Tag Archives: Vermont

Hello, 2017…

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New Year’s Eve, Vermont. 12/31/16

Good Morning and Happy (Belated) New Year, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend ushering in 2017! I’ve been preoccupied at my office the past couple of days, staying busy and on top of my first-of-the-year workload- but before I dove into that, I spent an exquisite weekend in Springfield, Vermont savoring some much needed peace and quiet at one of my favorite New England getaway destinations- The Hartness House.

The Hartness House is a former Victorian-style mansion (which belonged to James and Lena Hartness) turned inn that is a popular destination for locals’ weddings, formal functions, and for skiers and snowboarders to lay their heads for a night before hitting the slopes in the early mornings. My first trip to The Hartness House was when I was about eight or nine years old. My parents brought me up for a weekend during the holiday season and I quickly fell in love with the house, the surrounding gardens, and the underground tunnels that lead to the gigantic Hartness Equatorial Turret Telescope on the property (James was a big fan of astronomy, as it turns out.)

One of my most vivid memories of my first trip to the inn, however- was sitting in front of the fireplace and a massive Christmas tree in a large library area and reading a book undisturbed while my parents sat nearby and played board games. And then, of course- was the food. The inn boasted an impressive menu and talented kitchen staff. My family and I were so thrilled with our first initial visit that we ended up making a few more stops there throughout the next few years.

So when it came time to make plans for New Year’s Eve, and the idea of doing anything other than fall off the grid for a few days and relax was enough to make my head spin- I thought of re-visiting one of my fondest childhood memories and booked Lena Hartness’ suite for the New Year’s weekend. I had heard the inn had gone through some renovations and a change of ownership in recent years- so I wasn’t sure what to expect- but my mind was immediately put at ease when I first walked in and saw the main hall in all it’s splendor (and still decorated from Christmas!)

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Every room- including mine- was adorned with Christmas trees. It was such a nice treat to walk into- and right away the staff were so unbelievably friendly and accommodating. On New Year’s Eve, as the clock ticked closer and closer to midnight- I crept down to the inn’s tavern to grab a drink and a bite to eat. Not only did I get those things, but I got some funky 2017 glasses, a tiara and a confetti popper from the ladies who were bartending, too! By the time midnight rolled around- most of the kitchen staff had gathered together with those of us lounging at the bar- including a few locals who had dropped by- to celebrate and share a toast with us. I could not imagine a more pleasant group of new faces to drink champagne and ring in the New Year with!

By the end of the weekend, we were all on a first name basis with each other. Even though I had gone up to the inn solo- I never, not once, felt lonely. Everyone went above and beyond to make me feel welcomed and comfortable during my stay. I’m so grateful for their hospitality and laid-back natures. It was so refreshing.

And remember how good I said the food was when I was a kid? It was even better this time around. The head chef, Nick- is AMAZING– as made evident by my delicious NYE dinner and the follow-up brunches and breakfasts I had during my remaining days there. I couldn’t help but snap a photo of the menu and one of my meals before I dug into it- because it even photographed incredible:

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And while I caught up on plenty of rest at The Hartness House, I did take some time to explore some of the surrounding towns, as well- Charlestown, Rockingham, and Bellows Falls- where I did some antique shopping and marveled at the mountains while I sipped a hot cup of coffee.

I also discovered a lot of abandoned places around the section of Vermont I was traveling around, too- which is going to make for a nice follow-up trip to photograph them once the warm weather rolls around and I don’t have so much snow blocking my views!

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I returned home on Monday, the 2nd- but not before making a pit stop in Melrose to meet up with Sean, grab some Mexican food and catch up since we hadn’t had the chance to see each other since right before Christmas. His birthday is tomorrow- and we’ve got some big plans I can’t wait to get to!

Overall, my New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and Post-New Year’s Day were wonderful and very chill. If anyone reading this should ever find themselves in Vermont- I strongly recommend you make a stop and take a night to rest at The Hartness House. Being there is an experience in itself and you won’t regret it! I promise! Every room is unique and gorgeous in it’s own way, the staff are an absolute joy, the food cannot be beat- and it’s the perfect spot if you just want to get away for a little while. I came home feeling positively refreshed, radiant- and ready to take on the new year!

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Not a bad start to 2017, if I do say so myself!

xx

Day Off Date!

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It’s funny how plans can change in a matter of minutes, or in my case- a matter of hours when driving in a completely different direction.

This past Tuesday, I had every intention of heading to NYC for the afternoon to check out an exhibit and grab an early dinner at one of the many restaurants I’ve bookmarked in recent weeks specifically for my next day trip to the area. I had gotten up early in the morning, showered, packed up my camera, and ate a decent breakfast before hopping in my car and hitting the road-

– where I ended up in Brattleboro, Vermont- instead.

