STORY BY
BENJAMIN LERNER
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY
GREG TRULSON
An inside look at the luxurious and inviting lodge in Duxbury.
In a gorgeous meadow in Duxbury, a sumptuous, secluded lodge welcomes visitors who long to leave their cares behind and decompress in the beautiful forests of the Green Mountains. Standing on an 86-acre plot in the middle of a pristine forest clearing, Moose Meadow Lodge features four splendid guest rooms, a beautifully-designed kitchen, tastefully-decorated common areas, an enchant- ing treehouse, hiking trails, a trout pond, an outdoor fire pit, and a glass-enclosed “Sky Loft” gazebo. Moose Meadow Lodge is perfect for family vacations and romantic getaways. It can also be rented out for large gatherings, reunions, weddings, and retreats upon request.
Over the past 24 years, Moose Meadow Lodge’s owners, Willie Docto and Greg Trulson, have worked tirelessly to create a unique, fun, and memorable lodging experience for their guests. Those who come to Moose Meadow Lodge are able to enjoy modern comforts while ensconced in a rustic, stylish setting. Docto and Trulson’s tenacious commitment to superb hospitality is reflected in hundreds of glowing five-star reviews on online platforms such as TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Google Reviews, which attest to their kindness and attentive service. After finding their own little slice of heaven in the woodland foothills, they now share the magic, romance, and majesty of the Green Mountain State with all who come to visit their warm and welcoming lodge.
Docto says that visitors who come to Moose Meadow Lodge will notice that the overarching natural, earthy aesthetic is clearly evident both inside and outside of the lodge. “Even in our kitchen, you won’t see straight lines. From the cabinet boards to the dining room and kitchen floors, everything is natural. The boundary between the kitchen and dining room is not squared off. It’s a curved boundary where the two floors meet. We want to bring people closer to nature in its original form when they come here, and we don’t want anything to look like it has a manufactured feel.”
The four different rooms in the main lodge building are outfitted with themed décor pieces, which conjure memories of classic Adirondack-style lodges. In the Creel Room, the wooden walls are adorned with handwoven fishing baskets, also known as “creels,” as well as fishing rods, nostalgic prints, posters, and memorabilia. A fun and cheeky sign over the entrance to the private deck is inscribed with the following message: “An old fisherman lives here with the catch of his life.”
The king-sized bed is outfitted with plush and fluffy pillows. It is surrounded by night tables made out of twigs, which were built by Greg Trulson using wood sourced from the forest surrounding the property. “I like to make one-of-a-kind pieces,” says Trulson. “One of my woodworking teachers once told me, ‘Just step up to the tree and let it tell you what it wants to be.’ I may see a particular bend, branch or stump that has some interesting characteristics and start working with it. I never know exactly how my pieces are going to turn out until they’re finished.”
The en suite bathroom in the Creel Room is well-appointed and distinctive. It boasts a custom-built steam room and shower, a handcrafted counter with a marble sink, and a mural by the celebrated
Vermont-based artist, Dotty Kyle.
The walls of the Sled Room are lined with antique ski poles, wooden skis, photographs of ski lodges, mounted antlers, and other amusing décor elements. Wooden sleds are affixed to the INN VERMONT: Moose Meadow Lodge & Treehouse walls, and a sloped cathedral-style cedar roof hangs over a comfy king-sized bed with a wool comforter. The Sled Room’s ensuite bathroom features a steam shower, Italian tile radiant floor heating, and a private deck providing fantastic woodside views.
In the aptly-named Duck Room, a high shelf topped with wooden duck decoys runs over the doorway to the private screened-in porch. Outfitted with Adirondack-style wooden chairs, the porch is perfect for both quiet reflection and late-night socializing. Within the Duck Room’s cedar-lined walls, a king-sized bed stands on a large oriental rug underneath an exposed-beam ceiling. The petrified wood sink in the ensuite bathroom is perfectly complemented by the custom, handcrafted maple and birch vanity.
The Mountain View Room is a great option for visiting families. The walls are decorated with cheery pieces, such as miniature wooden chairs and handmade birdhouses. Guests can enjoy phenomenal views of nearby Hunger Mountain and the Worcester Range through the room’s large dormer. The Mountain View Room can also accommodate a full-sized futon, which is available for an optional third guest or two small children. The ensuite bathroom features a petrified wood sink and custom, handcrafted maple and birchbark vanity, as well as a steam shower.
Open May through October, Moose Meadow Lodge’s two-story treehouse stands separately from the main lodge. The treehouse is made out of cedar, pine, maple, black locust, and hemlock, and it is supported by two massive pine trees. It was built with 31 windows, which provide absolutely amazing views of the surrounding forest. A staircase leads from the ground to the first floor, which is
encircled by a wooden deck that overlooks the nearby fishing pond. Inside, a curved staircase leads from the main floor to the upstairs floor. The stairs are built around a purposely-placed maple tree, which also serves as the handrail for the staircase.
The treehouse’s upstairs bedroom features a custom-made queen-sized bed with pull-out storage drawers. Outside of the second-floor bedroom, a small deck offers a hammock chair and a perfect perch where guests can take in the bucolic scenery. Down on the first floor, the newly-installed bathroom is equipped with a custom-made sink made of stone harvested from the forest and a fully- functional shower. For those who wish to enjoy their delicious homemade breakfast in the comfort of their treetop nest, “Tree Service” is available upon request.
Guests with an appetite for outdoor recreation will find a vast variety of enjoyable activities on the grounds of Moose Meadow Lodge. Several miles of hiking trails snake through the woods, and the views from the Sky Loft gazebo are beyond breathtaking. “It’s a 12-sided cabin with big picture windows and a domed ceiling,” says Docto. “The views are not to be missed.”
Although Docto and Trulson have lived in several other states, they are grateful beyond measure to call Vermont their home. “I’ve enjoyed many other places that we’ve lived,” says Docto. “Still, there’s something about Vermont that’s different. When you cross the border, everything changes. Not only is the air fresher, but the food is better, the views are better, and it just feels different. We’ve been here for a long time, but we still enjoy Vermont as much as we did the day that we moved here.”
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