Back in those beautiful, carefree pre-pandemic days, I had a big goal set for myself for the summer of 2020: I was going to run my first marathon right here in Vermont, the Mad Marathon. (I’ve previously run several 5Ks and 10Ks as well as two half-marathons, so do not worry for my sanity; this plan did not just materialize out of nowhere!) Of course, the pandemic did, in fact, begin, and I didn’t have any desire to do a virtual marathon, which was what was offered as a substitute. However, as part of my potential marathon planning, I had booked two nights at Grunberg Haus Inn for a place to stay before and after the race that never, in actuality, happened. As luck would have it, this charming little lodge reopened a month before the July dates we had booked, so my husband, our corgi Fiddle (always ready for any adventure!), and myself figured we’d try going despite the lack-of-marathon, and have a relatively social distant weekend away.

It ended up being quite an excellent time, with not too much of a difference in restriction than any trip or vacation we’ve been on with our dog in tow. Here are the highlights of our adventures in Waterbury and Stowe:

Little River State Park

It was a rainy Saturday morning when we arrived at Little River State Park, which is located in Waterbury, Vermont. There is a $4.00 (per person) fee for visiting this park, as there are often fees with state parks.

I had been checking the weather way too frequently before our arrival, so I was well prepared with quick-drying clothing, a rain poncho, and a brand new hat that would pull the double duty of providing shelter from the rain as well as shade during the sunny times. Our corgi, Fiddle, who is now one-and-a-half years old, was undeterred by any inclement weather we encountered for this whole weekend and happily got himself wet regardless of whether water was falling from the sky or not.

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We had been planning to hike a trail called the Stevenson Brook trail, but on our pursuit of this trail, we also happened across trails such as the Nature Trail, the Dalley Loop, and the History Hike. They all appeared to be connected and it was not clear to me where one trail ended and the other began. That being said, they all were easy, mostly flat trails, which was appreciated when the ground was slippery from the rain. The History Hike aspect involved many signs explaining about what farms had been standing in this park in the past, and who lived and worked on these farms. The Stevenson Brook featured throughout all of the trails, and its rushing sounds were pleasing to the ear on a misty morning. It wasn’t too long on the trail(s) before the rain cleared up and the sun started to shine. Overall, it was a pleasant time and a decent workout, with some education related to local history infused throughout.

Grunberg Haus Inn (& Cabins)

After a morning in the woods, it was time to check in to our lodging for the next two nights, which was the Grunberg Haus Inn (the full business is called the Grunberg Haus Inn & Cabins, but we stayed at the inn, so there you go). On the website, this inn is listed as part of Waterbury, but according to our car’s GPS the location of the inn was Duxbury. (Further research has shown me that Duxbury and Waterbury have the same zipcode. I am still not clear if Duxbury is part of Waterbury or if they are separate towns – please feel more than free to leave a comment if you have that answer!) Upon our arrival, my husband and I were both impressed by the lively personality of the outdoor decor, as well as the welcome we received from the two dogs who live there.

The inn is owned by a married couple and their two dogs, a cute little dachshund named June and a magnificent Alaskan malamute named Neko, are considered mascots of the property – I even drank my morning coffee from a cup with Neko’s image on it. One of the two owners, Duane, was the person on call during our stay – it was likely only necessary for one person to be around to take care of the guests as there were not many guests. He had a super relaxed and friendly vibe, and he was happy to help in any way we needed, such as letting us borrow an extra water bottle for a hike when Fiddle’s water bottle broke.

Aside from ourselves, there was a family with kids staying in the inn the first night that we stayed, and a pair of young ladies staying in the cabins the second night. The small amount of guests allowed for very easy social distancing, though I am hopeful that, as time goes on, the Grunberg Haus Inn & Cabins will eventually return to their pre-pandemic guest numbers.

