Vermont and Montreal Trip Report

StewartG · 11-11-2007

Kelli and I are spending the week exploring northern Vermont and Montreal. I thought I would share a few pics.

We are staying in the village of Stowe, in a nice room at the Green Mountain Inn. Here are a few pics of our room (it is a huge room with a king canopy bed, two person jacuzzi and fireplace):

Here are a couple of pictures of Stowe. First is a shot from the Mountain Road showing the pretty church in the center of town. Next is a pic of Kelli standing in a covered bridge. Then a few of the surrounding area.

We took the Ben and Jerry ice cream factory tour. Here I am grieving at the graveyard where they bury retired flavors:

Here are some shots from Burlington. This is a BEAUTIFUL city - one of the nicest I've ever seen! There is a great waterfront area (one of the shots is of a U.S. Navy memorial.) The "church street marketplace" is a pedestrian mall area a few blocks from the waterfront. Below is one of the many pretty churches in Burlington, even though it is the "church" at the end of church street!

Tesla 573 · 11-11-2007

What a beautiful place but it looks COLD there!......Great room with the fireplace and jacuzzi....very romantic....you guys get around!

silvergirl · 11-11-2007

Nice pics Stew. That room is so cozy and romantic. Hope you two have a wonderful time!

StewartG · 11-11-2007

It is cold, but it is also very beautiful.

The room is just wonderful! I made sure we had a GREAT room here at the inn as I was planning to spend a lot of time in it. (This *IS* a "rest and relaxation" anniversary trip, after all!)

I also got a nice honeymoon suite type room in the old city of Montreal as well. I'll post pics once we arrive!

Jacko · 11-11-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by StewartG

It is cold, but it is also very beautiful.

The room is just wonderful! I made sure we had a GREAT room here at the inn as I was planning to spend a lot of time in it. (This *IS* a "rest and relaxation" anniversary trip, after all!)

I also got a nice honeymoon suite type room in the old city of Montreal as well. I'll post pics once we arrive!

Happy Anniversary....Have fun and stuff....Hugs and kisses.....J&L

StewartG · 11-11-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacko

Happy Anniversary....Have fun and stuff....Hugs and kisses.....J&L

Its all great here and stuff, but nothing compared to the accommodations and company at the HLI!

Tesla 573 · 11-11-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by StewartG

It is cold, but it is also very beautiful.

The room is just wonderful! I made sure we had a GREAT room here at the inn as I was planning to spend a lot of time in it. (This *IS* a "rest and relaxation" anniversary trip, after all!)

I also got a nice honeymoon suite type room in the old city of Montreal as well. I'll post pics once we arrive!

How romantic!

You guys have a wonderful time!

redhairgirl1 · 11-11-2007

You are so cool dude! Can't wait to meet you

sideways · 11-11-2007

Great shots Stew!! Looks beautiful

redhairgirl1 · 11-11-2007

You would make a great broadway actor

You just wait til you see my performance of "What's up"

StewartG · 11-16-2007

I started off our trip report with our first day in Vermont. Now that we’re coming home, I figured I would go ahead and post the last three days of our trip.
On day two, we spent the day driving around the countryside of northern Vermont. As I mentioned after our last trip last fall, I truly believe that Vermont is probably the prettiest overall state I’ve ever visited. Here are some pictures of the countryside:

_______________________________________

While driving we stopped into the charming little town of Middlebury, VT, about 45 minutes south of Burlington at the bottom of the Mad River valley. There is a fantastic waterfall right in the middle of the town! Here are pictures of the waterfall from the pedestrian footbridge over the river as well as from the inside of the Frog Hollow Vermont State Craft Center which sits right above the falls:

_______________________________________

After walking around town, we had a great lunch at a little bistro/diner. Retro decor but with a delicious contemporary menu. Tully and Marie’s diner - it is a "must eat" if you are in Middlebury!

_______________________________________

Of course we had to stop in Montpelier, the capitol of Vermont. This is the loveliest state capitol buildings I’ve ever seen! I can’t imagine there are more than 5 to 10 thousand people in the whole city of Montpelier.

