House
Uniquely designed, our cozy, light-filled one-bedroom home has a southwestern feel with rounded archways, thick Persian rugs, and beautiful art. Ideal for couples seeking a retreat or those who need to work remotely. The house is stone’s throw from downtown Montpelier, home to the Bohemian Bakery, the best cafe this side of Paris! Hubbard Park's 7 miles of trails is around the corner. Up our street are glorious views and FREE groomed nordic ski trails. Downhill skiing is a short drive away.
Neighborhood
Recently voted the best small town shopping in America by USA Today, Montpelier is a just 5-min walk from our house. Check out the cool gift shops, clothing stores and great restaurants and bars. Wilaiwan Thai (open only for lunch) is the best Thai street food on the planet! (But spicy; be prepared for heat.) The Three Penny Taproom has won national acclaim for its excellent pub food and artisan beers. Sarduccis, with its wood-fired pizza oven, is the place to go for Italian food. And Bohemian Bakery, with a classic Parisian ambiance, serves up fresh and fabulous pastries, along with amazing soups and sandwiches. We have two cinemas: The Savoy Theater offers two screens with art house films, and the Capitol theater showcases Hollywood blockbusters. The Hunger Mountain Coop is the place to shop for organic everything. It's a five-minute drive but you can also walk there in about 15 min. In spring, summer, and fall, the Capitol City Farmers Market, just down State Street past the Capitol, offers the best in fresh local food and gifts. It runs from 10AM to 1 PM. If you love antiques, check out J Langdon on Langdon Street. Juliana has great taste, and we always find something to love. For bike and nordic ski rentals, Onion River Sports has you covered. Bear Pond books is one of America's classic great bookstores. Stop by to browse, and tell them Deb and Gary sent you!
Getting Around
Our house is on one of the most popular pedestrian streets in Montpelier. A leisurely walk up the hill rewards spectacular views. Our back garden abuts the neighborhood school yard, where you can shoot hoops after school lets out. (There is a basketball and other sports equipment in the bench seat of the mud room.) Just around the corner is Hubbard Park. Its 190 acres offer year-round hiking and Nordic skiing trails with two entrances about a 5-10 min walk away. PLEASE NOTE that due to their popularity, the Hubbard ski trails can and do get icy and are often better suited to snow snowshoeing. Montpelier also has a great bike path that runs along the Winooski River. It's flat, runs right through downtown, and offers plenty of views.
About a mile up the road is one of the main entrances to 25 Kilometers of FREE Nordic ski trails, maintained by the Onion River Nordic Ski Club. Downhill skiing is also close by. Stowe village is a 25 minute drive. Stowe Ski Resort, Mad River Glen, and Sugar Bush are a 40 min drive. Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe has a great network of Nordic Trails as does Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Craftsbury, VT. (1 hour scenic drive but the $10/day pass makes it worth it.) Burlington is only a 35 min drive.
For Vermont products like Maple Popcorn, and maple creemees, drive 10 minutes up County Road to Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks. In February and March you can witness their maple syrup operation in action. Another 10 minutes will put you at Curtis Pond, where you can swim and ice skate if the locals have cleared it (and you bring your own skates.) The #10 Pond is a 25 min drive but worth it if you want to swim longer distances in one of the most beautiful and cleanest ponds in Vermont. The loons make their home there for that reason. The Waterbury Reservoir, two exits away is another stunning place to kayak, and swim off the rocks. There are so many great places to explore that are close by, like Waitsfield and Warren on scenic Rt 100 with their awesome swimming holes and nearby hiking. And don't forget the mountains! Mt. Hunger, Mt. Worcester, Mt. Elmore, Stowe Pinnacle, and Mt. Pisgah, to name just a few.
