Wendy's trip log: March 2024

Vermont

Sept. 27-29th 2022

DAY 1:

I was fortunate to spend another fall weekend in Vermont with Tulip Travel this year. There does not seem to be a better place to see the season with the mountains, and the changes in the leaves. I think we were a little early this year as the leaves were not as colorful as expected, but the area is absolutely beautiful.

We had left NY and headed off to the Vermont mountains, I snapped pictures of nature as we drove along.

The clouds created a small escape for the sun behind creating an amazing contrast in the sky.

This picture sums up the states name; Ver- French for green, and mont mountain.

Looming dark clouds gave signs of breaking into buckets of rain, but the rain never came.

Not that rain has ever stopped us before, but it has certainly slowed us down. Today, perhaps the rain may not be an issue, but we did intend to have other days in the outside. Today, was mostly spent in transit as we drove along, making only stops for bathroom breaks and lunch. Once we were near our hotel, we did a quick check in and ventured back out.

Our plan was to go to some of the local county stores. I love these kind of places. Everything you could think of when you think old country store. The prices however, yeah they are not so old country. I have for years wanted to buy for myself one of those thick cumfy Aran turtleneck sweater you always see in stores like this. Those sweaters you might see at stands during an Irish Festival. Woven and thick, most are white or whiteish. They look so warm and snuggly. I was aware that these may cost a bit, but was blown away by the $170- price tag. A colorful pair of Vermont Mittens (which would look lovely together btw) at the low price of $49- had me searching for items that may be closer to my price range. How about old fashion candy?

Well, no.....the prices on these were just as crazy. It's CANDY folks. I know I may sound like a cheep skate, but I always do try and live on a budget.

I know that I often contradict my theory on budget. Yes, I will drop $100- into a slot machine or have purchased toys (Legos/Disney items/ video games) for my Adult children at price tags that are sickening, but in the same few moments gawk at the $2.59 price on a dozen eggs. I will also inform everyone who will listen, the audacity to have to purchase eggs at such a price. Conflicting I know, but yet here I am. You can bet, a $3-$5 piece of candy is not coming home with me.

We left this well known Vermont Country store and headed off to an activity, closer to my cheap heart....(FREE.)

A stroll over a covered bridge.

Originally this was the Victorian Village Bridge, (which has been rebuilt and moved to this location) why it, and many like it were called a kissing bridge was due to the intended kissing that may ensure when a young ladies escorts horse suddenly stops underneath.

No one to stop and kiss, I guess I will just get a selfie. Although synonymous when we think of Vermont; Vermont is not home to the most covered bridges, nor can it claim to having the oldest covered bridge. Both titles happen to go to the state of Pennsylvania. Regardless, just why do people seek out these old barn like structures for a picture, a drive or a casual stroll over? I'm guessing it's for the Nostalgia. These iconic structures represent a day gone by, perhaps a time of simpler things. A time when stealing a kiss under the "covers" was the highlight of the date. It makes the ordinary seem romantic and charming. These bridges were of course not covered for a gentleman to steal a kiss, but rather for a more purposeful reason, to protect the wooden road beneath from the weather.

Further along after the bridge is an old mill. So fitting into the landscape.

This one is clearly not in use. Most mills were used to process grains. The mills would use water power to turn large stone rollers which would ground the grain into flour.

We had dinner at 99 Restaurant. I had only just been introduced to this franchise while traveling with this group. The name, 99 comes from the address of the original, established in 1952 on 99 State Street in Boston, MA.

I had the French onion soup and a bowl of Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese. YUMMY!

Once back at the hotel and everyone was assisted to bed, Annette and I stole out to the hotel hot tub and pool for a little relaxation.

DAY 2: Up and ready for a full day of fun, we got everyone going, had breakfast in the hotel and were soon on the road to our days adventure. Shopping and one of the most popular parts of this trip, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream factory.

Ben and Jerry's Ice cream, is GREAT!!!! My absolute favorite flavor is Phish Food. My husband and I will treat ourselves every so often with a selected pint and indulge. Who doesn't love that?

This is my third trip to this place, so I wont go into to many details. We came, we went on the free tour and free taste testing, we shopped and we ate ICE CREAM. I had, what is becoming my favorite flavor, Marshmallow Skies and Phish Food. Instead of telling you what we did...Here is a list of possible Ben and Jerry trivia answers for your next competition.

