Driving to Vermont

The next day, we said goodbye to Boston and began our drive to Vermont. We made a couple of fun stops along the way. First, we stopped off to see the Old North Bridge. The North Bridge, often colloquially called the Old North Bridge, is a historical site in the Battle of Concord, the first day of battle in the American War of Independence.

In 1775, five companies of Minutemen and five of non-Minuteman militia occupied a hill near the bridge with groups of other men streaming in, totaling about 400 against the British light infantry companies from the 4th, 10th, and 43rd Regiments of Foot under Captain Walter Laurie, a force totaling about 90-95 men. The British retreated across the river and the two sides faced each other across the North Bridge.

A brief exchange of fire ensued which saw the first instance of Americans firing to deadly effect on British regulars, after which the British retreated. Ralph Waldo Emerson, positing that world history pivoted at that moment, called the first shot of this skirmish the "shot heard round the world" in his 1837 poem "Concord Hymn".

Our next stop was at The Salem Cross Inn for a delicious tavern style lunch. The Salem Cross Inn is a restored 18th century farm house that has been turned into a restaurant and a tavern. They serve fresh vegetables grown from their own garden, and are known for having the best apple pie in New England.

We ended the day in a tiny, little town somewhere in Vermont, and spent one night at a nice cozy hotel. We took a little stroll around the town to stretch our legs after a long day of driving. It was such a picturesque little place, it almost looked like it could be a movie set.

We were greeted by the hotel staff with homemade sugared donuts and warm apple cider, the perfect treat on a chilly late afternoon.

This was my room and it was so deliciously cozy with it's four poster bed and fireplace. I changed into my warm pajamas, turned on the fire, and relaxed while watching halloween baking competitions on Food Network.