Yesterday The Girl and I headed to Norwich, Vermont to have lunch at the King Arthur Flour Cafe, and because of all your recommendations, decided to check out Dan and Whit’s General Store while we were in town.
Dan and Whit’s motto is “If we don’t have it, you don’t need it” and after about 20 minutes wandering around the store, we believe it!
Since moving to the east coast last year, one of my favorite things to do is visit general stores. I grew up on the west coast, and we just didn’t have stores like this around when I was a kid {well, at least not where I grew up anyway}.
And so while stores that carry a little bit of everything, might be just a normal part of the landscape to someone who grew up in this part of the country, to my family, spotting a general store alongside the road is reason enough to make a u-turn and go check it out. 😉
Dan and Whit’s was one of the larger general stores we’ve visited since we’ve been here {Hussey’s being the biggest so far}.
Dan and Whit’s has everything from fresh produce, to a meat counter to everything you’d find in a regular grocery store. Beans and weenies included.
They even stock fresh baked loaves of bread from King Arthur Flour {which just happens to be a mile away from the store}.
There are items from local, small batch granola…
To a tool section that still sells SINGLE nails and screws!
I don’t even know what plumbers candles are, and honestly they look like something my grandfather would have had in his garage like 50 years ago…. But they have them at Dan and Whit’s. And I absolutely love the fact that you can walk in and just buy one if that’s all you need.
How many people do you think are walking around looking for a giant bag of gold sealing wax these days?
Darn Tough Socks…. Oh my word. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever imagine I’d be the kind of person who paid $20 for a pair of socks. But since moving to New England, and having to walk around outside in freezing temps for months on end…. There is no other sock on the planet I would want to wear in the wintertime around here.
As a Christmas gift to each other, the HH and I invested in several pairs of Darn Tough Socks this past winter and our feet have never been happier. I love the fact that Dan and Whit’s carries so many local Vermont products in their store. It’s refreshing.
They even have a toy section!
Seriously, why would anyone go to Walmart when you can get everything you need at Dan and Whit’s? If I lived closer, Dan and Whit’s would be our go to store.
Did I mention the store has been around for over 100 years? My guess is the J. and P. Coats spool cabinet has been in the store a while. 😉
Who knew Dan and Whit’s was a hot spot for hookers? I’ve never ONCE seen a rug hook in a regular craft store like Michael’s or Joann Fabrics. Yet…. they’ve got them!
New England’s General Stores …. I need this!
Dan and Whit’s General Store, it seriously DOES have everything!
So the next time you find yourself near Norwich, Vermont, be sure and pop in for that item you didn’t know you needed until you found it at Dan and Whit’s. You’ll be so glad you did. 🙂
Have a wonderful weekend everyone,
~Mavis
Dan & Whit’s General Store
319 Main St, Norwich, VT 05055
MRs. C. says
Darn TOUgh socks are the BEST. I put them on my Christmas wish list the last couple years and was happy to get them!
Mim says
So glad you got to Dan & Whit’s. It ain’t beautiful, but it’s the real thing! And yes, Darn Tough socks are the best. I actually brought all my other socks to the thrift shop because once I tried Darn Tough, I won’t wear anything else.
Mary says
Darn Tough socks rock! Any issues they take them back and send you a replacement. Best for hiking!
Cindi says
I had to look up plumber’s candles. Here is what I found:
What is a plumbers candle?
A plumbers candle is a pure paraffin candle.
What is a plumbers candle for?
A plumbers candle is an old method of dripping candle wax on a cloth as a protective barrier when using molten lead to connect lead pipes.
suzanne says
Thank you! I was hoping someone would know or google it.
Jeannine says
First off, I should say I am a west coast girl. Raised/live in Oregon and have never been to the east coast. That said, I notice that on your date days with the HH, you are going all over the place – Vermont, Maine, NH, Mass, etc. Are you driving long distances on these day trips? I see that all the New England states are small…but how small? I am use to it taking > 5 hours to get from one side of the state to another.
