29 Aug
24 Aug
The Perfect Al Fresco Lunch: Trap Door Bakehouse, Quechee, Vermont
When the boys were younger, say one and two years old, we considered finding restaurants with picnic tables equivalent to winning the lottery. Meals were so much more enjoyable with a little more room to breathe and a little more space for the noise to carry. Now that they are older and a very wee bit calmer, we do okay at inside tables. But a place like the Trap Door Bakery and Cafe makes you question why you would ever eat indoors again. This place served up the perfect midday meal, allowing us to assemble our own tasting menu of frittata... Read More
23 Aug
Those Magical Places (Quechee / Pine Valley KOA)
The Quechee / Pine Valley KOA in Vermont had me at hello. I had emailed the campground a couple of weeks before our visit asking for a list of family-friendly hikes, and the co-owner, Cindy, sent me a friendly email that became the blue print for our adventures. So I was predisposed to liking the place before we even pulled in. But then we actually pulled in…. It took me about 20 seconds to realize that our whole crew was not going to like it here–we were going to love it. The campground, which has an upper and a lower level,... Read More
20 Aug
Get Ye To Church (Or At Least to a Church Blueberry Festival)
We were driving down Route 5 from our campground to downtown Brattleboro when I saw it. One of those small signs sticking out of the ground that usually announce politicians or lawn services. This one was advertising a blueberry festival at the local First United Methodist Church. Did you see that, I asked Jeremy, my voice quavering with excitement. The hours were from 7 to 2. Do you know what that means? My husband stared at me, wondering what exactly he was missing here. I clarified. Seven a.m. That means…PANCAKES! Blueberry pancakes... Read More
19 Aug
We Looked At The Swim And We Jumped Right In: West Dummerston
We went to Vermont in search of family friendly hiking and swimming, and we found them both. On our last morning at the Brattleboro North KOA I walked into the cozy camp store and asked Beverly to recommend a good swim. She pulled out a list culled from swimming holes.org/vt and highlighted two of them. Then she grabbed a photocopied map and highlighted the exact route to both locations. If you ever find yourself in the Brattleboro area on a warm summer day and you want to go for a swim, go see Beverly. She will get you there. I promise.... Read More
17 Aug
Sometimes the Universe Echoes: A Scavenger Hunt on Mount Putney
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about our first scavenger hunt hike in the Shenandoah National Park. We have done so many hikes in so many different states since the boys were born and have never once before been handed a trail scavenger hunt. Not in Acadia National Park. Not in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Never. So you can imagine my surprise when we stepped out of the truck in Vermont to hike up to the Mount Putney Summit, and there was a kindly older woman approaching us with a stack of papers and some tiny pencils. This volunteer from the... Read More
15 Aug
