HOME TOUR
Is there anything more romantic or quintessential fall than Vermont? Just last weekend we headed north for some fall leaf crunching and maple latte drinking, Woodstock is one of our favorite towns in New England. And for good reason. It’s quaint and adorable while offering good food and good fun for all ages. We found that everything was open. You just needed to wear a mask everywhere, inside or out. After many many years of exploring different areas of Vermont, look at how little my babies were in this post, we’re heading back to some of our favorite spots and this is one of them. With three kiddos we’ve learned you can still travel, it’s just harder and therefore helpful to lower your expectations of what you can accomplish. Nevertheless a fall weekend in Woodstock, Vermont is a beautiful escape.
FRIDAY
Cade has a remote learning class day on Fridays so we rented an AirBNB apartment from Thursday through Sunday heading up to Woodstock right after picking them up from school on Thursday. We made dinner reservations at Simon Pearce in Quechee and stopped there before heading to our apartment. By the time we were done with dinner and made it to the apartment, it was already bedtime routine time–bath, reading and sleep.
On Friday morning, while he was doing his ZOOM class, I booked a massage at the Woodstock Inn. Now normally we stay here but they were sold out given the limited capacity restrictions related to COVID. The little apartment we rented was just up the street from the Inn and ideal with little kiddos. Having a kitchen and being able to linger in the mornings without rushing out to find a restaurant was wonderful. It was also rainy so being able to stay in was lovely.
The Spa at the Woodstock Inn remains one of my favorite spas ever! Put it on your must-do list the next time you’re in the area. It’s a really special way to treat yourself well. Right now because of COVID, all their water facilities are closed, that means no showering after a massage, no sauna or time in the outdoor jacuzzi. After checking in, they usher you into the locker room, give you a basket and have you change into a robe/slippers. You place all your belongings in that basket and carry it with you to the treatment room. I was very impressed with their COVID procedures and felt very safe. You are in a mask until you are face down on the massage table which you will put back on when you turn over.
We headed to Shackleton Thomas in the afternoon after the rain passed and had a wonderful time. It’s a beautiful mill building in Bridgewater, just up the road and along the river from Woodstock.
Miranda Thomas makes the most beautiful pottery. I ended up ordering a beautiful teapot that will be ready in a couple months. I can’t wait! They had a lovely selection of 2nd pieces at a reduced cost. While we were there we grabbed a “Vermonter” (bacon, apple, vermont cheddar cheese and grilled onion pizza) and a traditional cheese wood fired pizza from Ramuntos Brick & Brew Pizza. With our pizza and kiddos in tow we headed to Vail Park, right behind the Woodstock Inn, to eat and play before bath time.
SATURDAY
Saturday morning brought a stroll through the town of Woodstock. Grab your maple latte with oat milk at Mon Vert on Main street. They open at 8 unfortunately so you can’t send your husband out early to grab lattes before the kids wake up. This would also be a fabulous place to grab lunch but tables are first come first serve and on a busy weekend, there’s quite a line. Not ideal when you’ve got three kids under 6.
The town itself is lovely and I could spend all day meandering. The pumpkin house with pumpkin display created by @houseanddog is always beautiful but this year it was spectacular. I giant pile of lovingly displayed blue/green pumpkins–my favorite. You can’t miss the Ardmore Inn. It’s such a pretty building and always wearing fall well with pumpkins on the windows and mums lining the walk. It’s New England fall in a nutshell.
Head over to Billings farm by way of the main road over the river. It’s a short walk and beautiful. This is a must-do if you’ve got littles. They had a screening for COVID symptoms outside before you enter the building which created a bit of a line but it wasn’t awful. Once inside they tell you the activities of the day. We did leaf tracing and got to pet the cows in the barn. They also had apple pressing for cider and a dying sunflower maze but we didn’t quite get to those. It’s just so picturesque and lovely and the kiddos have room to run. Important for everyone’s sanity.
Outfit details: Plaid Capelet, Jeans (similar), Boots
Matt grabbed some organic chicken and we did dinner in. An easier option when you’ve got a 20 month old who missed her nap. Grab your groceries at the Woodstock Farmers Market. We also get sandwiches here for an easy lunch. You can’t miss the giant cookies and we tried them all, there’s really no bad option. But I was feeling fall and liked the molasses one the best.
SUNDAY
We needed check out by 11 but still wanted a full day in Vermont so we packed the car up and started the day back at Vail Park so they could get some play in. We stopped at Farmhouse Pottery and back by the Woodstock Farmers Market for pumpkins and sandwiches.
From there we drove the opposite side of town to avoid traffic the traffic on main street, past Billings Farm and up to Sugarbush Farm. Gosh we love this place. Cheese and maple syrup, what could be better?
Outfit Details: Sweater Coat, Button Front Jeans, Boots (my favorite!), scarf (similar)
From Sugarbush Farm, we headed toward Quechee and back onto the main Rt 4 toward the Vermont Institute of Natural Science. This is unassuming from the road but so much fun. A must stop on my list. All outdoor exhibits are open, the bird show is still going, the walking trails through the forest and the canopy tour (excluding the spider web) are all open. Now the last time I was here I was newly pregnant with Aubrey. We loved it then but it is so much better now that they’ve built a canopy tour.
Now the canopy tour is so so fun. We didn’t know it existed. We rounded a corner on the nature walk and lo and behold, there was this massive canopy above us.
What a beautiful weekend away. If you’re thinking about going, nows the time. It’s beautiful and feels like fall. A fall weekend in Woodstock, Vermont.
WHERE TO EAT:
Simon Pearce, Woodstock Farmers Market, Mon Vert Cafe
WHERE TO VISIT:
Billings Farm, Sugarbush Farm, Farmhouse Pottery, Shackleton Thomas, town of Woodstock specifically the Yankee Bookshop
WHERE WE STAYED:
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