Exploring New Hampshire and Vermont...

Each time I travel to teach, I always try to make a little time to see the area and explore - it is such a treat for me to visit other parts of the country and do a little sightseeing! Lucky for me, my dear friend Ruth lives in New Hampshire and agreed to take me on a little excursion Friday morning/afternoon before the New England Stitcher's Retreat started that evening. Before we begin, I should tell you, it was pouring rain all day - normally I take a lot of outdoor photos and show you the area...but on this particular day I was only able to manage some indoor camera shots...

We set out bright and early Friday morning...our first destination was King Arthur Flour...now, you know I love to bake and I was definitely familiar with King Arthur Flour...however, I didn't quite understand how this could be a "destination"...but oh my goodness was this ever a great place to visit! King Arthur Flour has a brand new campus in Norwich, VT that houses a phenomenal retail store, a baking education center, and a bakery and a cafe - it was FABULOUS! I could have shopped for hours and easily filled a cart - however, knowing I could only add a few pounds to my suitcase, I showed some self restraint (making sure to sign up for their e-mails, grab a catalog, and write a mental list for some online shopping!). There were a few goodies I had to purchase on the spot and ship home...and Ruth did a little shopping for me too - picking me up an adorable owl kitchen towel and a jar of Maple Pumpkin Butter (delicious!). The staff at King Arthur Flour were so very kind and accommodating and allowed me to take a bunch of photos to share with you...

After a delightful morning at King Arthur Flour, we headed to Brattleboro, VT (a little over an hour away) - a couple retreat attendees had shared with us about a fabulous shop called Delectable Mountain Cloth...and all I needed to hear were the words "hundreds of crystal dishes filled with buttons" and "silk fabrics" and off we went! It was an enjoyable drive through Vermont...and yes, it was still pouring rain...but it gave me and Ruth a chance to chit chat and catch-up (after all, we only see each other once a year). Once we arrived in Brattleboro and found our destination, we did a quick drive around the area and found a place to park...then set out to explore the oldest town in Vermont. Main Street had a wonderful assortment of shops - including In The Moment Records (yes, a record shop!), Beadniks (a bead shop), Vermont Artisan Designs & Gallery, and Kitchen Sync (a wonderful kitchen shop)...and I am positive there were many more great places to visit, but the rain definitely hindered walking from shop to shop. We spent a good amount of time in Delectable Mountain Cloth...and it exceeded all of our expectations! This quaint and cozy Main Street shop was full of treasures...all sorts of textiles, silks, velvets, organzas, chiffons, and specialty fabrics...and yes, hundreds of crystal dishes filled with buttons (a feast for the eyes)...along with trims and laces...they also have handmade jewelry and large assortment of scarves. I will let the photos do the talking...

How was that for a large dose of "eye candy"??!! Seriously, if you are ever in the Brattleboro, VT area, this shop is definitely worth the trip...Ruth and I have already discussed that this will be permanently on our yearly itinerary. Oh, and I must mention, if you visit this shop, be sure to cross the street and enjoy a meal at Amy's Bakery Arts Cafe (113 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT) - it is all fresh ingredients - wonderful soups, sandwiches, and salads - DELICIOUS...

So that was how we spent our rainy Friday in Vermont - it truly was a stellar day! That evening and the next couple days were filled with event activities and lots of stitching, but we did get a few more hours together to explore on Monday. After a final breakfast with the retreat attendees, packing up, and saying tearful goodbyes, we had a few more places to see before I headed to Boston where I was to catch a flight home to Iowa. We made a final trip to ABC Stitch Therapy where Ruth got in some last minute shopping and I dropped off all my classroom materials to ship home...then we headed cheerfully to Quilted Threads in Henniker, NH. I was so beyond excited to see this quilt shop, as I had heard all about it...and the feedback was exceptional; I couldn't wait to visit a new quilt shop and find some goodies to take home! Well, the excitement didn't last long - as we pulled into the parking lot, I was quite discourage to read the sign "Closed On Monday"...how disappointing...but we weren't going to let that ruin our day. We continued our drive to Concord, NH where I was to catch a bus to Boston....and made the best of a SUNNY day! I was able to see the Capital of New Hampshire, walk Main Street and visit a few shops, and then have a spectacular lunch at The Barley House. I have already added The Barley House to my list of places I must visit again - both the atmosphere and the food were WONDERFUL - believe it or not, I had a Lobster BLT...yep, a BLT with lobster meat on it and it was scrumptious! It was the perfect way to end my visit to New England....and I can hardly wait to return next year...

