Road trip to Middlebury

Every time we move, there are always things to buy for the house. This time, it is even more fun since we are finally homeowners again, and of course, because it is fun to buy toddler stuff for Amelia. So, I am addicted to Craigslist. Every night, I spend at least an hour browsing all the Craigslist Vermont postings. I was especially excited to find a few sets of old school Fischer Price Little Tykes stuff. You know, the barn that makes all the fun noises, the house that little tots can set up, and a little town and a few vehicles. Rob's mother already has the barn at the cabin, and Amelia LOVES it, so I thought these would be a good buy. However, we had to drive an hour south to Middlebury to get them.

We started our road trip this morning at around 11:30 because Amelia took an unexpected morning nap. After grabbing some delicious iced coffee, which I am now addicted to, we headed south on route 7 to Shelburne to visit the well advertised Shelburne Farms. We decided to get a membership since it is only 30 minutes from our house and it seems like a place Amelia will enjoy during our entire stay in VT. After paying for our membership, the tractor was ready to take everyone to the main farm area. Right as we get onto the trailor, we smell Amelia's diaper. There was no time to change it, but fortunately, we were at a farm so no one could tell that she smelled so bad. She loved riding in the trailor, and I promptly changed her diaper once we reached the main farm area.

Amelia spent nearly two hours exploring the children's barn. She walked into the chicken coup and petted the chickens. She climbed the railing and petted the cows. She sat on the toy John Deer tractors and tried to scoot around. She has a little red car at home, so she is accustomed to this kind of activity! She roamed the barnyard and fed the goats and chased the chickens. It was the perfect place for her because she was able to run freely and do as she pleased, which is exactly what she likes to do! She also enjoyed washing her hands at the end because there was a stool there just her height. I enjoyed the Green Mountain Coffee they served at the Farm Shack. I think I have developed an addiction to this coffee at this point.

We got back on the road and headed further south to Middlebury. There are a few other lovely little towns along route 7 with some interesting places to visit, but we could only do so much in one day. We made it to Middlebury by mid afternoon and picked up the Fischer Price toys. Then, Rob was STARVING! He failed to mention this to me until it was a true emergency. Rather than stopping at the nearest A&W, I insisted we drive into the center of the town to try a fun restaurant. This was a nightmare. I tried to direct him while looking at my google maps on my iphone, but obviously he couldn't read my mind as I gave him poor directions. So, he typed "American Flatbread" into the Tom Tom. This is a delicious Vermont pizza chain that we already know we like. The Tom Tom gave us a round about way to get there which included driving on a tiny covered bridge across the river, which caused Rob to scream in terror as he drove. When we finally arrived at the American Flatbread site, we discovered they are only open on Friday and Sat nights. BUMMER! Nearby was Noonie's Deli. Although we took a picture of the sign for Rob's sister, Suzanne, who was referred to as "Noonie" as a child, Rob didn't think it looked like a good spot. So, we carefully followed google maps and found our way downtown. We found a delightful tavern and had delicious New England clam chowder, fondue, and lobster mac & cheese. Amelia LOVED scooping the mac & cheese from plate to plate, and Rob and I enjoyed watching part of the Italy vs Paraguay world cup game.


It ended up being a lovely day trip, but we arrived home early in the evening exhausted. Amelia loves her new toys. We are only putting one out at a time for her, and tonight it was the little house. After a late evening family walk, during which we met a couple that lives two houses down, Rob and I are enjoying ice cream and a delicious Vermont rose. But, we realize, the next time we buy ice cream, it should be Ben & Jerry's since we live in Vermont now.

-Jen