Mexican Paradise

Hotel Xcaret Arte in Mexico nailed it for us if you're looking for a chill spot with great stories and good times.

Real Mexican Vibes

Hotel Xcaret Arte is laid-back, with lots of art and culture. Adults-only meant we could relax without distractions. Everything felt genuine and down-to-earth.

Floating Through Paradise

Floating down the rivers at Xcaret was amazing—peaceful, surrounded by trees and cool caves. Amy made it look easy; I just went along for the ride.

Good Eats

Food was great, from fresh seafood by the beach to tasty local dishes. Nothing fancy, just really good eats.

Secret Speakeasy Surprise

We found a hidden bar one night by chance. Drinks were strong, people were friendly, and some things we won't repeat—but it was a good night.

Hanging with Stingrays

Snorkeling with stingrays was cooler than we expected. They're chill creatures, and it made for an awesome memory.

Spa Day Chill

After days of exploring, a couple's massage at the spa was just right. Perfect way to unwind and recharge.

Quick Tips:

• Find the Speakeasy: Worth the effort.

• Stingrays: Don't miss out.

• Pack Light: A little gear and a lot of curiosity go a long way.

Hotel Xcaret Arte nailed it for us. Definitely worth a visit if you're looking to chill but still experience something special.

I Got 99 Problems, But Snow Ain’t One…

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If you've been around Vermont this winter, you've probably noticed the snow's been coming down like it's making up for lost time. It feels like stepping straight back into the good old days—real snow, real often, and none of the hype.

From the Green Mountains down to the Champlain Valley, Vermont's buried deep, leaving skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers grinning beneath frosty faces.

Winter Like It Used to Be

Vermont winters have their own rhythm, and this one's hitting all the right notes. Jay Peak has piled up over 330 inches already—at one point even beating out Alta, Utah. Nice to see Vermont holding its own.

February went big, dropping 32 inches in Burlington alone—nearly twice the usual amount. Steady nor'easters turned everyday weekends into perfect powder days.

How This Winter Compares

Here's the quick version:

• 2011–12 was weak—just 37.7 inches in Burlington. Forgettable.

• 2010–11 nailed it with 128 inches—the kind of season you talk about.

• This year’s looking strong, especially if March keeps up.

Stories from the Snow

• Jay Peak's Big Run: Over 330 inches already. Outperforming some big-name western resorts.

• Steady Snowstorms: Fewer dry spells, more consistent snow—exactly how the old timers like it.

Why So Much Snow?

Storm patterns, a little luck, or Mother Nature tossing Vermont a bone—whatever it is, it's good. Despite warming winters, it's nice knowing we still get these snowy seasons.

March Isn't Done Yet

March can still surprise us with big storms, so keep those skis waxed and your firewood handy. More snow might just be on the way.

Stay warm, stay cool, and keep your planks waxed.

Star Gazing and Mama Bears

The Perseid Meteor Shower on August 12th did not disappoint!

My partner Amy and I were lucky enough to see over nine shooting stars that evening. We also were very lucky and got to witness a mama bear and three cubs walk through our backyard before the amazing light show that evening! We felt so lucky to have witnessed both amazing sights that day and night.

Taking Care Of Business

Three Mountain Roofing recently the roof replacement on a 14,000 square foot 200-year-old barn for Vermont National Country Club. Big shout out to the amazing crew and production team. They were amazing to watch work and completed this massive project in an impressive two days.

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More Rain = More Rainbows

The summer weather in Vermont has been notably scarce, as temperatures gradually cool with fall approaching. Central Vermont has experienced an unusually high volume of rain, totaling more than 20 inches this summer— a record not seen in 75 years.

As a result, many outdoor enthusiasts have had to temporarily stow away their hiking boots and mountain bikes. This conservation effort aims to protect the trail systems, which have largely become unusable due to the excessive rainfall. However, there remains a sense of optimism among residents that the coming fall season will offer ample opportunities for outdoor recreation on the trails.

On the brighter side, it has been a season of frequent rainbows in Vermont. It's as though the state has become a prime spot for spotting these colorful natural phenomena, with rainbows appearing regularly in the sky throughout the summer.

Bird’s eye view of a rainbow over Jeffersonville, Vermont

Part Time Recreation

This summer sure has been a challenging one for outdoor recreation so far. Mother Nature has continued her persistence of heavy rain or smoke filled skies only creating small but beautiful times to enjoy all that surrounds.

