The HIlls are Alive...

One of the absolute first thing you notice when you cross the border from New York State into Vermont is the mountains.  At first I mistook them for clouds on the horizon, as going from fairly flat terrain to seeing ACTUAL mountains and not just rolling hills was a little surprising.  If you are looking for a getaway filled with the possibility of outdoor activities and nature Vermont will not disappoint.  

View from Lake Champlain Ferry

When we decided on Vermont, we were really narrowing down a place where we could get away from it all, with Sarah in charge of accommodation (Queen of finding the perfect Air BnB) it  was instant love when she came across a property with beautiful log cabins.  Access to walking trails and a beautiful pond.  The seclusion was devine.  On the outskirts of the small town of Brookfield, and down a long windy driveway, the only peep you could hear was the sound of birds, wind in the trees and at night the crackling of our campfire.  

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An adorable and notable feature of Brookfield is the floating bridge.  Which allows both pedestrians and cars to cross.  In place since the early 1800 this is the eighth version of the bridge, and is the only floating bridge in Vermont.  

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The folks of Vermont in appearance have a strong connection and love for the environment.  I will admit that I did have a preconceived notion that everyone was going to be in Tye Dye and running around eating granola and hugging trees, even though my imagination was a little ill advised however I wasn't too far off, the difference was the sophistication and  "normality" in their daily lives.   Farm to table, organic, and fresh are the norm.  

The farmers market in Stowe was a lovely little accident.  We were driving up towards Mt. Mansfield and Smugglers Notch when we spotted white tents and crowds of people milling about, a last minute decision to turn and in minutes we were sampling local cheeses, pickled veggies and some of the best pot stickers around.  A fun bluegrass band played in the background as we walked around from tent to tent.  A spontaneous moment when a group of people started to randomly square dance in the front of the band.  The air was fresh, and the atmosphere so relaxed.  

From Burlington to Stowe we noticed that there are a lot of options for outdoor eating, which was wonderful because with Willie and Marzipan with us, it really felt like a family trip.  Dogs on Church St in Burlington, dogs at the farmers market, it was really nice to see all the fur babes out and about.  When we decided on lunch in Stowe, we still wanted to be outdoors there was a little chill in the air but it was so fresh, we didn't want to waste any moment inside.  We decided on the Von Trappe Brewery and Bierhall (Yes the actual Maria started this!) The views were stunning, the patio area overlooked the rolling hills and fields.  

We spent a lot of time outside, it was wonderful.  Now that we are more familiar with the area and what it has to offer we will definitely be returning for more extensive hikes and possibly start training to climb a couple mountains.