Starting Fresh - An update from the B&B

Hello there! So it's been about a year and a half since we posted anything to this blog. It's definitely not from lack of attention. As we walk around and explore the property we keep saying to each other "this would make a good blog post!".

• Go to a Ben & Jerry's Concert on the Green? "This would make a good post!" 

• Make some dams in the stream? "This would make a good blog post!" 

• Build a Greenhouse? "This would make a good blog post!" 

• Set up a woodland obstacle course among the sugar maples for our oldest child? "This would make a good blog post!" 

• Have another kid? "Yeah sure, why not! Blog post." 

First and foremost, yes. That last item on the list did happen! In addition to our 3 year old we welcomed another member of our family into this world in June. We couldn’t be happier.

Now we are a family of four! It’s hard to believe nearly a year has passed since we welcomed this little being into our world.

So, it's not for lack of subject matter that we haven’t updated the blog until now, but for lack of time! So, now that we have an abundance of time and are spending it at home, we thought we would finally sit down and update you all on the happenings around the property.

The added set of hands has allowed us to get a lot done around here! (Joking, but really…) We have been busily making improvements and additions to the property. We had another great maple sugaring season. We tapped 75 maple trees to make enough maple syrup to feed our guests (and family!) throughout the year. We successfully raised a flock of chickens, who lovingly roamed free across the property and were subsequently picked off by foxes. Our ducks remain happy egg layers and we have doubled down our predator control efforts, as we plan for the next flock. As usual, we have greatly expanded the gardens, moving the vegetable garden into raised beds, creating an acre of cut flowers in the lower field, and building a greenhouse to prepare for a lively growing season. We continue to make improvements to the Bed and Breakfast, including adding a grand piano to the living room and updating the guest rooms. Our efforts to increase sustainability efforts mean we have finished up a new siding project to improve our energy use and spruce the place up a bit. Even with all that we were able to sneak in a few concerts, take the kids to Shelburne Museum a few times, explore the Echo center, take a magical Christmas train ride, Carin taught our eldest how to ski and we are generally enjoy life in the Green Mountains! 

Celebrating Love!

We have enjoyed hosting weddings and elopements.

Fresh eggs!

We aren’t supposed to have favorites, but these ladies were so sweet! We miss them and will be raising another flock this summer!

The B&B gets a fresh look!

We added insulation and energy efficient siding to improve our carbon footprint.

So fresh!

When the season changes and the weather warms, we make our own maple syrup to serve to guests.

Now Offering a Guest House Getaway!

As a new option, guests can choose to stay for a week or more at our Guest House, located just up the hill and enjoying pristine views and privacy.

Life in the COVID-19 era has taught us a new appreciation for where we live. While we are far away from our friends in the city, we remain deeply connected to world events and share our incredible gratitude and appreciation for front line workers, who are risking it all to support survival and recovery rates. This experience has also taught us how to be more present and recognize the gift it is to live here, with access to outdoor exploration and a strong (and socially distant) rural community. With both kids at home, (as daycare closed down in mid-March due to COVID-19, ) we have been exploring the property more than ever before. Every day, we have ventured out to explore the outdoors. Our oldest takes us on long walks and shows us the world from a completely new vantage point. We are loving explaining what "peepers" are, what woodpeckers do, reading books from the little library by the pond, and watching him splash around in the stream, making little dams. We have also been learning new skills. Like everyone in quarantine, we are baking up a storm. Kneading, proofing, and baking a loaf of King Arthur Flour bread has become a new part of our daily rhythm.

Nothing smells better than fresh bread!

In another advent, a few months ago our neighbors relocated for work, and we were incredibly sad to see them go. They were amazing neighbors! And, in an interesting turn of events, we purchased their property and now have a guest house to offer for overflow guests of the Bed & Breakfast, or as a short term rental. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been busy painting and decorating to prepare for an active rental season. We are hopeful that the summer months will allow us to accept bookings and welcome guests to our new rental space. We are excited to offer this new addition, as it returns the property to the 75 acre parcel that preceded our ownership, rejoining the neighboring lots to maximize the mountain views. In addition to the new Guest House, the property has a beautiful little barn, which has been home to many horses over the years. There are well-maintained pastures and many trails that we intend to revive for snowshoeing and hiking. Carin and I are not exactly equestrians, so we are looking into getting some sheep(!) this spring to help us maintain the fields. We will keep you posted with lots of cute lamb and chick photos over the next few months!

I realize any one of these things could be an entire blog post on it's own - but it's been a year and a half! We had a lot to catch you up on. 