The Business started in 1978 when friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield took a $5- ice cream class.

Ben drove an ice cream truck as his mode of transportation.

The company was almost bagels, but they couldn't afford the needed equipment for bagel making,

The first shop was a converted gas station.

Ben suggested Josephines Flying Machine as the company name but was veto'd by Jerry.

Being an employee of Ben and Jerry's has its benefits; you get 3 pints of ice cream to take home every single day, and the break room has a slide a nap room and office dogs.

You can only obtain the flavor Bourbon Pecan Pie in the state of Texas.

As of 2021, there were 205 Ben and Jerry ice cream shops in the United States and it is sold in an additional 42 countries, the total number of locations (2019) is 615.

The company uses the same German methods of making sausage to inject the fillings into the ice cream.

Ben and Jerrys was the first ice cream company to use a core method in making their ice cream. The core hold all the goodies and the traditional ice cream is spread around making the good stuff be in the middle.

The company hands out about 1 million scoops of ice cream on FREE CONE DAY.

Originally, in addition to selling ice cream, Ben and Jerry sold soups and pottery.

There is only 1 flavor ever to contain raisins- Dastardly Mash

In 1986 Ben and Jerry took their Cowmobile and drove it across the United States handing out free ICE CREAM. The Cowmobile burned on the return trip.

In 2017 the company promoted its newest Scoop Shop, by placing a giant bowl of cereal in Grand Central Station.

There are over 300 flavors in the Ice Cream graveyard, although every once in a while a flavor is reinCONEated.

Boxes of toffee where thrown from a top of a ladder to break the pieces up for the Coffee Toffee Bar Crunch.

On average a Ben and Jerry's waffle cone has 259 little squares.

All Eight of the original pint flavors; French Vanilla, Wild Blueberry, Oreo Mint, Honey Orange, Honey Coffee, Chocolate Fudge and Mocha Walnut are in the grave yard.

There is a 10 story tall and about 12 million scoops in diameter Hot Air Balloon of a Cherry Garcia 1 scoop cone.

Wanna skip the ice cream and eat just the good stuff? You can purchase the cookie dough pieces as it's own product.

The name Cherry Garcia was actually suggested by customers who loved the Grateful Dead.

Ben has no sense of smell. This is a condition known as Anosmia.

The cow found of the packaging and symbol of the product is named Woody after the artist who designed her. Woody Jackson.

The number 1 requested ingredient is BACON, but the company will never use it due to being Kosher certified.

The flavor labs, (located in Waterbury and Tokyo) create a new flavor every week.

The meeting rooms in the office are named after flavors.

The most favorite flavor world wide is Chocolate chip Cookie dough.

The most missed flavor is oatmeal cookie chunk.

Because Jerry was the original company CEO, he let Ben be the first name on the product.

So that was a fun filled morning at the Ben and Jerry's Factory in Waterbury VT. Up next was more shopping. On our drive we took in some more of those beautiful mountains.

Enjoy the beauty.........

Wish the leaves were changing more.

Had to get these seasonal rockers...

a glimpse of some of those colors.

We got to the shopping area and guess what, I found a rock.

I thought these pastas were so cute, especially since Im all about the supernatural and the do you believe? Hoping to see Champ along Lake Champlain on our return trip. Or at least a Moose.

Maple syrup is so Vermont, of course you have to get some to take home, and I always get the maple sugar candy. Something about these candies reminds me of one of my favorite books (and television series) Little House on the Prairie (Little house in the Big Woods to be exact) when Laura and Mary made maple sugar candy in the snow. It just brings back those memories for me.

These are the cutest Honey jars.

and how awesome are these chairs.

We all got some doughnuts and enjoyed getting our Vermont goodies.

After a fun day, we headed back towards our hotel and had a nice dinner at Applebee's. I got to get a selfie with "The Rock".

It had been a long day....bed awaits.

DAY 3: Today was our last day in Vermont making it a travel day. These days are always busy and crazy. We first had to pack up and get everything in the van, have breakfast and get going. We met that challenge and made our way to one last Vermont journey. We went to a local farm.