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Our room, just like the exterior, was full of charm and kitsch, and even though there was no AC, the way the fans were arranged allowed for us to stay comfortably cool whether it was day or night. A second fan was provided for Fiddle, which was appreciated, as, like most dogs, he gets hot easily. Right from our room, we could walk out on to a deck which had lovely views of the nearby woods. My husband and I spent both evenings on this deck, spending hours just talking, eating, drinking, and playing games while Fiddle relaxed nearby.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some restrictions applied. Since we are Vermont residents, we did not need to sign up for a text alert system, but travelers from certain out-of-state areas would have needed to do so. Hot breakfast was also not available, but Duane provided us with many other breakfast options, such as granola bars, fruit, English muffins, and so on. He also personally made us each parfaits each of the two mornings we ate at the inn; these were incredible, as they were made with Cabot Triple Cream Vanilla Bean Greek Yogurt – quite the contrast to the plain nonfat store brand Greek yogurt I regularly have for breakfast during the week.

I must add that our time with Neko, the lovely fluffy lady pictured above with Fiddle, was especially memorable. The Grunberg Haus website specifically states that you should be comfortable with the presence of their dogs so you can take this into account before you book. However, in our case, her presence seemed to be much more ubitquitous than normal, as she really liked Fiddle (and, really, who could blame her?). During our first afternoon/evening at the inn, she was with us the whole time, sniffing things in our room and playing with Fiddle. This was undeniably cute. Later, when night came, she was knocking her head on our room’s door at 4:00 AM, whining to get in with us. About an hour later, she broke the hinge of the door, burst into the room, and jumped on our bed, which was quite the morning surprise. (Fiddle was sleeping in his own separate area on his dog bed, and seemed most confused.) When we shared the story with Duane, he was surprised (as we all were), but he also helped us out by ensuring that Neko was locked out to sleep in her own house, rather than the inn, the next night. She was clearly acting out of love, but it was quite nice to get a full night’s sleep the second time around. Aside from that one moment, our stay at Grunberg Haus was super relaxing in a way that I really needed, after dealing with many personal challenges this summer, including a serious tick-related illness in June.

Prohibition Pig

In terms of Waterbury restaurants that were open for outdoor dining: The Pro Pig was the spot. During the summer last year, we went on a camping trip in Maine with Fiddle, and only ate at establishments with dog-friendly, outdoor seating. So, sticking with the outdoor dining was nothing new for us, though there are now some minor differences in how we do it now, such as the fact that we wear masks when we are not eating, or when one of us walks inside to use the indoor restroom.

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The Prohibition Pig has a restaurant section and a brewery section; the outdoor area is part of the brewery section. This is no longer on the menu at the moment (to my great dismay), but when we were here for dinner not too long ago, a sour raspberry ale called “Raspberry Swine Cooler” was available. It was the perfect fruity taste for the evening, and I loved it enough to purchase another can of it to take back to the inn and drink later, while bonding and relaxing on the deck.

The brewery food was a mixed Mexican/American style. My husband and I ordered the chips that came with three options of sauces, all of which were delicious. My husband enjoyed a Cuban sandwich for his dinner, while I opted for the flavorful “pollo asado plato”, which included chicken, black beans, rice, and tortillas. I really liked the portion sizes here: I left feeling pleasantly full, not the type of full where you can barely move, which I feel like most restaurant portions encourage.

In terms of pandemic-related restrictions, all servers wore masks, and disposable menus forks, and plates were used. Tables were arranged outside to encourage distance, though the place seemed to be as packed as it could get while staying within the set restrictions. It was a nice experience, taste-wise, and felt relatively safe, as these things go.

Moss Glen Falls

On Sunday, we decided to spend most of our day in Stowe, Vermont. Our first stop in this area was the popular Moss Glen Falls trail.

At the beginning of the trail, the air was heavy with mist and there was a feel to it that reminded me of a rainforest. At first, there was clear signage and a path through various tall plants that added to the jungle-esque atmosphere. The falls itself came into view quite early (before the first mile was up), and it was indeed a majestic sight, with a powerful roar to it to match its gushing force. Yet, after climbing up a steep section near the falls, covered with roots, it was not clear where exactly to go next to remain on this particular trail. A sign below this steep section had specifically stated “stay on marked trails” but I personally saw no markings once we began to climb the root-covered hill near the falls. Eventually, my husband, Fiddle, and myself found ourselves on a wide, flat trail that we believed was the next part of the trail, but, again, there were no markings that we could see. It was still a pleasant walk, with the shade greatly appreciated on a hot morning. We walked along this woodland trail for a good while, with Fiddle stopping to roll in the mud from the previous day’s rain every now and again. The birds were lively and we had an encounter with a little toad, which is always fun. Heading back ended up being a slight challenge, as the only way to avoid walking down the steep hill full of roots involved following a lone arrow and needing to circumvent someone’s personal property. This trail was beautiful and the way the most difficult part is followed by a longer, easier part can be helpful to less experienced hikers. That being said, some clearer signs and markings would be even more helpful.

