I first experienced small-town living in college, when I spent the academic year at Middlebury College and summers in Lubec, a tiny, tiny town in downeast Maine (the closest traffic light is 75 miles away, no joke). Despite Lubec’s remoteness and the spotty cell phone service that drove me crazy at the time, […]
My first job in the hospitality industry started the summer before I headed to Middlebury College as a Feb. I was hired by Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, Montana, a Relais & Châteaux property located in the Bitterroot Valley. Triple Creek consistently wins impressive awards: Travel & Leisure’s 2014 Best Hotel in the […]
Back in the summer 2009, I spent three days touring the 20+ breweries in Vermont as part of the Vermont Brewers Association Passport Program. Trapp Lager Brewery, located in Stowe, Vermont, wasn’t yet part of the passport program; it was one of the few breweries in Vermont that I […]
There’s something utterly charming about the creaky wooden floors, hidden nooks and crannies, and unique architectural details present in 19th-century homes. I have a thing for old Vermont farmhouses and a desire to someday own one. Maybe it’s the history of an old house—the raising of children, the family gatherings, the comings […]
The Alchemist, a restaurant and brewery previously located on Main Street in downtown Waterbury, used to be one of our favorite date-night spots. We’d take a leisurely drive over the Appalachian Gap and wind our way to Waterbury. The homecooked pub food and Wild Child on tap were worth every bit of the 80-minute drive (one way). Sadly, […]
I had never heard of the 251 Club of Vermont until I received a résumé at work in which the applicant described his love affair with Vermont and his affiliation with the 251 Club. The Club, which is open to Vermont natives and non-natives alike, celebrates the Green Mountain State and charges its […]
Lareau Farm in Waitsfield—home to a classic, 13-room Vermont inn and the original American Flatbread—isn’t the type of place I would normally consider staying. We usually opt for B&Bs and inns that have personality but are more luxurious than our own home. But when I needed two rooms […]
I once heard that Vermont is second only to Hawaii for destination weddings… and for good reason. In 2014, there were over 5,000 weddings in Vermont. Whether in the summer, peak foliage or the winter months, there is something inherently romantic about Vermont. There are ample barns that make […]
I love travelling. Discovering new restaurants, sipping inventive cocktails, admiring old architecture, meeting new people. I am easily entertained people watching—imagining what others’ lives are like. Never having worked in the corporate world in a big city, I’m fascinated by the pace and culture at big companies. Travelling affords me an escape from […]
Doesn’t it seem that the best presents are always the ones you would never buy for yourself? Listening to the Alt—a powerhouse trio of Irish and Scottish musicians—recently at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury, Vermont, was one of those experiences. When a family friend who hosts a Celtic radio show down […]
When I was in college in Vermont, Rochester was always “the town where you make a left onto Bethel Mountain Road” when giving directions to hop on interstate 89. Or a pitstop after urgently holding my bladder after miles and miles on back-country roads or, better yet, a snowy, white-knuckled drive down […]
The Middlebury Farmers’ Market, held at the historic Marble Works in Middlebury, Vermont, holds a special place in my heart… It was once a Saturday morning tradition for me to go to the Middlebury Farmers’ Market to fetch eggs, maybe a block of cheese and a sweet treat, usually […]
A fellow foodie friend of mine was shocked I hadn’t been to Worthy Burger, a craft beer and burger bar in South Royalton, Vermont, a small village in the Upper Valley that’s home to Vermont Law School. I’m always on a mission to find the best burger in Vermont and […]
Located 1.7 miles from Mad River Glen, Mad River Barn is a destination for skiers (and non-skiers like me) alike. The current owners, Andrew and Heather, underwent a huge renovation, and they’re about to experience their first foliage season with the inn and restaurant. Mad River Barn is […]
The Mad River Valley—coined the “Bad Liver” Valley by locals (and for good reason)—is more than your typical Vermont ski town with old money, long vistas and some of the best skiing in the state. With Mad River Glen and Sugarbush located within minutes of the quaint downtown, […]