_______________________________________

Kelli and I were talking about much we love and admire Vermont and its people. We were wondering if one day we may end up living here. It’s a beautiful state full of friendly, conscientious people. The politics are very similar to ours and the state is very environmentally conscious. Here is a house we saw nestled on top of the Green Mountains in north central Vermont. (Who knows, maybe we’ll make an offer!) The next picture, by the way, was taken a few hundred yards down the road from the house. We think its a cow or maybe a bison, but it was just laying down on the side of the road in the forest. Weird!

_______________________________________

Day three we arrived in Montreal and immediately started our tour of the "old city." Pictured below are a statute of the founder of Montreal with the oldest bank building in the city in the background. Also pictured below are pictures of the Basilique Notre Dame from the outside and inside. Breathtaking cathedral with a stunningly beautiful altar and huge pipe organ.

_______________________________________

We checked into our room at the beautiful "Hotel Nelligan" in the old city of Montreal. This was a great hotel with a very friendly and helpful staff. The decor, while modern and trendy was also very comfortable. The reception gave us a very warm feeling. I booked for us a penthouse suite with a fireplace, sitting area and huge jacuzzi tub. Kelli was very pleased! Here are some pics:

_______________________________________

I really enjoyed walking around Montreal, and found myself walking several miles over the two days that we were there. I believe that Montreal is the largest French speaking population center in North America. More than just the language, Montrealieans (sp?) have also adopted the love of art, culture and "joy de virive" for which the French are well known. I appreciated the friendly casual atmosphere of the people as well as the WONDERFUL mix of architecture - everything from quirky post-modern to absolute French classic. For example, look what they did with the exit from a Metro station (can you guess its hockey season?):

Here are a few shots taken while walking around old Montreal:

_______________________________________

We went to the top of Mount Royal (after which the city is named) and strolled around at the "top of the world" for a while. We went to the observation platform at the chalet and I started chatting with a couple of women. After learning that they lived there, I complimented them on their architecture. It turns out, one of the women was actually having a book published about the history of the architecture of the city! Small world!

I was talking to her about a very interesting residential project in Montreal called Habitat, built by architect Moshe Safdie in 1967. I had mentioned that the style resembled that of the famous architect, Louis Kahn. The woman than informed me that she thinks Safdie actually met and perhaps studied with Kahn before Kahn's death. In any event, I'm not a student of architecture, but I am a fan, so it was nice to meet this woman while looking over the beautiful city of Montreal. Here is a picture from the observation platform:

_______________________________________

We saw a great little candy/chocolate shop on St. Denis near Mont Royal. We stopped in just because the store front was so attractive:

We were rewarded by finding this inside:

_______________________________________

Speaking of food. As a "foodie" we of course had to take the Metro down to the Marche Atwater ("Atwater Market.") While its not the largest food market I’ve ever seen, it certainly had the most amazing selections of cheeses, meats, pates, and other gourmet foods I have EVER seen in North America:

_______________________________________

On our last day, I got a couple of culinary treats, one minor and one major. First the minor... I had a beer made from a very unusual substance in Montreal. Here is the beer tap. (I hear this stuff goes GREAT with brownies!)

Finally, Kelli and I splurged and ate at the world famous "Toque!" restaurant in Montreal. We had a wonderful meal which I will never forget. The waiter and sommelier took note of my interest and comments on the food and introduced us to the co-owner, Christine Lamarche. We hit it off like a house and fire and... she invited Kelli and I to tour the wine cellar! Then the best part... She invited us back into the kitchen, took us on a full tour and introduced us to the executive chef, Normand Laprise! We got to spend some time "where the magic happens," and hang out and watch the kitchen at work. The executive chef came over, asked us how our meal was and chatted for a few minutes. As a foodie and fan of great art in the kitchen, this was ABSOLUTELY one of the highlights of the entire vacation. A link to the restaurant and a picture of the funky entrance is below:

Toqué!

Another great vacation with my a great wife and my favorite travel partner. Thanks Kelli!

Tommygurl · 11-16-2007

Awesome!!! I was so looking forward to reading your report! I want to visit Montreal even more after seeing your pics!

Glad you enjoyed Canada!

Ginger · 11-16-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by StewartG

On our last day, I got a couple of culinary treats, one minor and one major. First the minor... I had a beer made from a very unusual substance in Montreal. Here is the beer tap. (I hear this stuff goes GREAT with brownies!)

Now if you had only been in BC you actually could've had those brownies with it!

Sounds like you had a great time, I really have to get to that end of our great country one day. That was great about the rest. tour!

