To escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a few days, furrylittlegnome made her way home to The Green Mountain State to visit her family. North Central Vermont is covered in a fresh blanket of snow but nothing like the giant white piles furrylittlegnome would play in as a child. There is a nip in the air, and it smells like more snow is on the way.
Furrylittlegnome has already spent quality time with her niece and has even visited her favorite pizza place for a pepperoni pizza, sweet potato fries and a garden salad. Located on North Main Street, in Barre, Vermont, Mr Zs is one of the only remaining restaurants in this once booming Italian driven granite town. Further up the street, past the empty storefronts, is another furrylittlegnome favorite: Simply Subs. Here, the choices are plentiful and the price is right.
A seven minute drive brings you to Montpelier, the state capital. With its beautiful capitol building and well-maintained government buildings, you can’t help but feel the charm of America’s smallest capital city. For a steamed milk, vanilla latte or a cup of coffee, Capitol Grounds, on State Street, is furrylittlegnome’s recommendation. While waiting for your beverage, you can view art work from local artists.
Playing with the dogs. Visiting old friends. Eating comfort food. Seeing the golden dome. Furrylittlegnome believes that “absence does, indeed, make the heart grow fonder”.
furrylittlegnome 
Oh Gnome! You make me feel nostalgic!
We traveled to the old homestead stopping grounds of my FIL one year (many moons ago). Sometimes it is good to go home again. He ended up meeting some buddies of his that met at the same place for years. Only when he left for the service (WWII) he wasn’t quite done growing…and in the reunited photo he is about a head or two taller than all all the rest. Too bad about all the closings of small places. In NJ there used to be a great cheese cake place. The guy wanted to retire, sold the building but not the recipe. Weird huh? Anyway…you do make me long for a good non-grocery store bakery and an western, thin crust tomato pie! We always folded the slices too. 🙂
I’ve moved around so much, well now I consider here home just because I’ve been here the longest (over twenty years in the same place).
Most of furrylittlegnome’s hometown has changed so much over the years but her childhood home, neighborhood and beloved shops still remain. In fact, she enjoyed a Mr Zs pizza last night!