Vermont Foliage Touring

We love the change of seasons here. The crisp autumn air and the smell of wood smoke as you drive through the valleys of the Green Mountains reminds us how special Vermont is. Our Bed and Breakfast has been bustling with guests from all around the world, looking not just for lodging but for an experience of Vermont in a weekend.

The view from the front porch of Vermont Bed and Breakfast at Russell Young Farm

We love recommending day trips that will help our guests to experience the most authentic, beautiful places in Vermont in the span of a weekend. We are perfectly positioned as a jumping-off point for foliage tourism, with mountain views, lakes and cultural centers within a short drive.

First, we love recommending that people visit the Farmer’s Markets nearby. There are so many talented producers who are making crafts with the best cultivated fruits, flowers, veggies, cheeses, meats and drinks from the Vermont landscape.

The Waitsfield Farmer’s Market is one of our favorites. We love the live music, distillery tasting, fresh cheese, Red Hen baguettes, Lincoln Peak Wine and wide variety of pickled treats! Save room in your belly for lunch at the Mad Taco and an epic sundae at Canteen.

Another favorite is the Burlington Farmer’s Market, where you can fill your belly on meals with flavors from around the world, beautiful flowers, and exceptional people-watching – one of my favorite past times. We love meandering along the Church Street marketplace, where you can spend the day exploring restaurants, shops and the vibrant arts scene.

Another one of our favorite places to suggest is the Old Mill Cider Company, in Waterbury. I love to get the cider slushy and a cider donut. Just across the street, visitors can enjoy samples at the Cabot Cheese tasting room, Lake Champlain Chocolates and the Smuggler’s Notch Distillery. A little further down the road, visitors can enjoy Von Trapp brewery and take a tour, and then visit the bakery and enjoy the view from the porch. (The hills are alive with the sound of music!)

The Smuggler’s Notch (route 108), known to locals as “The Mountain Road”, is a perfect adventure for those looking for a memorable trip! The top of the mountain is filled with tight turns and narrow passes, which every year poses a problem for long trucks that take the “short cut” and get stuck at the top. Guests love exploring this route – especially on a motorcycle!

One of our favorite places to go as a family is to take a walk through beautiful Shelburne Farms, then enjoy lunch at Folino’s flatbread. We like to pick up a growler of beer at the next door Fiddlehead brewery before hiking up Mount Philo and enjoying the view of the Lake Champlain and the agricultural valleys around. It’s an easy hike for such a stunning vista!

For folks looking for a cultural and historical experience, the Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburg hosts interesting exhibits about Vermont’s history in the Underground Railroad. Afterwards, we suggest that guests stop in at Cookie Love and enjoy some of the best cookies around or pop in and try the samples and pick out gifts at Dakin Farm.

Depending on what guests are looking to do, whether relaxing here at the Bed and Breakfast or exploring the trails of the Green Mountains, there is something for everyone. We love seasonal events and activities, like the harvest festivals, pumpkin patch parties, apple picking celebrations, and brewery tour events! The calendar is always full in the fall! 

Planning a trip? Let us know if you need any recommendations!

Happy adventuring!

-Carin McCarthy

So Fresh and So Green!

Spring has sprung in Vermont and we are excitedly readying the Bed and Breakfast for travelers to visit and enjoy the sights and sounds of our property this summer and fall. We had a very mild winter and spring, so we are already starting our garden with great success.

Along the pond, we have planted some new fruit trees that will start to bear fruit in the next few years. We are excited to grow our own fresh blueberries and currants that we can serve to our guests for breakfast. Guests will also be able to stroll along outside and taste these treats as they explore the Bed and Breakfast.  In addition to shrubs and plants, our chicks and ducklings have arrived, so we’ll soon have fresh farm raised eggs on the menu soon too!  (I’ll give a full update soon, but trust me when I tell you that they are adorable!)

"We believe there is nothing like biting into fruits and veggies that are so fresh they are still warm from the sun..."

One of the great things about visiting Vermont is being able to really get a sense of the flavors of the land. With so many local providers and sustainable farmers, there are delicious ways to tour the Green Mountains and explore the seasons while supporting local businesses. We believe there is nothing like biting into fruits and veggies that are so fresh they are still warm from the sun, and we aim to serve our guests at the Bed and Breakfast fresh, flavorful and seasonally appropriate dishes.

We have a 30x30’ garden (pictured above) that sits on the eastern side of the house. Every morning, the sun rises over the Green Mountains with its first rays hitting the garden and keeping it in sunlight through most of the afternoon and early evening. Because of the short growing season in Vermont, we started a lot of seeds indoors this year and built some raised beds to improve water drainage in the garden.

Gardening in early spring is always a little risky, especially in the mountains of Vermont, where the temperatures can drop low at night. (We think this makes for perfect sleeping conditions!) To protect our plants, we have covered some rows of the garden in straw to insulate them on a particularly cold night but really, this year is shaping up to be an incredible gardening season. We have had perfect temperatures so far and night time temperatures are holding above freezing. We have had some rain, enough to fill the rain barrels but so far not too many May showers.

Because we love to serve our guests fresh flavors of Vermont, we have planted fruits and veggies all over the place here at the B&B. There are some melon seeds that have sprouted inside under lights where they will stay until the weather warms up some more. We have our small greenhouse full of some habanero, jalapeno, and bell pepper seedlings and a few of the many heirloom tomato plants. In order to prepare them for the outdoor elements, we keep some plants on a rolling cart in the garage to stay warm at night and take them out daily to enjoy the sunshine.

The garlic we planted last October is coming up nicely, and last month we planted lettuce, spinach, radishes, and carrots. We also have some kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli already planted. Normally our last frost date is somewhere around Memorial Day but we are keeping our eyes on the forecast daily. If conditions look good we will plant a few things under row covers to get a jump on the growing season. 

For those of you who read the strawberry tower blog, the strawberries are doing great! The towers have big and lush foliage popping out of every square inch of the pipe. It shouldn't be more than a few weeks before we start seeing small flowers emerge where the juicy red fruits will grow. We add a little bit of fertilizer that is specifically designed for hydroponic strawberries so they get all the nutrients they need. It seems to be working!  We’re excited to serve our guests fresh strawberries from our garden.

With all the veggies pretty much squared away, it's time to turn our attention to our flowers! 

-Luke & Carin McCarthy