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| Dartmouth College. |
New England. The very words bring to mind steeples, leaves, and the Kennedy's. Old money families and seersuckers. This is what I expected when K and I spent three days in rural New England this July. I found New England both to be exactly this and completely the opposite... it surprised and delighted me in the few days I was there and I can't wait to go back (hopefully when it isn't so freaking hot, how do all those people live with that humidity!) Oh yeah, and unlike all other trips we have taken, this one was for more than just pleasure. It was to see K's younger sister ("KE") get married!!
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| Bartlett for America!!! |
K and I wanted to savor all the Americana we could and vowed to visit a couple small towns in both New Hampshire and Vermont. Our first stop (right after getting off a red eye) was Manchester, New Hampshire. We had plans to wander around the town and see the capital and then have a nice lunch. That didn't really happen. Instead we we strolled around for five whole minutes (and took some very important #jedbartlett hastagged instagrams). We were both so tired from the red eye that we admitted defeat and headed to a late breakfast before heading up to Vermont.
The neighboring towns of Hanover, New Hampshire and Norwich, Vermont got more attention from us. Hanover is like Main Street USA in Disneyland, with its J. Crew wearing townspeople and perfectly manicured Ivy League Campus of Dartmouth College anchoring it. The campus at Darmouth is idyllic and we got a tour from alumni, KE! It was awesome to walk around and admire the beautiful old buildings, a cemetery and visit the old library. K and I had two lovely meals in this gorgeous, if slightly bougie town (which means I love it) and could have spent even more time relaxing in this little almost too perfect, David Lynchian perfect place. We went to The Market Table for a pre wedding brunch (and mimosas, duh). The Market Table is kind of place I love to discover when traveling: bright, airy, and modern, with fresh, local food (and, just as importantly, a liquor license). We also went to a basement tapas restaurant after the wedding for little snacks and more cocktails. Norwich was even sweeter, just a few blocks of old churches, a town hall, a hotel, and a few shops and restaurants: they were even having the most charming, most charming weekend summer fair that I had ever seen, pure Americana: carnival games, rides and junk food!
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| Seriously. Is this real life?? |
Southern Vermont and New Hampshire can really only be described with superlatives about how lush, verdant, and fecund it is. Rolling hills, pastoral fields, and magical forests are the norm. And KE's home and the surrounding area was no exception. She and her husband live on what I, with my limited rural vocabulary, would call a farm, although it technically isn't as there aren't crops or livestock. They live in a charming cabin-style home on a huge plot of land, replete with a pond and vegetable garden. I couldn't stop taking pictures and exclaiming how beautiful and green and untouched the landscape was (you'd think I wasn't from the Evergreen State!) After helping (and by helping, I mean I took pictures and K took a work call) them put up the tent for the wedding the next day, K and I and headed back to the hotel for pre-funk cocktails, and we later atteneded a lovely rehearsal dinner at KE's in-laws (where again I gawked at the greenery and wore completely unsensible shoes for the second time that day.) KE's friends and in-laws were so welcoming and friendly to us, and I loved getting to spend the evening talking to her and her fiancee ("E") and see a little slice of their lives. K and I felt completely at ease as afternoon flowed into evening and we headed back in the darkest dark I had ever seen to our hotel (why the hell are there no street lights on the freeway??).
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| This is where KE lives. Pond and barn and all! |
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A wedding is always a lovely and joyous occasion, but even more so when it is someone close to your or your family. KE and E had a short but heartfelt ceremony, during which she wore her Mom's wedding dress altered from the typical 80's style to become a short, adorable dress, perfect for the rustic, sunny day. The mix of guests was refreshing, fun and eclectic: you had the formal bridesmaids, the guy in a kilt, people in jeans and suits and everything in between. There was even a couple of people channeling my East Coast preppy fantasy, who K and I nicknamed Chet and Brock! I, of course, dressed flashy and nouveau riche, as Simon Doonan would say, but what was so great was the come-as-you-are attitude of everyone there; it didn't matter if you were in a suit or a cowboy hat, everyone was there to have fun and celebrate the happy couple. It was romantic, silly, and a truly low key day. KE was the happiest and most stress-free bride I have ever seen and her happiness radiated throughout her whole family. We celebrated with BBQ, salads, and a whole roasted pig (!), not to mention some killer sangria. K's grandma sat at our table like a regular Joan Crawford, with huge sunglasses and wearing all black. She only drinks sparkling wine and had a special bottle all for herself which she didn't want to share with anyone! Readers, I wanted to get a picture for you, but I couldn't figure out how to get it without her knowing. She was fabulous and basically my idol. After a long, leisurely afternoon (once people started jumping in the pond, I knew it was time for us to go before K did the same thing in his suit… he did have a lot of beer!). K and I headed back to Hanover for a late dinner at the above mentioned tapas bar before crashing at the hotel (and discovering Hollywood Game Night, the best show to watch while drinking EVER!).
I am already planning my outfits (think New England prep meets Jackie Kennedy meets English countryside realness) for a future trip to see the landscape turned orange and red in the fall. I can't wait.
Julie
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