Adventures in Vermont

We spent a fabulous New Year's Eve and Day in Essex, Vermont! This is the second year that we have gone there as a vacation from our holiday vacation. The Inn is part of the New England Culinary Institute, and the food is simply amazing. We arrived around 5 pm on New Year's Eve, just in time for dinner. The bad news was that because it was NYE, dinner was by reservation only! We were able to eat at the bar, which I wasn't thrilled about. Dave had a fancy version of chicken parm, and I had a steak with mashed potatoes. For dessert, we split a pumpkin pie creme brulee! There are NO words to describe how delicious this was! While we normally try to watch what we eat, we give ourselves a free pass when we come here! The food is too good to miss. Not surprisngly, we did not stay up until midnight. We spent NYE watching reruns on HGTV and playing the Game of Life!

The next day, we went to breakfast. Those of you who know me know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the oatmeal that they make. I look forward to it all year, and it was every bit as yummy as I remembered it!

We then headed to the spa for a quick work out and a couple's massage. The massage was included in our package, and we really enjoyed it. We spent some time afterward just hanging out in the "Relaxation Room," and it was so nice. There was also an outdoor hot tub, but neither of us brought our bathing suits. We decided to venture out to Pizza Putt for indoor mini-golf. There are also no words to describe this place! You just had to be there. For dinner that night, Dave ordered beef tenderloin and I ordered halibut with a honey wine sauce. For dessert, we had vanilla cheesecake topped with fresh pears, a berry drizzle, and whipped cream. YUM!






Unfortunately, the weather channels were predicting a bad storm, so we needed to get on the road fairly early. We enjoyed another breakfast, and then we were off. I hope we will return next year for more terrific food and relaxation!