Having spent so much of October away from home and far from the Northeast, and this past weekend being the first “full” few days where I was back in my apartment, in my town, and in my region for an extended period of time- I wanted to do a little more than simply catch up on sleep in my own bed and go through the mail and packages that had arrived and accumulated during my absence.
This included fish fries with my mother (a Friday tradition from when I was a kid!) and bonfires at Stef’s with friends where we enjoyed fire roasted beef, fresh vegetables and then a dessert of s’mores while listening to music and catching up on what a wild and busy few weeks/months we’ve all collectively had- all while still making plans for the holiday season ahead. Friendsgiving, anyone?
I also got to see Dan for the first time in a month! We carved out a full day to hang out, catch up, grab coffee, and head up to Vermont to see the last of the remaining New England foliage during a long and scenic drive to places like Brattleboro, Bellows Falls (where we grabbed dinner at Donovan’s, a pub on the main strip!) and Springfield.
We stopped to take pictures at the Hartness House Inn when I realized how close it was to where we had been traveling. This historic mansion turned bed & breakfast was a yearly tradition for my family and I when I was a kid- especially around Christmastime when it was always decorated beautifully. I haven’t been back since I stayed there for New Year’s Eve heading into 2017, where I spent a few days to ring in a new year on my own in peace and quiet following a particularly painful breakup months earlier. Even then, years later- the place was gorgeous.
The Hartness House has changed ownership quite a few times over the years. It appears to still be a functioning inn, with a seasonal restaurant that is noted as opening back up for the Winter shortly per social media. It also looks like they participate in a lot of local events and hold a lot of functions there- so I’m happy to see they’re still in business to some capacity! I’d love to stay there again!
And now, with another weekend upon us- I’m excited to announce I’ll be heading back to Boston for a bit to check out a returning seasonal pop-up that everyone raved about last year. I’ll have a full recap next week- along with a new Thanksgiving-inspired recipe and a look into some more of my favorite places in and around my part of the state!
See you all soon!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 