The Great New England Road Trip: Days 10-13, Stowe, VT

Day 10: Welcome to Vermont

After a sad goodbye to our cousins, we packed up camp and pointed the van north toward our next great adventure: Vermont.

As we drove, the landscape slowly began to change again. The farther north we went, the more it started to feel like the New England we had imagined - rolling hills, wooded mountains, little towns, and beautiful old buildings tucked into the landscape.

We had to go really far north to get to our destination. In fact, we got so close to the Canadian border that we could actually see Canada for a while, and we even passed a border crossing. We wer driving along the northern edge of Lake Champlain, and for a few minutes it felt like we were sitting right at the intersection of three places: New York behind us, Vermont in front of us, and Canada just to the north.

And though we couldn't see it, we knew that somewhere south along the lake was Fort Ticonderoga, where Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys famously won a victory during the Revolutionary War. Our boys love that story. They are constantly pretending to be Green Mountain Boys themselves, charging through the woods on imaginary missions.So naturally, when we had the opportunity to stop at Ethan Allen's actual homestead near Burlington, we couldn't pass it up.

It was such a beautiful little place, nestled above a river, and once again we found ourselves standing in a spot where history had happened. There is something pretty incredible about traveling this way with the kids, being able to tell them stories about people they have read about and then suddenly standing where those people actually lived.

As we continued through Vermont, we noticed something else familiar. The hometown-hero banners we had seen throughout New York weren't just a New York tradition after all. Small Vermont towns had them too, honoring people from their communities who had served or made a difference. We decided that more states really ought to adopt this tradition.

Finally, we reached Stowe, our first Vermont destination, and one of the major inspirations for this entire journey. For years, we had wanted to see the Trapp property tucked into the Green Mountains outside Stowe. If you've ever seen The Sound of Music, you know the von Trapps. What you may not know is that after the dramatic ending of the movie, when the family leaves Austria, the real von Trapp family eventually made their way to the United States and settled right here in Vermont.

They built a farm, and eventually a lodge, where they welcomed travelers and shared a little piece of their Austrian heritage with the world. The property has grown over the years and is still connected to the Trapp family today.

We have always loved their story, so the chance to see the little piece of Austria they created in the Vermont mountains felt especially meaningful. It made the visit even more special that our newest little cousin, one of the twins is named Brigitta, named after Brigitta from the movie!

We set up camp at a delightful little campground just outside Stowe. And, because apparently you can find Huntsville people everywhere, we literally met another camper as we were pulling in who was from - you guessed it - Huntsville!

After getting settled, we headed out to explore. Our first stop was Cabot Creamery, which was basically cheese heaven for our family. We absolutely love Cabot cheese, and suddenly we found ourselves surrounded by every variety imaginable: horseradish, three-year aged, ten-year aged, habanero, raw milk, garlic…the list went on and on, and so did our shopping.

There was also plenty of merchandise that was hard for Caleb to resist, especially for a product-and-design guy like him. So, naturally, we left with a few little things here and there. 🙈

After loading up on cheese, we needed an extra-dark hot chocolate from Lake Champlain Chocolate Company. Then we made the questionable decision to walk into a flannel store. Especially since Benny wanted everything, and we eventually had to escape.

Instead, we headed over to Cold Hollow Cider Mill, where we discovered maple cream-filled fresh cider donuts, cider slushies, and cider in pretty much every form imaginable. The owner, Dan, was making the cream-filled donuts himself and was incredibly friendly. The kids absolutely loved the place and were already begging to come back.

Because apparently cheese, chocolate, cider donuts, and cider slushies weren't enough food for one afternoon, we finished the day with dinner at American Flatbread after driving through the main street of Stowe. The kids loved watching the pizzas go in and out of the enormous wood-fired oven. And while we were in the parking lot, we met a wonderful couple, Marc and Joanne, who were visiting from Massachusetts. They gave us all kinds of great advice for the Boston portion of our trip. A big shout-out to them!

