The Gratts on Vacation: New England Road Trip: Woodstock, VT

In 2023, I planned a leaf peeping road trip across New England for Ben and his parents to visit relatives and see the fall color. At the last minute, I wasn't able to join them but they had a wonderful trip and I was happy I got to plan it for them.

When Ben returned, he suggested that he and I go on the same trip and make it our 15-year wedding anniversary trip. He really wanted me to get to see everything that I missed. So a year later, Ben and I were off to New England!

We flew straight to Vermont to begin our trip from there. We had a very early flight and it was still dark when we took off, which was kind of cool.

We flew over Lake Champlain so we knew we were close!

We arrived in Burlington, VT, picked up our rental car and hit the road! Our first stop was the Vermont State House in Montpelier, VT. Since it was Sunday, the building wasn't open but I wanted to get a picture of the outside since it's a very beautiful building, built in 1859.

I wish we could have taken the tour. Many of the furnishings inside the building date back to 1859.

We then made our way to our first city on the road trip, Woodstock, VT. The Gratts visited Woodstock last year and enjoyed it so much that Ben and I added a night, making this a three-night stay.

All the shops were decorated so cute.

We stayed at the beautiful Woodstock Inn and Resort.

The resort left us a gift of pottery from a local artisan for our anniversary.

I had made a reservation at a nearby restaurant for dinner, but we were too tired to drive the four minutes it would take to get there! So we had drinks and dinner at the tavern at the hotel. (Tip: Always plan dinner at the hotel on travel day!)

I got a champagne cocktail called an Airmail and it was delicious. I had one every night!

Cheers to vacation!

We split a burger and an order of broccolini and it hit the spot.

After two years of planning, I couldn't believe I was finally here.

Travel hair, don't care.

The next morning, we got up early, eager to start our day!

No pictures until I've had coffee.

We had breakfast at a cute place called Soulfully Good Cafe. Monday would be the only day it was open and I wanted a chance to try it out. We got lattes and croissant sandwiches and it was yummy.

Our plan today was to walk around and see the town of Woodstock, sample some real maple syrup, and then take a mansion tour in the national park later in the afternoon. We started our walking tour at the nearby Middle Bridge built in 1969. It was actually built to replace the original bridge of 1877 that collapsed.

The bridge crosses the Ottauquechee River.

Practically every building in Woodstock, including the homes, was built in the 1800's. I created a walking tour of many of the homes and buildings, some of which played a role in the Civil War.

Woodstock Town Hall built in 1853.

The Courthouse built in 1854.

The Collamer House is a house once owned by senator Jacob Collamer who worked in the years before the Civil War to achieve a compromise that would hold the union together. The house was built in 1855 and is now a private residence.

This home built in the 1800's once belonged to a Civil War soldier named George Mellish. I imagined him coming home from the war to this house and got chills! It is now a private residence.

There is also a Civil War memorial in Tribou Park.

And lots of beautiful historic homes.

Woodstock holds the distinction of being the only town with five bells manufactured in the foundry established by Paul Revere. One of the bells is on display at the First Congregational Church which was constructed in 1807.

Another of the bells is located at the hotel where we were staying. So we got to see two of the five.

We went to the Woodstock History Center where I was looking forward to seeing the video that tells about the history of the town. However, the center was closed and wouldn't open again until Wednesday when we were leaving. Bummer!

However, it also has a very pretty view of the Ottauquechee River. Ben didn't get to see the view with his parents because it was raining so we went to see that instead.

We stopped at the F. H. Gillingham Store, the oldest store in Woodstock, established in 1886.

Look at all that maple syrup!

The last stop on the walking tour was River St. Cemetery which is the final resting place for many of Woodstock's Civil War veterans.

Next Ben and I headed over to Sugarbush Farm so I could sample some real maple syrup and Ben and I could do a little hike. Although Ben brought me home maple syrup last year, I still wanted to try it while in Vermont.

The sugar house.

At Sugarbush, we got our first real look at New England in the fall!

Behind the store, there was a one-mile nature hike that I suggested we do to get our bodies ready for the hiking we would do throughout the next two weeks.

The blue blazes kept us from getting lost in the woods!

This hike ended up being really steep and was much more of a hike than we bargained for!

Climbing over the barbed wire that keeps the nearby cows out!

We rewarded ourselves with a Vermont root beer out on the patio.

I took this picture leaving Sugarbush. There were little barns all over New England, I tried to photograph as many as I could!

