Of course, we couldn't stay in Woodstock all the time. We had to go exploring. We had to make a return visit to the Vermont Country Store, where we had stocked up on weird and wonderful sundries last year. And there was no way I was spending time in Vermont without getting my fill of hot, crispy apple cider doughnuts. So we went north to Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Woodbury, with a scenic stop at the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial in Sharon (above) along the way. We drove through the beautiful town of Stowe, then had dinner in up-and-coming food mecca (and state capitol) Montpelier, where we had delicious savory crepes at The Skinny Pancake. Next year we will be back to try NECI (New England Culinary Institute) and Salt, which are both farm-to-table and have impressive reputations.
In Quechee, next to Woodstock, we hiked along the gorge and ate at The Mill at Simon Pearce, though we had to drive to their alternate factory in Windsor to watch glass-blowing, as The Mill's factory had been completely decimated by Hurricane Irene. And while this part of Vermont seemed to have fewer mom-and-pop antique shops than up north, we did spend a couple of happy afternoons in the local antique malls. There were more country stores and cheese shops, yummy snacks at King Arthur Flour's culinary school, and a visit to Scotland-by-the-Yard, where we nabbed imported goods in honor of my husband's Scottish ancestry. We drove alongside low stone fences past pretty New England churches and through hills and valleys of well-kept old houses and farms. It was exactly what we came for.
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