This year for our two-year wedding anniversary, my husband James and I decided to take a long weekend getaway to Vermont. Known for its stunning fall foliage, quaint towns, and picturesque landscapes, we thought it would be the perfect backdrop for our celebration and we had been planning this trip for pretty much the entirety of our marriage. While some parts of the trip exceeded our expectations, others were a bit of a letdown. But in the end, it was still a perfect anniversary escape and that’s truly all that matters - and it made for a great story…

We left late on Friday, so nothing much happened apart from board games and tea by our TV fireplace in our Airbnb before bed on night 1.

The next day, however, we left bright and early for leaf peeping and sight seeing - off to Burlington we went. As we cruised through Vermont, it quickly became clear that the real gem of this trip was the vibrant fall foliage. Everywhere we looked, the trees were painted in fiery reds, bright oranges, and golden yellows. The leaves were gorgeous—absolutely mesmerizing. Each bend in the road brought a new, breathtaking view. I tried to take pictures as we went, but honestly, no picture could truly capture the beauty of it all.

The drive itself felt like an adventure. We ventured from town to town, with the changing colors of the trees as our constant companion. It’s a simple joy, but it’s one we didn’t get tired of. Which worked out well because we soon found that there isn’t much to do in the lovely northern Vermont... so driving around ended up being our primary activity in the end. I will say, spending hours in the car, with no destination in mind, just soaking in the autumnal scenery and chatting about everything and nothing felt so good - those “just the two of us” moments were perfect.

Our first stop was Burlington, which is Vermont’s largest city and home to the University of Vermont. I had high hopes for Burlington, imagining a lively college town with cool shops, great food, and a vibrant arts scene. Unfortunately, it just didn’t live up to the hype, in more ways that one, but the University was pretty special to see - especially since they sent me a lovely acceptance letter all those years back. I got a nice quarter-zip to add to my uni gear collection and off we went.

Downtown was quite small and didn’t offer much to do. We did a little shopping, had a nice dinner on the water, and went back to the room for the night. In general, there wasn’t the same charm or character we had found in Stowe, and honestly, neither James nor I felt the need to revisit.

Stowe, I’ll be honest, was the only town on our itinerary that really impressed us. Stowe is quintessentially Vermont—charming, cozy, and undeniably picturesque. The main street is lined with cute boutiques, cozy cafes, and historic buildings, making it the perfect spot to spend a few hours exploring - too bad we couldn’t ever find a parking spot, and therefore we never really got to enjoy it. We grabbed a coffee to go and that was as much of the town as we ever got to see.

The next day included a stop in Waterbury, which is the home to the famous Ben & Jerry’s factory. While the tour of the factory and the delicious ice cream we sampled were definitely fun, the rest of Waterbury didn’t leave much of an impression. The town itself felt totally empty. We walked for about 20 minutes, popped into a bookshop, and kept on moving. Still, the Ben & Jerry’s tour was a highlight of the trip—it had been on my bucket list for ages. We got to learn about the company’s history, see how they make their ice cream, and of course, indulge in some fresh scoops.

From there, we made our way to Montpelier, the state’s capital. Montpelier is known for being one of the smallest state capitals in the U.S., which gave it a certain quaintness. But while it had its charms, like the lovely Vermont State House, and a handful of gorgeous old buildings, it just didn’t do much for us. We wandered around for a bit, but quickly found ourselves asking, “What now?”

There was no particular “wow” factor to Montpelier, and after about an hour of walking around, we were ready to move on. If you’re looking for a place with more action, Montpelier probably won’t be your first choice.

As much as we were hoping to explore Vermont’s charming towns, what truly made this trip special were the quiet moments spent together. Our Airbnb was absolutely lovely, it felt like our own little sanctuary. The cozy living room with a little stove became our favorite spot after long days of driving. We played board games, drank tea, and just hung out, appreciating the simplicity of the moment.

While the towns we visited didn’t always live up to expectations, we ended the trip feeling incredibly content. The food at the Von Trapp Brewery was another unexpected delight. We ordered more food than we could have ever hoped to finish and James enjoyed quite a few fancy brews before we ended the evening on a high (or in James’ case with a buzz).

In the end, this trip wasn’t about ticking off a list of must-see attractions or finding the “perfect” places to visit. It was about creating memories with the love of my life, and in that sense, Vermont delivered in spades. So, while we may not rush back to Vermont anytime soon, I wouldn’t trade this cozy anniversary getaway for anything else.