Last month, a friend and I headed up to Vermont for a blogger retreat (a.k.a. weekend getaway). Like all moms, I’d been feeling the need for some time away, ideally spent soaking in nature or indulging in awesome food and spa-like activities. And, except for the spa bit, I found it all in the tiny town of Pittsfield, just north of Killington, Vermont.
I discovered the area through my hosts, Tom and Erlin, the founders of Perfect Vermont Retreats. The young couple organizes fitness and nature retreats (for corporations, groups of friends, wedding parties and families) where they “challenge guests to get outdoors, live consciously and experience life simplified.” Such a retreat might involve yoga classes, guided biking tours, hikes on 30 miles of mountain trails or “re-wilding” instruction from an expert on foraging and wilderness survival. Pretty cool, huh?
I love that Tom and Erlin’s business is run as an ongoing collaboration with other small businesses in Pittsfield. It’s like walking into a town made up of one giant family eager to welcome you with smiles and outdoor adventure. And Pittsfield is small (a population of about 500), so I can see how you’d know everyone pretty quick.
My somewhat rainy weekend there was booked with nature excursions, good food and chatting up other bloggers. But I came to view Pittsfield as an ideal place for a family getaway. Or a group of girlfriends. Or a company retreat (imagine your boss foraging for edibles!) or a wedding party (more on that later).
Where will you stay?
Simon and Jessica of Amee Farm Lodge welcome you to their 125-year-old farmhouse-turned-mountain lodge — 15 rooms with scenic views and renovated with reclaimed wood. When I do return with Mike and Sofie, I’m going to request the “Thomas” room again; its bunk beds are perfect for a family.
Where will you eat?
The Pittsfield Original General Store offers a varied and healthy menu (deli sandwiches, grain and vegetable salads, baked goods, fresh cheeses, smoothies and even a wine cave), and it’s run by former NYC chef, Kevin Lasko, who also operates the Vermont Farms Catering business that serves Amee Farm Lodge guests.
Which reminds me to tell you that my dinner at the Lodge was AMAZINGLY delicious! It was also my first experience with pavlova, a dessert that I am now going to hunt down because I must have it again. The food tasted all the better because — guess what? — much of the ingredients came from the farm across the road. So…
What will you eat?
Local, fresh food grown by Sweet Georgia P’s, the organic farm in the center of town. Owners Becca and Joe are Massachusetts’ transplants who provide organic, GMO-free produce, eggs, meat and honey to local customers and CSA members in Massachusetts and New York. They grow food ten months out of the year (in Vermont!) and use sustainable practices — like wintering the chickens in the greenhouse where they fertilize the soil and eat the bugs, or supporting another local farmer by purchasing his hay to feed their goats.
Speaking of goats, Sweet Georgia P’s also makes and sells their own goat milk, cheese and caramels. During my visit, there were several mama goats ready to burst, and the babies arrived shortly after I left.
What will you do?
Relax, but in an outdoorsy kind of way. This is Vermont after all, where everybody appears to be vibrant, fit and green. You can hike the Stone Steps, rent bikes or kayaks, tour the farm, go skiing or snowshoeing. Or just cozy up at the lodge: read a book in front of the fire or sip wine on the expansive porch while the kids run around on the lawn and explore the creek.
Even though I enjoyed — and needed! — the girlfriend getaway, I kept wishing my husband and daughter were also there to experience everything with me. Sofie would adore petting the goats at the farm. Mike would be waxing poetic about the farm-to-table meal we enjoyed. And I would be dropping hints about Riverside Farm — with its reclaimed wood craftsmanship, sustainable geothermal heating and picture-perfect backdrops — as the ideal venue for commemorating our 20th wedding anniversary in a few years.
Above three photos by Riverside Farm
Whether or not that happens, Pittsfield is certainly on our list for future family nature vacations.
