Notes From the Road

This weekend we took a trip up to Montreal in Canada, and stopped into Burlington, VT on the way there and back. For dinner in Burlington we found ourselves right off of City Hall Park at The Vermont Pub & Brewery. It had a very Vermont-feel and a full tap list, and both my burger and beer had a taste of maple. After dinner we had to stop into Ben & Jerry’s and get a picture in the classic hippie van. It was time to continue our trip up to Canada, but as we walked to the car we passed The Wallflower Collective and a group of girls were telling everyone how beautiful they were, and we knew we’d come back.

We smoothly crossed the border and checked into our adorable farm cottage in the Canadian countryside after being greeted by the sweet barn cat living at the property. The next day it was a snowy drive to Montreal, but we lucked out with a free parking garage downtown. Our first visit was to Le Darling, a highly decorated spot known for brunch and a circus-like circular bar (above). The Mushroom Eggs Benedict and Cinnamon Bellinis were delicious. Montreal also has a cat cafe in this neighborhood called Happy Cat Cafe, where you’ll find the most adorable furry employees not working very hard. After visiting some vintage stores, we headed toward The Village. We found warmth from the snow and friendly energy inside Bar Renard on St. Catherine.

After a beautiful night in the snowy Canadian farmlands, we had clear blue skies and open roads on our drive back to New England. After crossing the border we stopped for a coffee pick-me-up at the Vermont Bake House in Alburgh, VT, a cafe with a secret arcade in the back. We had the most spectacular sights as we drove through Grand Isle and had views of Lake Champlain on either side of us. Arriving back in Burlington we had to stop for a roadside attraction that truly defies gravity: World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet. Then we stopped for a short hike to the Forever Young Treehouse (above), a wheelchair accessible site which was extra pretty in the snow. We stopped for lunch at Zero Gravity Brewery in a neighborhood filled with breweries and distilleries, and were told by a local friend that we needed to visit Burlington Beer Company next time we were in town. Until next time Vermont!