So far, we were absolutely loving this little Vermont town, and we hadn't even reached the main event. Tomorrow, we would finally go to the place we'd been dreaming about for years, and we would “climb every mountain” to find the Trapp Lodge (iykyk). Well, we'd drive up the mountain, anyway.

Day 11: A Little Piece of Austria

We woke up to rain, and not just a passing shower. The rain seemed determined to beat us down all day, but we were determined to climb that mountain and find the von Trapp Lodge.

After breakfast at the campground, we loaded up and headed out. Before going up the mountain, though, we stopped at a local coffee shop for maple steamers and maple lattes. You know you're in Vermont when the coffee shops have gallon jugs of maple syrup sitting right on the counter where they're making the drinks. Honestly, we'd love to see that everywhere.

With hot lattes and our English breakfast tea brewed and ready to go, we headed toward the von Trapp property. And, for full disclosure, we were driving, not climbing.

The rain had settled into a thick mist over the mountains. As we pulled into the lodge, the fog seemed to hug everything around us. We knew mountains surrounded us, but we couldn't see the tops of them.

In a strange way, though, the mist made the lodge feel even more magical. It was the perfect place to spend a rainy morning. We wandered through the shops, looked at the photographs covering the walls, and explored the cozy library. We even spent some time looking out over the misty mountains from the windows of the lodge.

At the Kaffeehaus, we were able to try some Austrian treats, including lingonberry tart and apple strudel.Then came one of the biggest surprises of the entire trip.

Gran Jan had told us about an additional gift shop on the lower level of the lodge when she visited a few years ago, so we went downstairs looking for it, but there was no gift shop. As I mentioned that we couldn't find it, a woman walked up to us and explained that the lower-level gift shop was no longer there. Then we realized who she was.

It was Kristina Trapp Frame, granddaughter of Maria von Trapp. She was incredibly kind. She showed us some of the photographs on the walls and told us about them, sharing pieces of the family's story that we wouldn't have gotten from simply walking around the lodge, and then she took a picture with us! Meeting an actual member of the von Trapp family was definitely one of the highlights of the entire visit, but the surprises weren't over.

When we went back upstairs, we looked up and realized that we were standing near Johannes Trapp - Kristina's father and Maria von Trapp's own son. We had somehow managed to meet two generations of the family during one rainy morning at the lodge. It was amazing!

After all that excitement, we headed down to the von Trapp brewery for a very Austrian lunch. We ordered the sausage platter, which is designed for sharing. The sausages were grilled right over the flames near our table, and they came with an incredible assortment of pickled and traditional sides: sauerkraut, pickles, red cabbage, Austrian potato salad, pickled beets, tomato salad, and the most delicious turnip slaw. Then we added spätzle, chicken schnitzel, pretzels, and beer cheese soup. If there's one thing this family loves, it is a meal like that.

By the time we left, the rain was still coming down. We almost went straight back to the camper, but we had to drive through Stowe Village anyway, so we decided to brave the rain and explore some of the shops along Main Street. We made it through several cute little stores before admitting defeat. It was time for naps. And boy, was everyone out cold after that lunch!

A couple of hours later, we were brewing more tea and getting ready to head back out. There was still so much we wanted to see in Stowe, and we had to pack it all in.

We had originally planned to go biking, but with the rain still coming and going, we changed plans. Instead, we decided to go kayaking. After all, you get wet kayaking anyway, right?

We headed down toward the Waterbury reservoir to a little launch site that felt almost like a secret. At first, it looked like we were putting our kayaks into nothing more than a ditch. But as we carried the boats down toward the water, we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by beautiful purple flowers on every side. Then we looked through the flowers.

Beyond them were the mountains, and the little waterway just kept getting wider and wider. Rain was still falling softly onto the misty water, and the whole place felt surreal and peaceful. If you've ever read The Wind in the Willows, this was about as close as you could get to the feeling of being on the water in that book.

