Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian trail runs 150 miles through Vermont. Apparently, you want to avoid "mud season" which is in April and May, but the rest of the time it's gorgeous. I've always wanted to hike the trail. Naturally, I want to hike the whole thing despite the fact that I know nothing about camping and hate being cold, wet, dirty, tired or hungry--which I think pretty much defines the trail. Add to that old age and bad knees and perhaps through hiking isn't a great idea. But maybe I could hike through one state.

Ben and Jerry's

Holy ice-cream Batman! I forgot that the Ben and Jerry's ice-cream factory is in Vermont. That alone would be worth the plane ticket. The factory offers tours and samples. I know of at least one Make-a-Wish child whose wish was to visit the factory and make his own flavor.

Most fun of all I think, is the flavor graveyard, in honor of the "dearly de-pinted." All flavors get their own tombstone with an individual epitaph. In the winter there are even snowshoe tours of the graveyard. Because about 300,000 people visit the graveyard each year, Ben and Jerry's is slowly replacing the resin tombstones with granite.

The epitaphs are:

Sugar Plum

It swirled in our heads,
it danced in our dreams,
it proved not to be though,
The best of ice-creams.

This is Nuts
The name was meant to say it all
without the pompous prose,
Was it nuts we chose to say so
or was it nuts we chose?

Wild Maine Blueberry

Wild Maine Blueberry
from the land of puffin,
Now when we crave you
we turn to the muffin.

In honor of Ben and Jerry's, I've declared Friday, Jan 15 as my official Ben and Jerry's day at work. I'm excited about this! I never eat Ben and Jerry's because it's sooooo calorie loaded and expensive, but on Jan 15th bring on the Chunky Monkey!

The Vermont Country Store

Hey! My cousin tells me that she's moving to Vermont! I'm sure she'll be thrilled to have three house guests for an indefinite period of time. Flights are about $700 in October. Hmmmm. Could I actually use some self-discipline and save up?

Meanwhile, there's the Vermont Country Store.

We get their catalog every Christmas. It's just what a country store should be--selling everything and everything is comfortable. Even if you don't want or need it, it's just great that it's there. Take a look at the inside.

Happily, I can at least get to it online at vermontcountrystore.com.  Just as in real life, there is nothing I need, but I'm going to buy some real Vermont cheddar cheese and some maple syrup. I also want to buy pajamas, but that's only because it's cold and dreary here at work and my pajamas aren't actually here with me.  In my mind's eye it's never cold and dreary in Vermont. Vermont only ever has scenic Christmas snow and I would always have the time and money to take a sleigh ride.

Beautiful Vermont

Vermont is definitely one of the states where I would love to live. How can the scenery get any prettier? On Google, one of the first images I saw was this beauty--

I want to be here. For days and weeks and years I want to be exactly here.  This is a view of the hot tub at Twin Farms Resort, Vermont's only 5 star resort.  I like the story behind it. When author Sinclair Lewis proposed to his wife, she said she'd only marry him if he bought her a farm in Vermont. So he did--a lovely 1795 era farmhouse. Through the years it's been passed on and changed until it's now this high class place in Barnard, VT. I'm sure it's expensive, but I'm not about to look. I want to hang on to the fantasy that I'm actually there.