Category Archives: Vermont

Vermont Trip Part I

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As always, the trip home is a long haul. I need to fly into the Burlington, VT airport (the closest one) and there is never a direct flight coming from Texas – so a layover is expected, you just need to find the best one.

I chose to go home early for Christmas for a few reasons. Cheaper, short flights / less layovers (one is enough) and to avoid the anxious Christmas travelers. Plus, I don’t have to share my family and friends. A little selfish here, haha.

I left Dallas / Ft. Worth headed to Burlington via Dulles. I’ve now adapted to having layovers only where I have friends. No sense in getting stranded where I don’t know a soul. The first flight was great. No turbulence, beautiful clear day – we were even a few minutes early. Awesome!

Flight #2 – I arrive at Dulles and immediately see my next flight is delayed about an hour. OK that’s not so bad. A little time goes by, an announcement is made – flight cancelled due to mechanical issues. As much as it sucks, I appreciate them telling us then and not later (I was on an AA flight once and we waited 11 hours before they cancelled the flight. That was fun.) So everyone rushes to get a new flight. All the flights out of Dulles to Burlington are booked.

I ended up being put on a direct flight out of Reagan National Airport to Burlington. Yes, I was at Dulles. The airline provided a voucher for a cab. Thank you. I just had to get there. I grouped up with three other lovely ladies in line and decided this was going to be a group traveling effort. We were all from different backgrounds, all older than myself. One a retired publisher/consultant (I believe) who lived in the DC area for thirty years. She now lives outside Savannah, GA and was headed to her second home in Vermont. Another, a retired wedding planner, not estate sales / interior designer who lives in Lake Placid, on her way home. The third, a woman from Bethesda who was on her way to Vermont. We all had Green Mountains on the mind. It was great to spend some time with them and listen to some of their stories.

We left Dulles Airport headed to Reagan and it turned out to be more of a mini DC sight seeing tour. We drove by Arlington Cemetery and the Pentagon (they’re still fixing it from 9-11, hard to imagine ten years later) and finally arrived at the airport. We went thru security for a second time (chugged an overpriced bottle of water I purchased earlier in the day) and we were good to go. Considering I do love the sights of DC, the change in flights wasn’t at a loss. After take off, I had the BEST view.

(Try to ignore the corner of the windows in a couple of the pictures.)

The Capital Building, Washington Monument, Smithsonian’s, Lincoln Memorial and if you look to the left of the Washington Monument – you can see the White House!
Sights changed when I came into land in the Green Mountain State!
Thank you for the snow!

Champlain College – Perry Hall

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About five years ago, I graduated from Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. It is by far the best decision that I have ever made in my ENTIRE life. Looking back, it was one of the greatest times of my life. I worked in the Student Life Office and in the Residential Life Department, loved the faculty that taught my classes and I make it a point to go back and visit just about every time I go home to Vermont.
When I was home in September, I set aside an afternoon to go visit campus. There has been a lot that has happened in the past five years since I’ve graduated, even more if I look back to what it was like my freshman year. Before I headed home, I had contacted my old boss in the Student Life office (more on her in a post to come) and asked if she could give me a tour. “Of Course” was the response. I was pretty excited.
To provide a bit of background, the below picture (May 2009) is the Perry Hall that I knew when I attended Champlain. I lived in a dorm across the street and a few of us would go over and play softball in the HUGE yard behind the house. Oh how it has changed.
Meet the new (front – top, back – below) Perry Hall after an estimated $15 million dollar restoration and preservation project. Perry Hall is named after Roger Perry, a former President of the College.  It’s amazing what a bit of construction can do to a place. Although the building has a modern feel, the original architecture has been maintained throughout. Something Champlain does extremely well. Have I mentioned the majority of the dorms are converted Victorian homes? It’s one of the top key features that attracted me to the school.
Behind Perry Hall you will find what use to be the stables. Now it is a lab for the graphic design students.
This is a view, a very bad view, from the inside of Perry Hall, kind of overlooking the backyard. They’ve put in these great wooden rockers so you can relax, sit back and just check out the scenery. You can kind of see the lake on the left center side of the below picture. This was a rainy day but on a clear perfect day you can really see Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks on the New York side.
On the far end of the back yard there is also a water reservoir. The building also hosts energy efficient climate control systems and geo-thermal pump. It’s all in an effort to receive an Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.
Inside of the building was beautiful. The architecture and details are really accentuated in the rooms.
Look at the wood crafting that was put into the main house. The doors and floors are absolutely beautiful. I wish I could have detail like this in a house of my own someday.
That is William Shakespeare in the middle of the fireplace mantle. Take note of the marble in front. .
Finally. I think I could’ve spent a lot more time in this room if I could have, and if I would have permission to go thru everything in the cabinets. This is the museum room. It contains history about the building, Burlington and the previous home owners.
It’s really nice to see what has been done on campus and to get a feel of the upcoming construction that is being done.  It’s incredible to see what has been done with Perry Hall. The building now contains numerous offices which cater specifically to prospective and current students which I personally would find to be an incredible convenience.  (If I remember correctly this includes Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Account and Advising and Registration). It use to be such a pain going all over campus to these offices, now, all the current students are a little spoiled. 🙂
Have any other graduates had a chance to visit campus lately? What’d you think?

Boston Post Dairy, Enosburg Falls, VT

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While I was home in September, my Memere, mom, Sy and I stopped to check out the Boston Post Dairy, a goat farm. Located right on Route 105 between Enosburg and East Berkshire, you really can’t miss it. It’s on a corner (you have to slow down to go around it), the big red barn and all the goats – its a real eye catcher out there in the country.
I’ve never been to a goat farm, this was all new to me. I actually called ahead of time to ask if we could watch the goats being milked… apparently they have some stage fright so we weren’t able to do that. There is a viewing area within the store (see below) of “the parlor”. Hours are listed inside stating what times during the week they will be making cheese so you can come and watch how it’s done. 
 
Inside the store, you could sample some cheese. I tried the goat cheese salsa. I found the goat cheese to be a bit more crumbly than the usual cheese. Think of it as a crumbly cream cheese consistency. (Let me know if you disagree.) Boston Post Dairy has a various cheeses including plain, garlic & herb, onion & dill, maple cream and hot nanny. They also had goat cheese truffles and goat meat available. Be sure to check out the goat milk soap, available in numerous scents.
The store has a ton of other merchandise available featuring local artists. Anything from blankets, handmade aprons, pot holders, books, toys and other food items.
While you are there, you might as well go outside and check out the funnest factor of the farm – the goats!
This guy even posed for me! I think I’ll name him Guthrie. Super cute!
Chickens roam freely with the goats. Apparently, they are the best of buds. Just on the side of the chicken coop you can grab some feed to feed them (both animals). Little kids would love this!
I’m not exactly sure how many goats they have total but if you are in the area, it’s a quick place to stop and just check it out, pet some goats, run from some chickens. It’s a good ole time in Franklin County!
Info:
2061 Sampsonville Road, Enosburg Falls, VT
Phone: 802-933-2749
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 9:00-5:00
Saturday: 9:00-4:00
Sunday: (May-Dec) 10:00-3:00