We paddled down the widening channel while the rain continued to fall and the flowers bloomed on either side. Eventually we reached a tiny canal that we weren't even sure would be deep enough for the kayaks, but we made it through. Suddenly we were out on the main body of water, where the reservoir stretched wider and wider around us, then we discovered an island.

Calling it an island might be generous. It was more like a giant patch of deep mud covered in the most beautiful green sod. The kids thought it was paradise. They climbed out of the kayaks and immediately began running through the mud. In some places they sank almost to their shins, and they absolutely loved feeling the oozy mud squishing between their toes.

Eventually, though, the rain picked up and the wind began blowing harder. Some of us were getting very cold, so we decided it was time to turn around. We paddled back through the little flower-lined canal and toward the mysterious launch site.

Back at the cars, we were absolutely freezing as we folded up the kayaks. Thankfully, Caleb had brought his Jetboil and plenty of tea. Soon we were all holding hot cups of tea, warming up from the inside out.

As we drove back from the reservoir, we sipped our tea while the kids sang Sound of Music songs at the top of their lungs. Honestly, they really could be the next von Trapp family singers. They sounded pretty great!

Day 12: Bikes, Waterfalls, and a Round Hearth

Day 12 was our first bike ride of the trip.

We headed right into downtown Stowe, where the recreation bike path begins behind the iconic Main Street and winds for about five miles through the area. The trail took us past shops, farms, creeks, bridges, horses, and restaurants. It was pretty crowded, but other than that, it was a wonderful ride.

After five miles, we stopped by the creek to rest before turning around and riding back toward Stowe. Once the bikes were loaded back into the van, we headed toward the Smugglers' Notch State Park area and a beautiful hike to some gorgeous waterfalls with jumping rocks.

If there is one thing this family - and especially Caleb - loves, it is a good jumping rock.

The little kids played in the shallow pools below the falls while Caleb and the older kids climbed up the rocks to take the leap. There were plenty of other rock-jumping enthusiasts there too, but it was still a wonderful place to spend some time.

Next, we stopped at a place called the Round Hearth. We specifically wanted to see it because it has something we've always loved in one of our family's favorite Christmas movies, White Christmas: a giant round fireplace and hearth in the middle of the room. The movie's fictional Vermont lodge has that iconic round fireplace, and we've always dreamed of having something like it someday, maybe even in a future Piper & Leaf shop. It was cool to see a real, functional version of one. There wasn't a fire burning in it since it was summer, but it was still amazing to see.

Since we were already in the Smugglers' Notch area, we decided to explore the Smugglers' Caves. The area is filled with enormous boulders, giant rock formations, little caves, and crevices tucked deep into the woods. The kids absolutely loved exploring it.

Even the drive in was an adventure. The roads get incredibly narrow, winding between massive boulders, and the restrictions they have to keep vehicles above a certain length from getting through make perfect sense once you're there.

By this point, it was getting late. We headed back toward the camper, stopping at a couple of local grocery stores to pick up Vermont produce for dinner and lunch the next day, then we finally made it back to camp, completely exhausted.

That evening we collapsed into the camper, watched a short television program about the von Trapp Lodge, and started watching The Sound of Music. It seemed like the perfect way to end the day.

Day 13: The Real Vermont

We decided to hit the ground running a little earlier on Day 13.

The bikes were still loaded in the van from the day before, so we headed out for another biking adventure - this time on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.

The trail follows an old railway line and stretches for an incredible 95 miles. We weren't planning to ride all 95. Our goal was five miles out and five miles back. Thankfully, when we parked, we met a friendly bike shuttle driver who pointed us in the right direction and helped us find a section of the trail with more varied scenery.

The day before, we'd enjoyed riding through Stowe, but this was different. This felt like the real Vermont. The trail carried us through rural countryside, past farms and cornfields, with mountains rising in the distance. Then, somewhere around mile seven or eight, our adventure took an unexpected turn.

