Author Archives: Diana

About Diana

Canadian-Vermonter, Texas transplant. Cowboy boot wearing, maple syrup connoisseur, music lovin', wine and micro-brew drinkin', two-steppin' traveler who loves finding all the hidden gems the world has to offer. Come join me on the ride!

Welcome to Vermont – Part II

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If you’ve had a chance to view Part I of our trip to Vermont, it’s pretty obvious we were having a lot of fun with plenty of activities. With this being Spencer’s first trip to the Green Mountain State, there was ample opportunity to play the part of a tourist. Even if it’s your home state, there’s always ample opportunity to be a tourist – whether it’s something that you may have never experienced or visited, ask “why not?”!

Here are a few adventures we went on in Northern Vermont. If you’re planning a visit (or being a tourist for a day yourself), we highly recommend them all!

Wine Tasting at Borden Valley Winery, Cambridge.

Wine, cider, dessert wine and liqueur. Oh yes – for $10, the tasting included 7 tastings from a masterful list (of all of the above) and a very nice wine glass to keep. Afterwards, we took our glass, picked a favorite bottle to enjoy outside on the terrace and enjoyed incredible views of the Green Mountains and the vineyard grounds. Tours are available twice a day and in the fall there is a pretty great corn maze. I stuck to pretty much anything with the word “maple” – if you know me this is no surprise. That sweet stuff runs through my veins.

My personal favorite – Glogg. Holy moly! If you haven’t tried Glogg, you’re missing out. This is a wine which you serve warm that tastes like a spice cake / loaf right out of the oven. Do yourself a favor and go to their website and just order yourself a bottle. I look forward to hearing how you’ll be ordering another!

The Old College Grounds!

My almamatra is Champlain College. I couldn’t have picked a better college to attend anywhere. Good ole Camp Champ as we like to call it. A lot has changed on campus since I attended and it is definitely a lot different than the University of Texas where Spencer went. We met up with an old college friend / prior employer / school mom while we were there and she took us on a tour including taking a peak into one of the dorms on campus. A lot has changed since I graduated. I can’t begin to talk about the flashbacks of this wonderful place (including being super excited to see the booths in the cafeteria for some reason). Sending photos to college friends while on tour definitely took place! It’s safe to say that some things haven’t changed. We still have the best view in town!

Burlington – Oh Burlington.

It’s funny how you don’t realize how much you miss somewhere until you hit up the old stomping grounds. If you’re ever in Burlington and can only do three things they need to include visiting the waterfront, experiencing a brewery (there are a ton of Pine Street now) and eating downtown.

The waterfront is one of a kind. This is where you can breathe and take in the amazing scenery. It doesn’t get much better. Find yourself a swing by the lake and sit a while.

Breweries. The brew scene has blown up and they’re all great. Visit one or visit them all. We stopped by Switchback. I remember visiting this place when they had just opened. Tours were by phone call only. The owner received his degree in beer brewing from UCLA (who gave us the tour) and you could only find it in the bars downtown. Times have changed. Love their success.

Remember: Vermont has the best breweries in the country.

Eat downtown. If a chain is on your agenda, it won’t be found here. Burlington has some of the best eateries around. This trip included a trip to Kountry Kart Deli on Main Street for a Rise and Shiner – the best sandwich you will have in your life. I’m fairly certain that I haven’t had one since college and maybe never one sober and it was still as good as I remember. Sausage, egg, hash brown and cheese on a bun fresh off the grill. Dinner was at American Flatbread. Yes, these are the same pizza’s that can be found in the frozen section at the grocery store but you really need to have one in Vermont. Fresh, local ingredients paired with a local craft beer and a dinner really can’t get much better than that!

The One and Only – Vermont Sugarhouse Experience

Visit a sugarhouse and experience maple. The prime maple season is in the spring when everything begins to thaw. This is where liquid gold is made and the process is amazing (and so are the locations).

Get Outside – Hike

The Green Mountains are my favorite mountains in the world. It wouldn’t be right to go to Vermont and not enjoy nature and be active outside. Spencer and I hiked Mt Mansfield, the highest peak in the state of Vermont. This trip, we took the Toll Road (read about my first hike to the summit here) and hiked two miles to the top. Lucky for us, we were the only ones on the summit. We had the whole top of Vermont to ourselves!! How incredible is that?

Spencer Takes a Ride

My dad is an antique car enthusiast. That’s probably putting it lightly. The man loves his old cars. I think Spencer really enjoyed checking out the vehicles and going for a ride with him.

I think it’s safe to say Vermont was a success. It goes by entirely too fast. Way too fast.

What are some things that you enjoy most about going home?

Welcome to Vermont – Part I

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We have recently returned back from a trip to Vermont! Why does it feel like each time we head home, there’s never enough time? Does anyone else feel like this? Vacations are important and we all need that time to completely check out – which was done. The phone was on silent, I hardly checked email and to be completely honest I think it’s safe to say I forgot what email and what day it was for most of the trip. That must mean it was a success, right?

The exciting news – Spencer experienced his first trip to Vermont. I have a feeling this die hard Texan was a little nervous to travel north of the Mason Dixon line but I think it’s safe to say he enjoyed himself. This provided the opportunity to play the part of a tour guide and be a tourist in my home state. Because there’s so much that I want to share, I’m splitting this up into two parts! Here is the first part of our recap back home!

The trip home. Amazingly enough, I’m not sure if I have ever flown through Laguardia. Turns out, the view is pretty fantastic and there was a little surprise for us when we landed. Sights to be seen!