**SunKneeMarie** · 11-16-2007

Great report, Stewie. Happy to not see any "faces" or "cheek meat" this time... not that you didn't eat it, but at least there's no photographic evidence!

Tommygurl · 11-16-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ginger

Now if you had only been in BC you actually could've had those brownies with it!

Sounds like you had a great time, I really have to get to that end of our great country one day. That was great about the rest. tour!

Yep while smokin a big fatty....

11-11-2007	#1 (permalink)
StewartG commie pinko Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: The Kremlin (when not at my dacha in Houston) Posts: 15,520	Vermont and Montreal Trip Report Kelli and I are spending the week exploring northern Vermont and Montreal. I thought I would share a few pics. We are staying in the village of Stowe, in a nice room at the Green Mountain Inn. Here are a few pics of our room (it is a huge room with a king canopy bed, two person jacuzzi and fireplace): Here are a couple of pictures of Stowe. First is a shot from the Mountain Road showing the pretty church in the center of town. Next is a pic of Kelli standing in a covered bridge. Then a few of the surrounding area. We took the Ben and Jerry ice cream factory tour. Here I am grieving at the graveyard where they bury retired flavors: Here are some shots from Burlington. This is a BEAUTIFUL city - one of the nicest I've ever seen! There is a great waterfront area (one of the shots is of a U.S. Navy memorial.) The "church street marketplace" is a pedestrian mall area a few blocks from the waterfront. Below is one of the many pretty churches in Burlington, even though it is the "church" at the end of church street! Last edited by StewartG; 11-11-2007 at 06:36 PM..

11-16-2007	#11 (permalink)
StewartG commie pinko Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: The Kremlin (when not at my dacha in Houston) Posts: 15,520	I started off our trip report with our first day in Vermont. Now that we’re coming home, I figured I would go ahead and post the last three days of our trip. On day two, we spent the day driving around the countryside of northern Vermont. As I mentioned after our last trip last fall, I truly believe that Vermont is probably the prettiest overall state I’ve ever visited. Here are some pictures of the countryside: _______________________________________ While driving we stopped into the charming little town of Middlebury, VT, about 45 minutes south of Burlington at the bottom of the Mad River valley. There is a fantastic waterfall right in the middle of the town! Here are pictures of the waterfall from the pedestrian footbridge over the river as well as from the inside of the Frog Hollow Vermont State Craft Center which sits right above the falls: _______________________________________ After walking around town, we had a great lunch at a little bistro/diner. Retro decor but with a delicious contemporary menu. Tully and Marie’s diner - it is a "must eat" if you are in Middlebury! _______________________________________ Of course we had to stop in Montpelier, the capitol of Vermont. This is the loveliest state capitol buildings I’ve ever seen! I can’t imagine there are more than 5 to 10 thousand people in the whole city of Montpelier. _______________________________________ Kelli and I were talking about much we love and admire Vermont and its people. We were wondering if one day we may end up living here. It’s a beautiful state full of friendly, conscientious people. The politics are very similar to ours and the state is very environmentally conscious. Here is a house we saw nestled on top of the Green Mountains in north central Vermont. (Who knows, maybe we’ll make an offer!) The next picture, by the way, was taken a few hundred yards down the road from the house. We think its a cow or maybe a bison, but it was just laying down on the side of the road in the forest. Weird! _______________________________________ Day three we arrived in Montreal and immediately started our tour of the "old city." Pictured below are a statute of the founder of Montreal with the oldest bank building in the city in the background. Also pictured below are pictures of the Basilique Notre Dame from the outside and inside. Breathtaking cathedral with a stunningly beautiful altar and huge pipe organ. _______________________________________ We checked into our room at the beautiful "Hotel Nelligan" in the old city of Montreal. This was a great hotel with a very friendly and helpful staff. The decor, while modern and trendy was also very comfortable. The reception gave us a very warm feeling. I booked for us a penthouse suite with a fireplace, sitting area and huge jacuzzi tub. Kelli was very pleased! Here are some pics: _______________________________________ I really enjoyed walking around Montreal, and found myself walking several miles over the two days that we were there. I believe that Montreal is the largest French speaking population center in North America. More than just the language, Montrealieans (sp?) have also adopted the love of art, culture and "joy de virive" for which the French are well known. I appreciated the friendly casual atmosphere of the people as well as the WONDERFUL mix of architecture - everything from quirky post-modern to absolute French classic. For example, look what they did with the exit from a Metro station (can you guess its hockey season?): Here are a few shots taken while walking around old Montreal: _______________________________________ We went to the top of Mount Royal (after which the city is named) and strolled around at the "top of the world" for a while. We went to the observation platform at the chalet and I started chatting with a couple of women. After learning that they lived there, I complimented them on their architecture. It turns out, one of the women was actually having a book published about the history of the architecture of the city! Small world! I was talking to her about a very interesting residential project in Montreal called Habitat, built by architect Moshe Safdie in 1967. I had mentioned that the style resembled that of the famous architect, Louis Kahn. The woman than informed me that she thinks Safdie actually met and perhaps studied with Kahn before Kahn's death. In any event, I'm not a student of architecture, but I am a fan, so it was nice to meet this woman while looking over the beautiful city of Montreal. Here is a picture from the observation platform: _______________________________________ We saw a great little candy/chocolate shop on St. Denis near Mont Royal. We stopped in just because the store front was so attractive: We were rewarded by finding this inside: _______________________________________ Speaking of food. As a "foodie" we of course had to take the Metro down to the Marche Atwater ("Atwater Market.") While its not the largest food market I’ve ever seen, it certainly had the most amazing selections of cheeses, meats, pates, and other gourmet foods I have EVER seen in North America: _______________________________________ On our last day, I got a couple of culinary treats, one minor and one major. First the minor... I had a beer made from a very unusual substance in Montreal. Here is the beer tap. (I hear this stuff goes GREAT with brownies!) Finally, Kelli and I splurged and ate at the world famous "Toque!" restaurant in Montreal. We had a wonderful meal which I will never forget. The waiter and sommelier took note of my interest and comments on the food and introduced us to the co-owner, Christine Lamarche. We hit it off like a house and fire and... she invited Kelli and I to tour the wine cellar! Then the best part... She invited us back into the kitchen, took us on a full tour and introduced us to the executive chef, Normand Laprise! We got to spend some time "where the magic happens," and hang out and watch the kitchen at work. The executive chef came over, asked us how our meal was and chatted for a few minutes. As a foodie and fan of great art in the kitchen, this was ABSOLUTELY one of the highlights of the entire vacation. A link to the restaurant and a picture of the funky entrance is below: Toqué! Another great vacation with my a great wife and my favorite travel partner. Thanks Kelli! __________________ ¿Dónde están mis pantalones?

