Living Life by Design - with Alan and Mark: Woodstock, Vermont

Woodstock, Vermont - We Weren't Prepared!!!

Upon learning that we were going to be staying in Vermont, several of our friends told us that a visit to Woodstock, Vermont, should be at the top of our list. They had sung its praises and we had listened.

That being said, we were still not prepared to be so gobsmacked by this awesome town! The 'oohs' and 'ahs' that were extracted from our depths were only surpassed by the number of photographs we took - some repetitive from every angle - as we appreciated the architecture of the buildings that made up this New England town.

Every single edifice was unique and it seemed that all inhabitants took pride in their home town. The homes were in pristine condition, and it was a sheer pleasure to walk up and down the main streets. Central Street stretches through the middle of the town and splits into North and South Park Streets at 'The Green' - an oval shaped small park surrounded by the most delightful homes and buildings.

Windsor County Clerk Courthouse

The Green

We parked outside one that looked like a mini White House, and went off to explore, with cameras in hand.

From the stone St. James Episcopal Church at the south-west end of The Green to the north-east point, the buildings leave you breathless - including the Woodstock Inn and Resort (with its impressive frontage), the County Clerk Office, and the Norman Williams Public Library. Just off to the side was a lovely covered bridge - almost tucked away out of sight. The well-maintained bridge crosses the Ottauquechee River - the same river that courses through the Quechee Gorge, further upstream. (We revisited the Gorge today, on our way to Woodstock, taking the trail in the opposite direction to the one we took a couple of weeks ago).

St. James Episcopal Church

Norman Williams Public Libray

Woodstock Inn and Resort

The inevitable 'selfie'

This video clip will give you some idea of the beauty of this town...

Moving on to the main street, the first things we remarked upon were the hanging signs outside each of the shops and boutiques evoking memories of bygone days.

We stopped for a latte and sandwich in the delightful Mon Vert Cafe, and spent some time in The Yankee Bookshop - billed as the oldest independent bookshop in Vermont. It was lovely speaking with the woman assistant with whom we shared our pleasure in finding a unique book store that had not been closed down by the bigger 'Barnes & Noble' type stores. In fact, it seemed to be thriving, which really made us feel good.

The Yankee Bookshop

What I found of particular interest was the Primrose Garden shop on the main street. This building, once the site of the town's firehouse, is suspended by steel girders over the Ottauquechee River! We didn't have time to go inside but, apparently, many people love to step out to the back porch to see the stream gurgling directly underneath. That would have been neat!

At the other end of Central Street is a memorial statue in a small triangle where the street meets another thoroughfare - aptly named, 'Pleasant Street'. This charming roadway is lined with white houses and trees that end with a beautiful white First Congregational Church at the other end. This church acquired a bell produced by none other than Paul Revere.

Pleasant Street

First Congregational Church

Mark often laughs at me when I go on about chimneys! To me, a house without a chimney is not a real house!!! And I'm not talking about the metal cylindrical ones, but the brick or stone varieties. One of the most attractive aspects of New England (at least, the parts that we have seen), is that most of the homes are adorned with these - and they are also unique.

An old New England tradition was the town crier. Here, in Woodstock, you can view all the local activities by viewing a downtown chalk board suitably named, The Town Crier. Flanked on either side is a clock, and a thermometer. What a great idea!

The Town Crier

There were so many little interesting things to see in this lovely town, and we're so appreciative of those kind people who insisted that we include it in our list of things to do.

First Impressions Salon & Spa

As mentioned earlier, so many pictures were taken today and so we are offering this slide show for those of you who may be interested to take a look.