Woodstock, Vermont: Antiques and Houses, Shops and Pumpkins

Woodstock, Vermont is another quintessential New England town.  I loved walking through the leaves on the sidewalks.  The stores were completely outfitted for Fall, and there are many inns, coffee shops, and antique stores to keep anyone happy- we spent several hours on Main St and loved it all.  We even found a darling bookstore that has a mascot- a Bernese Mountain dog- of course, one of our favorite breeds since we had Moose, a berner we owned for almost 7 years- I would have taken a picture but there was a sign in the shop to NOT take a picture of the dog unless you paid them 2 dollars- so trust me, he was cute!

I hope you enjoy the pictures....I'd love a comment or two, just to know you liked it or not.....it kind of makes my day, you know? I'm missing New England myself as I sit here writing this.....

this child's merry-go-round was amazing

love the old stroller

A flower press? hmmmmmm It's actually a linen press!

Things are certainly easier these days......that iron actually looks dangerous!

Oh so blessed to have my Rowenta!

I LOVE MOOSE- so loved this guy!

Transferware is always a favorite of mine

This secretary was very special

Love the pumpkins on the ledges above windows
I know a gal on MV who does this!

A very special grand entrance - main street Woodstock, Vt

This pumpkin totem was so fun!  Susan G. told me she saw one, too!

I kind of just liked the simplicity- a pumpkin and some mums

if not for the 'car' in the glass window, this one could be a painting

This little 'totem' was just piled up next to a shop

the sidewalks of Woodstock were strewn with leaves

and flower boxes full of bright mums were everywhere

this shop amazed me- steel beams holding it up over the water

mums...

Loved the homemade sign and all the desserts in the window

Time for a cup of coffee---how fun is this?

Well....there's also the Vermont Flannel store in Woodstock---Made in the USA

such thick, warm, and soft Flannel- yes, I bought some!

an antique carriage

I thought this old bike/scooter was adorable

I think someone's garden was bountiful in pumpkins

and a river ran through it

buildings were right up next to the water actually

a little shop that had very colorful beauty goodies

loved the pink shutters and punkins

this is the antique store the children's toys were in

the Jackson House INN in Woodstock- This place is FABULOUS!!
They have an outstanding restaurant, gorgeous rooms, beautiful gardens in the back,
and incredible attention to detail.  I added a link so you can check it out yourself

                                                                        

                                                                        

                                                                          

Pots, Pans, Poetry.....and some antique stoves you're gonna love!

This part of our country is simply gorgeous to me----I will carry the sights and sounds and glory and pride in our nation in my heart for a long time with this vacation.......I have about 6 more entries to go and I'll be done with the 2010 Fall New England trip....but I'm feeling compelled to write....it's the English teacher in me coming out....

Back East
by the Real Girl

The trees called me back
They lured me to their home
But I found more than I expected
Wherever I did roam

I saw the leaves of vivid hues
I heard many new birds' calls
I tasted foods from long ago
felt the spray from waterfalls

I rode a train, in fact, rode two
I watched the darkened skies turn blue
Maple syrup dark upon my toast
Rich delicious Yankee pot roast

The inns were warm; the beds so cozy
The brisk Fall air; my cheeks so rosy
Antiques to see and touch and long for
Flags so proud- to sing our Country's song more

Covered bridges... hay bales round
Apple orchards...darker ground
Farm stands beckoned ...delicious fruit
A peck of Cortlands...my new loot

The barns and fences...how do I measure?
 these rich sweet moments with the man I treasure
The birches white...the grass so green
go East? go West? I'm in between

Pumpkins on the porches piled
in darling designs or scattered wild
I breathe it in...I love them all
This glorious time I've had this Fall!

In the higher elevations, even mid-October was beginning to be too late to see leaves.  Here, they were almost finished

The 'ol Century Crawford!

LOVE the color!!!!!!!!!!!!

anyone remember these?  I certainly do!

dishes, dishes everywhere- but not an Evesham anywhere!

Susan Branch, this one just LOOKS like you! Cute as a button!

Who would like to fix their Thanksgiving dinner on this baby?  ME!!!!!!

really going back...........

Next up: Covered bridges.....and getting to Vermont!

