I have always had the travel bug, and since Maximo came along I have had to suppress it a little. Ok ok maybe not – I travel to Pittsburgh almost every other month and last year I made it to Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico and Martha’s Vineyard. This year so far Miami and Vermont (and our big International travel will be to Greece – but that’s another story…)
Anyways, I had the opportunity to get invited to Vermont last weekend by BnBfinder.com, and when you’re invited to the country – you go. Especially when you live everyday in a city like NYC. Even though I am from Pittsburgh, literally the one place I haven’t ventured very much is New England. And it’s a shame because it is SO. FREAKING. BEAUTIFUL. This weekend reminded me of that.
I am going to walk you through why you should also take a weekend off to disconnect and head to the beautiful moutains of southern Vermont. Proctorsville to be exact.
1. Bed and Breakfast – The Golden Stage Inn.
If you’ve never been to a bed and breakfast – you haven’t lived. Really. You won’t want to stay in hotels anymore when you travel. At least when you visit Mike and Julie at the Golden Stage Inn. If you’re really looking to escape the city – this is your haven. It was a really easy 4 hour trip out of the city on a Friday afternoon. (yes, I swear!) Meet Mike and Julie, the current owners:
Over 200 years old, the Golden Stage Inn was originally a stagecoach stop, and the building retains its historic country charm while providing all the best amenities for today’s travelers. The lush, idyllic grounds include five acres of grassy lawn, sprawling gardens, and bridge over a brook leading into the hilly woods of Proctor-Piper state forest.
Since we were traveling with Maximo, they gave us the Beehive Suite, which is actually two connecting bedrooms via door. This means kids have their own room! Whether they are toddlers that need to go to bed early, or teenagers who want to be “grown up,” you can let them have their independence, while still feeling connected. Both rooms had digital televisions and wifi access as well. You know, for when us workaholics like to get a little bit done after the kids are asleep.
The entire inn is huge (especially in comparison to our tiny NYC apartments), and we were able to roam freely to see the sights. We opted to have our glasses of wine and bottles of milk by the fireplace in the common room, and there is a community fridge and nook off of the dining area where we were able to store our milk and treats for the baby.
Have you ever had someone prepare you breakfast, and enjoy it in your pajamas?
Listen, unless you’re Donald Trump, I doubt your rarely roll out of bed in your jammies down to the kitchen to be served a two-course breakfast meal. And fresh brewed coffee. Maximo opted for fresh orange juice. If you are a health nut like myself, you will glaze over in happiness at the sight of fresh, raw milk yogurt, and on-site harvested honey. (Yes! Did I mention Julie has her own honey bees right in the yard?!) Then – Julie brought us her specialty – eggs in a maple basket. **SWOON** – and you can even find them on their Pinterest page! (Can you believe such a cozy country cottage is so social savvy??)
Not to mention the eggs come directly from the chickens walking around in the yard. That’s what you call free-range my friends.
The best part? Maximo was able to walk up and feed the chickens and sheep himself! This seriously might have been the highlight of his stay. Or well, maybe the bottomless cookie jar? Or the chocolate cake baked on Saturday night?
Proctorsville is literally a one-road town. But, it’s not without a General Store that has everything you could possibly need – including the basic necessities like guns, bacon and of course, Coon hats!
Ludlow is just down the street (with ONE red-light) that offers a few dining places for lunch and/or dinner. Julie and Mike know all the good places to check out so make sure to ask them for their recommendations! We weren’t disappointed in the food, portion size or the amazingly friendly service.
2. Farms – Taylor Farm
Oh. My. God. I felt like I was 7 years old again running around the Taylor dairy farm on Vermont – it was just like old times. It smelled like our farm, it was muddy like our farm, and even the dairy parlor resembled how I used to milk cows. Can you BELIEVE THAT I used to milk cows? It’s true. Farms may be one of the most amazing educational places for children.
(**Sidenote – the owners of Taylor farm used to live in Manhattan! Swear. To. God. They just up and moved away one day. So, you may act like you’re a cool New Yorker now, but don’t think that people never leave the city or just need to walk away from all this craziness!)
Think about it – do you kids really know where milk comes from? Eggs?
It’s not Whole Foods, my friends, it’s actual cows and chickens. And on a farm, they can learn that first hand.
Maximo literally got to pick up an egg seconds after the hen laid it. It was still warm. THAT IS SOMETHING VIDEOS AND BOOKS CANNOT TEACH.
He heard the cows moo and watched them chew their cud. He walked around tossing feed at the chickens, and even tried to crawl into the troff with the pigs. I absolutely LOVE that Maximo is not afraid to get dirty or approach animals. It’s in his blood, and seeing him run around on the farm like he belongs there just makes my heart swell with joy.
