Issues → November 2006 → Home & Garden →

House For Sale: Albany, Vermont

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(page 2 of 2)

We walked back out to the kitchen, through the dining room with a bathroom directly off it (what a good idea!), and then proceeded through another sitting area out to what Judy called "the deal-maker room," a long screened-in porch that she said convinced her 16 years ago that this farm would be their next home.

Upstairs we saw four good-size bedrooms with wall-to-wall carpeting, several bathrooms, Bill's office, and then, at the bottom of the back stairs, Judy's office near the garage.

The highlights of the conference center building are a spectacular 50-foot indoor swimming pool and a large gym-like room filled with exercise equipment. There's also a sauna, a hot tub, a nice meeting room (set up for a yoga class the morning we visited), and men's and women's dressing rooms and baths.

The last stop on our tour was the cement-floored barn with no fewer than 14 horse stalls. Only one of these was occupied, however -- by a friendly horse named Rocky. A number of barn cats were skittering about.

As we prepared to leave, we wanted to know why Bill and Judy had decided to sell.

"At our age, it's getting to be a bit much for us," Bill explained. "Besides," Judy added, "we've always changed our lives every 15 years -- and we're a year overdue." They'll stay in the Northeast Kingdom, just in a smaller place -- and at a slower pace.

After saying our good-byes, we barely beat two of the geese to our car. (They surely were dedicated "guard birds.") Fifteen minutes later we were enjoying a bowl of beef and bean soup at one of the two general stores in the picturesque village of Craftsbury, just south of Albany. The well-regarded Inn on the Common is actually located a bit beyond the common there and is where CoachWorks Farm clientele stay. We've been told it has an excellent restaurant (by reservation only, however).

Shortly thereafter we headed over to St. Johnsbury on Routes 15 and 2 and then south on the interstate. As we admired the glorious New England scenery whizzing by on both sides, we couldn't seem to think of anything but a certain patriotic tune. And, you know, wonderful as it is, a little of "Yankee Doodle" goes a long way.