Stride Americana: Headed North

Until we can follow the invisible string pulling us to England, the thread we follow stateside leads to Vermont.

Riding the gondola to the top of Mount Mansfield

There are some places that people are just drawn to, as if some invisible string is constantly tugging them in that direction. We’ve established that, for us, England is at the top of that list. But until we can get across the pond, when we think of favorite stateside getaways, the Green Mountains of Vermont have stolen our hearts.

It started back in 2018 when Steve and I came up to hike the Quechee Gorge and immediately fell in love with the relaxed and rugged vibe, with farmers and hippies and artists and sometimes all 3 combined living side by side. Over the years we’ve returned many times through all seasons, eventually taking Sam and instilling in him our deep appreciation for the quiet New England state. At one point in his life he even proclaimed that one of our favorite stays, Fat Sheep Farm in Hartland, was better than Disneyworld. He may have changed his tune after last year’s Disney trip but still holds fond core memories of our visits with the sheep and asks often when we can return.

It has been far too long though since our family has stepped foot on the soil of Mont Vert, so when friends of ours suggested it as a potential group trip location, it had our votes immediately. Most of our time has been spent in Central Vermont with only one quick trip North, but for this trip we were going to get to settle in with lots of time to explore Stowe, Waterbury, and other nearby gems.

As soon as we left I-89, I began refreshing my mental list of places to visit. Ben and Jerry’s. Cabot. Champlain Chocolates. Cold Hollow Cider Mill. Vermont Flannel Company. Countless artisan shops along quaint main streets.

The view pulling up to the house was awe inspiring. I saw our friends’ children running around the ponds with fishing nets to catch and release frogs. I immediately pictured Sam joining in, spending the next week running barefoot through the grass of this magnificent property as squeals of laughter echoed through the surrounding hills. I spotted the Adirondak chairs surrounding the chimenea and decided it was the perfect spot for me to settle with a book each evening. This would do just fine for the week.

We all settled in for the night, looking forward to a week of both peace and beautiful chaos. Tomorrow the real adventure would start.