Susan says
Jeannine, I’ll chime in here. I live about 15 miles north of Boston. I can drive through NH and be to Southern Maine in less than an hour. I can drive south to Providence, RI, in about an hour. I can drive to NYC in less than 4 hours, or to Vermont in 2 hours. That said, it would take more than 6 hours to get to Northern Maine. But, yes, these states are pretty close (just don’t bring up traffic!).
Mary Ann says
The beauty of Darn Tough socks is that they’re guaranteed for life (it’s why they’re so expensive). You do have to pay to mail them back to the company, but then they send you out a new pair. They’re super popular hikers/backpackers. It’s all my husband wears these days.
Susie Janov says
No wedding dresses and shotguns???
Mavis Butterfield says
I didn’t see any. 😉
dj_1973 says
That’s in Maine: http://husseysgeneralstore.com/
Nikki says
Darn Tough socks are amazing and they last forever. When they do finally get a hole, which may take years, Darn Tough will replace them free of charge because they have a lifetime warranty!
Leah says
You might enjoy the questionably named (but fun to visit) Big Papa’s in Littleton. http://www.bigpapasnh.com/specials
They do case specials, so you could get your canning on early 🙂
Jane Hebert says
I need to get some of those socks. Thanks for sharing your visit to the general store. I want that old embroidery floss cabinet. 🙂
Have a great weekend, Janie
susan says
Adding my voice to the Darn Tough chorus — they are the best and totally worth the investment.
Linda Sand says
It’s not a general store but we still have an old hardware store where, if you tell them your problem, they will help you figure out what hardware pieces you can put together to make a solution. And they cut keys and metal tubes. And…
Holly Burnham says
Mavis….. A must on happy you stopped at Dan and Whits! It is a great resource in our area, well, add Kind Arthur to that and you have enjoyed a little piece of my Heaven.
Kerri Adams says
Ted Reinstein who co-authored the New England Country Stores book is a great speaker. He came to our library to speaker right after you talked about your goal for visiting your beloved country stores.
As a side note, did you know they opened more Tattes cafes in Boston. One in every neighborhood was owner’s goal! 🙂
Heather says
There is a Darn Tough factory sock sale every fall at their plant in Norwich VT.
Mavis Butterfield says
Thank you!!!!!
Angel Pitts says
I gotta say….I’ve been following your blog for some years now and one of the BEST things about it besides the AWESOME tips is that you put in stuff about oddities like plumbers candles….many times you mention something and I’m not familiar so I will look it up…I LOVE it….soooooo informative and educational…..plus super well written and entertaining…..❤️❤️❤️❤️
Kat says
So, I’m wondering if you’ve heard of the Cabot Hosiery sock sale yet?? Second and third weekends in November, at the Cabot warehouse in Northfield, VT. Darn Tough socks at wicked prices. Most people walk out with huge bags full. And then, there’s the dollar table – not darn tough, but I have socks fro the dollar table I got years ago and are still in great shape and comfortable. Get there two hours early. The line to get in is looooooooong….but worth it. Hope to see you there in November!
Jen says
I went to summer camp not far from Norwich VT and now my kids go to that camp…. Every year when we trek to VT we always pop into Dan and Whits and find a whole lot of stuff we never ever realized we needed!!!
There is another store similar in Fairlee, VT (or there used to be) but I don’t remember the name…. Martin’s maybe?
Lisa Johnson says
You know what’s amazing? I can tell by your pics that you didn’t even find the back rooms… this is all stuff that is in the “front” part of the store… behind where the nails are, and behind the deli, there are three more rooms! The portion you were in is only about 1/3 of the store size. Well, actually, about 1/4, because there’s the upstairs too!
So much more stuff… all the garden supplies, grills, tarps, camping gear, fire pits, boots, shoes, Carhartt clothing, seeds, pet food, farm supplies… it’s nearly endless 🙂
Next time you get to Dan & Whit’s, be sure to go behind the deli!