Further Adventures in New England-land

As this morning’s snow (see previous entry) heralds, in my personal opinion, the end of fall (or at least the end of fall where snow is not at any moment a real possibility,) I thought it appropriate to catalogue a few of our recent “fall” outings.

Last weekend we celebrated our anniversary at Simon Pearce, over in Queechee, Vermont. I have loved Simon Pearce since I was a little girl, though this was my (our) first experience actually dining there. I should mention that Simon Pearce is famous not only for its food but also for its exquisite glass and pottery. (Really, it is perhaps MAINLY famous for its glassware and pottery as the restaurant caters primarily to the Upper Valley and one can ship glass to anywhere. I’m guessing my horseradish-crusted Blue Cod served over mashed potatoes in a beure blanc sauce wouldn’t ship through the mail quite so well.)

As a little girl my parents would often bring me and my brothers to Simon Pearce to watch the glassblowing. So on Wednesday that is exactly what Dan and I did. The glass-blowing happens right there, on site. Behind the restaurant and below the gift shop. In maybe ten minutes we watched a glass artisan turn a shapeless mound of molten glass into a pristine vase that retails for $98 or so. (Sadly, not in our price range.) Watching him work was incredible. His movements were methodical, calculated, but even so he did everything by eye. When finished, he compared the new vase to an existing vase and it was a perfect match.

And I have to say, drinking water and wine from thick glass goblets made on site was pretty cool. Oh, and the food was amazing.

On Saturday, Dan and I spent the afternoon in Woodstock. The drive was gorgeous, the leaves – currently being pelted from their trees by murderous snowflakes – were at peak, or just past it. I think actual “peak” may have been last Wednesday, but close enough. Winding through hills, sloping mountains in the background and the blue sky peaking through and the trees all red and gold and orange and green… I made Dan pull over so we could take about twenty pictures.

Woodstock itself was fairly adorable. It has – like most New England towns, it seems – one Main Street, lined with shops and restaurants and ice creameries. We wandered through, stopping to take pictures off covered bridges, peeking in shops, checking out restaurants. We stopped to eat in Queechee (on the way) at a diner that was literally a dining car. And while I may have ordered the cheese fries, I should point out that they were covered in local Cabot cheddar, Vermont-cured bacon, and fresh scallions. And while I drank coke, it was out of a Mason jar. And yes, I realize none of this makes my meal any healthier. But it was delicious.

In the end, we left Vermont with one jug of Maple Syrup, one bottle of ice cider (like ice wine, but cider,) one bottle of Apple/Maple wine, one green-and-white flannel shirt, and one kazoo.

What can I say, I like kazoos?

We’re either super New Englanders these days or we’ve become one of those couples people mock. At least we didn’t actually stop at the pink-paneled, double-decker-porched Victorian-style B&B I thought was so adorable…

Also, on the way home we stopped at a roadside stand to buy pumpkins for outside our door. Only, we have them inside, for the moment. Because it's snowing.