Vermont Road Trip
Hi everyone, Shannon here.
Vermont is one of those places that is just unlike anywhere else. The rolling green mountains, quaint New England-style homes, and an abundance of gentleman's farms are as memorable as they come. Every time I drive through, I can't help but imagine hearing the score of "Tuck Everlasting" playing (one of my all time favorites). It's probably because Vermont doesn't care what the rest of the world is doing, it stays just like it is, because it can.
I should probably get down to why we took a road trip to Vermont in the first place. Originally it wasn't for the most joyful of reasons. Last week I received the call that our wedding venue was sold. Initially, we were pretty devastated, but we've accepted what's happened and are moving on to find greener pastures. My next blog post will be devoted to how to avoid a catastrophe like this, so if you or someone you know is engaged, stay tuned.
We made arrangements to tour two venues yesterday. The first was the Lilac Inn
located in Brandon, VT and the second was Lake Bomoseen Lodge in Castleton, VT. Both were stunning venues, and the staff were extremely accommodating and helpful. We're going to have a tough choice ahead of us. And no, I won't be giving away which venue we chose until the big day (; This is more of a tribute to both venues and our amazing trip. And don't worry about it spoiling our wedding photos, everything will look completely different in December.
The Lilac Inn is located in the sweetest little town of Brandon. Right when we drove in, I could imagine horse-drawn carriages traveling up and down the road! The town also has great local businesses up the street, including a floral shop, bakery, and an elegant french patisserie where we had lunch called Cafe Provence.
As I mentioned, after our lovely tour at Lilac Inn, we had a quick lunch at the bakery side of Cafe Provence. They have a bistro as well, but we were short on time and chose the reuben and croissant avec jambon et fromage. 10/10 would recommend.
Next we traveled to Castleton, and on the way I snapped this photo of a barn. If I would have had my druthers I would have spend all day photographing the houses and farms.
We arrived at Lake Bomoseen to find a completely different side of Vermont! I could imagine kids spending every summer at the lake making great memories. Friends becoming family over a campfire. It's a beautiful lake and venue.
The new owners of Lake Bomoseen Lodge have gutted the entire property. All of the hotel rooms are brand new, the taproom and loft are completely redone, and it's very modern. We were even offered a complimentary stay after our tour! The taproom food is delicious, and their drinks are spot on.
And that concluded our wonderful Vermont road trip. I highly recommend checking both of these venues out for vacation stays as well as weddings! I'm happy to announce we have a new wedding venue, and we couldn't be happier. We could have easily chosen either of these venues for our wedding, and it was certainly a tough call! As promised, there will be a subsequent post on what to do if your wedding venue closes, and how to avoid this in the first place! I've never written an advice post before, but I'm hoping it's going to be informative. Until then, a huge thank you to both the Lilac Inn and Lake Bomoseen Lodge for creating an exemplary experience for us. Vermont will continue to hold a special place in our hearts thanks to you!
Love,
Shannon
