Antiques are ubiquitous in New England – Chester & Bennington, Vermont are among two of the top ten antiques towns in New England, says New England Today Travel. Both are about an hour from Pond Mountain Inn! Additionally, The Vermont Antique Mall in Quechee Gorge and the Drury House in Weston, Vermont are perennial favorites. Details of each are on our website – Things to Do.
One of our favorite pastimes is antiquing, which is how the inn is filled with so many interesting things; a less sophisticated way of saying Objets d’art. One of our recent finds was this Nantucket Lightship Basket Purse – vintage yes, antique no. I fell in love with Nantucket Baskets on the island in the mid-1980s and vowed one day to own one, but not necessarily a purse! These baskets are steeped in New England history, which is, perhaps, why I found them so fascinating. These baskets date back to the early 1800s – it is widely thought the finest examples were made between 1870–1890.
Driving the back roads of Vermont is the best way of stumbling upon interesting things – we always find ourselves heading somewhere only to stop a few times along the way. This happened recently where I had to have a Vintage Maple Sap Bucket that dated back to the 1950s. Of course, it had to be accompanied by a 1930s cast iron tap… silly, perhaps, but just great fun!
See more exciting places to visit with our Inspiring Day Trips & Unique Itineraries
Pond Mountain Inn 