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If you are willing to pay for perfection (and drive 4-5 hours north of NYC), then you must go to Twin Farms in Vermont. Located outside of Barnard (a very small town with a great General Store), about 10 miles north of Woodstock (a small town with some great antique stores and incredible historical homes), Twin Farms defines luxury. We chose a cold winter weekend in February to see how much warmth Twin Farms could generate. The "farm" consists of about 9 "cottages", 4 rooms in the main house, two rooms in the lodge, a pub, and a spa/gym. Twin Farms is very expensive, but all food, wine, booze, snacks, and activities are included.
We stayed in the Washington Room in the main house, situated just next to the Game Room. In this patriotic suite filled with antiques, there were two nice-sized rooms, two fireplaces and a very large bathroom with an antique tub and a massive shower. The room was fantastic:
There was a beautifully stocked bar in the main house that you could pretty much help yourself to at any time. The official cocktail hour would start at 7:00 followed by dinner at 8:00. Most ate in the main dining room while others dined downstairs in the wine cellar (we did not, but I would like to try it next time!) The food was world-class...I especially liked the braised oxtail served on a crouton bathing in garlic jus. Before you arrive at the farm, you complete a detailed questionnaire regarding your likes/dislikes and your meals are prepared accordingly. Wines are expertly selected to match the course. Make sure to sample the cheese plate, either after dinner or for an afternoon snack in front of the fireplace in your room! Breakfast, however, was my favorite. Each morning I had a choice of many things to go with my eggs or pancakes with Vermont maple syrup: homemade chicken sausages, Kentucky smoked pork sausages, Irish white pudding, Irish black pudding, bangers, corned beef hash (unreal!), salmon & haddock hash, kippers, applewood smoked bacon and Irish bacon. They were especially happy to serve me a sampler plate of all the choices each morning! There were many things to do in the winter. The farm has its own ski mountain with about 4 or 5 runs. With a maximum of 30 guests, there was never a lift line! We enjoyed our one horse open sleigh ride around the property with hot mulled cider. But we spent most of our time preparing for the next meal by snowshoeing all over the trails on the mountain:
After 2-3 hours of trekking around the mountain, you really have two options: relax in the pub with a full bar, pool table, dartboard, and one of the most comprehensive beer bottle collections in the world. Or, hit the spa. If you want a massage, they will come to your room and set up in front of a crackling fire. And then you can go to the pub! I give Twin Farms my highest recommendation and plan to return on a regular basis!
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