A Winter Weekend Getaway to Vermont

Last Updated on December 13, 2023

Living in the tropics in search of a great American winter getaway…

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

By Marjorie Kean

When the rest of the country is in a deep freeze during winter, southern Florida usually remains balmy. So what do we Floridians do when we want to take a short trip in January getaway? Take a weekend getaway to snowy Vermont, of course.

My husband and I spent a long weekend getaway in Vermont a few years ago. We chose Woodstock, an artsy New England town influenced by the conservationist movement. And we also found the Village Inn of Woodstock after doing research in search of a quaint B&B. It was right on the mark.

A Wonderful B&B for Our Weekend Getaway to Vermont

It wasn’t anything like the more mass-market 142-room Woodstock Inn and Resort down the street, but rather a beautiful old Victorian Mansion with eight very comfortable rooms.

This was my first experience in a B&B, and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I immediately fell in love with the place, including the canopied four-poster bed in our room. It was quickly becoming a superb weekend getaway to snowy Vermont.

The walls were covered with art, which is how we learned that David – co-owner and our co-host with his wife Evelyn – was originally an artist. There were also early American-type pieces scattered throughout the house.

(Note: David and Evelyn have since sold the Inn to another family, but from all appearances, it is still very much like the original Inn).

A Casual Check-In

At our weekend getaway check-in, a somewhat casual event, David told us there was also a Happy Hour in the inn’s small bar at 5:00pm every day. That was the gathering place where everyone shared information about restaurants all over town. The bar was cozy, had a black binder filled with menus from local restaurants, and was filled with top liquors since, as David said, he didn’t have room to stock the cheap stuff.

The Village Inn’s breakfast was delicious, the differentiator of many B&Bs. Although many B&B breakfasts never vary, each morning, we were offered a different daily special: eggs, yogurt, and homemade granola, all along with fresh-squeezed orange juice and an assortment of homemade bread.

We were told that all the ingredients were locally grown except the coffee from New Orleans “because they take coffee seriously.” What a fantastic start to the day on a Vermont weekend getaway.

Great, Delicious Breakfasts

It quickly became evident that Evelyn and David took their breakfast seriously. Soon after we sat down the first morning, Evelyn offered us waffles, which I have never liked but turned out to be the lightest, tastiest I’ve ever had.

On the second morning of our weekend getaway, the special was a quiche with Vermont cheddar cheese, and the third was incredible blueberry pancakes. Moreover, Evelyn was excellent about sharing her secrets in the kitchen…she told me that to keep things light, she whips the egg whites before mixing them into the dry ingredients.

Our long weekend getaway soon began to focus on eating, even though we didn’t need to eat again until dinner after breakfast. Nevertheless, we started planning our next nightly foray every evening during Happy Hour with the little black binder.

Vermont’s Billings Farm & Museum, Perfect for a Weekend Getaway

During the day on our Vermont weekend getaway, we found several things to do in Woodstock. Though we aren’t skiers any longer, we saw some lovely slopes, as well as snowshoeing and other outdoor sports. But since the snow was poor, we set off for different places and options.

The most memorable was Billings Farm & Museum, an excellent state museum, and an old farmstead once owned by Laurance Rockefeller and his wife, both conservationists. It’s famous as a museum of Vermont’s rural past and is still a working farm with champion Jersey cows and sheep, and they produce and sell their milk.

An exhibit at the farm highlights the conservationist movement that revived Vermont farming after erosion had ruined the land for agriculture.

We found the most fun on this weekend’s getaway was the Vermont sleigh rides since there was enough snow for a ten-minute sleigh ride in the fields. We also enjoyed the barn, where we petted newborn calves, and the late 19th-century farmhouse with amazingly hot running water, an indoor bathroom, and electricity.

Guides explained how they made butter (they had a large operation in the basement) and cooked macaroni and cheese, a staple winter meal at the time, on a wood-burning stove in the kitchen. It was all fascinating.

Good Shopping On Our Weekend Getaway to Vermont

The varied shops and antique stores were other exciting attractions in Woodstock and the surrounding area. Then, there were the usual “junk shops,” which advertised themselves as selling “collectibles,” and some excellent antique shops with furniture, art, and knickknacks.

