Travel is something that I have always enjoyed. Well, I enjoy being other places, the flying/driving/navigating isn’t necessarily my favorite. I had a job assignment once that was 80% travel and that was fun and fit my type A personality. It was travel, but we went to the same location for 4-5 weeks in a row so I was able to establish routines. Nowadays, my current job doesn’t allow for much travel, and I don’t see that changing in the next few years. I have decided though, not to let that stop me from “exploring” some places that I’m curious about. I’m going to plan little getaways to all of the jewelry stores and designers that I’ve been admiring from afar in a series that I’ll call “wishful weekends”. In each entry, I’ll talk about where I will stay, what jewelry I’m going to see, and where I’m going to eat! Hopefully one day I will follow-through on some of these plans, but in the meantime, I will use my imagination.
The first wishful weekend I’ve planned is to Burlington, VT. Burlington sits on the shores of Lake Champlain and is the largest city in Vermont, known as the green mountain state. I’ve planned a three day stay and I think I’d prefer to visit during the summer as I had enough of winter growing up in Michigan. I don’t know much about Vermont and I’ve never been to this part of the northeast so I’m very excited. The only person I know that’s been to Vermont goes in the winter to a fishing lodge that doesn’t have heat or wifi. Since that isn’t my cup of tea, I plan to stay at Hotel Vermont which is walking distance to Lake Champlain and the Church Street Marketplace. I like that the hotel décor appears to be a mixture of rustic and modern and their list of amenities is just too cute! They offer a bedtime menu that includes aromatherapy, hot toddies and complementary bedtime stories!
I arrive late Thursday, and Friday morning I’m feeling a bit sluggish from the flight up so I decide to get a workout in at Rev Indoor Cycle. I have an appointment down in Hinesburg at David Epstein Jewelry so I want to get the day started off right. Rev has built an amazing community in Burlington since they started in 2012 and I’m excited to check out their space. After a great workout, I head down to Hinesburg, VT to take a tour of David Epstein’s workshop. David has been designing jewelry for over 40 years and his Beachstone Collection was what first caught my eye. These striking black and white stones are found along the shores of Lake Champlain and one day David decided to pick one up and take it back to his workshop. The resultant jewelry reminds me of zebras, an animal I find so quirky and hilarious, so I’m a big fan. (Photos: David Epstein)
As I’m driving back toward Burlington after my tour, I can see how the landscape in Vermont would be so inspiring to the local artists. I live in a very big city surrounded by concrete, and finding inspiration in nature is a fleeting concept. I imagine being here in the fall and the vivid colors of the changing leaves, the landscape bursting with color, it must be breathtaking. I’m on my way to meet up with a local artist that is so inspired by nature, she actually uses flower blossoms and leaves in her jewelry! Liv Glascoe, artist and owner of Olivia Stone Jewelry creates beautiful earrings, necklaces, wall hangings and more from local plants and flowers. She’s recently moved into a new studio space on Pine Street which is very close to the Lake Champlain Chocolates Café so she is indulging me and meeting me there for a cup of their hot chocolate that I keep hearing about. I want to ask her about how her Etsy shop has grown and what her plans are for keeping up with increased demand and still having time for creative exploration. After our chat, I head back to the hotel for a little relaxation before dinner.
Food is always an important part of any vacation so I did some research beforehand on places to try, but left room for popping in to any place that looks appetizing. I know I want to visit A Single Pebble which I saw in Travel and Leisure magazine listed as one of the best Chinese restaurants in the country. The chef, Chiuho Sampson was a photojournalist in Taipei before she decided to pursue her passion for food. I love a good reinvention story! I also want to try Monarch and the Milkweed not only for the food, but also the cocktails look amazing. With only Friday and Saturday night for dinner, I will have to look for interesting lunch options along the way as dinner is set. (Photo thefoodlens.com)
Another must try for me is Citizen Cider. This cider produced from locally grown apples is not yet available in my area, and with maple, lavender and cranberry ciders on offer, I will make sure I’m well hydrated before stopping by.
On Saturday I take advantage of the complimentary yoga classes offered at the hotel before heading out to Onyx Tonics Specialty Coffee. I’m meeting Mike and Shannon of Raintree Fine Jewelry to grab a coffee to go on the way to their storefront on Cherry St. This husband and wife team have over 50 years of combined jewelry experience and produce handmade fine jewelry with distinct style. I particularly love their use of colored golds with vivid colored stones as opposed to just setting everything in white gold. Interestingly, they do not use CAD (computer aided design) in their design process. I heard the same from the designers of the famous Hemmerle in Germany, who said that design should have elements of human error and CAD does not allow for that. I’m curious if they feel the same way, and what technology, if any, they incorporate into their process.
I spend a bit of time afterwards walking around the Church Street Market. There are a lot of options here from vintage and estate jewelry to custom cut gemstones. I love talking about jewelry, and at every stop I find something to admire and one piece in particular that it might be hard to stop thinking about when I get home. I also pop in to Common Deer, a family owned store focused on supporting small batch producers with an emphasis on American-made. The selection is really interesting, you can tell the owners put a lot of thought into everything they have on-hand. I’d read about maple butter, made by heating maple syrup to a precise temperature and then stirring repeatedly, and since Vermont is known for its maple syrup, I decide to pick up a jar along with a couple other souvenirs. I end the day with another great meal and head back to Hotel Vermont for a bedtime story. (Photo Commondeer.com)
On Sunday morning I forgo the workout and instead walk over to Waterfront Park for some people watching and enjoying nature. I do not catch a glimpse of Champ, the Lake Champlain monster, so I take some time for brunch as my trip comes to a close. I couldn’t come all this way and not plan for a a factory tour at Ben and Jerry’s. Even though it’s in the opposite direction of the airport, the ice cream factory is only 15 minutes away from Von Bargen’s Jewelry in Stowe, VT. Von Bargen’s Burlington location is closed on Sundays and I really wanted to check them out on this trip so ice cream and jewels are worth the detour! I first found Von Bargen’s when they featured Sarah Graham Metalsmithing in a virtual trunk show. Sarah Graham creates stunning jewelry combining black oxidized cobalt chrome with 18k gold in with bold, organic and memorable styles. I love looking at the Von Bargen’s calendar and seeing the various designers that they have lined up for in-person trunk shows; there’s always something happening at one of their five locations! Ownership has now moved to the second generation and I hope the family maintains their love of jewelry for years to come.
As I head back to the airport, I have that feeling I get when a trip has gone well, “I’m not ready to go yet!” as opposed to “Is it time to go yet?”. I agree with all of the jewelry designers that I’ve had the chance to meet, the landscape is inspiring and I can see why some find themselves here and choose to build a life while others are born here and never leave. For my first wishful weekend, I imagine it as a huge success; having made new jewelry friends, learned new techniques and experienced new things. Perhaps one day I will find myself here in fact rather than fiction, but until then I’ll get by on wishful thinking.
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