My husband and I began our honeymoon with two nights at Windekind farms after we got married at the beginning of October 2011. We were thrilled to find a sanctuary after the stress and chaos of the wedding. We stayed at Breidablick Cottage and found it to be cozy and homey. We were pleased that the kitchen was well stocked with utensils, pots and pans and we had several nice meals while we were there. It was also nice to have a base of operations for day excursions. It is so close to Camel's Hump and we had a great hike to the top. We were also relieved that we were able to have our dogs with us and didn't have to board them.

Our only regret is that we couldn't stay longer. We very much look forward to our next visit. It felt like home!

Windekind Farm is an absolutely lovely spot. The grounds are beautiful, the lodging comfortable, the people terrific. Mark is a very interesting gentleman with a passion for trains. See their website for the amazing "model" trains he produces. There is a resident Golden Retriever, Elsa, one of the sweetest creatures we've encountered, and as a bonus the Smiths were dogsitting a wonderfully rambunctious puppy named Birdie. There is a field on the grounds where a small herd of pregnant heifers were "summering". On our hike across the field to a nearby stream, we were accompanied by a parade of cows! All in all a wonderful place. We'll be back.

My husband and I stayed at Windekind in May of 2011 and loved every minute of it. Even though it is marketed as an “inn,” I felt as if I were visiting family. Mark and Marijke have made their corner of the world absolutely beautiful and I am so grateful they opened it up for others to share. They are nice people and very helpful about giving directions and advice about restaurants, attractions, etc. They were very respectful of privacy and even though they are constantly working on something, the farm is very quiet. Being a lifelong New Jersey resident, it is amazing to me that such beautiful places still exist. One of my favorite things about Windekind was Elsa, Mark and Marijke’s yellow Lab and official greeter. We left our dogs at home and missed them, so it was nice to have Elsa around to play with. If you leave the door ajar, Elsa will come right in.

If you’re a nature lover, Mark has created some beautiful hiking trails in the back of the farm. There is also a stream and small waterfall. My husband enjoyed hiking in the woods and exploring. During our time there, we explored Burlington, Waterbury, Vergennes and Shelburne. I loved the shopping and we both enjoyed the restaurants we found.

Windekind is remote and feels “out there” but it is only about a 30 minute drive to Burlington and about 20 minutes to other towns such as Waterbury.
We rented the Studio, which was very well maintained and clean. The bed was comfortable and the rest of the furniture was comfortable. They also have DirectTV, which was a nice bonus and Wi-Fi internet service. My husband also enjoyed the Keurig coffee maker. The shower is in an old claw foot tub and the curtain is a little cumbersome at times, but it’s all part of the experience. We checked out the cottage as well and it looked beautiful. When we return, we plan on renting the cottage.

My husband and I definitely plan on returning to Windekind in the future. If you are looking for a place to truly disconnect and go off the grid, then this is the place for you. I have a high stress job and wanted to go somewhere where I could simply just sit and read a book. Mission accomplished! I would not recommend Windekind to people who are not completely comfortable with being in the woods because it is definitely off the beaten path on an unpaved road. There are no streetlights, no Chinese food delivery and no people other than Mark and his family. I personally cannot wait to return!

A few tips if you do go….

1) There is NO cell service until you drive out of Huntington. I have Verizon and couldn’t get any signal until we went a few miles down the road, but that wasn’t a bad thing. Both the Studio and Cottage have phones with local service only, so make sure you pick up a calling card if you want to make long distance calls. Mark has outfitted the farm with Wi-Fi, so you can access the internet from your laptop or IPad.

2) The kitchen is well stocked with the basics, but make sure you stock up on things you want to eat and snack on. There is a great little general store right down the road called Beaudry’s, but they’re a little pricey. They sell the basics and do carry a good selection of wine and frozen American Flatbread pizzas. Also bring things you wouldn’t normally think of like paper towels and tissues. Bring K-cups for the Keurig also if you like coffee. We brought some items from home and picked up some odds and ends from Beaudry’s and from Shaw’s in South Burlington. The closest large supermarket from what I saw online was the Shaw’s in Waterbury. There is also a great natural foods store in Waterbury called Sunshine Natural Foods. I wish every day Sunshine was in my town!

Dan and Jen :-)

In 2009, I posted a review entitled "Windekind is like the old familiar sweater you pull out of the draw each fall...” Since this posting, we have returned again and again to Windekind, and I can say nothing has changed about our love for this place.

Each visit unfolds something new. Our visits typically coincide with the end of summer and beginning of fall. However, life events provided us with an opportunity for a second trip in 2010, and we found ourselves back at Windekind in December. And for the first time, we stayed in Breidablick.

After many reassurances from Mark and Marijke, for these two Virginians, any concerns about getting to Windekind with two feet of snow on the ground were settled. The road was snow-covered but clear all the way to Breidablick, and we made many treks in and out of the farm to Sleepy Hollow and to our favorite restaurants (especially Bobcat Cafe in Bristol) during our stay.

As I mentioned in the first review, we believed the star-gazing was unsurpassed in the fall; however, on the clear, Decembers nights, we were treated to a showing we've never witnessed. We walked in the evenings, with just the reflection of the snow, and listened to a peace and quiet we've never experienced.

We brought our XC skis and enjoyed the ever expanding trail system of Windekind and Camel's Hump XC Ski Association (I think I got that right!). It's a real treat to step out your door and into your skis for a pre-breakfast ski.

Our stay at Breidablick was on par with the Studio - all the essentials we needed to cook and relax are there. We were comfortable - or downright toasty, with the high-efficiency wood stove that kept the cottage heated while we were off having our adventures. We love both the Studio and Breidablick for their architectural features - the interior lines of the walls and ceilings, the molding, the ironworks, and the layout are given the utmost aesthetic consideration.

We'll be returning again in a month or so for our seventh stay on the farm, and we'll be back in the Studio. We're looking forward to seeing Mark & Marijke and receiving the latest recommendations for things to explore. I am ever grateful to Mark & Marijke for opening up their farm and sharing this gem with the rest of us. It's a real gift.