Christmas in Vermont - Woodstock VT - White River Junction VT

Update - December 9 to December 15

-- Christmas in Vermont

Taftsville Covered Bridge

This was the week Patti and I set aside to visit Vermont so that we could crunch through white snow, cross rivers in covered bridges, view decorated commons, historic houses, and find unique shopping opportunities not available at the malls back home. We chose Vermont, as we had spent time in Maine in November, time in Washington DC in October, time in New Hampshire in September and time in Maine in August. It's been our tradition to shop in Chatham on Cape Cod leading up to Christmas, but we wanted to try something different this year. Already, we had done some serious shopping on our visit to Kennebunkport. Now, we were on our way to Woodstock and Quechee to visit the Fat Hat shop and other places you never heard of; until now.
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READ my Blog "The Books of Richard F Wright" (Books, Bookstores, Writing)

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-- Onward to White River Junction at Rt 89 and 91 via Lou Roc Diner

Diner Life for Patti

To save the cost of actually staying at the Woodstock Inn, we booked a few nights at the Holiday Inn Express in White River Junction. This was a brilliant move. With my earned points and the already low rates, it was almost a no-cost overnight option for us. We could sleep in White River Junction, get a free breakfast, and then roll into Woodstock and pretend we had slept at the Woodstock Inn. When you step inside the Inn, the place is huge. They have a restaurant, a pub, shopping enclave, and a fireplace in the lobby that could swallow a Buick. When you sit in one of the comfy chairs, you look like you belong.

We elected to get an early start on our voyage to snow and cheerful holiday spirit so we dropped into the Lou Roc diner in West Boylston to prepare for our two and a half hour ride north. The Lou Roc diner is a place where you can order an egg breakfast for $4.20. That's a bit hard to believe, I know, but it's part of the tradition of the place to offer a lot for a very reasonable price. We indulged and for me that included getting Irish eggs benedict (hash instead of bacon); my favorite. Anyway, it was a good way to get started on our vacation trip to Christmas in Vermont. We wanted to keep a budget-conscious attitude all the way.

-- ((Read My Comments About Woodstock from a previous visit))

-- Vermont Country Store in Rockingham

Vermont Country Store

Traveling to Vermont is a simple matter of gliding down Route 2 to Greenfield and then a turn onto Route 91 North taking you directly along the Connecticut River, which divides New Hampshire from Vermont. Once you are past Brattleboro you come to Rockingham where you will find the iconic Vermont Country Store.

It's a great stop in the summer where you can get ice cream and enjoy the front porch shade. But, this was a winter visit so we expected a Christmas theme. We were not disappointed as the place had a lot of the holiday look and feel including hot cider and holiday pies. It was a good first chance to crunch in the snow. Nice.

-- Red Rooster at The Woodstock Inn

Gingerbread House at Woodstock Inn

We had reservations for dinner at the Red Rooster, which is the Woodstock's fine dining option. The tables were decorated, the room was elegant and decorated, and the whole feel was definitely Christmas in Vermont. The food was fantastic. We ordered drinks, wine, fine food, and reviewed the dessert menu. After the meal, we went outside and crunched in the snow and took nighttime pictures. It was great.

We even took pictures of ourselves sitting inside the oversize Gingerbread House they had built in the lobby. Other guests saw us and volunteered to take pictures of both of us in the house at the same time, but I was afraid that if I stood up too soon I might pop the roof off. So, we settled for one of us at a time. Lots of fun.

-- Finding Fat Hat (F.H.Clothing Co.)

Patti and I found hats here

I knew we should stop here as I had read about the shop and was fascinated with its origin, its owner, and the great merchandising story that it has become. When we pulled out of White River Junction early Wednesday morning on our way to Woodstock, we came right up on the place immediately. I pulled in and Patti was not sure what I was doing.

But, after we both went inside, we realized this was the exact kind of "different" shopping we had been seeking. We both ended up with hats! Now, if you know me, you know I really don't wear hats. But, who could resist?

-- Dinner at Prince and the Pauper in Woodstock

My Princess

I had made reservations for the Prince and the Pauper based on what I had read about it and keeping to my commitment to try the best of Woodstock while we visited. During the day we did a lot of shopping in the village and met a lot of shop owners. One of them asked where we were from and we told her we were from Jefferson and were visiting as part of our holiday vacation. She immediately suggested that we not leave town without visiting the Prince and the Pauper.

She was delighted to hear that we already had reservations. She assured us we would not be disappointed. She was right. The place was wonderful. It was fine dining, but at a casual pace. Even the pricing was not alarming, which can sometimes happen when you add the word "fine," to the description.

-- Shopping and Dining at Quechee Gorge Village

Alpacas - NOT Llamas

Between our location in White River Junction and downtown Woodstock is the Quechee Gorge Village. Naturally, the "Quechee Gorge," is nearby and of course, we crunched through the snow to get a closer look, but on this morning we were bent on shopping and dining. We worked our way from one end of the enormous shop to the other.

The first shop featured Alpaca products and to reinforce its authenticity, they have a pen and yard filled with live Alpacas. They spend a lot of effort teaching the difference between Alpacas and other breeds. Each animal in the pen has a name and each is willing to rush the fence in the hope you have a treat. The shops varied from toys to household items to clothing to novelties to antiques. It was great. We spent a lot of time visiting each shop, trying on clothing, taking pictures, and especially visiting the animals.

-- Queeche Home, Porch and Closet shop (and its Giant Bear)

The Bear

I bought several great books in the antique sections at the Quechee Village, which is really a consignment shop for folks unloading discarded family treasures. We also found an enormous bear that had only one purpose in life, which was to be a backdrop for silly photographs by every tourist that comes through the door. That would be us.

