By a (mostly) local who knows someone…
There’s something about Vermont that feels like a secret everyone already knows. The air hits differently here… crisp, Maple-scented, a little proud of its purity. There’s a rhythm to Vermont life that outsiders rarely catch on the first visit. It’s slow but intentional, steeped in small-town charm and a quiet kind of sophistication. Here, conversations linger like steam over coffee, and even the simplest routines… like breakfast, a walk, a drive take on a sense of ritual. This wasn’t a “fall getaway.” This was life, lived Vermont style… flannel, maple, and all.
Day 1 — The Art of Slow Mornings
Mornings in Vermont don’t start with alarms; they start with appetite. Mine began at The Butler’s Pantry, where tourists are known to wait in long, winding lines that stretch down the street. But locals… we know someone who knows someone. We walked right in. No wait, no stress.
I ordered The Benny, because it felt like the right thing to do. The sausage alone was worth writing home about… smoky, savory, and sweet. Sweetened PERFECTLY with maple. It’s now officially my favorite breakfast place, without question.
After breakfast, we passed by the church… yes, that one. The postcard-perfect landmark every visitor photographs. It’s beautiful, but to us locals, it’s more of a compass. You can always find your way back by its steeple.
Later, I found myself at The Lodge at Spruce Peak, indulging in some much-needed R&R at the spa. Vermont has a way of slowing you down in the most luxurious way possible. The drive itself was another place and time. The winding roads flanked by autumn trees and crisp mountain air feel like nothing else matters… only this moment. Here and now.
Dinner was at Cork, the kind of place where you start with good intentions and end up ordering everything on the menu. The Boyden Farm beef was a standout, tender, and full of that Vermont heartiness that can’t be faked. They’ve got a wine club worth joining, though I’ll have to report back once I remember what exactly I drank… chalk it up to the charm of a good night out in Stowe.
Day 2 — Maple, Mercantile & the Magic Hour
Vermont mornings have a way of turning into an afternoon without you realizing it. I spent mine wandering through The Stowe Mercantile, where I picked up maple cookies, a Stowe postcard, and a bright yellow “Stowe” tee that looks like sunshine in fabric form.
From there, I drifted south to Shelburne, an easy, scenic drive lined with fields of rolled hay and farmhouses that seem to exist in their own quiet part of the world. I stopped by the Shelburne Country Store, where every corner hides a treasure… glass bottles of maple, handmade trinkets, boxes for those trinkets… the kind of nostalgia only found in romance novels and Hallmark movies. But, I found it here… here in Vermont.
As evening fell, I found myself at Shelburne Beach, savoring my can of hard cider from Champlain Orchards, watching the sky change to every shade of golden you can imagine. The lake shimmered like glass, and the leaves were perfectly arranged just… so. Conversation flowed of bees and honey. Life was PERFECT in that very moment.
Day 3 — Flannel Days & Maple Dreams
By day three, I’d started to understand what living life VT style really means: comfort, character, and connection. I stopped by the Vermont Flannel Company, where I was gifted the perfect red, slim-fit flannel that was so soft, warm, and ABSOLUTELY necessary if I’m to live the full Vermont life. In Vermont, flannel isn’t fashion; it’s identity.
Living life VT style isn’t about chasing what everyone else comes here to see. It’s about finding your own rhythm in the slow, sweet hum of this place. Finding joy in the small things… and realizing those small things are what make life big.
I’ve fallen in love with you, Vermont. What is a girl to do?
