It should probably be mentioned that the two of us are currently in a long distance relationship – not terribly distant, and luckily it’s between two of the biggest cities in the Northeast (translation: we are Amtrak regulars!) While we love the bustle of city life, some of our best weekends together take place in the sleepy, mountainous towns of New England. A perfect example was our recent trip to Vermont, where we stayed at the Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm. Tom is a big fan of snowboarding, and so it was the perfect excuse for a romantinc getaway. This establishment is advertised as “Vermont’s Best Wedding” location, but is luckily much more modest than that title would suggest. The location and facilities were ideal, and we couldn’t have had a more romantic experience. Additionally, it was our first time visiting Vermont…and we realized how much we LOVE the state (and maple syrup, because it really is better there).

Where History Meets Comfort
Quechee Inn has been around for a long time – the owners are quite proud of the Inn’s history, and have kept the facilities in great condition. The home was originally built in 1793, and belonged to one Colonel Joseph Marsh (the state’s first Lieutenant Governor). Today, it has been refurbished with what we lovingly call “mod cons” – each room has a private bath, television, and a temperature control panel. WiFi was practically nonexistant, but we didn’t mind – the mountains are no place to be checking your Facebook newsfeed. The front lounge is reminiscent of a hunting lodge – the ceiling is vaulted with wooden rafters, and comfortable chairs of varying sizes are casually arranged around the room. A stone fireplace is situated near the entrance, and is kept burning all winter long. It’s the perfect place to unwind with your S.O. and a glass of wine by the cozy warmth.

Hitting the Snow
The Quechee Inn is just 30 miles away from one of Vermont’s largest Ski Resorts: Killington Mountain. For those who don’t want to hit big resort crowds and even bigger ticket prices, there’s Killington’s “baby brother” resort, Pico Mountain (pictured at the top of this article). Thanks to a Gilt City voucher, we learned all about Pico: with 7 lifts, 52 trails, and steeper runs towards the summit. The lodge has standard cafeteria-style ski food, but a charming A-frame bar on the third floor with good live music (local guys, no doubt). We warmed up by the large stone fireplace with Irish coffee, before hitting the slopes again…

The drive to the resort is breathtaking – you pass a wide stream bed, hemmed in by snowy mountains and the lingering aroma of maple syrup. As far as the Northeast goes, this is isolated as you can hope to get a mere 2-hour drive from Boston.  Coming back from Pico, we stopped by the Long Trail Brewery – Tom had a tall IPA, and Anne grabbed an amber ale. The cold was a little brutal, but it was a wonderful way to build excitement for a cozy room and a warm bed at the end of the day.

“Food, Food, Glorious Food”
We purchased a packaged deal that provided us two nights, two breakfasts, and a three-course meal for two. We are both huge foodies, so we’re often critical when in comes to in-house eateries. This place was by and far one of the best experiences we’ve had – to start, the breakfasts were stellar. Fluffy eggs and perfectly round pancakes can’t be beat on a cold winter morning. Friendly mountain service complements your buffet-style, maple syrup-laden breakfast – and the coffee is bottomless…which was dangerous for our purposes. As for the dinner, it exceeded all of our expectations – Tom ordered a rack of lamb, and Anne ordered the Bouillabaise (Fish Stew). We were so stuffed after the fact that dessert seemed like too much…but we ate our respective cheesecake and tiramisu with eventual panache.

Summing it all up
This a great way to trade the rigors of city life for the wholly more enjoyable rigors of a fireplace, bottle of wine, and a king bed. All too often we’re bombarded by information, the sensory overload, and the tyranny of social media, smart phones and email accounts. A weekend adventure like this can wash away all those superfluous HD screens and narrow the focus to what really matters: your connection to that most significant other. Definitely check this place out if you’re headed to (or interested in visiting) Vermont. Click HERE to visit their website.