Cheers to a fresh start!

-Luke McCarthy

Sweetness of the Season!

Fresh cider from the apple trees at our Vermont Bed and Breakfast!

What a difference a few months makes! When we last checked in our flowers were in full bloom, we were swimming in the pond, and enjoying everything summer has to offer. But, this is New England and just as soon as you get fully comfortable in one season, another comes knocking at the door! I know everyone likes summer to be just a little bit longer, but I personally love the changing of the seasons. Sure, the "to do" list might not have been fully complete; but each season brings its own fun activities and events, and makes you appreciate each season in its own special way. 

Fresh Cider!

Our guests enjoy local treats from close to home, like cider from our apple trees!

Shortly after our last blog post we acquired an apple press in order to make our own apple cider. We spent a few days exploring the apple trees scattered across our property and collected a few large barrels of apples. After that we got to work grinding them up and pressing them into delicious apple cider! The first batch came out a little tart, but we are still perfecting our recipe! As an added bonus, we gave all the leftover ground up apples to a local farm down the road to feed to their goats! 

We have a wide variety of heirloom apple trees on the property at our Vermont Bed and Breakfast!

Also this fall we made a quick afternoon trip over to the East Charlotte Tractor Parade. A truly Vermont event, the parade and festival is timed around the end of harvest season and features a pie eating contest, local vendors and music, and the main event: a stream of about 200 tractors of all sizes and ages rolling down the street. On the way home we stopped in at a family run apple orchard and I had one of the best apple donuts of my life! It had just come out of the fryer so was nice and crispy, then they put it in a dish and topped it with a maple creemee. A tractor parade, cider donuts and maple creemee? I'm not sure how more Vermont you can get. I think I was even wearing a flannel shirt! 

Quite the festive scene at the East Charlotte Tractor Parade!

Just as soon as you get content with the seasons though... 

Fresh snow at our Vermont Bed and Breakfast!

Sure enough, Mother Nature decided we had enough of fall and decided it was time to throw some winter at us. It was an unusually snowy November here in the Green Mountains, but in my book a fresh blanket of snow is just as pretty as the flowers we grow all summer (and i don't have to work for it!) Vermont is a skier’s paradise right now with relatively moderate temperatures and a thick blanket of fresh natural snow.

Snowed in at our Vermont Bed and Breakfast!

If snowshoeing is your preference (as it is mine) we have begun to carve out a network of trails across our property so guests can get out and enjoy themselves! We'll have some hot cocoa ready for you when you get back! 

With the holidays approaching and the end of the year upon us, we have been spending some time reflecting upon what an incredible time we have had this year at the Bed and Breakfast. Through the seasons, we continue to be grateful for the incredible guests who we have met since we opened our doors in 2015. Thank you!

We are full of good cheer and the magic of Christmas!

Wishing you the best this holiday season, from our family to yours!

- Luke & Carin McCarthy

Winter Adventures Off the Beaten Trail

View of Mt Ellen and Mt Abraham, from Vermont Bed and Breakfast at Russell Young Farm

For those winter travelers looking for an outdoor activity this winter that is easy on your budget and will get your heart pumping, we have a secret in our backyard. Since the Appalachian mountain “gaps” or highway passes over the Green Mountains close over the winter, they make a great avenue for winter hiking and advanced sledding.

A great place to try out winter hiking and sledding is Mount Philo. Looking out over the Lake Champlain basin, the little knoll in southern Chittenden County offers epic views and a fun winding trail up and down the hill. After sliding down, we recommend that you have a pint (or growler) at Fiddlehead, a pie at Folino’s Flatbread, or go for a wine tasting at Shelburne Vineyard.

For those adventurers brave enough to give it a try, the section of road that traverses Lincoln and Warren, known to locals as the Lincoln Gap, is worth every heartbeat of the hike up and the adrenaline rush down. Some come to sled, others to back country ski, and some even to hike up on snowshoes to Mt. Abraham (accessible by the Long Trail which runs across the top of the pass).

Get cozy by the fire at Vermont Bed and Breakfast at Russell Young Farm

I recommend using a hard plastic sled or a “jump jack” reconfigured ski sled, rather than an inflatable tube, as you can better control the speed and direction. The 20% grade is ridiculously steep, and at the top, it pitches to a punishing 24% grade. The pitch of the mountain road will really get your speed up, so it’s important that you wear a helmet.   Clearwater Sports in Waitsfield rents Mad River Rocket sleds for $15/day. They also offer a guided “Rocket-Shoeing Adventure”  snow-shoe-and-sledding day trip up Lincoln Gap with the rocket sleds for $55/person.

