New England Road Trip: Stowe, VT

Today Ben and I would leave Woodstock and head to Stowe, VT via the famous Route 100, which is a very scenic and beautiful drive in the fall in Vermont.  We had a few fun stops to make along the way before arriving in Stowe.

We stopped at the Woodstock Farmer's Market to see if we wanted to grab any snacks for the drive.  They had some yummy looking sandwiches, but we decided to wait and have lunch on the way to Stowe.

Our first stop was Thundering Brook Falls, a short easy hike to an 80ft waterfall that Ben did with his family last year.  I knew this would be a fun hike to do.

The fall colors were starting to come out a little more.

Made it to the falls!  We had it all to ourselves for several minutes.

On the way back, we passed a turnoff for the Appalachian Trail.  I walked a few feet up just so I could say I hiked some of it (although technically Thundering Brook Falls is also part of the AT).

Then it was back on Route 100 to continue to our next stop, Moss Glen Falls.

Moss Glen Falls is right off of the road.  There is a short boardwalk to the falls that was closed but we were still able to get a nice picture just a short walk from the parking lot.

We continued on Route 100 to Cold Hollow Cider Mill which is famous for their apple cider donuts and apple cider.  It is a very busy place and Ben didn't love this stop last year but I told him I had to try it!

Ben said the donuts were better this year.

Another thing I couldn't wait to try!

After shopping at the gift shop, we decided to go ahead and have a proper lunch at the cafe.  We split a delicious turkey Reuben.

I knew there was a red barn that would make for a pretty picture with the fall trees behind it.  It is a corporately owned barn with no house or anyone we would bother by taking a picture.  

There are private residences in Vermont with barns that are so popular because of Instagram, the counties have to close roads to traffic during foliage season to discourage onlookers.  But I knew this one would be ok to go to so I told Ben how to find it.

I was the only one there and took all the pictures I wanted!

On the way, we happened upon another barn that did have a "Private Property" sign erected so I just snapped a photo out the car window, no harm done!

As we continued on this same road, we came across a lookout where we could see the town of Stowe nestled in the trees.

Hello Stowe!

We got to our hotel, the Green Mountain Inn, around 1:30 but we weren't able to check in until closer to check-in at 3:00.  So we just walked around the town until our room was ready.

This is the famous picture of the congregational church in Stowe with the trees behind it.  Unfortunately, this year the church was being renovated and had ugly scaffolding all over it. Luckily, I have a beautiful picture from last year that Ben took for me.  

Soon we got the call that our room was ready.

I loved that our bathroom had a real sink and not a pedestal.

The hotel left us a treat for our anniversary!

Ben wanted me to see the Stowe Village Inn where his family stayed last year.  Ben and I would have stayed there also, however the hotel doubled their prices for this season!  We went to the bar at the Inn and enjoyed a drink on the patio.

Dinner was at the Whip Bar and Grill at our hotel.  Ben got a burger and I got the maple pork tenderloin.  Since I don't have any more pictures, I think we called it a night after dinner!

The next morning started with yummy lattes and pastries at Black Cap Bakery.

These pastries were sooo good and filling too!

Then we walked a little of the Stowe Recreation Path.

Then it was time to head to the Stowe Gondola which we would ride up to the top of Mt. Mansfield, the highest point in Vermont at 4,393 feet.  Ben and his parents did this last year and I was excited to ride the gondola and see the fall color.

We got there a little early so we went and did a hike across the street called the Barnes Camp Loop where you can get a view of Smuggler's Notch, the famous mountain pass in Stowe which we would be driving through later in the afternoon.

The colors were becoming more vibrant in Stowe.

Then it was time to ride up the mountain in a gondola!  Here is the top of Mt. Mansfield where we were headed.

Those colors though!

Here we go!

Views on the way up!

At the top!

What goes up must come down!

The gondola ride was really fun and a great way for us both to enjoy Mt. Mansfield without driving.

Next we drove through Smuggler's Notch (or Smuggs to the locals) which is a drive through a narrow mountain pass through the Green Mountains that Stowe is famous for.

In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson passed an embargo act forbidding American trade with Great Britain and Canada. This was a severe hardship for northern Vermonters and many local people continued illegal trade with Canada, herding cattle and carrying other goods through the Notch. 

During the Prohibition years, liquor was smuggled from Canada over the improved road built in 1922, thus the name "Smuggler's Notch."

It's a fun drive with boulders, trees, and cliffs along the curvy road.  I didn't take a ton of pictures since the drive is short and I didn't want to miss it. 

Just past Smuggs is a town called Jeffersonville where we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant.

We split a sandwich on naan called the Fox.  It doesn't look like much here but it was really good!

Then we drove back through the Notch to Stowe.

Back in Stowe, we stopped at the Brookdale Bridge built in 1964 which spans the West Branch Little River.  This bridge marks the end of the 5-mile Stowe Recreation Path.

We walked off our lunch along the path.

Then we went over to Alchemist Brewery, a very well-known brewery in Vermont that Ben visited last year.  This gave Ben a chance to have a world-class beer he could only get in Vermont.

It was a beautiful day so we sat out on the patio and I had a root beer.

Back at the hotel, it was afternoon tea and cookie time, something all of the New England hotels had every day. We sat in a little nook overlooking Main St. and had apple cider and cookies and people watched.

Then it was time for our last dinner in Vermont which was at the restaurant Ben and his family ate at last year, Harrison's. They had a great dinner there with relatives that drove in from Burlington to see them.

Before dinner, we went to the Whip for a pre-dinner cocktail.

Then it was on to dinner at Harrison's.  I couldn't believe this was our last night in Vermont!

We started with drinks and appetizers. I didn't take a picture of my appetizer but I think it was a good butternut squash soup.

That is my soup peeking out.

Our entrees were steak for Ben and pork tenderloin for me.  Mine was pretty bland and nothing special.

Dessert was an apple tart with ice cream.  It would have been much better if they had heated the pie up first.

The dessert in this picture is not as good as it appears.

Ben agreed it was better last year with his parents.  We didn't end on the highest of notes but it was still enjoyable.

The next morning we got lattes at a place next door to our hotel, Cafe on Main.  

We had our lattes and talked about our upcoming drive to New Hampshire.

Then it was time to say goodbye to Stowe and we were off to our next state, New Hampshire.

One last view of Vermont

Goodbye beautiful Vermont!  Next up:  Jackson, New Hampshire!