Caleb's bike literally exploded. Or, at least, a major part of the mechanism holding the chain shattered. Our ride came to a very sudden stop. But honestly, the Lord was looking out for us. Of all the places it could have happened, it happened at a road crossing, and at the only other parking lot we'd seen along the trail.

It didn't happen several miles out in the middle of a cornfield under the hot sun. It didn't happen flying down a hill, which Caleb would have been doing just seconds later. Instead, it happened as he was finishing climbing a hill and moving slowly, which was especially important because he was pulling a bike trailer with two of the kids.

Caleb was able to ride one of the kids' bikes back to the van while the rest of us waited, then he drove the van back and picked up everyone and all the bikes. Now we just needed to find somewhere to get the bike repaired.

Once everything was loaded back up, we continued down the road toward Johnson to visit Johnson Woolen Mill. Along the way, we spotted a Vermont flannel factory store and decided to stop.

One of the coolest things they did was put out huge trash bags full of fabric scraps for anyone to take for free. We grabbed some and continued on toward Johnson.

When we arrived at Johnson Woolen Mill, we looked around the store and were just about ready to leave when I asked the woman working there whether they gave tours. By this point, we'd gotten used to hearing one of two answers everywhere we went: “No.” or: “We used to, but we stopped a few years ago.” So, we were shocked when she said that if we had called ahead, we could have gotten a tour.

We were about to walk away disappointed when she stopped us. “Wait a minute,” she said. “Let me see if we can do one now.”

A few minutes later, an absolutely wonderful woman named Jean appeared and gave us an extensive tour of the mill. We had no idea just how local and handmade this company was. Dedicated employees, some of whom have worked there for more than forty years, still hand-sew many of their wool products. Some of the machines they use date all the way back to the early 1900s. They even have a man who comes to the mill and can apparently fix just about anything, keeping those intricate old machines running. It was fascinating to see such a strong commitment to craftsmanship and attention to detail.

The mill has also recently come under new ownership for one of the first times in its long history, which stretches back to the mid-1800s. The new owners are doing a tremendous amount of renovation. The original mill burned in the 1870s but was quickly rebuilt, and that building is still standing today. The owners have been beautifully restoring it and are turning it into a restaurant and shops.

The location is incredible. The windows open right above the water and waterfall, and it is easy to imagine what a beautiful place it will become. Down in the basement of the old mill, they're doing something that almost feels like archaeology. They're digging out the base of the original mill, exposing the enormous foundation stones, and incorporating greenery among them. That area will become the lower level of the restaurant.

It was one of those unexpected stops that turned into a real highlight of the trip.

After our tour, we picked up some maple candies from the little store next door and headed out for one more hike. We returned to Smugglers' Notch and parked near the Smugglers' Caves again, but this time we crossed the road and headed straight up the mountain toward Sterling Pond. And when we say straight up, we mean it!

The hike was exactly one mile, but in that one mile we gained about 1,000 feet of elevation. It was a climb, but eventually, we made it. And once again, we felt like we had stepped right into an old movie with Haley Mills and the von Trapps.

Sterling Pond felt like one of the mountain lakes from The Sound of Music. The water wasn't quite as clear as the lakes in the movie, but it was still beautifully clear, and intensely brown and sparkling. We think the color came from tiny bits of mica floating in the water, catching the light. Everyone took a swim.

Then we wandered around the pond and realized something we hadn't expected. We were standing at the top of a series of ski slopes. A ski lift towered above us. Looking down the slopes gave us an entirely different view of the mountain, and it immediately made the kids want to try skiing. We’re not so sure about that one yet.

After spending some time at the pond, we began the trek back down, and that one-mile descent felt every bit as treacherous as the climb up. By the time we reached the bottom, we were done. Completely exhausted.

We had packed an unbelievable amount into our days in Stowe - biking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, exploring caves, eating our way through Vermont, meeting members of the von Trapp family, touring an old woolen mill, and chasing down every bit of history and adventure we could find.

Stowe had turned out to be everything we'd hoped it would be, and somehow, after four days, it already felt a little like home.