Visiting Friends

My guess is many of you have friends here in Vermont who move farther into the country or woods the longer you are all here in Vermont - isn't that part of the reason we live or move here? While we love to see our friends transition into the next phases of their lives and get away from the ick of crappy apartment living to the space and outdoor elements of having a house, the cruel fact is that we just don't get to see these friends as much as we like anymore!


So - take a Vibe adventure en route to visit such friends! Winter is a perfect time to vibe through Vermont villages and towns with the destination of making a good meal, drinking wine, and spending the night at a friend's house you just don't get to see as much anymore. No need to wait for an invitation! This is the Northeast - we say it as it is and speak our minds. Most likely your friend has gotten so used to people turning down such invitations because we're all too caught up in our own lives, they've just given up asking. I guarantee - with the Vermont Vibes stamp of approval - they'll be stoked if you bring it up!


If you are the person with the house in the woods - get creative to get peeps to your abode! Find someone who does massage, reiki, spa treatments, etc. and host a "party" of sorts. There are so many independent consultant types who center around healthy lifestyles, you're sure to find one through a connection (if you don't already have one) and together you can create a fun time for friends to get away and play in your playground!

My favorite such event actually took place a few years ago. My friend had a place up at Bolton Valley and in the fall, a group of gals gathered our sleeping bags, nail supplies, face masks, girly and scary movies, and wine and had an adult sleepover. It was one of the funnest "girls nights out" I have ever had.

And, come January, Mitch and I look very much forward to visiting our friends Melissa and Chris at their house in Swanton for a night of healthy food, mead made from honey, massages, and possible fire on the lake! Melissa runs Bee Well Massage, and is a beautifully artistic and caring massage therapist with a heart full of honey from the bees she loves so much. She's also a great contact to help get you started if you'd like to bring in a massage therapist for a group of your friends.


And in the meantime, call a friend who lives several towns, or counties, away from you and make some plans to kick back, talk of the old days, plan for the new, get a little tipsy (because you'll safely be spending the night), light a fire, and just enjoy the moments in life that are simply too far and in between.

Share your Love and Light and Feel it from your Friends!

Some of my Faves for Eats

My friend Taraleigh, also known throughout as the Healthy Hippie, has got me thinking about yummy and local food since she writes a weekly newsletter that always has great healthy food tips, among other fun stuff. Check out her website at www.healthyhippie.net to sign up and learn about her new magazine that hits the streets this winter! I will also be writing a Vermont Vibes article in the new magazine!

So, I thought I'd share some yummy vibes with readers with some of my favorite places to grab a bite in the Green Mountain State!

I'll start right here in Burlington where there is a new "fast food" restaurant in town. As many hopefully know by now, the golden arches have left downtown and around the same time a healthy quick fix stop opened. The New Moon Cafe, on Cherry Street, is my new all time favorite place to grab a bite or have a relaxing and affordable lunch meeting. They have all sorts of yummy specials - quiches, soups, pastries - but what I love is the make your own salad and sandwich bars. The selections are so fresh, healthy, and local, I get myself in trouble by ordering more than I need because it all looks and tastes so good! What I love the most is the friendly staff make the salads and sandwiches for you. I am a big fan of this concept because I can easily look and pick my ingredients, but am terrible at putting them together. I can't get enough of this place and the ambiance is perfect! Looking to try a new lunch spot? New Moon Cafe is it!

A place I discovered not soon after it opened several years back, before I called "vibing" Vibing, is Edelweiss Bakery & Cafe Coffee Shop in Johnson. I love this place so much, I specifically decorated my living room to look like their upstairs dining area. The food is fantastic - scrumptious baked goods, super soups, great tea (I don't drink coffee), but it's the ambiance that has me finding reasons to go to Johnson, just so I can step into Edelweiss.

Heading further East will bring you out to where I spent my summers growing up - Caspian Lake in Greensboro. I used to canoe across the lake to have breakfast on the porch of the Highland Lodge (they used to give 10% off your meal if you canoed over). This was our summer hang out, so I never actually have gone in the winter, but the lodge is one of the most renowned ski touring centers around - maybe they give 10% off a meal if you ski over? Regardless, this place is Northeast Kingdom class, not to mention that Greensboro is also a magical place. Make it a point to enjoy a meal at the Highland Lodge sometime in the near future.

Still poking around in the north country more West in Jay Peak territory, is the Snowshoe Pub in Montgomery Center. All I am going to say here is GO. It is pure Vermont and I have yet to find a more varied menu in all of my travels. Oh, and I once drove through a snow storm without snow tires for an hour and a half to eat at this place.

Oh, skiing. Ah... Skiing makes me think of my ski place, Sugarbush, and my favorite restaurant in the Mad River Valley - The Purple Moon Pub. Coziest apres ski around and I will never tire of fish tacos. The menu is small, live music always filled with sweet surprises, and the ambiance is cozy, rosy, and you must goesy.

And finally, on occasion, I like to step it up a notch. In the case of the Woodstock Inn, a few notches. I know all about the Woodstock Inn because I used to handle their public relations when I worked in the agency world, but regardless of that, to this day, I have yet to eat a better Sunday brunch. There will definitely be an Easter brunch Vibe trip to Woodstock and brunch in the inn's dining room. They even have patte!

Happy dining my friends! Love, Light, and Positive VIBES!!!

Vermont Bed and Breakfasts

Yay Winter!!!! The skiing has started! While there are only a few runs right now, I've been to Sugarbush twice and as I await this storm that is supposed to dump, I can't wait to blog about some of these winter expeditions! However, not everyone is as amped about the winter outdoors as I so I want to make some suggestions for other fun Vibing activities!!

Stay at Vermont bed and breakfasts!! Bed and breakfasts are such an untapped getaway for going away without going far. Pick an area of Vermont you've always wanted to visit. Perhaps somewhere there's a great museum! Or just a town you've always heard about or have always wanted to visit. And then find a B&B!

While bed and breakfasts do make good romantic getaways, they are certainly not only for such jaunts! A B&B can be a great night away for any person by themselves to clear their heads and take that "moment to yourself" everyone and everything money can or cannot buy always tells you to do. Start or finish that book, get caught up on goal planning, write letters or holiday cards, or just breathe and take some moments in your own world. Lots of B&B's also have rooms with two twin beds or a bed and a pull-out, making a stay fun and affordable for catching up with an old friend or going on the every-growing-in-popularity "girlfriend getaways."

Bed and breakfasts certainly vary. Some have their own bathrooms, some are shared. Some make a private breakfast in the morning, some serve you in a dining room of sorts with other guests, and others you eat right with the owners. I personally love bed and breakfasts. I find something extremely endearing about hanging out in someone else's home, eating with them, and learning about perspectives and ideas on life, whether that be from talking with them or exploring their decorative interpretations. I also love staying in older homes and making the getaway into a local history excursion.

A great way to find one to fit for you is by going to either www.bbonline.com/vt/ or www.bedandbreakfast.com/vermont.html. One of my personal favorites is Couture's Maple B&B. I enjoy going there during maple sugaring season, another favorite Vermont Vibing adventure. And of course, one of my most favorite all time clients, The Inn at the Round Barn Farm, truly idealizes the whole bed and breakfast experience. Anyone have any favorite bed and breakfast's they'd like to share?