"You Guys Do The Best Stuff"

Wells, Vermont • 802.325.2829

You Don't Need More Vacation Days – You Just Need Better Ones!

The Authentic Tapestry of Vermont

October • 2019

Fall may be the best time of the year at Pond Mountain Inn. Warm days, crisp nights, colorful foliage and harvest all giftwrapped in a perfect package…. watching the leaves transition from bright reds into yellows and oranges – nature’s palette unfolds before your very eyes.

We experienced and discovered more in the last three weeks...

*** See our Unique Vermont Day Trips ***

Simon Pearce Glassblowing

Before dining at one of “America’s Most Romantic Restaurants”, we watched glowing raw glass being transformed into necessary luxuries. Step outside to see how the Hydro Power Plant harnesses the natural energy of the falling water to produce the power that drives the glass furnaces – Fascinating!

Simon Pearce Restaurant

Champlain Orchards

We spent over an hour roaming about the orchards picking over a bushel of apples. This was truly Vermont’s premier orchard and one of the oldest continuously operating family owned orchards. Afterward, the four of us tasted five varieties of hard cider – my favorite was Honeycrisp single varietal cider!

Champlain Orchards

Traveling For Garlic

How far would you travel for extraordinary garlic? About a hundred miles, just south of the Northeast Kingdom is the answer. We picked up forty-four pounds, but not all for us; and ‘seed garlic’ to be planted for the next harvest. Our garlic scrambled eggs with a little pancetta is quickly becoming a guest favorite!

More About Rinaldi Garlic

Ultimately, it’s the great outdoors that beckon...

Spring Brook Farm • Open House

Spring Brook Farms Open House was generously open to the public – complete with homemade donuts, barbeque, apple cider, cheese sampling, tons of stuff for kids, wagon rides and much, much more. With the autumn backdrop, the barns, the orchard, and the grounds were spectacular! Learn about their foundation below.

Farms For City Kids Foundation

Everyone Loves Lake Dunmore!

Lake Dunmore is a freshwater lake about an hour from the inn with a surface area of 985 acres is over 3 miles long and up to 1 mile wide. Moosalamoo National Recreation Area is part of the Green Mountain National Forest has excellent hiking trails with breathtaking autumn views of the lake.

11 Top-Rated Hiking Trails in Vermont

Foraging for Hen of the Woods Mushrooms!

Guests visiting next week from Boston are hunting other species of mushrooms. This will be our third year foraging for mushrooms and our first without a guide. Last year, our neighbor harvested over fifty pounds! Those visiting over the next few weeks will be treated to Kay’s delicious Hen-of-the-Woods mushroom omelettes!

Discover The Convenience of the Perfect Location…

Caledonia Spirits is Barr Hill – makers of the finest gin and vodka in the land!

Already in northern Vermont, we all found ourselves inside Barr Hill at their sleek gray bar with hip mixologists dispensing delicious hand-crafted cocktails. Fascinated at the hustle & bustle, the frenetic pace was mesmerizing as we settled in to experience Vermont’s cocktail revolution .

Discover Barr Hill

Open House Continues... at Spring Brook Farm • Reading, Vermont

Looks like an ordinary cheeseburger, right!?!? This Belted Galloway Beef Cheeseburger was the best burger we’ve ever had – and the four of us unanimously agreed! Again, absolutely the best hamburger we've ever eaten! Well-marbled with just enough fat content, rich mouthfeel, strong beef flavor, but not gamey, and a near-grill aroma combined with a weighty in-hand presence created a multi-layered sensory experience for the eyes, nose and mouth.

Learn More About Belted Galloway Cattle, or "Oreo Cows"

Award Winning Spring Brook Farm Cheese...

Spring Brook Farm is a traditional dairy farm with over a 1,000 well-manicured acres and a herd of 100 registered Jersey cows produces three types of award winning cheese; Tranentaise • Ashbrook • Reading. Combined they have won 20 domestic and international awards!

Tranentaise ; a Vermont inspired Alpine cheese aged for at least nine months has a flavor range from an almost nutty flavor winter cheese to a bright floral taste in the summer.

Ashbrook ; is a French Morbier inspired semi-soft cheese with a mild rind funkiness and a distinctive layer of vegetable ash running through the center was our favorite, but bought all three!

Reading ; a Raclette style semi-soft cheese has a unique creamy texture balanced by nutty, grassy undertones.

The Spring Brook Farm Open House was a day to remember and we will continue visiting throughout the year. Thank you Spring Brook Farm!

All the abbreviated descriptions and content above was taken from Spring Brook farm’s website.

Spring Brook Farm Cheese

Another Serendipitous Discovery... That Led to Another!!

Our Chaplain Orchard Road-Trip took us to Shacksbury Cider – Another Serendipitous Discovery!

Tasting rooms are all around Vermont – and, Shacksbury Cider is as intimate as they come. With only a few tables conversation spilled over with other visitors. We tasted five different hard ciders and lined up our favorites on the bar – I’ve never had hard cider before!

We learned more about Shacksbury Cider and more about our fascinating bartender – she was far more than just a bartender, but that’s another story! She lives on a farm ten minutes away, which took us to our next adventure…

Shacksbury Cider

Not Just Another Rural Farm in Remote Vermont!

We knew immediately that we found the right farm – we saw the first Maserati, then a second parked perilously close to the farm equipment. The owners were hosting an Italian culinary group from Boston. Still curious, this farm that specializes in raising and preparing gourmet meats and is particularly known for pork also prepares a nine-course dinner about once a month to showcase their products and share their Italian traditions. They also raise Icelandic sheep and heritage chickens, for both eggs and meat and just started raising ducks and geese.

Together with our friends we purchased a five pound Muscovy duck and two lamb shoulder roasts! And, we’re planning dinner at “the farm’ before the end of the year! Maybe you can join us?!?!