A Quick Winter Getaway to Vermont

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I took a short trip to the Green Mountains in Vermont. Since my boyfriend is a snowboarder, we decided to stay in Killington, Vermont. We left our house in Connecticut at 5am and had a long, slow ride up north due to a snowstorm. It wasn’t ideal, but the fresh snow sure was pretty.

Quick Stop On The Way Up

On the way, we stopped at the Vermont Country Store in Bellows Falls, Vermont. This actually wasn’t a planned stop. When we got off the highway, I realized we were getting off the exit for it and driving right by. I really wanted to get some photos of the store, Kissing Bridge, and the mill with some fresh snow. The store wasn’t open yet, so this was really just a quick stop for some cute snowy pictures.

Arriving in Killington, VT

When we got to Killington, I dropped my boyfriend off at Killington Ski Resort for a day of snowboarding with my brother. First up on my list of things to do was going to find myself a warm cup of hot chocolate to warm me up. I decided to head to Sunup Bakery in Killington. This cute little bakery had an assortment of baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, and drinks you could order. I got my usual, which is a hot chocolate with vanilla.

I was hoping to sit inside and work a bit to give the roads some time to be cleaned up, but this spot is really small without a lot of seating so I grabbed my drink and enjoyed it in my car. This place also seems to be very popular because by the time my drink was ready, it was so packed I struggled to get to the counter to grab my hot chocolate and get out there door. There were a couple of seats at a bar along the window I could have sat at, but it really was just too packed inside.

After I finished my hot chocolate, I went off to try and do some site-seeing. I wasn’t really trying to hike. I was focused on finding spots I could enjoy some views without a lot of effort. My first stop was the Kent Pond Shore Fishing Access area on Thundering Brook Road in Killington. There was nowhere to actually park because of the snow, so I just pulled off and parked on the side of the road. The views were definitely pretty here! Although, I definitely would like to go back when it’s warm so I can actually see the pond.

Quick Stop to See A Castle

After the quick stop at the pond, I headed west to see if I could get a glimpse at Wilson Castle in Proctor, Vermont. I knew that the castle was closed for the season, but I really just wanted to see if I could get some pictures of the castle with a blanket of snow. Unsurprisingly, the road to the castle was not plowed, but I was able to see it from West Proctor Road. I pulled off on the side of the road and snapped some quick pictures before continuing site-seeing. This is spot I will definitely come back to visit when it’s open.

Covered Bridges in Pittsford, VT

After my drive-by of the castle, I set off to find some covered bridges. It’s not really a trip to Vermont if you don’t see at least ONE covered bridge. Vermont has the most covered bridges in New England and many of them continue to be used as they’re still a part of the road systems.

The first one on my list was the Cooley Bridge in Pittsford, Vermont. This bridge was built in 1849. There were pull-offs to park at on both sides of the bridge. Not only were there spaces to park, but there was also a trailhead for a hike right next to the bridge. It was a little hard to access because of a snow bank, but I did make it over the snow bank. However, I sank right into it up to my chest as I tried to make my way back over it to get back to my car.

The next stop was the Gorham Bridge, which was only a couple miles away from the Cooley Bridge. The Gorham Bridge was built in 1842. There was no parking area that I saw on the side I viewed it from. So, I pulled off on the side of the road to take some quick pictures of this bridge.

After that, I headed to the Depot Bridge. This bridge was built in 1840. Unlike the last two, this bridge had some seriously scenic views surrounding it. There were pull-offs for parking on each side of the bridge.

The final bridge I stopped at was the Hammond Bridge. This bridge was built in 1842 and it’s the only one of the bridges in Pittsford that you can’t drive over. This is likely because this bridge floated off of its abutments and ended up in a field over a mile downstream during the 1927 flood. It was returned to its former location (where it sits now) in the winter of 1927-28 by the town.

Back to Killington for a Bite to Eat

After the covered bridge, I started to make my way back to Killington. When I got back to Killington, I decided to grab a bite to eat at iPie Pizzeria and Lounge. I decided to go here because I wasn’t looking to have a sit down meal and this spot offered pizza by the slice. I grabbed myself a slice of pepperoni pizza and I was actually impressed by how good it was (Vermont isn’t really known for its pizza lol).

More Site-Seeing Nearby

After I finished my pizza, I still had some time to kill before my boyfriend was done snowboarding. So, I headed to the President Calvin Coolidge Historic Site in Plymouth Notch. It wasn’t open, but I figured it would be pretty to see in the snow and it was only 10 miles away. I walked around the historic site and took in the buildings and the scenic views in the area.

After this, I once again made my way back to Killington. On my way back, I made a quick stop at Woodward Reservoir. I parked in the lot that was off of Vermont Route 100 and walked out on to the water since it was frozen solid.

