Every summer I feel like I don't take advantage of my weekends as much as I could. This summer I made an extra effort to really take those two free days and do something fun with them.
One evening Mi Amor and I were out to dinner and he said "Lets go somewhere this weekend!" Of course I'm all in, how could I not be?! The first place that came to his mind was Vermont. I have actually never been there so I was so game to go. I've spent 8 years living in the north east and never took a road-trip up to Vermont!
That next day I took to the internet to research what there is to do during the summer months. To my excitement there was a lot to do! Especially outdoor activities. Which I love!
We decide to go Canoeing and hiking. Saturday morning we put the address of the first canoe place we found into the GPS and drove. We start winding through roads with trees on either side reaching up to the sky to grab all the summer sun they can get.
Once we crossed over into Vermont the roads we took are more local. There are small shops and houses on either side. I always think that the further north you go into small towns the more southern feeling it becomes. The houses are smaller with more land and a hint of a simpler more relaxing life. The town we end up in is on the Battenkill river. We drive through to find the canoe rental but could feel a touch of sadness echoing off the one way street. Shops were closed or out of business. We find the canoe building, but it is rundown and all the canoes in the back are rusted over. There was even an old truck parked in the lot that looked like it hadn't had a person in it for years.
We drove to what we thought was an information center but then got redirected to a campsite to better help us find another place to rent canoes. The guy running the site was incredibly helpful and knew the area like the back of his hand. He told us about this rental spot that is owned by an older couple. When we got there they were so friendly and very enthusiastic. They just wanted us to have a good time!
We were driven to one spot along the river and were told we would be picked up at another designated place a couple miles down.
The river was beautiful, although the water was very low. We got into the canoe by this old nostalgic red covered bridge. People were also tubing down the river which looked like fun!
I was in the front of the Canoe and Mi Amor was in the back, ready to steer us down the river.
We only had one mishap where we went into the trees on the side, but both of us couldn't stop laughing. I did get nervous a couple times and tried to steer the boat on my own, but then relaxed and we worked as a team.
We Canoed down the river for two hours then decided to get on the road to Stratton, Vermont where we would be staying. Once we arrived we decided to take a hike up the mountain where in winter you can ski down it. As we were trekking up, I definitely could see why you would just want to ski down, it was so steep! The views were so beautiful though, I loved being able to see what the mountain would see.
The next day we went to Manchester on our way back home. We walked around the main street and went into a couple cute country stores. It was nice to stroll around.
We were told by a local shop owner that there is a farmer's market happening on our route home. So we went to go check it out. I loved looking at all the fresh vegetables. Everything was so bright and colorful. My favorite things to look at were the beautiful lavender and white flowers! Everything just looked so vibrant and fresh. It was a feast for the eyes!
Vermont was so beautiful and such a great way to spend a summer weekend! It felt like a fresh fun adventure! And the farmers market was a great way to end our exploration of Vermont!