Idletyme Brewing Company

After getting a few good miles under our belts on the Moss Glen Falls trail, we headed to Idletyme Brewing Company, a Stowe brewery/restaurant for a post-hike lunch. Much like the Prohibition Pig, it was as packed as it could be considering pandemic-related conditions. We sat at an outdoor table where we had a nice view of the rustic, outdoor bar as the bartenders mixed drinks. Like the bar staff, the multiple servers who helped us here all wore masks, and wore them correctly. Here, unlike the Prohibition Pig, silverware and plates were not disposable, though the menus still were.

The food we ordered ended up being a heavy amount, but it was all completely delectable. Personally, I tried their signature Idletyme IPA, which was, as their menu described, a crisp drink with a bitterness to it. I enjoyed it, but I was still obsessing over my love from the previous day’s raspberry ale, so nothing would compare. My husband and I shared the “spicy dry rub” wings for an appetizer, which was just the protein hit we needed for our break in between hikes. For my entree, I ordered the “creamy mac-and-cheese” which I had the opportunity to make extra “creamy” by adding truffle oil to it. It was unbelievably delicious, though once that savory goodness was finished, my stomach was bursting.

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That being said, I would absolutely eat (and drink) it all again if given the choice – it was a great meal.

The Wiessner Woods

Thankfully I had some time to digest my epic lunch on the car ride over to the Wiessner Woods, of which 79 acres of are owned by the Stowe Land Trust, following a donation from the Wiessner family in 1992.

All of the trails in the Wiessner Woods were easy; there was absolutely no rock-hopping and there were no steep ascents or descents. There was, however, beautiful scenery everywhere we looked on this well-maintained trail system.

Maps were available for one to take at the start of the trail, and they detailed several landmarks: a meadow overlook, a vernal pool, a spruce-pine-hardwood forest, and a “gnome home”, where a gnome statue is hidden in a tree. We saw the pretty meadow overlook and experienced the lovely smells of the evergreen forest, but the vernal pool had understandably dried up due to the fact that we were traversing these woods in July. As for the gnome home, I was extremely bummed out that we somehow missed the gnome (or perhaps someone had taken him?). My husband made an effort to make me feel better about the grievous omission from our trek by sticking the trail map in a tree, pointing to a picture of the gnome on the map, and insisting that “we found the gnome”!

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One especially cool feature of the Wiessner Woods is the fact that, as one walks along the well-marked trails, opportunities to take side trips to private trails present themselves. The privately owned trails are open for anyone to visit, though the signs do say “assume your own risk”. It seems that one always assumes their own risk when hiking, but perhaps this warning relates to the fact that these’s no map for these trails, as there are with the publicly owned portions of these forested lands.

We followed one of these private trails to a gorgeous meadow, with amazing views of the green mountains, as you can see in the gallery above – the risk was worth it, for sure.

Overall, these woods were a delight to visit, with stunning beauty throughout and everything, even on the private trail, clearly organized with care obviously taken with regard to maintaining its beauty, as well its visitor-friendly qualities.

So many stars!

The Wiessner Woods was our last big weekend adventure, before heading back to Grunberg Haus. The weekend itself was a great Vermont experience, discovering a lot more within towns we’d manage to visit but briefly in the past.

Freshly Vermont ratings:

Little River State Park: four out of five stars. ★★★★☆

Grunberg Haus Inn & Cabins: five out of five stars. ★★★★★

Prohibition Pig: five out of five stars. ★★★★★

Moss Glen Falls: four out of five stars. ★★★★☆

Idletyme Brewing Company: five out of five stars. ★★★★★

The Wiessner Woods: five out of five stars. ★★★★★