An extra special thanks to my friend and chauffeur Ruth - you definitely made this a special trip to remember...thank you for exploring New England with me...I love you sis!

There you have it, my final post on my recent trip to New Hampshire for this year's New England Stitcher's Retreat - it was another AMAZING visit - I got to see more of the East Coast - I got to see old friends and make new ones - I got to share my passion for needlework - and I got to smile and laugh for several days. Now I have a full year to look forward to my next trip...it can't get here soon enough...

To see all sorts of additional photos from my trip to New England, check out the albums on my Facebook page...and smartphone users can check out my Instagram album (user: BRDGIRL)...

A Day To Play

I made it to New England safe and sound...a few little travel hiccups - and I arrived a little later than planned...but all in all, a good trip. Marie (ABC Stitch) was at the bus station to meet me shortly before midnight and we made the quick trip to the Enfield Shaker Museum. My room was set up beautifully and I managed to get unpacked and settled. It is the same room I stayed when I taught here last year, so I felt right at home.

After a few good hours of sleep, I woke up to the joyous sounds of giggling in the halls and I knew my retreat experience was about to begin! I quickly got put together and made it downstairs for a bite to eat. I was super excited to have a free day before the events begin and couldn't wait to see some of the area! I was quite fortunate to meet up with Brenda (Bree) who was looking for someone to spend the day with - and offered to be my companion and chauffeur for the afternoon (thanks Bree - you rock!). We headed out not quite sure where we were going, but we knew we were in for an adventure...Marie gave us some suggestions and we were off. Our first stop was in Windsor, VT (yep, I actually made it to Vermont for the first time!) - we went to see the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge on the Connecticut River. A little history for you: Built in 1866 at a cost of $9,000, the Cornish-Windsor Bridge is the longest wooden bridge in the United States and the longest two-span covered bridge in the world - built as a toll bridge by a private corporation, the span was purchased by the state of NH in 1936 and made toll free in 1943.

After a unique experience at the Windsor Visitor's Center, we were on our way to Woodstock, VT...Marie had mentioned there were wonderful little shops there, and of course, we were up for a shopping experience! I loved the scenic and historic town of Woodstock - we parked and walked around the entire shopping village - visiting the most amazing General Store I have ever seen - there seemed to be endless aisles of every product you can think of - it was (to quote Bree) very "Little House on the Prairie". There were a lot of quaint and interesting shops and the weather was beautiful for the walk!

Our final destination was Quechee, VT. We had a little snafu on the way, as the road we planned to take was closed...so we stopped for directions and found out the road/bridge was washed out by the flood (Hurricane Irene)...but we were given alternate directions, which lead us to the Quechee Gorge on the Ottauquechee River...which was unbelievable...I wish the photos did it justice. We actually walked out on the bridge and looked down (what seemed to be hundreds of feet) over the river...it was breathtaking...

After taking in the Quechee Gorge, we traveled into town to our destination - "The Mill" - the site of the old Quechee mill, which now houses the Simon Pearce Restaurant and Glassblowing/Pottery Retail Store. We ate a late lunch in the restaurant which sits out over the river with a beautiful close-up view of another picturesque covered bridge and a waterfall - unfortunately, the bridge and many surrounding buildings were badly damaged by flooding caused by Hurricane Irene. You will see in the photo below - the windows to the left were where we ate lunch...and in the background the damaged covered bridge. Our server told us the water had risen to just below the restaurant windows - the lower two floors of the building were filled with mud and water that they are still repairing and cleaning up. Large photos throughout The Mill documented the storms destruction. Inside looked good, as seen by the photos of the Simon Pearce Glassblowing Store.

It was getting late in the day - so we made a quick shopping stop on the way back to Enfield, to pick up a few necessities...then had a little time to get cleaned up before heading to dinner with four more stitching friends (two of which were Angela and Elizabeth who I had the pleasure of meeting at the first New England Stitching Retreat). We ate a a restaurant called Ramuto's Brick Oven Pizza in Lebanon, NH...good food and good friends - the perfect ending to my perfect day!

Tomorrow - we have a full day planned...including an early morning walk, a trip to Keepsake Quilting (YIPPEE!), and a visit to ABC Stitch (another YIPPEE!)...followed by a tour of the Enfield Shaker Grounds, and a reception...and more than likely, late night stitching and giggling!