When the weather does cooperate, hiking in and around Jeffersonville, Vermont provides some of the better views in northern Vermont. Smugglers’ Notch Resort provides great access to many family friendly hikes and walks conveniently located walking distance from one of their many parking areas. My partner Amy and I recently completed the Rum Runner’s Hideaway and Morse Mountain Hike (#2 on the map below) enjoying fresh, luscious green views of the valley floor as well as some of the better natural swimming in the area at Rum Runner’s Hideaway.

You can begin this fun filled journey by pulling in the Resort Entrance and parking by the Guest Service area. Once parked, head directly to base of the Village Lift and start your ascent.

1,150’ feet later.

Sweaty but all smiles :)

After you complete the ascent, it’s literally all down hill from here. For the next section, you start your descent down Midway until you reach the ultimate reward of cooling off in the unguarded natural reservoir called Rum Runner’s Hideaway while enjoying amazing and breathtaking views of Mount Mansfield, Madonna, and Sterling Mountain.

Mountain Mansfield views while you enjoy a refreshing dip. Don’t get much better!

After enjoying a dip in the fresh water, head to Curley’s Cutback to continue your descent to Meadowlark to take a casual, low elevation walk back to your starting destination by the Guest Service Area. Alternatively, you can continue down Meadowlark to the Base Lodge for some food and additional views. I was lucky enough to spot a black bear from afar and capture some video. When in doubt, keep your distance from any wildlife as well as pack out what you brought in.

Not a bad view, eh?

The view down to the Base Lodge if you decide to take Meadowlark the entire way down after visiting Rum Runner’s Hideaway.

Mr. Black Bear enjoying the greenery. I bet he’s heading to Robbie’s for some wings.

Old faithful

The Madonna I Liftline is quite the beauty, even for an old double that has seen its fair number of cold buns.

After completion, give yourself a nice PAT on the back for completing a 3.25 mile hike (if you do the full loop from Morse) with a vertical rise of 1,150’. My personal preference is to bring an adult beverage for Rum Runner’s to enjoy and then head to Stella 14 Winery afterwards for some delicious libations with amazingly, friendly staff or head to Robbie’s Wildlife Refuge for a chance to see more wildlife aka locals in their natural habitat.

Summer Weather

"Life throws challenges and every challenge comes with rainbows and lights to conquer it.” — Amit Ray

Mother Nature has been pretty rough to most folks most places as of late with record temps, floods, and smoke filled skies but also has provided some beautiful moments caught in between. I’m hoping things cool down for the better soon for everyone but feel especially lucky to live in a place where community shines to help one another out in times of hardships. Overall, the entire state of Vermont, especially local businesses, will continue to feel the aftermath of the recent floods on July 10th and 11th. Below are some helpful ways to lend a hand in these challenging times.

STATEWIDE VOLUNTEER SIGNUP:

All Vermonters can sign up to help at vermont.gov/volunteer. Volunteers will be given specific instructions about where and when they can participate.

DONATION, WEATHER, & TRAFFIC INFO:

State of Vermont Travel Update

Portugal. The Trip

A travel experience from Lisbon, Porto, the Douro Valley, and Algarve

DAY ONE

Departed Burlington, Vermont to Newark, New Jersey via United Airlines.

Burlington Airport

Flight delayed = Airport extra drink :)

New Jersey

We arrived in Newark, New Jersey with 5 minutes to spare. It appears the entire state of NJ is visiting Portugal as well with the plane delayed an hour but the flight was smooth otherwise (6 hours of total flight time with a 5-hour time difference).

Lisbon, Portugal 🇵🇹 

We arrived at the Lisbon Airport with a confusing customs exit. Once found, it was a breeze and Amy was hit on by a customs agent.

Afterwards, we took the Metro Train from the airport to downtown Lisbon. It was very easy to navigate and Amy crushed planning the logistics of the trip.

We then walked to our hotel, Mera Prime, and dropped our suitcases to head out to explore the streets of Lisbon.

Breakfast at A Padaria Portuguesa

Amy’s review was “meh” but liked that the juice matched her nails…

We walked over 23,000 steps and one NJ woman commented “There are so many uppies and downies”. Afterwards, we had pre-nap beers aka mini Sagres at Union Empanadas—tiny place but great vibes.

Sagres Mini - Mini but delicious…

A tribute to Anthony Bourdain

We walked to A Ginjinha to do cherry shots!

Thanks, Anthony for the suggestion!

