Wells, Vermont • 802.325.2829 |
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281 Five Star Reviews • 100% Guest-Focused • 53% Repeat Guests Last Year
Perspective Comes from Encountering Something Completely New...
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Seasons Greetings Everyone,
Wishing you and your family prosperity, peace, happiness and health in this holiday season.
Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
All our best – Kay & Glenn
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Kay found this quaint village cocktail bar in the heart of Woodstock. Get there promptly at 3:00PM if you want to sit inside for an early-afternoon cocktail—otherwise, you’ll be warmly seated in Adirondack chairs on the terrace with wool blankets, patio heaters and a firepit… it’s magical. Ask for Zoe, she created this incredible space, tell her we sent you, then experience their handcrafted cocktails, while building your own cheese and salumi board… |
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The Story Behind the Label |
An immortal wine, arguably one of the finest wine producers in the world. Some say that the best wine ever produced was the 1947 Mouton Rothschild—below is a 1993. However, the fun begins with the label… in 1945 Baron Philippe established a tradition that would become a visual hallmark of Mouton Rothschild—bringing together some of the most celebrated artists to create these iconic labels. English painter, David Hockney was commissioned for the illustration above. |
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The Geminids Meteor shower last week produced approximately 100-150 meteors per hour, however a wanning moon only allowed 30-40 visible meteors per hour. The real story is that we have 3-4 grand meteor showers throughout the year, and with the absence of artificial light, the Vermont skies become quite the spectacle. If possible, and if you have the flexibility, plan your stay around one of these spectacular events...
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Deviled "Daffy Duck" Eggs...
We’re always preparing deviled eggs, and occasionally we use duck eggs—a bit larger, higher in fat and are richer and more flavorful than chicken eggs. And, you definitely get two full bites! Rather than offering perfunctory deviled egg advice, consider clicking through to the website below… 25 Ingredients That Will Seriously Upgrade Your Deviled Eggs. One of the twenty-five that particularly stands out introduces smoked trout and perhaps a little caviar into the mix. We have tried more than half of their recipes and we’ve been quite pleased. One of our distant neighbors offered to bring us turkey eggs—I cannot image what that will look like!?!? We’ll keep you posted…
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The Best Meatballs… Saratoga
We love it here and the food is excellent… Voted Upstate New York’s Best New Restaurant 2019, Solevo, is old school Italian cuisine with a chic upscale vibe located in downtown Saratoga Springs. We were there a week ago Monday, and the place was packed with tables regularly turning over—on a Monday night! There’s more… a month earlier, we met Ronny, the chef, owner and fourth generation restauranteur, but the restaurant is operated by the entire family—we also had a nice long conversation with Ronny’s mom, Nancy and learned the family is from Connecticut, another common thread. But the best thing is having Sunday dinner at 3:00PM, then afterward, walking Broadway and the Saratoga side streets—it’s the perfect digestif.
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Andrée’s Croquembouche
This incredibly labor-intensive, delicious "cream-puff skyscraper" dessert was prepared by famed Boston based fashion designer Andrée Ciccarelli Aronica here in Vermont during the Thanksgiving holiday. Equally as gifted in the kitchen, Andrée is a veritable dessert guru, preparing the most sophisticated and elaborate pastries found anywhere.
Not so quick though… before embarking on this confectionery masterpiece, you should know that many have tried and few have succeeded in creating this royal Parisian delicacy—this is a chef tribute to meticulousness, precision and perseverance, as well as having an innate gift for pastry with an exquisite palate. Good Luck!
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Dartmouth's Last Home Game... We Should Have Stayed! |
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Hanover, New Hampshire, Our New Destination… |
We just discovered Hanover—a stunning Ivy League College Town that we only drove through is just a short drive from Woodstock, Vermont across the Connecticut River, and just shy of two hours from Pond Mountain Inn. We should have stayed longer, to experience the ephemeral beauty of late autumn, the subdued enthusiasm of Dartmouth’s last football game or simply walking “The Historic Green”. Like all prestigious college towns, the cultural perks will be ours to find… wait to read our newest Inspiring Day Trip in the coming months.
