The Blue Spruce was an interesting experience. The motel itself was what I expected for the price: nothing extravagent, but sufficient. I was happy for the most part. The rooms were a little outdated and small, but again...what I paid for. I wasn't looking for anything amazing; I just wanted a place to stay. The breakfast was good and the people were nice. I had an unfortunate experience when I was there though. There were some plumbing issues: the toilet overflowed in the middle of the night onto the floor of the bathroom. Apparently someone had flushed a credit card down the toilet. So, we had to leave the room for a while and come back after things were settled. Unfortunate situation, but I would probably stay there again if I were in Middlebury for some reason.

I stayed at the Blue Spruce for a couple of days while visiting a friend in the area. It was affordable, which was my main priority, and my room was clean. This is neither a B&B nor a chain hotel, but a small individually owned roadside motel. (I think the owners live on site.) It's a rectangular building, single story, with the lobby in the middle of the building and guest rooms extending off to either side. Room doors open directly to the outside. My guess is that the building dates to the 1950s or 1960s.

I was visiting on a weekend, and things were pretty quiet for the most part. Not many guests (I assume February is not a busy time of the year). I will say that the rooms didn't seem to screen out noise all that well - I noticed the sound of traffic out front on US 7 when I woke up on Monday morning.

The owners were very pleasant and went out of their way to help me with the few requests I had. I really enjoyed talking with them. The Blue Spruce is not a posh place: some of the furnishings are worn and/or a little dated, and the owners are obviously trying to save money wherever they can (e.g., fluorescent bulbs in the lamps instead of incandescents). So business travelers accustomed to upscale accomodations will want to look elsewhere. However, I was pretty happy with the Spruce. I was surprised by the presence of wireless internet access, although I didn't have a chance to test it. There's also a computer in the lobby for guest use, which I wasn't expecting.
And there's a continental breakfast. I didn't get a chance to sample it, but it looked like the usual suspects: waffles, cereal, etc.

All in all, I was satisfied with my stay, and I would stay at the Blue Spruce again.

PROS: I stayed with my daughter on an extremely cold winter night while visiting my son at Middlebury. The price seemed fair, with breakfast included. The owners are friendly and the breakfast area was neat and clean. You could make your own waffles, or have cereal, bagels, and many types of drinks. The room was clean and cozy with a fridge and microwave. The beds were clean and comfortable and the room was warm on a zero degree night.

CONS: (Minor) The room didn't have enough electric outlets, so the fridge and microwave were unplugged. The only way to turn off the lights over the bed was to unplug them, as the "switches" were raw metal screws. (Major) Right after I checked in, I realized that a large tractor trailor cab was parked smack in front of the motel, with diesel engine running (a sound that drives me crazy over time). I asked the owner if that would be allowed all night and he indicated that the trucker (perhaps sleeping in the truck?) was a "really nice guy" and had offered to turn off the motor if "it really bothered people." I replied that it did really bother ME, went to dinner, came back and the truck was still there, engine running, perhaps at a lower rumble (I hoped). I thought it strange that a motel would charge for rooms and then let a big truck cab park right in front of all those rooms and noise-pollute. With earplugs, I went to bed, only to wake at 1AM. Now there was a second truck, within yards of my room, diesel engine running continuously. Why any motel owner would think their guests would want to listen to that all night long is a mystery to me. I can only conclude that truckers are the main priority of this motel. I was very disappointed with the owner's attitude, especially since it looks like they are trying to make the place homey.