We spent a lovely week in the splendid green hills of Vermont. We didn't get a lot done unless you want to count reading, taking naps, a little golf, and visiting a cheese factory and a maple syrup factory. We also got out to eat one night but with
Tippy's cooking I am always happy to eat at home.
The area was truly beautiful and we could only imagine how it would look in full fall colors. Our friends Mike & Patty and
Jerry &
Jackie will visit this same park after they leave Bangor,
Maine in late September. The sights should be tremendous for them! The park pretty much emptied out after Monday, Labor Day, so we had lots of peace and quiet. We met some nice folks from New Hampshire that had the site next to us and they had an
Alfa Gold 5
th wheel. They were very kind and left us lots of wood for our campfire. We have invited them to the
Alfa national Rally next April in Texas but they were not sure when I gave them the approximate dates.
We made two visits to the Cabot Cheese factory in Cabot, VT. They sell cheese all over the country and are one of the largest farm co-ops in the country. They have over 1500 members that contribute milk to the co-op. They make all kinds of cheese, mostly white, plus
cottage cheese, yogurt, several types of butter, and many other speciality cheese items. An interesting cheese fact we learned on the tour was that cheese is normally white and only becomes yellow when coloring is added. back when England was in charge here they imposed a tax on all goods and they made the locals color their cheese so that it could be identified and taxed. So all yellow cheese is still
artificially colored to this day.
On another day we traveled to St.
Johnsbury, VT to visit a maple syrup factory. We had a tour of the factory and learned how they made the syrup and all of the maple candies that are so good and so sweet. We visited the gift store were we found some syrup, candy, a sweatshirt, and a few other items. They also had some candy samples and I hung around that area for quite a while.
We have been able to buy fresh sweet corn and tomatoes at roadside markets and have been in heaven with the wonderful tastes. There is nothing better than fresh produce, especially tomatoes and corn! I did travel to Barre, VT, about 25 miles from
Danville, where I played the C.C. of Barre. This course advertises that is the "must play" course in Vermont and I must admit the layout was pretty special. The course wasn't in the best of condition - many tees were quite chewed up, but the greens were smooth and we had a good time. I joined up with a couple that has a summer home in
Sugarbush, VT and their regular home is on the coast of New Hampshire. Their experience with the course really helped me know where to play even if I didn't always follow their directions.
So far we think Vermont is the prettiest of the New England states but we still have a few more to go. We put the Maine sticker on our map today, we arrived here yesterday, and now we have only 5 states to visit before completely filling the map. We will get 4 of the 5 on this trip leaving only North Dakota on the "to do list." We continue to have wonderful weather with pleasant days and cool evenings. We do a campfire almost every night and the heat from the fire feels real good. More later on our trip into Maine and our site at the Point
Sebago Golf and Beach Resort. Enjoy the pics and be safe.