After a slight buzz, we decided to leave the driving to the professionals and took the Gloria Funicular Tram to Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara. PS the tram was waiting for us just as Amy and the universe planned.

Gloria Funicular Tram to Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara

Bairro Alto Neighborhood

Went to the Alto Bairo neighborhood and saw musicians, beautiful overlooking views, and pigeons…everywhere 

Next stop El Santo for the best margarita of Pat’s life and an aperol spritz for Amy. Yummy nachos, guacamole, and queso!

HECK YA!

Quesoooo

Trekked back down the hill to take the ferry, but then pivoted and had an amazing dinner of shrimp curry, sardine pate on bread, and octopus at O Arco. Our table neighbors were from New Jersey and were a delight. We discussed each others travel plans for Portugal and traded important credit card tips. 😂

DAY TWO

Lisbon 

Strolled to breakfast and were lured to an outdoor table by a restaurant car salesman that assured us we could have breakfast food. Found a cute bakery for Pastel de Nata and it was totally worth the hype! So delicious!

Next we grabbed an Uber to the train station and hopped on board for a 3 hour ride to Porto!

Porto 

We arrived in Porto at 5pm and took a taxi right downtown to check into our hotel. We’re in a great area! First stop was for cocktails at Cafe Do Cais, but we ended up eating dinner there too. Recommend by Andrew and Meredith it was a great place on the water with awesome vibes! The tables were communal so a couple of 23 year old guys sat at our table (Ami and Nick) and we had great conversation with them for a few hours. They live in Toronto and are taking advantage of their remote jobs by traveling and working! 

We strolled along the water after dinner and were called to by the siren song of “Zombie” by the Cranberries. This led us to an amazing street performance with lots of great music. We ordered takeaway beers to enjoy while we listened. Would you believe they didn’t accept US dollars as payment?! It was a good try, Pat 😉.

After some tunes, we wandered up into the Centro Historico neighborhood where we enjoyed a few glasses of wine on a hillside sidewalk. We ended the evening a little after midnight.

DAY THREE

Porto

After some much needed beauty sleep, we started a stroll to breakfast. We quickly got distracted by a fun gift shop where we bought trinkets for our house and gifts / postcards. Back on the pursuit of breakfast, we stopped into a place in the Centro Historico neighborhood and were treated to an amazing violin performance while we ate. The guy was amazing and played so many good songs!!

After breakfast we made our way to the Dom Luis bridge. It was a big climb up with lots of stairs but was so worth it for the stunning view over the Douro River and towns of Porto and Villa Nova de Gaia!

Once across the bridge, we took the Gondola down to explore Villa Nova de Gaia. Sitting along the river was beautiful. We stopped at a wine house on the river for some beers and food. We weren’t that hungry, but needed to order food if we wanted to sit at the table. An order of octopus, olives, and cod dumplings did the trick. 

Back to the hotel for a little nap before dinner! We wandered up into the hilly neighborhoods in search of dinner and found a great Japanese place where we enjoyed sushi, Moscow mules, and red wine. It was the perfect weather for outdoor dining.

Final stop of the night was for a yummy mint chocolate chip gelato!

DAY FOUR

Porto

• Pharmacy for Pat’s allergies

• Pastel de Nata

• Breakfast at amazing small B&B 

• Train to Pinhão 

Pinhão 

Arrived in Pinhão and Amy finagled a shared taxi ride to our manor. We checked in and received welcome glasses of wine at Casa de Casel Loivos. A couple other guests were checking in at the same time as us. We were all gathered at the front door with our new skeleton keys and it felt very much like the start of Clue. A Rain shower followed by full sun made for some incredible lighting over the hills and valleys. Spent time exploring the grounds and vineyard 

At 8:00 sharp group dinner in the dining room. Amy at head of the table. So amazing getting to here stories from all the people at the table. Rod and Jeanette (our faves) from Brighton England, Linda and - from England (Amy accidentally told Linda she was English because she thought she was asking if she spoke English 😫, Lucy and Rob from Phoenix, AZ - a couple from Belgium, Debborah and Robyn from Vancouver - Debborah is in her 70s and a Harley riding crazy adventurer! Dinner was delicious and so was the wine! George locked us in the dining room to start dinner - the Clue vibes continue!

