Brunch in Vermont

Saxtons River is a sleepy little New England town off highway I-91 in southern Vermont.  We decided to take a ride over for brunch on a recent Sunday afternoon.  The Saxtons River Inn is the perfect spot for a wonderful meal in a cozy atmosphere.  The Monte Cristo, served with real Vermont maple syrup was delightful.  Full of ham, turkey, swiss and cheddar cheese, it was cooked to perfection and absolutely delightful.  The Smoked Spinach and Salmon Benedict was served with a home-made hollandaise sauce that was just right.  Not too heavy and not laden with too much flour.  This is a Benedict worth driving for.                                                                         

Still bedecked with Christmas decorations, the front porch invites us to stop in.

Plan a trip to stay at the Saxtons River Inn or to simply to enjoy a meal there. 

After brunch, we enjoyed a walk past the Village Market.  It was a beautiful afternoon.  The chill in the air felt great!

It would be difficult to add another notice to this board.  It's indicative of the "goings on" in this small town.

The church door is a wonderful example of "bullseye" glass.

This beautiful old building is for sale.  It seems so sad to see such a beautiful display window empty.

The doors stand waiting for the next customer.

A front porch rocker looks just as inviting on a winter afternoon as it surely is in the summer!

Ceilings on old porches such as this were often painted light blue to resemble the sky so insects wouldn't build nests there.  The shape of this porch usually isn't found on new homes.  Perhaps it should be.

There are five different window styles and sizes on this home.  It adds character to the property.

There aren't many shops in the center of town but you can't miss this artisan gallery.

             The sign at the River Artisans Cooperative invites us in to come in and warm up.  We left with a renewed supply
 of  Vermont Signature Sauce, made in Saxtons River.

History abounds here.  John Butler Smith, the 44th Governor of New Hampshire was born in Saxtons River.

The icicles remind us of how cold it really is.

It almost looks as if the modern day tractor is pushing the old barn over.

Vermont Academy is home to this ski jump.  The website for the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum has information about this jump and the Nordic Ski Program at the Academy.

A covered bridge spans the width of the Saxtons River just south of town.  The river, swollen with rain from Hurricane Irene in 2011, destroyed many homes and properties along the banks.

Once home to the Rivers Edge Restaurant, we had many terrific dinners by the beautiful fire in the dining room.  I've never had such tasty scallops as the Scallops and Cheddar that were served here.

The larger portion of the old Rivers Edge.  Unfortunately the building has seen better days.

You'll find many different styles of architecture in Saxtons River.

        As we found our way home, we drove through neighboring Bellows Falls and stumbled upon this pretty mural of     days gone by.

Crossing the bridge over the Connecticut River called our attention to the icy water below.