One more point of interest… The Dartmouth Board of Trustees elected Sian Leah Beilock Dartmouth’s 19th President—a leading cognitive scientist, and current president of Barnard College, is the first woman to be elected president. Ms. Beilock, 46, will assume the office July 1, 2023.
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Enfield Shaker Museum • Enfield, New Hampshire |
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Something New for Our Guests... |
Imagine a place so beautiful and serene that the Shakers called it “Chosen Vale”. Founded in 1793, this village was the ninth of 18 Shaker communities to be established in this country. At its peak in the mid-19th century, the community was home to three communal “Families” of Shakers—totaling 297 in the 1840 census, and ∼6,000 worldwide. Striving to create a heaven on earth, the Enfield Shakers built more than 100 buildings, farmed over 3,000 acres of fertile land, educated children in model schools, and followed the “Shaker Way” of worship. Today, you can tour thirteen buildings, including The Great Stone Dwelling, the centerpiece of the Enfield Church Family. (Just ten minutes from Dartmouth)
Today, established in 1783, Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester, Maine is home to the only active Shaker Community in the world—with only two people! Take a look at their impressive website above!
The abbreviated content was taken from Enfield Shaker Museum website. Thanks to Michael O’Connor, curator for all your help.
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Winter Lights at the Shelburne Museum
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Another Winter Experience... |
Looking for an evening activity over the next few weeks? We’ve never been, but our friends have, and they said, “It’s spectacular!” Many of the museum’s buildings are lit up with the holiday spirit. Two highlights are the Ticonderoga sailing on a sea of lights (above), and the Electra Havemeyer Webb Memorial Building. There’s nothing more refreshing than walking the campus on a cold crisp Vermont night and experiencing the Christmas spirit. |
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We found out why handmade sausage making is an art that few can master. Surprisingly, we learned quickly, great family fun, and yes, this is the pork that we raised. Good sausage is all about balance. Balance of salt and savory, balance of meat and fat, balance of spices and herbs—and red wine! We’ll be sharing the 20 lbs. of sausage we made with our guests!
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Vermont Charcuterie Board...
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Upcoming Events & Insightful Features |
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Christmas in Newport...
Next year, take three nights a few weeks before Christmas and visit Newport. Holidays at the Newport Mansions were more spectacular than ever this year! All the festive decorations at The Breakers, Marble House and The Elms never disappoint! This year, we only toured The Breakers, but we made up for missing the other two—chowder at every meal, the ten-mile Ocean Drive, museums, we only walked a half mile of the 3.5 mile cliff walk, but do step inside The Chanler at Cliff Walk and ask for Emily, she's terrific—we all just love Newport in the winter! It was a marvelous three days!
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Vermont Roadside Historic Markers...
Vermont does a great job effectively commemorating “things of significance”. Nearly 300 cast-aluminum green markers, crested with the distinctive gold state seal have been placed throughout the state to commemorate diverse topics; including the birthplaces and homes of United States presidents and legislators, Red Sox players, and founders of world-famous organizations like Cadillac, Lincoln, Rotary International, and Alcoholics Anonymous, as well as homes of famous authors and artists the likes of Rudyard Kipling, Pearl S. Buck, Robert Frost, and Norman Rockwell. We always stop to read the signs.
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A Little Artistic License…
This antique New England sign with Pond Mountain Inn embellishments looks to be a few hundred years old, which got me thinking. What’s the oldest inn or tavern in England? Answer: The Porch House (formally, the Royalist Hotel), Stow-on-the-Wold, The Cotswolds, in Gloucestershire. Authenticated by the Guinness Book of Records, the Porch House has been catering to weary travelers for eleven centuries, dating back to 947 AD. English writer, Samuel Johnson, once said, “There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as a good tavern or inn.”
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Enjoy the pleasantly languid start to each day, then let adventures still unwritten take you further…
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Check Availability
802.325.2829
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Pond Mountain Inn Bed and Breakfast
1955 Saw Mill Hill Road, Wells, Vermont 05774
802.325.2829
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