this gallery has also had Arkell support.

On to Tilting at Windmills Gallery (reminding us of framer stepsis Mar’s “Tilting at Woodpeckers” blog) for a more satisfying experience: museum quality displays and art, very friendly owner. But out of our price range, some up to $30K! Marjorie finds a painting of pears (her specialty) in “my size”  ̶  but for $1200! Maybe she’s not charging enough. We’re especially taken w/ incredibly detailed paintings of flowers & glassware by Gunter Koras; he’s now in his 90s, some of his portraits may be in the City Hall & Capitol in Albany.

A short drive to Barrows House: an “early American treasure” circa 1803, set on 6 acres w/in the Green Mt Nat’l Forest; major remodeling was done in 2012. In addition to the main inn, 7 smaller cottages have various accommodations, plus pool & tennis courts; they also cater to weddings, one held last weekend. 

 We’re offered several choices, including a suite (w/ separate living room & 2-person jacuzzi!) in a cottage and a room in the “sister” Dorset Inn down the road. We stay w/ our original choice: “Robin’s Ridge,” a lovely large room w/ king bed in the main inn. A short walk thru the historic district to Dorset Union Store (est. 1816  ̶  everything is so old here!) to get some lunch to take back to the inn. The town is so pretty!: a number of inns w/ pretty signs, white houses, hitching posts, beautiful flower plantings, old sidewalks made of marble slabs. It’s quiet here and elsewhere, not yet “the season.” Lunch is more than we need, innkeeper lets us use the fridge to save for tomorrow.

A 45-minute drive east and north thru heavy rain to Weston and The Vermont Country Store w/ everything Vermont (and much more) spread thruout a large building. Among the incredible variety of merchandise are exhibits like a Museum of Scales and Toasters of Yesteryear. We browse, Marjorie buys a few things (including a pretty dress suitable for the July “luau birthday party” for grand-niece Abigail in Minneapolis), Birthday Boy grazes what seems a tasting buffet of cheeses, jams, syrups, fudge, etc. 

Outside of town to the Weston Priory.

Nobody around, the Benedictine brothers are on retreat, we can’t find stained glass windows noted in tourist info; but it’s a lovely setting w/ pond, pretty mountain views as the sky is clearing, a lovely simple chapel. 

Back to our inn, M relaxes, I go out to explore. Maple Hill Cemetery (est. 1772) next to the inn offers atmospheric scenes. 

A short drive north brings pretty farms set among the mountains. I’ll have to tell Marjorie about big Mettawee Mill garden center at the edge of town.

To dinner at Dorset Inn (est. 1796, oldest continuously operating inn in VT). A lovely place; we sit at “the birthday table” near the fireplace. Excellent food, friendly waitress, some sinful desserts courtesy of our Living Social voucher. After-dinner strolling on a nice evening, a pretty church nearby. Marjorie spots “Three Pears Gallery” (reflecting the title of one of her ribbon-awarded paintings). Back at the inn for BD phone greetings from Queens (son Matt, daughter-in-law Anthea, grandsons William & Miles) and Michigan (brother Doug & sister-in-law Ann). The perfect finish to a fine birthday!!

Wed., June 17:

            As usual in our travels, I’m up way too early. Well, just early enough to head out for photo ops on a gorgeous AM! It was very humid last night after the rain, but today is just perfect: sunny w/ low humidity. I drive back to the pretty farms, now framed in the sun against the mountains, cows heading out to pasture  ̶  a totally “pastoral” tableau! Views of the old marble quarry at the edge of town and the cemetery has a different look now in the low sun. Back to our inn. Barrows restaurant closed now, so included breakfasts at the Dorset Inn, highlighted by “Wallingford Locker” bacon (sadly, I don’t think the short walks between the inns will work off our dining calories). We enjoy having the same waitress as last night for breakfasts (plus her 6-year-old daughter on Thurs.).

After dropping off Marjorie in Manchester to browse thru outlet heaven (or hell, depending on your proclivities for such things), I head back north to Merck Forest & Farmland Center. A very narrow dirt entry road; thankfully no oncoming traffic. There’s a children’s program in the visitor center. I hike the “Farm Trail” up thru heavy forest, pretty ferns & moss & stone walls, to the hilltop farm w/ sheep and panoramic mountain views. The large group of kids is coming up as I head back down.

   Back to Manchester, which I discover is more than just shops: a lovely park by a waterfall over a dam, lots of pretty flowers around town and the series of traffic circles we navigate many times. A rendezvous w/ Marjorie at Eddie Bauer (our friend Teralyn is a model in their catalog). M’s found a few things during her AM browsing, even I get into the spirit, buying some shorts at EB. It must be karma: the clerk had her birthday yesterday too!

Back up to Dorset, a stop at the marble quarry, now being used by young folks as a swimmin’ hole. A plaque circa 1910 indicates this was quite a big operation. [More historical factoids: This, or maybe one nearby (there were some 2 dozen in the area), was the country’s 1^st commercial marble quarry (1785). And Dorset Field Club reputed to be the nation’s oldest golf club (1886).] We add a few things from the Union Store to yesterday’s leftovers for lunch.

            A quiet afternoon. Marjorie has some shopping success: plants for the garden from Mettawee Mill, some items from a consignment shop in town.

I relax, do some reading, walk around a bit. After M returns I go looking for a covered bridge (it’s Vermont, after all!). Success: a pretty red bridge on Covered Bridge Rd. outside Arlington. Past the Orvis “flagship” store and Fly Fishing Museum outside Manchester. We rejoin to drive north again thru the pretty farm areas in Mettawee Valley, many bear sculptures here and elsewhere at shops and farms. Our planned dinner at Barrows House restaurant now seems more than we want (or need!), so back into Manchester to a sandwich & pasta place. It’s very quiet here now! A pretty sunset sky driving back. Marjorie nixes skinny-dipping later in the quarry.

Thurs., June 18:

            I’m awakened at 5am by what sounds like the same bird that sings so early outside our bedroom at home!

Out for a few more photo ops: the pretty grounds of the inn, a short drive up the road next to the inn w/ more views of lush green trees and mountains, babbling brooks. And some houses that aren’t white! (Is there a rule about keeping everything white in town?) Another excellent breakfast at Dorset Inn, then we head back home on a mostly cloudy AM. 

Driving Route 7 from Manchester to Bennington brings back memories of being stranded here by a freak early October snow storm in 1987. And some excitement coming into Troy: a series of over-sized loads, some all wrapped up, accompanied by a number of police cars, one intersection w/ police directing traffic. Something hazardous? But we continue home uneventfully.

            My Celebration Week is completed by joining the Queens family  ̶  son Matt, daughter-in-law Anthea, grandsons William & Miles  ̶  for a late birthday and early Father’s Day where they are camping along the Taconic Parkway. Mmmm: s’mores around the campfire!