We had some time to kill before our mansion tour, so we stopped at Billings Farm which is a working dairy farm in Woodstock that offers tours, and was free with our hotel stay. I was not really interested in seeing the dairy part of the operation, but the farm itself was really pretty.

We stopped for ice cream that the farm makes onsite. We got a caramel apple ice cream cone and it was delicious--my favorite ice cream we had the whole trip!

Next we went to Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park which is the only National Park in Vermont. The Park showcases the lives and work of the three generations of families that called the land home and who were committed to conservation.

The tour was led by a park ranger who explained the history of the mansion built in 1805 and the three families who lived there. It was very interesting and I love walking through old mansions imagining how it must have been to live there all those years ago.

Look at that view!

We had a great time touring Woodstock! We went back to the hotel and got cleaned up for dinner at the hotel's restaurant. We started off with a drink at the bar.

Dinner was a pork chop for Ben and a short rib for me. My short rib was pretty fatty and not very good so Ben shared his pork chop with me.

Ben guarding his pork chop.

We topped it off with maple cake for dessert.

We ended with a nightcap in the library. All the hotels we stayed in had nice lobbies and seating areas where you could just sit and sip tea or have a drink.

It was a great first day in Woodstock! Day two started with breakfast at the famous Mon Vert Cafe.

Everything was yummy!

Then we headed out to the nearby town of Quechee where we would see glassblowing, a famous bridge, and take a hike down to a gorge.

We saw the Taftsville Bridge on the way. This is a pretty bridge built in 1836 and is among the oldest remaining covered bridges not only in Vermont but in the nation.

We drove through the bridge and I took a video.

Then we went to Simon Pearce which is a famous handmade glass shop/restaurant in Quechee. Ben and his parents ate at the restaurant last year on their trip, but it wasn't open while we were there. So we just visited the store and watched the glassblowing.

The store had a pretty view from the parking lot.

Where the glass magic happens.

They had a pretty display of glass Christmas items. I looked at the ornaments but the cheapest one was $80!

You break it, you buy it.

The glassblowing was amazing to watch!

That blob will be the bottom of a wine glass.

Next door to the store is the Quechee covered bridge which was constructed in 1970 over the Ottauquechee River.

Then we drove to Quechee State Park to hike down to Quechee Gorge which is a 165-foot gorge that cuts through the Ottauquechee River. There is a bridge where you can view the gorge from above, however it was under construction.

So we did a short hike down to the bottom of the gorge instead.

There is the bridge way back there.

We did see people walking across the bridge when we left but we were happy seeing it this way, plus we got a little hike in as well.

Then we drove to the Calvin Coolidge Homestead which is the birthplace and childhood home of Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States. The historic village appears much as it was during Coolidge’s lifetime.

The colors were beautiful—this was our first real “ooh, ahhh” moment seeing the fall colors.

The Coolidge State Forest in the background.

We had just missed the guided tour so we did a walking tour on our own, seeing the church, the barn and the home where Calvin Coolidge grew up, we just weren’t able to go inside. But it was still cool to see.

This is the church Coolidge attended built in 1840.

This is the Coolidge Home built around 1830 and where Coolidge took the oath of office following the unexpected death of President Harding. His father woke him up and told him he was now the President!

There were other buildings that I think we missed and I'm bummed we didn't get to go on an actual tour. If we are ever in Woodstock again, I would definitely go back.

Then we took a short drive out to the Green Mountain Sugar House in Ludlow, VT so I could check off a Vermont must-do which was to have a maple creemee, a cone of maple soft-serve ice cream Vermont is famous for. Ben had one at a shop in Woodstock but I knew this sugar house would be more authentic.

There was a pretty area behind the shop where we sat and had our creemee until a pesky bee wouldn't leave us alone!

It was so good and Ben agreed it was better than the one he had last year.

Worth waiting for

Then it was back to Woodstock to get ready for dinner.

We passed the Lincoln covered bridge (1877) on the way and I just took a picture out the window.

Dinner was at a Woodstock restaurant called the Prince and the Pauper. Since we weren't able to eat at Simon Pearce, I chose this instead. Our dinner was wonderful and Ben said it was the right choice!

I started with a drink called the Harvest-Tini I saw online that was made with apple cider. They didn't have it on their current menu but they made it for me and it was one of the best cocktails I've ever had (and I've had some good ones!)

This drink was fall in a glass.

Ben started with a classic Manhattan....

And then switched to a local beer.

Dinner was fabulous! I had roasted butternut squash soup and a filet, and Ben had a smoked salmon platter and a NY strip which was even better than my filet. Everything was wonderful.