I’m not exactly sure what happened. As I started to drive, winding around the back roads to avoid traffic while en route to my local Starbucks to grab a latte- I started thinking: about work, my plans for the coming days/weeks/months, my friends and family, my finances, the guy I’ve been seeing- pretty much everything- and it got LOUD inside my head while I was thinking.

I mean really loud- like I couldn’t even focus on singing along to the music I was thumping through my car speakers.

I realized that maybe NYC- one of the loudest places ever- may not have been a good option for me and I decided to head to quieter territory up North, instead- continuing driving on the back roads all the way up to Vermont- passing plenty of forests, farms, fields and roadside fruit stands on my way.

I eventually stopped in Brattleboro to stretch my legs, stroll the Main Street area where I perused a few shops and grabbed lunch at BrattleBurger– where I think I may have had one of the best bacon cheeseburgers in my life.

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It was so good (and so was the strawberry lemonade!) that I’m debating putting together a list of my top ten favorite New England burger joints in the next few weeks just to celebrate the place and some of the other spots around the area where I go when I’m craving medium-cooked deliciousness on a bun.

By the time I was ready to head out of town and back towards home, it had started lightly raining in Brattleboro- and the storm followed me all the way to the state lines. Thankfully, I felt rested and rejuvenated by the time I got back to my place. My thoughts didn’t seem or sound so loud anymore- and I think taking such a nice, long drive and spending some time in a quiet, serene area was just what I needed.

Next week, though- I’m hoping to finally get to NYC! Loud or not!

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xx

“Slip Into the Autumn Shade…”

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Even though I’ve had to gradually add more and more layers to my wardrobe over the past couple of days because the mornings and evenings have been particular chilly- I have been having the absolute best time outdoors with friends hiking through the woods and past old cemeteries, as well as driving down leaf-lined back roads to farm stands and pumpkin patches. While many of the trees still have a lot of green on them, it looks so beautiful mixed in with the yellows, oranges, and occasional reds that are practically glowing on the branches.

On Saturday, I took a long and aimless drive to Brattleboro, Vermont (which isn’t much farther from my beloved Western Massachusetts) where I stopped numerous times to photograph the foliage, pick up a pumpkin for my mom’s front porch (it’s a tradition!), buy some locally grown vegetables and baked bread, and take in the cozy charm that only the small and picturesque communities in Vermont could offer.

… I also got to feed a baby goat- which had me in near hysterics with how cute it was. I’m such a softie for baby animals.

Each time I visit the area, I always end up asking myself why I don’t spend more time up there. It really is lovely. Especially this time of year.

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If Saturday’s excursion wasn’t enough nature for me- I also headed to the Middlesex Fells Reservation on Sunday afternoon with a group of my friends for a couple of hours of hiking and posing for plenty of photos before the sun began to set and we had to start back to where we’d parked before it got too dark out. The Fells is such a massive area to explore, and even though we were there for quite some time- we’d only covered a very small fraction of all there was to do and see. I’d love to head back in the coming weeks before it gets too old (or worse- icy!) to explore a little more. It’s simply awe-inspiring- especially when you catch a glimpse of the area (and the far away Boston skyline) from the top of Wright’s Tower.

All in all, I had such a relaxing and beautiful weekend. My photos just don’t do it justice.

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A day in the wilderness isn’t exactly easy on hair like mine.

xx

A Day in the Green Mountain State…

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The final weeks of September through mid-October tend to be the most beautiful here in New England, with the leaves changing brilliant colors before they tumble off the branches and onto the ground. It’s a transition that can be easily overlooked in all it’s breathtaking glory when you- say- work in the city, for example. Not content with missing a moment of foliage and having this past Sunday freed up of any specific plans or errands that needed to be taken care of- I hopped in my car, selected the “Scenic Route” options on my GPS- and made a four hour journey along the winding back-roads heading North to Vermont. My destination? A covered bridge tucked away near Rutland that I had hoped to photograph- but I found myself stopping (on more than one occasion) to check out various farmer’s markets, stunning views of the mountains, and lots of abandoned places along the way.

While there’s still plenty of greenery to be found- I did catch a glimpse of bright red and orange leaves showing themselves along mountainsides, in fields, and on farms. The drive was so relaxing that when I lost cell service and couldn’t locate the covered bridge for the life of me (and my GPS was rendered useless when trying to do so-) I didn’t even mind. Instead, I stopped for a late lunch/early dinner at Mr. Darcy’s Bar and Grill in Ludlow, Vermont (I loved their name- and their soup!) as well as a country store on my way home where I picked up some chocolate fudge as a surprise for my mother and some of my personal favorite- maple cotton candy- for myself.

I’m planning another trip to Vermont- more than likely this coming weekend- since there were plenty of places I had wanted to stop this past Sunday but couldn’t because of time limitations. I’m looking forward to pumpkin and apple picking, snapping a few more photos, and of course grabbing some more maple cotton candy.

xx