11-11-2007	#2 (permalink)
Tesla 573 añejo Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: LA...Lower Ala Posts: 7,346	What a beautiful place but it looks COLD there!......Great room with the fireplace and jacuzzi....very romantic....you guys get around!

11-11-2007	#3 (permalink)
silvergirl añejo Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 4,948	Nice pics Stew. That room is so cozy and romantic. Hope you two have a wonderful time!

11-11-2007	#4 (permalink)
StewartG commie pinko Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: The Kremlin (when not at my dacha in Houston) Posts: 15,520	It is cold, but it is also very beautiful. The room is just wonderful! I made sure we had a GREAT room here at the inn as I was planning to spend a lot of time in it. (This IS a "rest and relaxation" anniversary trip, after all!) I also got a nice honeymoon suite type room in the old city of Montreal as well. I'll post pics once we arrive!

11-11-2007	#8 (permalink)
redhairgirl1 añejo Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Grand Lake, Co Posts: 8,978	You are so cool dude! Can't wait to meet you

11-11-2007	#9 (permalink)
sideways añejo Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Southern California Posts: 4,909	Great shots Stew!! Looks beautiful

11-11-2007	#10 (permalink)
redhairgirl1 añejo Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Grand Lake, Co Posts: 8,978	You would make a great broadway actor You just wait til you see my performance of "What's up"

11-16-2007	#12 (permalink)
Tommygurl crab killer Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: I am Canadian!! Posts: 15,165	Awesome!!! I was so looking forward to reading your report! I want to visit Montreal even more after seeing your pics! Glad you enjoyed Canada!

11-16-2007	#14 (permalink)
SunKneeMarie character encapsulator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 32,808	Great report, Stewie. Happy to not see any "faces" or "cheek meat" this time... not that you didn't eat it, but at least there's no photographic evidence!

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