As promised, I finally have time to share with you my absolute favorite place to vacation with my family in the summer. It is truly my happy place. Stowe, Vermont! I know what most of my friends and family are asking that are reading this…Vermont!?! Why Vermont? Are there even black people in Vermont? I know this because I have answered these questions so many times already. In short, Vermont is amazing and absolutely beautiful! The people are super nice, the air is crisp, the weather in the summer is a dream, and the food is good! And we have always felt welcomed. Ya’ll know how I am when I truly love something, I have to tell everyone about it. If there was a such thing as a Vermont ambassador that would be me. Call me Ambassador Re! And as for whether there are black people in Vermont, yes there are black people. Not that many though, lol.

The funny thing is that we had no plans to go to Vermont this summer. “Let’s NOT go to Vermont”, my boys said. “Let’s go somewhere fun”, they said. So, where did we go!?! The place that is deemed the epitome of fun for a kid, Orlando, Florida. With all the amusement you can bear. But guess what? When we got home, they said ‘we like yall’s idea of fun better’. Insert parental side eye. They truly learned the value of a vacation that allows you to rest and reset. Which us parents, are all about. So, with that and the fact that I couldn’t bear going into what will be an incredibly busy school year without what truly felt like a ‘vacation’ with time to slow down, hug trees, watch sunsets, and spend true uninterrupted quality time with the family, we headed to Vermont.

First stop, was Burlington, Vermont. We wanted to check out this cute college town on the way and also get in a college tour at the University of Vermont for the boys. Yes, we are already starting college tours. My oldest is going into 10th grade and the middle is going into 8th, but we want them both to have a really good idea of what they love about a school and what they don’t, visiting as many schools as possible is the way to encourage that discernment. It also starts to get them thinking about majors, extracurriculars, clubs, the application process, etc. I recognized how COVID prevented many families from visiting campuses, we want to get ahead of any global surprises that may occur when they are upperclassmen. You know how it goes, you blink and your kids are graduating high school and headed to college :(.

What was a fun surprise that we didn’t know about until the GPS took us there, we had to cross Lake Champlain on a ferry. Apparently, this happens to a lot of folks on their first trip into Burlington. It was a nice surprise and made us truly stop to enjoy the journey of our road trip.

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After one night in Burlington we headed to Stowe, which is a little less than an hour away. We had a great time in Burlington, hung out by the Lake and on Church street. A very cute downtown area with lots of shops and restaurants. But Stowe is where I get to kick back and enjoy the true beauty of the state. The past three years we have stayed at the same resort, Spruce Peak Lodge. This resort is simply amazing! Ya’ll remember I talked about the poor service we had in Orlando, this place has THE most amazing service…so attentive, so accommodating, so nice and kind. Especially, Justin (an incredible bellman at the resort), who remembers us and has helped us every year when we arrive at the hotel. He is the best along with all the other amazing staff! Below is a video of our drive into the resort, as I say in the video, my nervous system immediately calms when I arrive in the state. Some people are beach people, I am undoubtedly a mountain and trees kind of girl, throw in a lake and it doesn’t get any better than that. Trees are like a big ole hug and I love hugs!

Now let me tell you a little more about the resort, Spruce Peak Lodge. When I am here it is like all is well with the world. It has everything that I need for a relaxing vacation. This time, I took quite a bit of video to help tell the story. My baby boy will show you our room so be sure to take his tour :), and I do some quick tours around the grounds and of course the beautiful garden, one of my faves.

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Generally, I find myself preparing at least one meal while here which is so nice because I get to use Vermont’s finest fresh vegetables and fruit, delicious cheese, organic meats, etc. Everything is so delicious and truly farm to table. I said I love it here, but I think you are finally getting the picture :).

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We hiked, we biked, we spent time at the pool, the hubs and I even managed to sneak away for couples massages at the incredible spa in celebration of our 16th wedding anniversary but most of all we had the desperately needed rest and relaxation we needed as a family. I could say so much more but I will save that for our next visit. In sum, we will be back next summer and the summer after that and the summer after that. It is our hope that one winter, our family will have our very first ski lesson, right here in our happy place! Enjoy and don’t hesitate to let me know when you make it up to Vermont!