We both sat on the bear separately and then a stranger offered to take a picture of the two of us sitting on the silly bear. I'm not sharing all the variations of the photos here as it's more than enough to show the one.


-- Public House Diner for Coffee Break

In addition to the shops at the Village was the Public House Diner. Classically styled and retaining all of the original charms, the diner was a perfect place for a cup of coffee and a freshly warmed and buttered blueberry muffin. Just what I needed to take the edge off from all that shopping. Patti went for the hot chocolate.

The weather was nippy and the sky was gray. It felt like snow could drop any second. This is why we came; to enjoy winter in Vermont - with hot chocolate and warm muffins. We also came away with Vermont Cheese from the Cabot shop and other goodies as well. Go figure.


-- The Toy Museum is a "Must See" When in Quechee

Elaborate model railroad at Toy Museum

Our visit to the Toy Museum was truly unexpected. On the top floor of the expansive Quechee Village shopping complex is a museum dedicated to the toys we all grew up with. From about World War II forward, every toy you ever saw or heard of is on display. From wind-up toys to early video games to an over-the-top model railroading setup, this is a museum you don't want to miss.

They don't charge admission but have a donation box for you do drop a few dollars in to help them keep the museum going. I was amazed at the breadth and depth of the collection. I always had a model railroad display when I was a kid. But, nothing to compare with the elaborate and detailed display at the museum. It was professionally built and demonstrated a lot of imagination and dedication.


-- Train on Display at White River Junction

Engine 494 late of the B&M Railroad

With a few minutes to spare before we got ready to go to dinner, I rolled into town to take a closer look at the train with a caboose that I had seen previously. It turns out the 4-4-0 locomotive with coal car and caboose are part of a permanent display at the local Amtrak station. I was able to walk up some steps to peer into the cab of the engine, which was generously labeled with signs to describe all of the convoluted piping, valves, and levers used to operate the locomotive.

This is apparently the oldest surviving American type (4-4-0) locomotive in the United States. This is number 494, which was built in 1892 by the Manchester Locomotive Works in nearby Manchester, New Hampshire. Originally built to haul passengers and light freight, it ended up with a much-traveled and storied history including hauling coal from Fabyan Station to Marshfield Station to supply the Mount Washington Cog Railway in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. Another significant appearance for the engine was at the 1939 World's Fair in New York. After languishing in a storage yard near Fitchburg, Massachusetts, it was brought back to life by railroad enthusiasts determined to preserve some of the steam locomotive histories that we find so fascinating.

-- Simon Pearce Glass Blowing - and Electric Power House

Turbine Generator

Control Panels

You should not be surprised to find that the Power House beneath the glass blowing factory and dining room was as interesting, or perhaps more so for me than anything else at the Simon Pearce location. When we stopped in to visit the glass blowing facility, we discovered from the artists working the kilns that the Power House was operational and that the turbine in the basement was covering what otherwise would have been a $25,000 monthly electric bill. We went down the stairs below the factory and emerged next to a giant turbine with its control panels lighted up in bright red readouts showing the amount of electricity being generated on the spot. The set up was not unlike numerous power plant operations I have visited over the years on behalf of my work at The Hope Group.

-- Simon Pearce Lounge and Dining

Patti Previews the Menu

We arrived early (deliberately) for our evening reservation at the Simon Pearce Restaurant so we had a drink in the lounge which is immediately adjacent to the retail store filled with hand-blown Simon Pearce glass wear. The dinner was wonderful, overlooking the raging waterfall illuminated by the light from the factory and restaurant windows. It provided an eerie and intriguing appearance as we dined. The food was great as was the service and we would certainly rate it as highly as we did the Prince and the Pauper and the Red Rooster.


-- Billings Farm Museum was a Highlight of the Visit

Patti Listens to Docent at Billings Farm

I wouldn't have predicted it, but the visit to the Billings Farm Museum was one of the highlights of our trip to Vermont. I had some expectations in mind, but this well exceeded my imagination. Not only was the facility impressive and expansive, but the attention to preserving the authentic home, farm, and the museum was delightful. The docents at the farmhouse were full of knowledge about the specific house and family, but also about general life and conditions for the period that the house was built and occupied by the Perkins family. I was surprised to learn of the innovative installations in the farmhouse in the mid to late 1880s included running hot and cold water. The copper accumulator tank for the hot water was invented by Perkins with the specific intention of making the kitchen operations more efficient and reliable. It was all the more remarkable when you realize just how remote this location was compared to big cities such as Boston and Philadelphia, which barely had the capacity for such things themselves.

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Frederick Law Olmstead

Reading Update: I enjoyed reading “Genius of Place,” a biography of Frederick Law Olmsted by Justin Martin as there was always a connection to Olmsted for me as the designer of Elm Park in Worcester, where I grew up. I often heard people speak of Elm Park as the first public park in the country and other general inaccuracies. In fact, the land was acquired to be a park, which was the first time that had happened, and it was one of the earliest to actually be built with public funds completing around 1866, but it wasn’t the first in the country.

Nonetheless, Olmstead had a remarkable impact on conservation, preservation, and beautification that is widely sustained over these past many generations. It’s a tribute to his genius that we can continue to benefit from his designs and environmental leadership. Of note also, was his strong abolitionist position throughout his life. He was part of an effort that ultimately persuaded England not to side with the South during the Civil War, a war in which he was the leader of a medical outfit. Olmstead was heroic on many fronts and it was inspiring to read about him.