Stowe

This post is from a few weeks back and I am finally able to post it! For Ryan's Birthday this year, we headed towards Stowe, Vermont. I have never been to Stowe, let alone Vermont! I did not know what to expect, but I had nothing but high expectations since it was one of his favorite places to be.

                 

We drove up through Manchester, VT, where we stopped by the outlet shops (since I love a good deal) and it was raining anyways. We ate lunch a small place called Cilantro. I highly recommend it to anyone passing through. It has a Chipotle-y vibe, but it is local to Vermont (which makes it 100 times better). It was SO good we came back on our drive home to get it for dinner.

Following Manchester,  we drove to Stowe. On the way we stopped at the Ben & Jerry's Factory Store. I am not much of an ice cream person, but I have a soft spot for Ben & Jerry's! The sun was out and the factory was packed, but it was so much fun! Ry and I took the tour, even though they were not making any ice cream that day. At the end, you get a HUGE sample (I mean it, it was HUGE!!) Obviously, I had to buy some gifts for my family, but after that we were on our way to Stowe. We checked into the Field Guide Hotel not long after and got ready for dinner. This hotel was very modern (but still had a very outdoor/Vermont feel) and perfect for us. You could walk right into the town and had a great view of the mountains. Once we were all ready, we strolled into town and headed to Harrison's for dinner. After enjoying a great birthday dinner, we headed back towards the Field Guide to hang by the fire pit.

The next day, we started our ride back home, but not before we drove around Stowe a little more. Probably the scariest part of our trip was the drive towards Smuggler's Notch. The road is so narrow and windy, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time (and the rain did not help at all!) On the other side, the gondola was running to the top of the mountain, but we did not take it up since it was foggy and raining. After surviving that drive, we stopped at the Cold Hollow Cider Mill to get some cider donuts (Spoiler Alert: I walked out with more than donuts!)

I think my favorite part of Vermont was all the free samples (well everything was great, so I really can't pick just one favorite)! I tried everything from syrup to apple butter. What I recommend? Trying the maple syrup and buying the flavor you like. Was I the only one in the dark and did not know there were different flavors of syrup? It feels like I was living life all wrong! I definitely am looking forward to visiting Vermont again, maybe even in the winter when the snow hits the mountains??