Woodstock was started as an art colony and still has a good collection of artists who exhibit at local art galleries.

Since serious shopping can work up an appetite on a weekend getaway, thankfully, there were plenty of restaurants in Woodstock, Vermont.

They ranged from an Asian fusion restaurant to a new and supposedly excellent Caribbean restaurant and many local New England eateries to keep us busy in the evening. Since my husband and I are fans of tasting local foods, we opted for three New England-style restaurants.

The first, the Prince and the Pauper was located on a side alley, which is always a good sign. It was also decorated with lots of wood, ceiling beams, and pew-like high-back benches, which gave us additional privacy. Each of us chose smoked-duck ravioli and lamb Wellington, which were delicious.

Our waitress, who had the right combination of spunk and attentiveness, added a dollop of fun to the evening.

Poor Ambiance, Excellent Food

After we forgot to make dinner reservations for the second night of our Vermont weekend getaway, we were relegated to try Max’s Tavern. It was a “locals hangout” up the mountain about 15 minutes outside Woodstock. Unfortunately, since we hadn’t been given good directions, it took us 45 minutes to find the place.

Max’s wasn’t very elegant and lacked the right ambiance for us, but the food was excellent. My husband’s filet and my mussels were exceptional. But the staff seemed overwhelmed by the crowd on a holiday weekend.

Dinner in a Factory

We chose Simon Pearce’s Restaurant for the last night of our Vermont weekend getaway. It’s located at his glass factory and store. For those who don’t know Pearce – and neither of us did – he is a renowned high-end glassblower and pottery maker whose wine glasses sell for $60, or more, apiece.

I found it interesting that anyone would have a restaurant located in a factory on the lower level. But it worked. The building, a beautiful warehouse-style structure with old wood floors and beams, was bought by Pearce about 25 years ago, and today is filled with light wood furniture, which sets off the glass and other tableware.

The menu was also typical of a fine-dining restaurant, with one well-presented dish from each protein (fish, duck, beef, chicken). However, it was still somewhat disappointing, especially after our experiences the previous two nights.

The following day, while driving back to the airport, my husband and I discussed what each of us enjoyed most about our Vermont weekend getaway. Of course, the typical guy raved about the Billings Farm farmhouse because of all the hardware and devices.

For me, though, it was our three breakfasts, sitting by the fireplace in that comfortable room, with Evelyn sharing her secret formulae for those never-to-be-forgotten pancakes and waffles…a perfect weekend getaway to Vermont.

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You may also enjoy: 11 Unique Dining Experiences Around the U.S. / The Maine Coast: A Great Summer Road Trip / A Great Road Trip During the Pandemic: the Hudson Valley, New York

If You Go On a Vermont Weekend Getaway:

The Village Inn of Woodstock

41 Pleasant Street
Woodstock, VT  05091
https://villageinnofwoodstock.com/
@ [email protected]
Tel: (802) – 457-1255

Billings Farm & Museum

Route 12 & River Road
Woodstock, VT 05091-0489
https://billingsfarm.org/
@ [email protected]
Tel: 802.457.2355
Open: hours vary greatly by season
Admission: Adults 16-61 years $16.00 / 62+ years $14.00 / Students 16+ years $9.00 / Children 4-15 years $8 / Children 3 and younger free.

Prince And The Pauper

24 Elm Street
Woodstock, VT 05091
https://www.princeandpauper.com/
@ [email protected]
Tel: (802) 457-1818
Open: 5:00pm – 8:00pm Tuesday-Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Note: Dinner only; Reservations required.

Max’s Tavern

5518 Route 12
Barnard, VT 05031
https://barnardinn.com/
@ [email protected]
Tel: (802) 234-9961
Open: Thursday, Friday, Saturday  5:00pm – 9:00 pm
Note: the Tavern is located in the Barnard Inn  

Simon Pearce

760 Quechee Main Street
Quechee, VT 05059
https://www.simonpearce.com/our-restaurant
Tel: (802) 295-1470
Open: Wednesday – Sunday 11:30am – 2:45pm / 5:30pm – 8:30pm