In Vermont the hills truly were alive - with fall foliage and the sound of music. I had been looking forward to Vermont our entire trip because of the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory tour. What I didn’t realize was how much more there is to Vermont than ice cream! They have cheese, glorious cheese and the Trapp Lodge, which is where the von Trapp family from the Sound of Music settled and now run a mountain lodge. As for the Greiner family, we settled in a cabin on Lake Eden, which we affectionately refer to as the Lake House. It was a wonderful week!
Here are some highlights from Vermont:
Best Meal: Bove’s in Burlington. Bove’s was featured on the Food Network not once, but twice. The first time was in 2007 on a Throwdown with Bobby Flay for their lasagna and more recently in 2010 on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” for one of their sauces. When we went to Bove’s, we sat in a cute, little booth where the waitress could barely scrunch in near us to take our lasagna orders. The portions were so large that Chloe and I split one and still had plenty. It was delicious - no melty, gooey cheese on top like Mom's but still good none the less!
Cheesiest Meal: We didn’t eat out enough to have a worst meal, but we did have a meal consisting entirely of cheese! The tour at the Cabot Cheese Visitor's Center was a little dry, but the real pay off came at the end when you were unleashed with the cheese samples. They had a variety of delightful cheeses like Hand Rubbed Tuscan Cheddar, Hand Rubbed Chili Lime Cheddar, and Sage Cheddar to name a few. Believe me, none of us wanted to eat a real meal after that!
Best Tour: Ben & Jerry’s. The movie at the onset of the tour gives you the history of the company and some insight into Ben and Jerry’s personalities. Suddenly, the quirky names of the ice cream made sense! While the movie was riveting, the best part of the tour was the finale: a sample of Milk and Cookies ice cream. It was our first taste of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream ever, since I had never forked out the small fortune for their little, teeny pint of ice cream before, and it was amazing! I’m still not sure I’ll pay that much for a pint, but we’ll certainly salivate and have to debate about it now.
“Stuffy-ist" Tour: Vermont Teddy Bear factory tour where you see teddy bears being stitched and stuffed. The Vermont Teddy Bear tour was somewhat disappointing, but then again, we did go immediately following our Ben & Jerry’s tour, and it would be hard to follow free, delicious ice cream! There really was nowhere to go but down now that I think about it.
I appreciated the history behind Vermont Teddy Bear. In 1980, the founder was picking up his kid’s toys and discovered none were made in America, so he sat down at his wife’s sewing machine, and the rest is history. The tour was pretty much a sales pitch for their teddy bear, but the hospital and other touches were cute indeed. I think if our kids were younger and into teddy bears, it would have been more enthralling for us.
Funniest Memory: As they were going to bed, our kids freaked out over a spider in their bedroom at the Lake House. Super Dad came to the rescue when he saved the day by killing it with his flip flop.
Best Memory: Watching fireworks from our Lake House porch. The Lake House was stocked with all sorts of fun board games which we took full advantage of almost every evening. One evening all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye, I saw fireworks in the sky over the lake. We thought at first it was just a neighbor shooting off a bottle rocket or something like that, but the fireworks continued and were amazing. In fact, they were the best we’ve ever seen…EVER because as they lit the night sky, they painted it the color of the fireworks. Making it even more beautiful was the reflection on the lake in the darkness of the night, not dusk like it normally is while watching fireworks on the 4th of July. We stood watching in awe. (As we later learned, they were in celebration of the Boy Scouts 100th year, but the simple fact that we were there to see them was like a gift from God.)
Worst Memory: The kids were so excited about fishing at the Lake House. We even bought some cheap rods for them to use while we were there, so it was heartbreaking to see Chloe going out again and again with such determination and never catching any fish. (Don't feel too bad for her; she had fun anyway!)
Worst Closure: Nothing was closed, but we had several days of rainy weather which put a damper on outside activities.
Best Deal: Our Lake House cabin. It was actually big enough to sleep 10! We’re so thankful to the family who worked with us so we could stay there on our limited budget. We had a great time there and many wonderful memories from our week in Vermont. If you haven't already, check out the pictures of the views!
Best Drive: Every single one. How could it not with the beautiful views in Vermont?
Most Beautiful Spot: Trapp Family Lodge grounds in Stowe. The view of the mountains is beautiful. It’s a must see in Vermont but not just for the view. At first I didn’t even realize what the Trapp Family Lodge was: it's a mountain lodge resort in the European tradition run by the von Trapp family from The Sound of Music
. We learned on their history tour that they dropped the “von” when they came to America as a singing group in the 1940’s and 50’s. They didn’t think “von” would work well in America. What they don’t realize is that now most people know them from the movie, not the singing group. If I were doing marketing for the Trapp’s, which as you know I’m not that priviledged, I’d put the “von” back in the Trapp family.Most Inspirational Spot: Yes, I admit it. I’m an avid fan of The Sound of Music, so when I learned of the history tour at Trapp Lodge, it was a non-negotiable “must do” for Vermont. The rest of the family begrudgingly came along but later agreed it was absolutely worthwhile. We learned so much from the tour and BBC documentary made about Maria, filmed the last time she visited Austria. Obviously I have always enjoyed the Sound of Music, but now I have so much more respect for Maria and Captain von Trapp after learning the true story behind the movie. The movie is mostly true, but there’s so much more that Hollywood doesn’t tell! Their faith and lives are truly inspirational.
Biggest Surprise: How incredible the fall foliage really was. I've heard so much about it, but "wow!" If you haven’t been to New England during the fall, schedule a trip.
Biggest Disappointment: After visiting the Trapp Lodge, we wanted to watch The Sound of Music again, but we weren’t able to find it in the local Redboxes. You’d think they’d stock it in Stowe with the Trapps there!
Biggest Twinge of Homesickness: Talking to friends and family. With all the rainy days at the Lake House, I was able to catch up with several friends that I hadn’t been able to talk to in awhile.
Biggest Revelation: The von Trapps didn’t sing those songs in Austria...their songs were in German!
My VT Hike: Walking around the extensive grounds at Trapp Lodge. With the views of the mountains, I can see why the Trapp family settled there; however, I don’t see the similarity that Maria did between the mountains in Stowe and those in Austria. I think the Austrian Alps are just a touch taller!
We were able to see the chapel that Kurt von Trapp, one of Captain von Trapp's sons, built. He was fighting in a grave battle in WWII and didn’t think he’d survive, so he pleaded for his life with God and promised that he’d dedicate a chapel to Him if he lived. Kurt lived, and he poured himself in the chapel spending 4 years building it. How many times in my life have I made a promise to God and yet have never spent 4 long years of hard work pouring myself into it? Ouch!
What We Did Miss: A maple syrup sugar shack and skiing - both recommended to us, but we were in VT at the wrong time of the year for those activities.
In Summary: Vermont, you’re the most beautiful state so far with your "hills." I’m not sure I can handle your winters, though! Is it possible to store up enough Cabot cheese and Ben & Jerry's ice cream to be able hibernate all winter?
The Mom
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