We spent the first weekend of spring doing some pretty wintry activities! We decided to take a mini vacation for ourselves and venture up to Vermont for some skiing and fresh air. It was MUCH needed, and everything about Vermont truly exceeded my expectations. I feel like my soul has been nourished — some rare “just us” time, lotsa yummy food, a boutique hotel, and of course, skiing on some of the most beautiful mountains with bluebird sunny days!

Some favorites:

• Depot Street Burgers - We were so delighted with our first night’s dinner. Too hungry to wait for 8:30pm dinner reservations, we instead opted for these burgers. Best decision ever. They were so juicy, with the freshest brioche buns and rich Vermont cheddar cheese! I added caramelized onions to mine, too.

• The Works Bakery & Cafe - We stopped here on our way out, and enjoyed their homemade bagels with some morning coffee for the road. It got great reviews online, but no reviews I read mentioned the beautiful little creek that this tiny bakery rests on. It was so peaceful!

• The Taconic Hotel - I have always wanted to stay at a Kimpton hotel, wondering what the fuss was about. It was gorgeous - with lots of luxury touches and beautiful architecture, inside and out. I only wish that we could have enjoyed it and be able to be out and about (stupid Covid). Maybe next year?!

• Stratton Mountain Market and Deli - We chose this charming general store as our apres ski spot. S got the suprisingly amazing cheesesteak, and I got “The Happy Goat” sandwich which made me quite happy indeed. I have never been so enthralled by a sandwich.

• The Orvis Flagship Store - Unbeknownst to me, the HQ of Orvis was located 2 minutes from our hotel, if that. Their flagship store is a beautiful cabin-esque lodge, with tall ceilings and outdoorsy gear for the fishing enthusiast.

One thing we noticed about VT: everyone is so, so, so nice. I expected New England to have a faster, hustling vibe, but I was wrong. Manchester, VT was charming, sleepy, and exceptionally homey. It is still quite cold (as early spring tends to be), but it was great to see so many people walking about town, strolling with their dogs and a cup of coffee. Our hotel had a huge firepit and wraparound porch that I wish I could have enjoyed more. Given that Covid is still around, we didn’t really branch out or get too close to anyone.

S planned some amazing ski days for us! When we arrived, we went straight to Bromley Mountain, which was only 15 minutes or so from our hotel. It was so convenient - right off the road, with access to a “shuttle” (aka a pickup truck with an extended platform to ride to the mountain). We suited up, scanned phones for our lift tickets, and were off! S saw me through the greens, and by the time I was warmed up we went on one or two blue runs. I fell down once and must have done something to my knee, because I woke up the next morning with some nasty pains in my right leg. Bromley was the smaller of the two mountains we skiied, but I loved the sun rays we caught throughout the afternoon. It’s called the “Sun Mountain” because it faces east, and S taught me about how that causes the snow to go all mashed potatoes.

Bromley was a hit, and I thought I would miss it more than I did in reality because it was a smaller mountain with no crowds whatsoever. We waited for lifts for 1, 2 minutes tops and never really stopped. We got a lot of skiing in! But the next day at Stratton Mountain blew me away.

Stratton was crowded at the base, but once up on the peak, we glided through greens and blues down the sides of the mountains. It honestly felt like we had the entire place to ourselves, and for the first time skiing (ever) I realized how beautiful the sport was — to be outside, breathe in crystal clear mountain air, to enjoy the quiet, the sun, the rustling branches of trees, the glistening snow. It was spiritual! I got to think a lot, too, which I also realized I had never done before skiing. When there aren’t a lot of people around, it clears my head!

We really skiied our hearts out at Stratton, opting to just plow through the day without stops. It allowed us to really explore the mountain. I loved when S stopped to look at the map, and we charted a course, looking for new trails and sights. I think that was what I loved most about Stratton - it was so spacious, and so spread out, we got to see all sides of the mountain and challenge ourselves. We burned over 1000 cals, according to my AppleWatch!

I am so hopeful that this can be a yearly thing. I am so blessed to have all that I have, and on top of it, during a pandemic, to be able to safely travel and try some new things. It has been too long, and I needed this weekend (even if a few times, I was scared of what I thought I couldn’t do — ski!).

ciao, xo