Gus, Briar, & The Littlest P. (x2!): 24 Hours in Vermont!

We played tourists this weekend! A few weeks ago, I read an article online about the best places to view the fall foliage, and Stowe, Vermont was listed as number one on that particular list. And as I looked at the accompanying pictures, I thought, "Wouldn't it be fun to take a little trip up there? It's not that far!" Less than an hour later, and we had booked a two-room suite in a little motel for one night. The price was totally reasonable, and it even had a little kitchen (stove, oven, everything). Not bad!

Gus arrived home from a business trip early Sunday morning (he had taken a red-eye flight), and we quickly got into the car and headed north. Gus slept for most of the three-and-a-half hour drive, but the kids were wide awake and very chatty. It hit us-- WE'VE been on vacations since the kids were born, but this was the first time that THEY had ever stayed in a hotel. Well, Nikos stayed in a hotel for Grant's wedding when he was a baby, but there is no way he would remember that. Needless to say, they were very excited to see what it would be like.

The drive up was just beautiful! Fall colors for as far as the eye could see. We stopped for lunch at a Dunkin' Donuts in Montpelier, then made the final climb into Stowe. Stowe really isn't that far from Montpelier (20-30 minutes), but I was glad we had stopped to eat. The traffic was terrible! It was a holiday weekend, and all the other Leaf Peepers were on the road. It was slow-going all the way to the motel. But we made it! And for the kids, it was love at first sight, haha!

They ran to check out their bedroom, which had two twin beds, its own bathroom, and its own TV. ITS OWN TV!!! They were absolutely beside themselves! Within minutes, they had each claimed a bed, and then climbed onto Maya's bed to watch cartoons. When asked what her favorite part of the trip was, Maya says, "Watching TV in our room at the motel." And Nikos' favorite part? "Playing with my action figures at the motel!" The motel was a big hit, apparently! It was old and shabby, but clean and cozy. And the location was fantastic, since it was right at the base of the mountains, with direct access to the Stowe Rec Path. I'd stay there again, though I wouldn't call it the highlight of the trip, haha!

After Gus took a quick shower, we got back in the car and drove up the mountain through Smuggler's Notch. There were a ton of cars out there, and some treacherous curves, but some amazing views. We got out a bunch of times to admire the views, and the kids enjoyed climbing around on the rocks and trees. Some of the trees had these crazy, curving trunks. There were waterfalls, rocky ledges, and all sorts of fun things to explore! It was absolutely beautiful!

At that point, the kids were begging to go back to the motel. They were seriously obsessed. So we did, for a few minutes, but then we walked out and explored the Stowe Rec Trail. Oh, and Nikos insisted that I take a picture of him and his "little deer friend" in the motel's backyard.

We had a nice dinner at a local space-themed pizza place, and then all four of us snuggled into the big bed at the motel to watch a movie together ("Rio," a gift from Gus' Brazilian coworker who had dinner with us over the summer). The kids went to bed as soon as it was over, and had no trouble sleeping in a different place. They are at a great age for traveling, now, I think! Which is a good thing, because they will likely be doing a lot of it in the not-too-distant future!

The next morning, we had breakfast in our room and took our time getting ready. Then we drove around and explored some more. We went to see the Trapp Family Lodge (as in, the von Trapp family, made famous by "The Sound of Music"). WOW. That is a swanky hotel, with an amazing view!! Sadly, my lenses were all fogged up because of the weather, so my pictures weren't as crisp as I'd like. But they defogged just in time to capture a beautiful rainbow! Then we drove down the mountain to the downtown area, for a few more pics. Such a beautiful place!

After that, it was off to the Ben & Jerry's factory! It was packed! We took the tour, and got to taste a potential new flavor in their tasting room ("Maple Me Happy"-- maple ice cream with semi-sweet chocolate shavings. Delicious!!). We explored the grounds, then headed up the road to the Cold Hollow Cider Mill. It was also packed, but we were able to get some lunch there. And, they had really excellent apple cider doughnuts. Heavenly!!!