The other best part about farms? Food.
In Vermont is it legal to sell RAW MILK (GASP!) on the farm (but not in stores). Julie let us know that Jersey Girls Dairy sold it on their farm, so we were off to get some. We followed a dirt road towards a farm, and to our surprise upon driving up – it seemed that no one was there. But, the sign on the door said open, so we walked in. We found a fridge full of raw milk and free-range eggs, but no humans. We called out and looked around – until we found a little book and box. Could it be? YES – I swear – it’s the HONOR SYSTEM. You write down your name and what you took, put the money in the box, take your goodies and leave.
MINDBLOWN.
I have become so city that I forgot what it’s really like outside of NYC. There are real people, trust, real food, and happiness.
While at Taylor farms (which be known is the ONLY Gouda cheese farm in Vermont), Mimi let us sample all the different types of cheeses they make right there on the farm. Heaven. Who doesn’t love cheese? Maple cheese, garlic cheese, goat cheese – all made with fresh raw milk.
Do you know what raw milk means?
This is honest to goodness milk – right from the cow. No pasteurizing, no homogenization. While many say it’s “dangerous” to drink milk this way – it’s the only way I ever had it. I am still here at 32 (EEEEK!) years of age to tell the story, so what is exactly dangerous about it? Dangerous because it has all the vitamins and nutrients still there because they haven’t been burned off? The fact that it tastes delicious and creamy and you probably wouldn’t even recognize it as “milk” because of what you’re used to what you THINK milk should taste like?
Cows are meant to be lazy and look like this.
Chickens are meant to roam around and look like this.
It’s the only way I ever knew. So how did we get so far away from this? That thinking caging animals in dark tight boxes, while we pump them full of hormones and antibiotics is normal? When you see a farm the way it should be, it’s hard to understand why it would be any other way.
We should try to live by the motto of the farms – W.A.A.W.W.E (We All Are What We Eat).
3. Maple Syrup. The Green Mountain Sugar House.
Finally we had to of course check out the sugar houses – what Vermont is also famous for – MAPLE SUGAR! I remember growing up this time of year you would drive around and see buckets nailed to trees collecting the sap/sugar. These days they are a little more efficient about it, using a vacuum pump that pulls the syrup out of the trees. The process is called “sugaring.”
They then truck in the syrup from the tree farm 9 miles away to the sugar house right here that hosts a 7,000 gallon tank. Sugar isn’t just maple sugar – you have to boil it and remove 75% of the water (reverse osmosis). That’s some pretty scientific stuff going on in a tiny little sugar house!
Doug was the most gracious host to show us around to see the process and of course let us taste the final product!
One thing that interested me is that he said they are not organic. Organic maple = 3 taps per tree. But what exactly is organic about that – that’s more sustainable forestry, right? Since they’re small farms in Vermont, all farms are pretty much “organic” because they aren’t pumping antibiotics and poisons into the food, but they aren’t also paying the government to be labeled “organic,” which is saving everyone money all around. Doug mentioned in small farm towns and areas like this, all “organic” does is pit the industry against each other.
It’s really something to think about – how are we supposed to get quality products from honest farmers making a living anymore? BUY LOCAL people! It’s what I always say – stop giving to the large corporations that could care less about you or your health! This is honest, real maple syrup made my hardworking people who love what they do and have done it their entire lives. Don’t you think that sounds like a better option?
Well, Maximo seems to think so – look at the smile on his face tasting his first authentic maple creemie!
DID YOU KNOW: Maple syrup is an AMAZING SUBSTITUTE for PROCESSED WHITE SUGAR?
We use maple syrup in MANY recipes – including my famous (thanks to Michelle Marinis for her recipe!) Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding, which uses Maple Syrup instead of sugar! So of course we brought lots of it back home for us and friends to enjoy!
We asked Doug – Vermont or Canadian Syrup – what is better?
What did he say? It’s all delicious as long as you’re buying REAL PURE syrup from the farmers – not fake stuff like Aunt Jemima – THAT IS NOT REAL SYRUP PEOPLE!!!
There is so much more I can tell you about my trip to Vermont, so if you’re really interested in the trip, let me know and I’ll connect you to everyone to set it up! All of these people are more than friendly and happy to have you come by to see for yourself!
To Learn More:
The Golden Stage Inn
399 Depot Street
Proctorsville, VT
innkeeper@goldenstageinn.com
www.goldenstageinn.com
Taylor Farm
825 Route 11
Londonberry, VT
taylorcheese@comcast.net
www.taylorfarmvermont.com
Green Mountain Sugar House
820 Route 100
North Ludlow, VT
www.gmsh.com
*I was provided a complimentary trip to Vermont for the weekend to check out the sights, but all opinions are my own.
