My husband and I had a quick getaway this past weekend. We drove to my mother-in-law's place in S. Woodstock on Thursday, and Saturday morning we left our one and three year-old daughters with Gramma and drove to Burlington.

We arrived around 11, parked at a lot near Church St (ended up being 3 bucks for 3 hours) and checked out the Church St. area. We walked down to the lake, which was mobbed b/c some big triatholon was going on (which we figured was why we could not find a place to stay in Burlington). We walked back to Church St, making note a of a farmer's market that was taking place on city hall plaza.

We had lunch at Leunig's, which I had read good things about. It was great for atmosphere and location. It was a gorgeous, warm day, and it was so nice to sit outside and eat. The food was ok. The cheese plate we got with two local VT cheeses was outstanding, but the oyster trio was so-so. I also thought it was a bit overpriced for what we got.

After lunch we checked out the farmer's market, which was really cool. We nibbled on some treats and I bought a pretty silver necklace made by a local artist. Then we drove over to the Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory. They don't do tours on the weekends (which we knew) but we scored some chocolate from their "seconds" bins that was pretty tasty and not as pricey as their "firsts."

By this time it was time to check into our B&B. We drove 15 minutes south to Shelbourne. We stayed at The Heart of the Village Inn. The innkeepers were very nice, and gave us some suggestions on what to do in Shelbourne, one of which was heading to the local beach for a dip in the lake, which we promptly did b/c it was so warm. The beach was small, but clean and well-maintained. The water was the perfect temperature, refreshing but easy to get into.

When we got back to the inn we got a rec from the innkeeper for dinner and he made us a reservation. We went back to our room to shower and rest. Dinner at Barkeaters was fantastic, and it was a two minute walk from the inn. Great food, wine, and atmosphere. We sat on the outdoor terrace. It was perfect.

The inn was nice, and I rec staying in a room in the carriage house, which is set back from the street and a bit quieter (not that it was on a interstate or anything!). The bed was super comfy, and breakfast was yummy. My only complaint was that we could hear the people in the upstairs room walking around, specifically when they woke up at 6:30! We get up early daily with our girls, so we were looking forward to waking up later. Still, we lounged in bed and read until we went to breakfast, which is more than we usually do b/c we are busy with the kids. Next time I will request an upstairs room.

After breakfast, we went on a walk on a trail by Shelburne Bay, which was nice. We scooted back to our car when we heard thunder, and headed for the Shelburne Winery. It started pouring just as we walked in. We tasted some great wines and bought three bottles. The rain stopped, so we headed back to Burlington and had lunch at American Flatbread (great pizza and beer made on the premises). We ended our trip by getting an ice cream at the Ben & Jerry's shop on Church St.

Even though it was a short trip, we did a lot! We also had a lot of R&R, which was very needed. We will definitely return!