4th of july weekend in vermont

Happy Independence Day!  

We're spending the fourth of july in Boston, but our weekend leading up to the Monday holiday was spent in Stowe, Vermont. 

I'm not quite sure how this weekend even happened because Vermont didn't make the cut for our summer travel plans. In fact, it wasn't even on our radar. But after our week out west and then camping in Maine, we were going through withdrawal and in need of more mountain air. Enter Vermont. 

Most of our camping trips are jam-packed with 5AM wake-ups and full day hikes, but we were looking for something more relaxed. Vermont is most known for its covered bridges and ski resorts, but in the summer, those deserted ski towns are the best place to be. 

Saturday July 2^nd

11AM We road-tripped it over to Vermont from Boston and I think everyone enjoyed the ride, especially when the "Green Mountatin State" finally started to come into view. 

We were lucky to get a campsite at Smuggler's Notch State Park. This place has so much history since smugglers trafficked everything from slaves along the underground railroad to alcohol during prohibition through nearby Canada. Also, it's amazingly beautiful. 

3PM After setting up camp and doing a quick grocery run, we parked it in front of the fire for the night. 

There’s something magical about a campfire that inspires the best conversations. We stayed here late into the night until we finally ran out of fire wood and beer.

Sunday July 3^rd
12PM On Sunday we slept in…alot! And if you’ve ever been camping, you know what an accomplishment this is, since the birds start chirping early in the morning.

By the time we were dressed and ready for the day, it was too late to even bother with breakfast. We had lunch instead and headed off to explore the park.

2PM First up, was a stop at Moss Glen Falls. A very sweaty hike up to a gorgeous waterfall was rewarded with a dip inside and wading through the river.

Hiking across the waterfall was kind of dangerous, but few things in this world beat out walking through waterfall mist. 

6PM After spending a few hours at Moss Glen Falls, we headed over to Bingham Falls. It’s deep enough to swim easily here, but it was evening and cooling down fast. The pup and I stayed dry and warm on the shore, while this crazy husband cliff jumped into the waterfalls.

 7PM Then back to camp for hot showers and dinner. We did Mexican style, cooking beans on our camp stove and grilling corn on the cob right over the fire. Trust me, food cooked on an open flame taste so much better.

dinner is served!

We had the option to see fireworks at the stowe mountain resort, but decided to watch them from afar at our campsite instead. I don’t think anyone could blame us for wanting to stay put. 

Monday July 4^th

We were up ridiculously early today in order to make the drive back to Boston and enjoy fireworks from there. But first we made time to cook a really great breakfast: oatmeal, coffee, bacon, and fresh blackberries.

This first visit to Vermont was exactly what we needed and even better than we imagined. Just the right dose of adventuring and relaxing. I’ll be back later this week with our vermont trip budget and more fourth of july celebrations from Boston. 

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