Tag Archive for: Burlington VT

Yesterday was a day we devoted to food in Vermont.

One of the many fun things to do on a road trip is to sample the local fare.

Of course, my mother and I are happy to participate in this.

We had heard that Al’s Famous French Fries had the world’s best fries, so we decided to try them for ourselves…

world's best fries

They sell them by the quart, but we decided to settle for 1 cup of fries each.  This was our lunch.

We then headed up the road to our next destination.

Guess where this path leads to?

Ben & Jerry's factory

In our pursuit to taste the local fare, we felt it was our responsibility to visit Ben & Jerry’s factory.

Ben & Jerry's factory
Ben & Jerry's factory

Have you ever wondered what the most popular flavors are?

Ben & Jerry's factory

We both decided to try ‘Bonnaroo Buzz’ which is coffee and malt ice cream mixed with whiskey caramel and chocolate toffee pieces that were huge.

Our verdict?

Delicious!!!

Now, it was time for our next destination…

Cold Hollow Cider Mill

 Cold Hollow Cider Mill

We learned how apple cider was made and then we sampled some for ourselves.

apple cider

Then we noticed the apple cider donuts…

cider donuts

They even ship their donuts straight to your address.

cider donuts

Believe it or not, we didn’t buy any.

We were too full after eating french fries, ice cream and apple cider.

Just in case you thought all we did was eat yesterday, we did squeeze some other activities in…

We visited the village of Waitsfield and found some great shopping.

We crossed the covered bridge that was built in 1833.

wonderful, unique

Then we stopped by a shop, owned by a very wonderful, unique and eccentric woman.

Road Trip

As we entered the store, we saw her painting some of the items that she sold.

She took us around the shop personally and showed us the hand-painted Christmas ornaments.

ornaments

She had all kinds of ornaments, but her favorite were those of the local birds that she made.

I must admit that when I first saw them, I wasn’t crazy about them.  But after spending some time with her and hearing her passion, I couldn’t wait to buy one.

She signed the back and boxed it so nicely.  I will always remember her wonderful smile and my visit to her store whenever I hang it from our Christmas tree.

While visiting with her, we noticed the shop cat…

Maude

I think that ‘shop cats’ give a store more personality.

We learned that this cat’s name was “Maude” and she had an interesting story…

She was found at the doorstep of the store a few years ago on December 26th on a morning when it was -13 degrees.

The cat was not doing well and the owner posted notices around town about the cat to see if the owner could be found.

However, no one came forward and after $256 in vet bills, she decided the cat belonged to the store.

Maude

“Maude” made herself at home, sitting on top of the painted bird ornaments.

She was really a very beautiful and friendly cat.

As we left the store, the owner sat outside on the porch and bade us “goodbye”.

We spent our evening walking up and down Burlington’s Church Avenue and all it’s restaurants and shops.

Road Trip

We had a fabulous day!

Come back for our last stop and see what special friends we made.

In just a few days, I will be boarding a plane with my mother as we embark on our second road trip together.

Last year, we toured the Midwest.  We started in Holland, Michigan and ended up in Springfield, Missouri. On the way, we visited Indiana, Illinois and Kansas.

Visiting Lincoln's tomb in Springfield, Illinois

Visiting Lincoln’s tomb in Springfield, Illinois

Our goal for road trips is to avoid major highways and take smaller highways.  The reason is that major highways are often screened on the sides with walls or trees and you don’t get to see the surrounding area.

My mother and I have road trips planned for the next few years – each one focused on a geographical area of the United States.

So this year, we are traveling to the……

Northeast!

 

geographical area

We will fly into Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday and will end up in Kennebunkport, Maine at the end of our journey.

On the way, we will visit:

Amish Country in Ohio

Washington, PA (just outside of Pittsburgh)

Niagara Falls, Canada

Geneva, NY

Potsdam, NY

Burlington, VT

and

Kennebunkport, ME

Although I have visited the Northeast before, my visits were usually confined to the coastal cities.  So, I am very excited to see all of these places.

Have any of you traveled to these areas?

Or maybe you live nearby?

What do you recommend we do?

**********************

I will be bringing my laptop and camera along with me and will be blogging from the road.

I hope you’ll join me 🙂

Road Trip: Day 1