The confirmation note with handwritten details of our room and an entreaty to "Travel safely to us" from innkeepers Leslie and Brian Mulcahy was a hint of things to come. Once we arrived at the Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford, Vermont, on a sparkling May day, the small, sweet touches carefully calculated to make us feel warm, cozy and at home multiplied like, well... rabbits!
Leslie Mulcahy escorted my parents and me to the Top of the Tavern, our expansive room on the third floor of the 1795 Tavern Building adjacent to the 200-year-old Main House. The suite featured a Queen four-poster bed and fireplaced sitting area, which was separated by a narrow bathroom from a beautifully decorated Victorian Dressing Room with a daybed--my roost for the evening. We immediately noticed such charming details as a vintage lace gown hanging in the Dressing Room and a proliferation of flop-eared stuffed bunnies in various nooks and crannies. Each of the inn's19 rooms is individually decorated, but the one thing they have in common, besides a bunny or two or more, is the handcrafted heart pillow which serves as a dainty "Do Not Disturb" signal when hung on your doorknob and then becomes a gift to take home when you depart.
We were a bit pressed to make our 6:30 dinner reservation, so we bounded back to the Main House, where our dining experience brought its own array of delightful surprises. Bread was served with a molded "butter bunny." Fruit sorbet in a splash of champagne was presented as a crisp, tingling "Intermezzo" between the salad and main courses. And the seasonally inspired spring menu's eclectic selection of dishes featured Vermont-made and -grown products.
My mother, a poached egg fanatic, couldn't resist the Grilled Lamb Rack Chops because of their pairing with a Maple Sap-Poached Quail Egg. Dad and I opted for a special--Scallops served with Tomato Linguine with Wild Onion Cream Sauce and a side of Wild Onions and Fiddleheads. These rich and flavorful dishes rendered dessert completely unnecessary, but we simply couldn't resist the enticing selection of confections. Mom described her Dark and Milk Chocolate Trifle as "creamy, rich and delicious," and I savored every bite of my sweet, crispy Pralines with mild and velvety White Chocolate Mousse.
After dinner, we lumbered only as far as the adjacent Snooty Fox Pub in the Main House, where guests have access to a variety of games and puzzles. My mother wondered if perchance they had dominoes, as she and Dad wanted to teach me their new game, and, of course, they did. We commandeered a coffee table and played until they were tired of losing to me! Beginner's luck, I suppose.
We were truly wowed when we made our ascent back to the Top of the Tavern to find our room transformed--candles and hurricane lamps were lit and flickering, the gas fireplace cast a warm glow, the beds had been turned down and the posse of bed bunnies relocated to new perches for the evening, and the CD player broadcast the soft, relaxing strains of the harp, played by local musician Bill Tobin.
I promptly excused myself, allowing the folks to enjoy the romantic atmosphere with the intrusion of only the long-eared onlookers, and headed back to the phone room in the Main House with the laptop to send my own honey bunny a "wish you were here" email.
Next Page: Breakfast and Booking Your Relaxing Getaway
Photographs © 2002 Kim Knox Beckius, licensed to About.com, Inc.
