Our journey continues... we have now traveled states #46, #47 and #48.
Almost doesn't count and we can see the finish line ahead.
2 more, 2 more. Let me start by saying, we love the Northeast. In fact, we love the Northeast much more than we would have ever imagined. The food is fresh, funky and always festive. The people are driven, inspired and love food and travel. And the views. Ohhh the views. They are gorgeous...fresh air, mountains, streams, lakes, and the old architecture. We had two goals on this little journey. 1) Experience Northeast Bed and Breakfasts. 2) Relax. Relax. Eat. and Eat.
Vermont Stowe, Vermont can easily be compared to ski towns found deep inside of Colorado. Our chilly Spring arrival was just perfect - not too crowded, but enough people to make you feel like you are in a fun place. When we arrived in Stowe, we checked into our Bed and Breakfast with a view -
The Brass Lantern Inn. Our innkeepers were beyond sweet and had the friendliness of a true southerner ...Maryland, of course. All Northeastern's believe that Maryland falls in the "southern bracket"... true laughs from a Texan. Either way, they made us feel right at home in our new mansion that included a variety of games, scenic views of Mt. Mansfield (even from our room!) and a delicious homemade breakfast complete with maple syrup.
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| Ahhh, Vermont! |
During the day, we toured the
Ben and Jerry Factory. Need I say more? Ice cream!! Yum! The factory was adorable, with details down to the
last drop. We also toured the official B+J's graveyard...filled with retired flavors. Fun fact - employees are allowed 3 PINTS of ice cream each day they work. Christmas gifts anyone?
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| Tourist picture - check! |
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| Ben and Jerry's Flavor Graveyard |
To kick-off our night, we took a local recommendation and ventured to
Crop Bistro and Brewery. I mean, c'mon, the website highlights bacon on their front page...can't go wrong! This farm to market restaurant was filled with sights and smells from the exotic leaf covered bar to the beers made on-site. Following dinner, we popped into
The Green Mountain Inn for a drink. Welcome to the 1930s...and I don't mean that in a flattering way. The drinks were generous and fun...I tried my very first french martini, tipped off with champagne. However, this was not the lively crowd we were expecting. We did get a kick out of not one, but two people trying to give the wrong room number to charge their drinks to...old age or con-artist? Who knows. That night we slept almost ten hours. I woke up early that morning to early morning sunshine and a gorgeous view of the mountain. By the time we left, I had gained about 10 pounds.
Success. |
| The Brass Lantern Inn |
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| Breakfast at The Brass Lantern Inn |
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| Farm to table fresh tacos! |
New Hampshire Our wonderful hosts at the Brass Lantern Inn gave us a fantastic tip...to drive through the
Kancamagus Pass on our way to Maine. It was scenic, full of twists and turns but took way less time to navigate than Yellowstone. And thankfully, despite the fifteen signs, we escaped without greeting a Moose.
Maine Portland, Maine is the east coast cousin to Portland, Oregon. Both have their own personality, following and fun culture. We loved it. In fact, we loved it so much, we spent the second half of the day walking the entire city of Portland. We stayed at the funky and unique
Pomegranate Inn, nestled in an adorable neighborhood and known for its artsy decor from the original owner and three course breakfast.
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| Loved waking up to a morning breeze and reading my book in bed... |
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| Pomegranate Inn |
Bites:: We worked up quite an appetite seeing the city and were ready to jump into our first local recommendation of the lobster roll at
Eventide Oyster Co. Situated in the financial district of Portland, Eventide seemed to be the only restaurant open on an early Friday night, but that by no means had an impact on the dining scene. This was my favorite lobster roll, the steamed bread fell apart in your mouth and made you jump to the next bite. To accompany my lobster roll, I tried the
Walking Dead fruity cocktail and it too, was a yummy creation. Richard was on cloud 9 with the dozen oysters - all Maine specialities. Richard's drink of choice was the
Old Fashioned, made just right.
Dinner:: That night we had dinner at the
Portland Lobster Company. Sitting on top of the water, we cracked into our large lobster. We even had a bib. Hands down, best lobster we've ever enjoyed. Good job Maine, you lived up to your fame. What goes best as a side dish to a lobster? Why a lobster roll of course! This lobster roll was Richard's favorite.
Dessert:: On our way back to our Bed and Breakfast, we stumbled upon the
Street and Company. A dimly lit, crowded-enough dinner, dessert and bar placed in the middle of Portland's well-known cobbled street area. The pecan pie and double chocolate cake were rich and moist. We probably could have eaten the entire serving if given the opportunity. This was a perfect final destination for our evening, which ended quickly when we found out they closed at 10pm...ah, we are not in New York City anymore.
Our after dinner haunt... literally::
When we arrived back at our Bed and Breakfast, there was not a sound in the house that was packed full. Given the home's uniqueness and walls flowing with art, we decided to explore...all the way up to the third floor. We breezed past the opening and found a cute game room in what looked like an attic. On our way back to the stairs, we were startled and stopped by what we could only figure out was art. A huge bowl of rocks knocked over on the ground with a rope that was wrapped around the staircase. How on earth did we miss this?? We had to pass it walking to the game room. How did we not trip over it?? Creepy... We went up later in the night to make sure we were not crazy and then the following morning. In the morning, the bowl was sitting upright again, still tied to the staircase with the rocks on the floor. We had to ask. The innkeeper believes someone knocked it over going to their room...but no one seemed to have heard anything. Hmm...
Well, hello again, New Hampshire. Guess who's back, back again? On our way back to New York City, we stopped in the quaint and upbeat city of
Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We enjoyed our third and final lobster roll at
Old Ferry Landing on the water. Their take on the lobster roll, "backyard style", wasn't our favorite. But really, it's lobster with a view, you can't go wrong.
And that's a wrap for visiting states #46, #47 and #48. Hungry for lobster?