DAY FIVE

Pinhão 

Wake up for breakfast before a 10am taxi pickup with Pats allergies still in full force. Taxi took us to Wine and Soul where we met the very sweet owner, and friend of David’s, Sandra. Jose led an incredible winery tour and tasting. We shared wine and lots of laughs with the group we were tasting with. They were from London and Toronto. The wines were all so incredible. Another level. Pat says BMW of wines. We bought a white, red, and port to bring home!

Taxi picked us backup and somehow we over-tipped her €20 😂. Quadruple confirmed with Bernardo that we would not be joining for dinner this evening 😂😂. Hiked down to town through the winding vineyards. A couple of tears and a couple of raindrops fell. 

Had ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch. Pat accidentally ordered a non alcoholic beer. Whoops!

Went to the market for a couple of dinner snacks that we would later need to sneak by Bernardo so he didn’t know we were really REALLY not coming to dinner. Hiked back up the vineyards - what a workout! Pat got 11x his steps in for the day! 

Back at Casa de Casal Loivos we changed into our bathing suits and went down for a sunset dip in the pool. Bernardo brought us down a couple glasses of wine, and cool Deborah snapped photos of us jumping in. It was surprisingly warm sitting in the sun afterwards.

Warmed up with a shower then back out to the terrace with our wine from Wine and Soul, and our provisions from the town market as the sun finished setting. Playing a few games of cards in bed rounded out this amazing day

DAY SIX

Pinhao

Best day Pats ever had “sunshet to shunrise” after wine all day 😂

• Quick breakfast at Bernardo’s. Then Filip picked us up to begin our full day Douro tour! 

• First stop was Pinhão train station where we learned the history of Pinhão through the art tiles on the wall.

Next up to the town where Filip is from where we took in stunning views and learned some more history about the region

Back down the winding roads to Pinhão for our first vineyard tour and wine tasting at Croft Vineyard. The winery was beautiful and we got a cute little barrel table to ourselves.

• From there Filip drove us to lunch where Pat had pork ribs and Amy had lamb. SO darn good. We also got a carafe of wine and a fruit cup and Port cake for dessert. The wine is starting to kick in!

• The couple seated next to us were vineyard owners from Napa Valley who had been leaf peeping in Stowe. 

• Next up, a boat ride on the Duoro river! This was awesome. A little baby cup of Port wine for everyone and lots of beautiful views to enjoy.

Some more people joined our group from here and we drove up to a lookout point that was actually right next to Casa de Casal Lovois. 

We drove past the manor and one minute down the road was an olive oil museum and winery for our next stop! We made friends with Natalia, Catarina, and her daughter who were visiting from Slovenia. We shared lots of laughs.

• Our tour ended and we walked back to i the manor because we were so close. We enjoyed some wine on the back patio to take in the scenery, but not before Pat got reamed for hiding wine glasses in our room. Bernardo was ready to roof the biscuit! 😂

• Filip made dinner reservations for us then picked us up to drive us back to town. We ate at Velahdouro where Pat had the best steak of his life and Amy had amaaaaazing Sea Bream. This place was awesome! 

• We had a brief little snafu with Filip picking us up after dinner but we got to watch the moon rise over the river while we waited.

DAY SEVEN

Pinhao to Luz

• Time to pack up our bags and head to Algarve!

• A driver picked us up at the manor and drove all the windy roads out of Douro to bring us to Porto to pick up our rental car.

• We took turns driving the 5 hours south with a couple pit stops at really convenient service areas

• At 5:45 we arrived and the amazing Casa Luisandra and instantly fell in love!

There was a path that goes right from the house to the town through the hillside and by the beach (and cows). It’s about 25 mins so we walked to dinner - such a fun start to our time here!

Dinner was at ZaZu which was recommended by Marlene - awesome vibes, great food and drinks. Our waiter brought us bonus glasses of Port wine after our tiramizazu dessert

Ended the evening watching an amazing full moon rise!

DAY EIGHT

Luz

Best.Breakfast.Ever!!! Prepared by Marlene and Conny. Each day consisted of freshly squeezed OJ, a smoothie, a juice shot, and a “surprise”! What a way to start the day!

Took a little hike along the hillside coast.

Down to town to grab a few waters and Sagres and give ourselves some sunburns soaking up the rays and swimming in the chilly water. It was awesome!!

Beach side beers and lunch at Boatys Tapas Cafe. So good!

We walked back to the house for a quick rest then hurried out for a drive to Sagres to watch the sunset which we made it just in time for. And thank god because it was INCREDIBLE!! 

Dinner at Vila Vela in Sagres was so romantic. Just a really nice time.

