Have you ever looked at a postcard of a homestead or small Americana town and wonder what it must be like to see such places for yourself? Wondered if these places still exist in so pristine a state, free of time’s changes and degradations? If so, you need to drive through the Vermont countryside. It is full of small, seemingly self-contained communities, none of which contained a Wal-Mart Supercenter or Kroger. The groceries there were found in farmers’ markets and specialty shops, which were apparently supplied by the farm homesteads that lay among the hills. Yes, this state has charm! Of course, pictures never do these things justice, but here are a few anyways.
We were overtaken by this charm as we made our way from Springfield, MA, to Jamaica State Park…in Vermont. No dreadlocks, fun accents, or bongos were to be found. The park, surprisingly, wasn’t much to write home about. Actually, we were in tight quarters with tiny campsites and drunk neighbors; but we did survive the one night that we spent there and it was very cheap. Besides, the day ahead of us promised fun and our spirits were not to be daunted.
We started with a trip to the Grafton Village Cheese Company. There were trays of cheese samples lining the counters with other complimenting items (crackers, jams, things like that). They ended up being our breakfast. The cheese that we both liked best was the Four Star/Four Year Vermont Cheddar. We bought a brick of the cheese and a loaf of local artisan bread…olive and rosemary, my favorite!
Our spoils were taken to Coolidge State Forest for a little hike and picnic. We found a trail with the word “vista” in its name, so assumed a nice view must be ahead. A mile uphill later, we came to the summit. The view wasn’t the breathtaking spectacle that we had expected, but still pretty…and the hike had us ready for that cheese!
Following our picnic, we drove by the Calvin Coolidge State Historical Site. We didn’t go in, but I think this is where President Coolidge was sworn in after his predecessor died. Don’t quote me on that, though! We also passed his grave site on the way out. I was surprised by how unassuming the headstone is. I wouldn’t have known it was his if not for the Presidential Seal atop.
One of the sites recommended us by our Eye Witness to New England book was the Woodstock Farmers Market. Bilbo and I are both big fans of farmers markets and buying local so, naturally, we had to check it out. Some fruits and veggies, a new loaf of bread, and deep fried chili peppers made their way into our basket and we left happy!
Next stop was the first of our New England brewery tours, Long Trail Brewery. It is named after a trail that follows a portion of the Appalachian Trail, part of which is in this area of Vermont, and terminates in Canada. Before the tour, which consisted of standing on a platform over their tanks and reading a sign, Bilbo had the sampler and I enjoyed a Diet Pepsi…because they didn’t have Diet Coke. Bilbo thought the beer was average, I didn’t have an opinion because I don’t like beer, and we both enjoyed the atmosphere.
One wall had a map of the US covered with push pins. The addition of a push pin in your hometown was encouraged, so Bilbo made sure to represent WV! Can you see the dense blob of pins in the New England states?
Speaking of the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail, that was our next mini-adventure. We loaded up our packs and hiked a small section of the LT/AT through beautiful scenes until we came to the shelter area. Now, when you hear shelter area what comes to mind? If it is anything involving shelter, you are wrong! It was just an area with a few flat spots for tents, a stream, and an outhouse. That’s it. We met a man who is hiking the LT from Massachusetts to Canada. He was a Vermont resident and gave us some insight into other activities that we should do. Very nice guy! After setting up our site, we finished off our cheese and bread, sharing some with our new friend.
When our night in the wild was over, we downed some granola bars and hiked back out to the car. Lucky for us, the hike out was all down hill. YAY! There were just a couple of things left to do in VT, so we hurried up, changed clothes, and reloaded into the car…wishing for a shower.
High on a hill in VT sets the Trapp Family Lodge, our next site to see. This lodge, now a resort, is located where the Trapp family (the real singing sensations who inspired the Sound of Music) fled during World War II. To be honest, I’m not sure if any of the existing structure is original or if all has been rebuilt. Either way, the lodge is lovely and the views—I’m sure that these are originals—are breathtaking. We only did a drive-by, so no pictures from inside.
From the Trapp Family Lodge, we bee-lined to…ICE CREAM! The Ben and Jerry’s Factory tour to be exact. The factory is located in Waterbury, VT, and offers a behind the scenes look at how the company was formed, how the ice cream is made, and wraps it all up with a free sample. Did you know that Ben and Jerry’s goal is to use 100% Fair Trade products within the next five years? I had no idea that they were so socially and environmentally focused. I used to be a fan for the flavors alone, but now I love them for their principles! By the way, the sample flavor of the day was American Dream Cone.
From that dairy haven, we continued our progress towards Maine. The last stop on our way was the town of Burlington, home of the University of Vermont (That’s some of it in the first two pictures below). A quick drive through and we were out of there. Mostly because it was a cool rainy day and neither of us felt like getting out of the car. The cherry on top was a pass through the covered bridge below. Bilbo had been so excited about the covered bridges and was hoping to drive through one before we left Vermont.
By the end of the day we had made our destination in Maine—Acadia National Park. I know you’re excited to hear about that, but you’ll have to wait for the next entry. Here’s a little spoiler: it has been our favorite location thus far! Until next time…
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