After spending a few wonderful days in New York, we headed out early to pick up Wini’s childhood friend Alida from the airport. She flew a red-eye from LA to go on a fall road trip through Vermont and New Hampshire with us! She was a California girl through and through, but was craving a change of scenery and was excited to see the cute autumn aesthetic.
As soon as she touched down we went to the rental car office where there were only 3 people ahead of us, and 3 employees working, yet it took an hour for it to be our turn. It was giving the Sloth Accountants in Zootopia.
Our first destination was Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, where the Headless Horseman myth originated. The cemetery had tombstones dating back to the 1700s, offering a look into the town’s rich history even before America became a country!
Walking through the charming but somewhat eerie town we noticed many of the names on the prominent graveyard plots were also adorning many of the downtown buildings and street signs, giving it a very small-town feel.
We enjoyed a meal at a Sleepy Hollow diner, and strolled around the town, especially loving the high school perched on a hill, which we later found out that Caitlyn Jenner attended?! It looked like a quintessential East Coast boarding school. So random.
Around 1 pm, we embarked on the roughly 5-hour drive to Thornton, New Hampshire, arriving in the early evening. Alida was disappointed with the lack of changing colors, but we assured our California girl that the leaves change fast, and the further north we drove the more beautiful it would be.
When we arrived in Thorton, we headed straight to Market Basket, a local grocery store chain with excellent reviews on Facebook and were floored (in a good way) by the prices! We had gotten a lot of sticker shock visiting Canada and the States after 3 years in Taiwan, so it was refreshing to see a place that seemed to have ‘pre-pandemic’ prices.
That evening, we arrived at our cute little Airbnb, where we whipped up our dinner and settled in for a nice little movie night.
The next morning, we geared up and set out to explore and hike the area. The weather was a bit overcast, but the mist and fog added to the beautiful autumn aesthetic and we drove around, enjoying the changing colours of the trees.
Alida found us a nice nature walk to do, Franconia Falls, which was about 6 miles long. The trail was super peaceful, with hardly any other hikers, and a flat, easy walk. The trail traced a roaring river, and at the end of the trail was a beautiful waterfall. We sat at the waterfall, taking photos, enjoying the nature, and eating our lunch
We started back just as it began to sprinkle on us, but thankfully it stayed a drizzle and we were under the tree cover the whole way back so we didn’t get too wet.
We also learned a bit of hiking history – apparently, the folks who used to hike and camp back in the day were called “trampers”.
Post-hike, we drove down the famous Kancamagus Highway. Nestled within the heart of the White Mountains in New Hampshire is a 35-mile stretch of road that winds its way through the beautiful forest. It is designated a National Scenic Byway, so it has many pull-off stops with beautiful viewpoints. Alida finally got her taste of some beautiful fall colours.
The next day, we packed up the apartment for our next stop: Vermont! We had found a sustainable “off the grid” cabin in Vermont, nestled in the woods. On the way, we made a pit stop in Lincoln to check out some houses and explore the neighbourhood.
We attempted to grab a bite at Polly’s Pancake Parlour in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, but when we arrived they quoted a two-hour wait. The smell told us it would be worth it, but our stomachs said there wasn’t time! So we opted to keep looking, and ended up at The Little Grille in Littleton, New Hampshire.
Afterward, we strolled around the town, appreciating its quaint Main Street. Wini tried to play for us on a street piano, but half the keys were broken.
Continuing our drive, we made stops at several lookout points, noticing the leaves getting more and more colourful the further north we got.
In the early evening, we reached our tiny cabin in the Vermont woods. Wini and I found it cozy and rustic, but Alida had some reservations, especially given the unique toilet situation. Since the cabin was completely off the grid, there was no running water. This meant the bathroom had two toilets for different purposes (and the #2 one was a ‘composting toilet’ that didn’t flush… you just put peat moss overtop to mask the smell lol).
We also had to hand pump from the well to shower or use the sink!
After settling in, we made dinner on the gas stove. We decided to eat outside on the small front deck, as the stars poked out one by one.
Wini was unfortunately beginning to feel under the weather with what felt like a cold, so we had an early night hoping she would feel better in the morning.
Waking up the next day, Wini was feeling horrible and had been coughing and congested all night. She wasn’t in any place to go explore, needing a day to rest, so (on her request) Alida and I left the poor sickling and headed out to explore the town of Stowe, Vermont together.
Stowe turned out to be one of the cutest towns we’d seen so far! We explored the main streets, appreciated the sweet houses, checked out a picturesque old cemetery, and poked into various shops. Unfortunately, I forgot Wini’s camera, so good pics were off the table, but it was still a fun and adorable day.
Back at the cabin, Wini rested, watching documentaries and relaxing. On the way home, we picked up some more medicine for her, along with dinner supplies.
When we got home, Alida and I took a walk around the property. Our Airbnb owner told us we could walk for miles in every direction, so we took him up on that, exploring a nearby stream, waterfall, and long nature path.
We returned, started a fire in the outdoor pit, and began preparing dinner. It was an eclectic meal night – Wini had chicken noodle soup, I had broccoli cheddar soup, and Alida went for yogurt, apples, and beef jerky. We sat outside, chatting, and watching the stars until it got too chilly. The firewood burned very poorly – I think the too wood is much denser than the trees I’m used to on the West Coast, making it more challenging to catch fire and generate much heat.
The next morning, we made some coffee and tea on our old-timey stove and packed up our car and got ready to leave back to NYC. Before hitting the road, we decided to take a stroll to the nearby waterfall since Wini hadn’t seen it the day before. She was feeling better than the day before, but still not 100%.
After checking out the waterfall, we headed back to the car, and as I was crossing the little stream, I lost my footing and plopped straight into the water, completely submerging half my body! It was freezing! Hahaha. I sprinted up to the cabin for a quick full outfit change, and we were on our way.
With Wini — the usual chauffeur — still feeling under the weather, I took the wheel as we set out for a long driving day. Our route took us through one of Vermont’s most scenic roads, Smugglers Notch, surrounded by breathtaking fall colours.
Our next stop was Woodstock, Vermont, where we strolled around the cute, autumnal town, explored various shops, and admired the charming New England houses. Most of the historic houses had plaques that designated when they were built, and many of them dated all the way back to the 1700s.
As we continued south towards NYC, the trees gradually lost their vibrant colours.
About 2 hours away from NYC, we pulled off to fill up, and Wini thankfully took over driving so I wouldn’t have to brave the Manhattan streets!
Our rental car was conveniently only a few blocks from Wini’s cousin Melody’s apartment where we were spending the night. We had a sweet, cozy night watching movies, eating soup dumplings, and catching Melody and David up on our little East Coast exploration.
The next day, we all packed our bags and headed out — Alida was heading back to LA, and Melody and David were joining us on our next stop: Wini’s (American) hometown Jasper, Indiana!