When you’re ready to warm up, we recommend getting a pint at the Bobcat Café or setting up at the delightful bar at Mary’s Restaurant, in Bristol. For guests who want to relax by the fire at our Vermont Bed and Breakfast, the new owners at the nearby Jerusalem Corners Country Store have revamped their menu and now offer delicious pizza, soups and sandwiches to order.

Winter is a great time to visit because the tourism scene is quieter and the local-food scene is always in season. There are great beer and wine tours nearby, and guests can enjoy tasting the artisan flavors of handcrafted spirits.

Mountain view from the guest rooms at Vermont Bed and Breakfast at Russell Young Farm

Many of our guests inquire about visiting local cheese makers and we are excited that the International Cheese Festival has just announced their 2018 festival dates, August 11th & 12th. You can also explore our interactive google map to view listings of local cheese making farms and tasting rooms.

We are also looking forward to the upcoming Maple festivals that make visiting at this time of year extra sweet.

Need an excuse to visit? We’ll be happy to help you craft one.

-Carin McCarthy

Vermont Bed and Breakfast: History, Present and Future

The view of Camel's Hump mountain, to the north, from Vermont Bed and Breakfast at Russell Young Farm. (Notice the deer at the center of the field, by the stand of trees and shrubs.)

When Carin and I moved into this house in early 2015 we moved into our dream home. The first day we looked at it there was a fresh blanket of snow and the sky was so clear that the peak of Camel's Hump mountain was so defined it was practically calling for us to go hike it. On the spine of the Green Mountains to the right, you could almost see the top ski lift of Mad River Glen spinning around. We walked in the house and were met with the large field-stone fireplace in the living room and we had the same reaction I'm sure many of our guests do; that of relaxation, tranquility, and (for us anyway) a desire to spend the rest of our lives here.

A snowy day at Vermont Bed and Breakfast at Russell Young Farm.

The hearth in the Great Room, at Vermont Bed and Breakfast at Russell Young Farm.

Interestingly, this house didn't always have that fireplace we love so much, or even the front porch. When this house was first built in the 1870's it resembled more of a small Cape Cod style house sitting on a fraction of what is now a rather large footprint.

The Young family, Luthera and Russell, first moved to the property sometime shortly thereafter and worked the 500 acre property adjoining the house. They maintained a heard of milking cows, and a large barn across the street where the town road turn-around is located today. Each morning they would milk the herd by hand and put the milk in the shed across from the house, where it was kept cool until it could be picked up. There was a second carriage barn behind the house where a small shed now stands. One of their children, Ralph Young, was born in 1925.

When the Young family moved on, and the farm was no longer being worked, the house underwent a few major renovations. It's unclear exactly when, but somewhere along the way the house was expanded to accommodate a larger living room, and a full second floor was added. At some point in this time frame the field stone fireplace was added. The entire front of the house was re-worked to have an almost Greek-revival feel with pillars stretching from the ground all the way to the roof.  For some time, the house itself was being used as a ski dorm with several small rooms upstairs. We have enjoyed having some of the former residents' family come and stay with us. Hearing their stories and memories of the place has been a gift.

The start of spring at Vermont Bed and Breakfast at Russell Young Farm

Over time, the majority of the land was divided and the house went back to use as a single family residence, until the early 2000's when another major renovation took place. The porch was reconfigured to take advantage of the beautiful mountain view. The pillars were boxed in to create two large guest rooms upstairs and the entire back half of the house was added on, where the kitchen and garage are today.

We are fully aware that this house has significant history. Not just for the individuals who poured their hearts and souls into it over the years, but for the town as a whole. As the current caretakers we want any changes that we make to not only accommodate our guests and our own future at the house, but also keeping the extensive history of the house in mind.

Energy efficiency renovation at Vermont Bed and Breakfast at Russell Young Farm.

This spring, when the bed and breakfast is closed, we are embarking on a small modernization and energy efficiency project. All the windows and siding on the front of the house will come off so we can add some insulation, replace older windows for a more energy efficient style, and install sturdier siding. These improvements will keep our guests a little cozier in the winter, improve energy efficiency and go a long way toward extending the longevity of the house.

Welcoming entryway at Vermont Bed and Breakfast at Russell Young Farm.

Ralph Young, who was born here in 1925, passed away in 2014 and we hope he, and all the other former occupants of this house, appreciate the love and care currently being put into this wonderful home. We love sharing the experience that this property provides to our guests and we are happy to take good care of it and call it home.

-Luke McCarthy