I love visiting New York City. It’s amazing how much fills this little space down below. Oh the dreams and adventures!

When we landed in Vermont, there are priorities. First, it’s always a hello from whoever is picking me up. This trip it was my mama and oldest niece. It’s so amazing to see the world through a child’s eyes.

The second priority comes before we even make it home. We must stop for a creemee. If a creemee is unfamiliar, it’s soft serve ice cream. Actually it’s better than regular ice cream, it’s truly the best kind of ice cream, especially with rainbow sprinkles. They come in all kinds of flavors (usually there’s a special flavor of the week). My personal favorites include maple and black raspberry but who am I kidding, I really won’t turn one down. And for the record, there are places better than others – my recommendation is Devyns in Enosburg!

Since Spencer was new in town, he got the “grand tour”. This is pretty funny considering my area of Vermont is filled with dairy farms, cows, pastures and trees. There’s a “lot of nothing” as he put it but it’s my favorite kind of nothing. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I mean, it’s pretty darn pretty! Along the way we drove by Lake Carmi and what a beautiful view it provided!

Spencer was also lucky enough to take a ride in my dad’s old pickup. I think these two guys were pretty darn happy with themselves.

Finally, what’s a trip home without attending a sporting event at your old high school. In Texas, it centers around football but in Vermont, we go for basketball or baseball/softball. This trip, it’s baseball season. The girls, currently undefeated and heading towards a state final and hopefully championship. The boys, keeping us on our toes! I think this brought up a lot old memories playing for Spencer, definitely my sister-in-law and myself.

Stay tuned for the next post about popular spots to visit when in Vermont for every visitor!

What are the things that you look most forward to when visiting home?

Plan a 48-Hour Getaway

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CentrumFunFlavors #CollectiveBias #ad

When thinking about vacation planning, a new favorite of mine has been spending 48 hours somewhere new on the weekends. If you’re like me, making the most of my time is key – vacation isn’t unlimited, there always seems to be something going on and sometimes it’s hard to “check out” for more than a couple days. The key factor is that we all need time to check out every now and again! We need that time to recharge and focus on us – our well being with time to relax, unwind, breathe and forget about the everyday events and stresses in our lives.

In order to maximize our time in the 48-hour getaway, there’s a few tips that I stick to that helps ensure we make the most of our trip.

Book accommodations in advance.
Waiting until the last minute can really slow the roll and build up stress. Book in advance, have a knowledge of where you’ll be staying and any items that may be needed ahead of time. Another option – stay local! Book a night in your town or town nearby. Even if it’s not far, you will allow yourself to get into the mainframe that you’re on a getaway!

Activities! A cruise ship director status isn’t required but don’t go with an empty slate.
Plan out things to do. Find a variety of activities, events, locations to explore ahead of time. I like to stick with something for the morning, mid-day and evening. What’s worked well for us in the past is traveling the farther away activities in the morning. Hit up the farther away locations first thing in the day and work your way closer to home as the day progresses. Also – if advanced reservations are required this will ensure your spot is reserved!Need ideas: rent a bicycle, go kayaking, take a hike, explore a museum, eat somewhere new, take a drive with no destination (or a new destination) in mind, really explore the city nearby, hunt historical markers, watch a college sports event, beer/wine/distillery tasting, take a class, experience a festival, find live music and enjoy the day!

Pick one thing out of the ordinary.
Explore your boundaries. Pick at least one event, destination, pit-stop along the way that you may not usually do. Surprise! This may be the one event / destination that becomes the hit of the trip. For instance, on our last trip we stopped at an Olive Oil Company and it became one of the most interesting tours that we took! (Need ideas? See the list above.)

Research (and savings)!
Research the destination ahead of time. Pick top activities, events and locations from above and scope out the hours of operation, cost and locations. Organize activities according to the hours and locations from which you will be. Don’t forget to look online at their website or the towns Visitors Convention Bureau website for coupons and discounts.

Have alternatives.
Plans don’t always go 100% as planned. Allow extra time in between activities in case something takes longer than expected or you see something along the way that you want to explore. We all know Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate – have a hike planned in the morning but when you wake its pouring down rain? Have a backup!

Take care of home items the weekend prior to the trip.
Be sure bills are paid, laundry is done, the house is clean the weekend leading up to the trip. When you’re gone, the last thing that is needed is thinking about all of the things that need to be done when you get back. This is your time – enjoy it!

Take care of yourself.
A getaway isn’t fun if you can’t enjoy it. Make sure you are taking care of yourself in advance and on any trip. Get enough sleep and be sure to take and bring your vitamins. I was recently in Walmart and came across Centrum Vitamints. Who would’ve guessed but they now make vitamins in gummies and mint form!

I have been trying to eat healthier and exercise more so I was really excited to see these when researching vitamins. Centrum Vitamints and Gummies have now made their way into my everyday life with the great packaging and a new perspective as a mint. The new Raspberry Vitamints are refreshing for the summer season! Easy to pack, great to include in a purse and who doesn’t love an after dinner mint? Best of all, it helps me stay healthy and energized for my next 48-hour adventure! Enjoy staying healthy with simple solutions like Centrum Gummies and Raspberry Vitamints. Click here to save $2-$4 today on Centrum Vitamints and Multigummies!

What are some travel tips that help you completely enjoy time away from everyday life?

**Need additional travel ideas? Shoot me an email at downhometraveler(at)gmail.com. I’d love to help you plan your next weekend adventure and getaway!

***These statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.