Our Trip To Vermont

So, we just did a very nice trip around the great state of Vermont!  This was the last New England state we needed to visit, and it was the last state on the eastern side of the country we needed to see.  We have done several trips through New England, mostly to see friends in Maine, and Vermont was always just out of the way.

This trip was very casual, and slow paced.  We wanted to keep things generally unplanned and calm.  We didn't want to be rushing from one site to another in an effort to cram in a lot of things.  For the sake of time and distance, we had to omit one thing I really wanted to see in Vermont- Hildene, the former home of Robert Todd Lincoln.  The site is a little further south than we really planned to go, so we decided that we would have to visit on another trip.

Vermont is a very easy state to deal with.  It is calm, small, and uncrowded.  We felt very safe the entire time.  No one approached us for change while we walked around.  The trip had a very relaxing, rural feel.

We flew in to the very small Burlington airport.  I can't emphasize the minuteness of this airport enough.  It felt like we got off the plane, took a few steps, got our luggage...  took a few steps, and we were in our rental car.  They keep things simple and user friendly here.

As we moseyed along (we did a lot of moseying on this trip) we first stopped at the Green Mountain Coffee Visitor Center.  It was on our way to our hotel and first couple of stops. 

The visitor center is pretty simple, but pleasant.  There are some small displays.  They sell lots of the Keurig cups.  They do have a nice little coffee shop area too.  I had a great maple flavored coffee that was my perfect first drink in Vermont.  Plus, the visitor center is in a nice old train station!

From there, we planned to visit the highly recommended Bragg Farm Maple Sugarhouse and Gift Shop.  We were having some issues with the address in our GPS, so we called the Bragg site and asked for directions.

My wife ended up having a very nice chat with a lady there who was exceptionally helpful.  They ended up talking a bit, and, as we planned to stop for lunch on the way to the Sugarhouse, they recommended that we stop at the Wayside Restaurant in Montpelier.

This was a great little diner that had amazing food, for a very reasonable price.  There were a lot of locals here, and there was a line (that moved pretty quick) to get in.  We had a very sweet waitress who was super helpful and pleasant. 

Check out the photos.  The salad was very fresh, and those sweet tater-tots were the real deal.  No need to dip them in anything.

If you go to Vermont, you have to stop by this restaurant that the locals love!

More on the Bragg Farm and our trip through Vermont later!