After that, I grabbed my boyfriend from Killington Ski Resort and we went and grabbed a bite to eat at The Lookout Tavern in Killington. I warmed back up with another cup of hot chocolate and caught up with my boyfriend. When we finished, we decided to call it a night since we had gotten up at 3:30am.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at the Trailside Inn. It’s not often that we don’t stay in an Airbnb, but since we were only doing a one night stay, we decided to try this inn. The Trailside Inn was a cute spot to stay. They had a Great Room to hangout in and watch tv and a game room in the basement.

We got a King Room to stay in. It was just a room with a bed, a chair in the corner, a small desk, and a bathroom. This was fine for us for a night, but if it was a longer stay, I probably would have been bored with just that. I’m not one to go into common areas to hangout because I’m pretty introverted. I prefer having my own space to just relax after a day of adventures. And, I really like having a couch to just chill out on instead of a bed.

In the morning, we grabbed some breakfast from the continental breakfast they offered. There were a lot of great options to choose from. I wasn’t quite hungry yet so I grabbed some cereal while my boyfriend toasted himself a bagel and put some peanut butter on it. My boyfriend also got coffee and he said that the coffee was really good.

Day Two – A Trip To Woodstock, VT

The only other thing I had planned was going 30 minutes east to Woodstock, Vermont. I can’t remember who told me about this cute town, but I think it was one of my followers. I love charming, historic towns and that’s exactly what Woodstock is. I immediately fell in love with the town as soon as we entered it because I was greeted by beautiful historic buildings.

Our first stop in town was Mon Vert Cafe. This is an organic cafe located in the heart of Woodstock. My boyfriend and I both got a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. I also got a hot chocolate with vanilla, per usual, but it wasn’t my favorite. I think it was just a little too bitter for my liking. The sandwich however was great! I liked that this spot had a lot of seating, some downstairs and some upstairs. You’ll order at a counter and then they will bring your food to you the table of your choosing, which was really nice.

After we finished breakfast, we went to the town green and walked around there looking at the historic buildings. We also checked out Middle Bridge. The bridge has a footpath on the side so you can cross it safely without having to worry about vehicles. The whole area is just so cute. I absolutely want to go back in the warmer months when it’s a little less miserable to wander around the area (when I won’t freeze).

After we were done exploring the town, we went to the Billings Farm & Museum. This outdoor history museum unfortunately wasn’t open when we went, but we were able to walk the grounds and see their herd of Jersey cows! They were honestly so cute and I spent a lot of time taking pictures of them.

Directly across the street is the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. This park offers various trails to explore as well as a historic mansion you can tour. While I wasn’t able to tour the mansion because it’s closed until the spring, I was able to view it covered in snow, which was awesome. This will be another spot I visit once it opens because I love touring historic buildings.

Leaving Vermont

When we finished up at the National Historical Park, we were ready to start our journey to our next destination – New Hampshire (you can read about that trip here). I didn’t have any stops planned, but we did come across some more covered bridges as we made our way east towards New Hampshire.

The first covered bridge we came across was the Taftsville Bridge. This bridge was on the outskirts of Woodstock. There was an interesting sign that gave some history about this bridge. According to the sign, this bridge “is a rare example of early vernacular wooden truss covered bridges in the United States. All evidence indicates the builder, a longtime Taftsville resident named Solomon Emmons III, used no existing patented bridge truss designs, and that the design and construction techniques are unique.” It’s also the third oldest covered bridge in the state of Vermont.

The second bridge we accidentally stumbled across was the Quechee Covered Bridge. There’s a parking area to view this bridge and a park next to the bridge as well. There’s a waterfall you can see from the park, but it was mostly frozen when I was there. There’s also a section of the bridge for pedestrians to walk across.

The last official stop in Vermont was the scenic overlook in Barnet, Vermont along I-91 North. I first discovered this scenic viewpoint during my road trip to Quebec to go leaf peeping. I figured it would be really pretty with the snow so it was worth the quick stop. It’s an easy pull-off and there’s an informational sign about the significance of the area.

Is It Worth Going To Vermont In The Winter?

Absolutely! Even if you don’t do any winter sports or don’t love the cold, you can always just go for scenic drives and make quick stops before hopping back in the warmth of your car! There are seriously beautiful views at every turn in Vermont and it’s worth seeing the scenic spots blanketed in snow.

Overall, the trip was very laid back and we didn’t come across too many crowds on our trip. Killington Ski Resort of course was packed, but that’s something to be expected on a weekend. If you’re looking to hit the slopes, but avoid the crowds, your best bet is to go on a weekday if possible. But other than that, it was a cozy, laid back trip! I think everyone should experience Vermont in the winter at least once.

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