Traveling through North America in mid October has two main bonuses – pumpkins and Halloween displays scattered throughout towns and neighbourhoods, and Autumn leaves wherever you go. One of the best locations for Autumn foliage is New England, which is where we were heading next.

Vermont is probably the prettiest of all the State’s we drove through. Our first stop was in the town of Shelburne and the store is The Christmas Loft. As we headed into town we came across the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory so made a quick detour. The teddy bears made in this factory are your traditional style with legs and arms that move and reminded me of the bear my Nana use to have at her home. Great stop for bear lovers.

Then onto The Christmas Loft. The Christmas Loft has a large range of themed trees and decorations, as well as a range of collectibles including Karen Dideon Originals which I hadn’t come across before but really enjoyed.

What is very special about The Christmas Loft is their Christmas Tree display. Creating a fairy lit forest, the Christmas trees sit surrounded by facades of old style shops, each complete with a beautiful Christmas display. This display was definitely one of the “wow” moments on the trip.

Now, I have to admit the next stop has nothing to do with Christmas but it is a Vermont institution. Ben & Jerry’s factory was 10 minutes down the road and there was no way we were missing it. (My husband loves ice-cream). Amazing how many people make the pilgrimage and enjoy the factory tour as well as a cone of B&J’s best. While we didn’t have time for the tour it was still a great little stop, with a terrific range of facts and info about the development of the business over the last 20 years. What a nice way to finish the day!