Hill Farmstead (2023)

We really enjoyed the Bench when we were in Stowe. My wife is still raving about the scallops that we had although I know that's not an option for you.

In Burlington we really liked Farmhouse Tap and Deep City restaurant inside Foam.

 

They do, however, last few times I’ve been up it’s been on weekends only for outside guests. Additionally, John, the longtime owner, recently sold the Inn and I don’t believe he is cooking his magical breakfast anymore, so outside availability may have changed. I have heard however that the breakfast is still very good. I’ve met the new owner also and she is great.

Man, I love that place.

 

Was it Michael?

 

I've been on a lot of insane backcountry roads out west where GPS hardly worked and it still never ceases to surprise me when a GPS identifies a totally treacherous road by its local name and directs you to take it. Especially when in reality that road is totally impassable, let alone even remotely meant for public use, and appears as though its never been anything else but. You often can't tell until you're on them, and then they quickly narrow to the point where you either have to reverse to get out, or hope for a turnaround.

I don't really know for certain who is in charge of fleshing out GPS routes, but I think some states have people who are way too eager to register every little dirt track as a road, whereas most people are not accustomed to private roads and paths intended for very serious off road recreation or commercial use being visible on the map. I know in my neck of the woods there are all kinds of tiny little drives that are thankfully not recognized by the GPS--perhaps a few slight nail biters in Hocking Hills--but I've yet to find any like that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang adventure in Greensboro Bend.

 

Was sold out in about 15 seconds.

Ok.

 

anyone know how many bottles they are releasing each day?

 

Thanks so much! One other question: does anyone know if they are allocating bottles for onsite each day? If I show up at 4:30pm just before it closes, will they say it’s sold out for onsite that day or are they just going to need it flowing until closing time?

 

I’m going around 2:45 today, so I can let you know if Ann is still available on-site. Based on the the two posts, I think it will be available on-site all day for the next month.

 

Amazing thanks so much!

 

Just wanted to say thanks for all the great information and recommendations. I'm not sure that I've visited a more friendly thread. I'm going to put together my full itinerary tomorrow or Friday (brief, abbreviated), and post it in-case anyone has any additional suggestions.

Really appreciate the notes on Uber, especially in Waterbury. I had assumed that these two places received enough visitors that there was probably a small uber pop. That's obviously wrong, and good to know. I don't want to get stranded.

I have so much to be thankful for about this trip. I'm thrilled to know that I'll get the opportunity to try Ann, and pick up shelfies. I feel fortunate that I'll be able to pick up (expected, anyway) a couple Genealogy, and maybe still a Plum. Although Flora sold out, and that's a bummer, I don't even care given how fortunate that I feel that I am even be able to visit and get some to-go offerings. The fact there's some small chance I'll even get a chance to purchase a bottle of Ann really takes the cake.

One last question regarding IPAs. I know that everyone loves hill IPAs, but I have only had the opportunity to try maybe 2 ever, and I'm not a hop head, so I'm pretty ignorant on their offerings. I have a bitter sensitivity, so any suggestions regarding what's available and what might be in my wheelhouse is welcomed and appreciated.

 

I have a couple stories on this front, based on my work which involves me in often remote and rural areas. The concern for us is not that a GPS will TAKE us down a road, but rather what is marked as a road (both on GPS and IRL).

1. SE Ohio (we were staying in Marietta): Needed to get to a particular area that was a bit off a "county road". Turned onto it, which was dirt but clearly marked, and after maybe 25 yards knew that I might be in deep shit. Got out, walked it a quarter mile, jumped up and down, seemed good and solid. I started driving, and within maybe 10 feet I started to sink. Started in reverse, and it became a nightmare quick. Spent the next 5 hours with my compatriot both digging out AND building a road from stones in the nearby creek. I'm the type of person to stay upbeat, and thankfully I was with someone that could laugh along with me at the ridiculousness of this rather than get upset and be mad for 5 hours. Not only was there no cell service (although I have an In Reach device), but everyone else had went back to the hotel, because we all got "weathered out".
2. VA: Needed to access a powerline ROW crossing. It showed that a road existed (granted, from one direction it was a forest service road, but from the other it was "public". Well, this is actually part of the AT We were crawling - basically idling. Worst road I've ever been on, right atop Big Walker Mt. Spent like an hour going 2 miles. Scraped the underside of the vehicle, for sure. Still preferred to hiking it with all the equipment.

We always have to be conscientious of these type of things. I've been in areas of PA where the "road" is legitimately the streambed...during parts of the year. If you have no experience, you can get into deep shit quick. If you do, you're usually OK, but...Shit still happens about once every 3 years for me. Even when you do your best, sometimes it still doesn't matter.

 

I would shit a brick. I never knew it was a thing to stick it out and essentially create your own driveable road until this thread!

 

My favourite HF visit / back road shitshow, was when my sister and her husband were visiting from Scotland (BIL also a big beer nerd), so my wife and I planned a trip up to VT in late August, and rented a place on Lake Parker. We arrived at night…..

In hindsight it should have simply been a case of 16>Bean Hill Road>Parker Road>house. But for some ungodly reason Google maps sent us down a “road” that cut off from Bean Hill earlier, directly toward the lake. This thing was fit for a tractor and nothing else. We were in a two wheel drive small sedan. Not to toot my own horn but I think it was only my experience growing up in very rural Scotland that got us out the other side. If my wife had been driving we would have been fucked.

 

I have another story from MO where I was following a farmer's "road" around an ag field. He told me to "drive here" instead of "there". I told him I was concerned, because that road felt squishy. He told me it'd be fine. Well, a few minutes after he left, within about 25 yards, the vehicle, mostly all at once, sank down to the axle. We were close enough to work that night, so we did, but in and amongst that work, spent time off-and-on over a 6+ hours again digging out and building a road from rocks from the nearby creek.

Those are real "fuck my life" events. Again, as long as you have someone happy with you, it's not as bad as it could be.

 

I had a very similar experience last time we went to HF (2017 I believe). The GPS (Tom-Tom, not phone GPS) took us on some absurdly tight, dirt road on the edge of a lake with absolutely no shoulder or guard rail. To make matters worse, it was a two-way “road” AND mud season. I’m just glad I’m a good driver or we probably would have wound up in the lake 20-30 feet below. I wish I remembered to ID the “road” so I could avoid it should I ever be up that way again.

I wonder if anyone here has been on said road before. It was on route from HF to Montpelier.

 

Appreciated and noted. I have two suarez swing-top growlers, and I think 1 or 2 others that were actual to-go beers sold at retail. Same shape w/ swing top. It's only $3 for a growler, but might as well bring my own if I can.

 

This 100%. I regretted buying 12 cans this past November. Powered thru the last one a few weeks ago.

Now on draft and growlers... much better.

 

I can chime in on the hill cans. Last cans we got were a bit of a carb mess. It was all over but it just didn’t taste how right. Growlers and draft are far superior. Glad we aren’t the only one who thought this.