Visiting Kennebunk, Maine and The English Meadows Inn & lots of antiques!

Our drive up the coast from Topsfield, Massachusetts to Kennebunk, Maine took about 2 hours.  Traffic moved along smoothly, even though it was the Saturday of Columbus Day weekend.  Of course, it was dark when we arrived, so I didn't get to 'drool' over what we passed along the way- good thing, too!  This area is just dripping in lovely antique shops.

The English Meadows INN was our home for the next 2 nights and it had been a long and full day.  I mean just that morning, I was shopping at The Beach House on Martha's Vineyard and here I was in Maine!  I chose English Meadows INN because for several reasons:

     1.  It was built in 1860, so it had tons of character, history, and charm

     2.  It is set on approximately 2 acres, yet is only about an 8 minute walk to the downtown area of shops and restaurants

     3.  It has an English garden, period antiques, gorgeous wallpaper and carpets and they serve an afternoon tea

     4.  Breakfast is served candlelit with English china, floral linens, and fresh flowers                                                                               5.  It is close to dozens of antique shops, some of which are known all over the United States

     6.  It is FOR SALE, and even though we are not in the market for a b&b in New England, it's always very  interesting to see an inn that is for sale and ask questions about why it is and so forth- there is always a lot of learning to be gained during our travels

                                                                    

We were greeted by Bruce, the owner/innkeeper.  Bruce is a very knowledgeable and gracious host.  He provided us with maps, directions, and suggestions and showed us to our wonderful room!

You can go on their website and visit the inn and see photographs of all of the rooms, etc, so I'll skip that for this particular inn....see link above and you can learn all about it and see all the rooms in full detail!

It was during this time that I developed an excruciating toothache.  It became so intense that I finally had to ask the innkeeper if he would recommend a dentist to me.  Being that it was Columbus Day weekend only complicated the issue, but we got an appointment on Monday, the 11th, so in the meantime, I headed to the pharmacist in Kennebunk and bought some Ambusol- a temporary fix at best.

I couldn't be fussing about my tooth when there were antique shops to conquer the following day....so we got a great night's sleep and had a fabulous breakfast and spent our entire day exploring the area!

Here, in Kennebunk, the trees were gorgeous!  The scenes were breathtaking....water, boats, homes, pumpkins and all with a backdrop of gorgeous Fall color!

Loved the 'boat' garage!

This sailboat was coming in, and the trees around this area were bursting with color!

More white fences....I love the details on this one!

You can't tell from the photograph, but the water was in the road.  Recent rains had flooded the area here.

We were driving/moving as I caught this fiery collage of color

LOVE the red door!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

                                                                          

In Kennebunk, we came across a store that had condiments and hot sauces like none other!

These were ALL just the hot sauces with names too 'hot' to mention!

Gotta love the poor guy who had to dress up in a lobster suit!

Love the spired white churches with enormous clocks

Let the antiquing begin!

A stunning Chippendale dresser

I so wanted to take this spinning wheel home with me!

Yes, that is an original cast iron PUNCH and JUDY!

This clock face was so pretty!

I LOVE old serving pieces and china

One antique store had an entire room filled with 50's diner things!

Another favorite: Old stoves!

I did find some Winton patterns, but not my favorite: Evesham

I actually have this cup and saucer at home! 

Butter molds.....love 'em!

Pressed glass, depression glass

and more glassware!

Lots of neatly pressed linens but just not the ones I was looking for

I really liked these two pieces!

Can anyone guess what this is? That's right and it's the biggest one I've ever seen!

Music box and old-timey popcorn machine

This solid table was another favorite....looks like something Martha Stewart would have!

I loved this colorful collection....the fishermen here know how to catch fish!

Another reason for wanting to stay in Kennebunk is that it is very near Ogunquit, a charming sea town with a walkway of over a mile along the beach.  There are shops, restaurants, and gorgeous inns.  Because it was Columbus Day weekend, however, it was way too crowded!  Here's one shot, but I'll cover Ogunquit in my next blog entry....see you then!

A little inlet where boats are moored; there's also a pedestrian bridge that raises for the boats to go out to sea

For more information about all of the antique shops in the area, visit this ANTIQUE SHOPPING SITE.  It has lots of ideas for you!