After returning from my big trip a few months ago, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ve been permanently infected with the travel bug. All I can think about is where I want to go next and when I can do it. While a big trip may not be in my super near future, I convinced Jonathan to take a few days off of work back in March to get out of New York City and enjoy the end of winter.
We decided on exploring around Vermont for a few days and then heading north to Montreal, as I had never been these areas before. The week prior to our trip the temperatures were in the 50s and 60s, tricking us into thinking spring had arrived early. We were a little bummed, as we figured there wouldn’t be anymore snow in Vermont and we were looking forward to some winter activities.
Regardless of what the forecast had in store, we packed our bags and headed out of New York City early on a Friday morning. Crossing the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey and making our way to I87, we were already seeing the temperatures drop. Somehow I managed to survive most of this winter season without a pair of gloves but I was not about to go without a pair if we were headed to Canada. Luckily we passed by Woodbury Commons on our drive, so I stopped to get a pair of gloves from The North Face and also ended up getting a fleece blanket for the car because #ComfortIsKey.
Our first destination for the night was at an awesome Airbnb we found in Marshfield, Vermont (northeast of Montpelier.) So as we continued our drive through New York and into Vermont, we stopped to go hiking at Lye Brook Falls. This is a short two mile hike that runs through the Lye Brook Wilderness of the Green Mountain National Forest near Manchester. As you follow the blue markers on the trail you’ll end up at Vermont’s highest waterfall at 125 feet.
Well, after balancing across a creek, walking on ice and slipping one too many times we arrived at the waterfall….and it was completely dry and frozen. Nonetheless, this hike was really nice and would be perfect to visit in the summertime!
Back on the road we continued making our way to Marshfield. We stopped to have an early dinner and when we got back to the car, it had started snowing. After a couple more hours of driving, an hour of which we were completely stopped due to an accident and driving in a blizzard, we finally had made it to our Airbnb.
With snow on the ground and surrounded by nature, we finally felt like we were in the winter wonderland we were hoping for. Our Airbnb was a tiny house, meaning it was just one big room. Selene, our host, greeted us warmly and even gave us a little basket of fresh eggs from her hen! Named The Hyggelig Hytte, our Nordic cabin was inspired by Selene’s trip to the Faroe Islands in 2013 and for her love of the Viking Age.
The cabin is a tiny 144 square feet (of amazingness) and is located behind her house that sits on 11 acres of forest! She provides coffee, tea, yogurts, oatmeal and will even bring you fresh produce from her garden during the season. There are many hikes to explore around her property, which can be enjoyed any time of the year. During winter she has snowshoes and sleds for her guests to use and enjoy. Also located next to the cabin in a sauna, which Jonathan and I used to warm ourselves up during the snowfall!
We woke up the next morning and it was still snowing! It was so lovely to watch the snow fall from our magical cabin in the woods. We made our fresh eggs for breakfast along with some oatmeal and hot chocolate. The Hyggelig Hytte is truly a unique cabin and is definitely one to put on the bucket list! Check out the listing on Airbnb here.
We were so sad to leave the cabin but had another full day of exploring Vermont ahead of us. We hopped in the car and headed to Montpelier to visit a local bakery and plan out our day. The temperature was too cold to go hiking, so we decided to have a gluttonous day and eat our way to Burlington,Vermont.
First stop was the Cabot Creamery in Cabot, Vermont. Cabot runs as a co-op and is therefore own by over 1,000 farm families in New England. They offer a full line of dairy products including cheese, butter, sour cream, cottage cheese and yogurt, all of which are made in New England. At the visitor’s center you can get a tour through the creamery and of course try freshly-made samples. My friends know I’m not the biggest fan of cheese, but I have warmed up to it in recent years.
Stuffed on cheese and crackers, the only obvious next destination was the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Waterbury, Vermont. Alongside the ice cream shop, you can take a tour through the factory and sample ice cream they only make at the factory.
By mid-afternoon we had finally made it to Burlington. As we drove through town, we decided to first stop down at Lake Champlain. During peak winter months the lake’s surface can completely freeze over, but most of the ice had melted when we were there.
Up the hill from the lake is Church Street. This street is closed to traffic and is the main area for shopping and restaurants. After browsing around we decided to head to Citizen Cider for cider flights and a snack. The space was really cute and the perfect way to end our day of exploring Vermont.
The next morning we woke up early, grabbed breakfast and hit the road for Montreal. Only a two hour drive from Burlington, Montreal is an easy trip even for a day. Crossing the border was very quick and easy, and the roads are nice and flat making the drive very comfortable.
We began our first day wandering through Old Montreal, which is the oldest part of the city. The cobblestone streets and european architecture make for a charming walk-through.
Located right on the Saint Lawrence River, the Old Port is also a nice walk to take next to the old town. During the winter the river is frozen over, but in summertime there is an urban beach that opens by the Clock Tower.
After feeling completely frozen from walking around, we stopped at a French restaurant in Old Montreal for some french onion soup!
Continuing our walk through Old Montreal our next stop was the Notre-Dame Basilica. This Gothic Revival church was built in the 1820s and houses a massive century-old pipe organ containing 7,000 individual pipes and beautiful stained glass depicting scenes from Montreal’s religious history. I highly recommend staying for the short 20 minute tour which describes the fascinating history of the church.
On our last day in Montreal, we decided to start the day visiting Mount Royal Park. The summit has a nice lookout over Montreal, but getting there in winter is a bit tricky. That doesn’t stop the locals from enjoying the outdoors as we saw multiple bikers, runners, snowshoers and cross-country skiers.
We were lucky to visit this area in March as it was prime maple syrup season. There are many sugar shacks you can visit where you can observe the process of making maple syrup and of course try samples! We visited one called Érablière Charbonneau, located less than an hour from Montreal. All the maple trees surrounding the property had buckets tapped for the sap to pour into.
In cold climates, maple trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter. Then right before spring, the starch is converted to sugar and rises in the sap. The trees are then tapped by drilling holes into their trunks and collecting the sap. The sap is then boiled to evaporate much of the water, leaving you with delicious maple syrup.
One of my requests on this trip was to spot a moose. I had heard these were very rare to spot in the area we were in, but that didn’t stop me from being on moose watch while sitting passenger side in the car. On our way back into Montreal from the sugar shack, I SPOTTED ONE right off the highway! It was absolutely massive and just grazing away off the road.
We spent the rest of the afternoon in Montreal walking through the neighborhood and checking out a brewery.
Our drive back to Brooklyn took around seven hours from Montreal, which isn’t too bad if you leave in the morning. All in all this trip was a nice getaway from the city and is totally doable in just a few days. If you’re ever in need of a New York City escape, look no further than Vermont and Montreal!