DAY NINE

Luz

• Another beautiful breakfast by Marlene, Conny, and their son, Pelé.

• We took a short drive to Lagos to hop on the Lagos Grotto Boat Tour. We rode in and out of caves and caverns along the Ponte da Piedade coast and it was absolutely gorgeous! The other girls in our group were really nice and from US. Our tour guides Angelo and Filip were great!

After seeing Ponta da Piedade from the ocean we decided to drive up and see it from the trails high above in the cliffs. I’m so glad we did because it was breathtaking!!

• After the boat tour, we picked up our rental car to find a ding in the driver side door and only paid € 2.80 to park! 

• We then drove up to Pointe De Piedade to explore cliffs and caverns from above. It was AMAZING with lots of cool perspectives much different from the water. 

• We drove back to Luz to eat a late lunch once again at Boaty’s beachside and enjoy beers and boobies. 🙃😎

• After a late lunch, we returned home to drop off our rental car and catch one final nap before another delicious dinner at Santa Da Luz! We got scrumptious tuna tacos as a starter and then Amy enjoyed fish and chips and Pat enjoyed A cheeseburger and fries. For drinks Amy had an Island Boi and Pat had margaritas followed by delicious Portuguese home brews (pale ale and a double NEIPA). 

The cervezaaaa taste peeeculah.

We got an Uber home and Pat drank the rest of the red wine while Amy pretended to drink as well but passed out instead. 😂😉

• Then we drove to town for a small lunch back along the water at Boatys.

• Big nap before dinner!

• Uber to town for yummy dinner at Santa da Luz - recommended by Pelé. Awesome vibes, trendy restaurant. Really yummy Portuguese beers from Lisbon. They played great music all night.

DAY TEN

Luz to Lisbon

• Sound of the cattle bells in the morning .

• Left our message in the guest book.

• Pat feels like this trip brought him back into the light. Literally. Luz = Light.

• Started the 3 hour car ride back to Lisbon. 20 minutes in, Amy gets pulled over by the police. Turns out it’s a routine traffic check and everyone else is getting pulled over too. Phew! 

• Beautiful drive back, after a few turns around the rotary at the airport we were able to fill up the gas tank and return the car. No charges for the ding in the food - God is good!

• Grabbed an Uber to go to our bathroom themed hotel in Lisbon (WC boutique). Pulled ourselves together and headed out for our final night in Portugal. 

• 20 minute walk to our first craft brewery stop - Cantil. Beets were great, quail egg croquettes were meh. Almost had a great table til it was sniped by a beer chugging, cigarette smoking local, so we got the high top instead. Luckily he was out of there quickly and we got to enjoy Amy’s Spanish namesake seat.

• Next stop on our Portuguese beer crawl was Crafty Corner. This place was amazing and the vibes were incredible. Had beers and flights, and shared a pickle and cheese sandwich. We realized the only thing that would make this stop better was a game of cards while we drank. No cards at the bar so Amy took a chance and ventured across the street to a souvenir shop and found a deck for €3 ! They had photos of a lot of the destinations we visited on our trip on them!

• While playing, a couple from Germany sat at our large table and we invited them to play. Ellen and Felix were so nice and so much fun! We taught them Dayne’s card game and they picked up quickly. We explained in English, and anything Ellen wasn’t sure of, Felix explained further in German. We had great conversation with them and learned they had been traveling around in a converted camper van for the last 5 months and were finishing their trip and heading back to Hamburg. This was a real highlight of the trip to meet them! 

• Graffiti in the WC… “Take it easy - but take it”

• After a few hours at Crafty Corner we made our way to Queens Ale for our final stop. But not before Pat was asked 100 times if he wanted to buy weed and cocaine. We declined haha.

• Queens Ale was cool and the beers were really yummy. We shared a chicken empanada and played a few more games of cards.

• Uber back to the hotel for our last sleep in Portugal.

DAY ELEVEN

Lisbon to Burlington

• Packed up our bags and scrounged up some plastic bags to keep our wine and olive oil safe in our luggage for the trip home. 

• Uber to the airport was easy and we breezed through with a stop for coffee and breakfast before reaching our gate a short time before boarding.

• Made a new friend in our row on the plane - Joel had been visiting Lisbon and the Azores for the week. Had lots to talk about and shared stories of our trips. Pat connected with him about work too.

• All of Amy’s chocolate melted to liquid in her pocket in the flight home and got everywhere!!