At the Lilac Inn, Amidst the Clawfoot Tubs and Four Poster Beds

We decided to take the scenic route to our destination, Brandon Vermont, so we headed west on Rte 2 through Williamstown.

It’s that famous season they call Mud in this part of New England, no buds yet out on the trees, and in Florida Mass, lots of deep snow. Route 7 from the college town opened up to large sweeping vistas, and we made our way past sugarhouses still pumping out steam and dilapidated barns which once held cows.

The village of Brandon, population 4500, has a Civil war monument right where we turned onto Park Street.  A few houses down stands the impressive Lilac Inn, which was once a gigantic summer home for a wealthy flatlander.  For twelve years it’s been owned by Doug and Shelly, who said that each room was built with a bathroom, which is nice when you think of the hotels that jam a bathroom into an old room that takes up so much of the room.

The clawfoot tubs and working fire place are all here, as is a four poster bed and lovely old antique furniture.  Today we’ll see more of the place and at nine it’s time to report for cooking duty with Chef Robert. Last night we got a chance to sample some of his cuisine, his duck duo was superb with  a blueberry sauce and perfectly whipped potatoes.

On our agenda is not only some cooking lessons but we’ll take a ride to visit a few local farms. One raises goats for cheese,  and another raises yak.  It is a great morning to be in Vermont, even with a snowstorm in the forecast…it should sneak up to the mid fifties before the flakes fall.