Today we take a leisurely drive from Stowe to Woodstock. Rather than take the expeditious highway 89 route, we closely follow a specific route recommended by EJ (a former colleague).
Leaving Stowe
But before we head out, one last stop at the Black Cap Coffee... and this time, we also walk away with a maple croissant. After all that watching of the croissants being made, how could we not get one?
Au revoir to our Stowe AirBnB - what a pleasant stay with great hosts.
Styrofoam in Vermont?
Our first stop before leaving town is the local market, to get a cooler and ice to keep the goat cheese refrigerated. I'm quite surprised to find that they only have the styrofoam type cooler (at this time of year, I'm told, this market doesn't have the soft sided ones), and no reusable ice packs either.
Ben & Jerry's
We're still early (our first recommended stop by EJ is a place that doesn't open till noon). So since I'm driving, twist my arm, I decide we need to go to the Ben & Jerry's factory. No tour for us, as apparently tickets were sold out a couple weeks ago.
Ice cream for breakfast? Yes, please. A small consists of 2 scoops, so I pick Chocolate PB Chunk (Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Swirls & Fudge Flakes - can't go wrong) and The Tonight Dough (Caramel & Chocolate Ice Creams with Chocolate Cookie Swirls & Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough & Peanut Butter Cookie Dough). Of course I share it with Mike - I don't eat the whole thing by myself!
Lunch at Mad Taco
First official stop along the route: Mad Taco in Waitsfield. I have a pair of fish tacos (they were quite large) for $16. Mike has the pastor tacos.
EJ says the tacos here rival ones in California, but I think my opinion differs from his. I love the fish tacos at Kanaloa Seafood in Santa Barbara, and the rib eye tacos at our local Red Barn in Santa Ynez are possibly my favorites (I guess neither of these are your traditional tacos though).
Appalachian Gap
I have a strange curiosity about elevation. Appalachian Gap elevation is 2375 ft - probably the highest point we've reached while in Vermont. Thankfully, none of the roads we've driven so far have the steep drop-offs that both of us are so terrified of.
Here's the view from the overlook parking area:
Notice the person in the pale pink hoodie? This is directly across the highway from the parking area. I'm sure he got a great view, but there are definitely some things I won't do for a photograph - my fear of heights just doesn't allow me to go many places.
I've mentioned my obsession with signs. I especially like capturing photos of signs that are a strong reflection of the moment, and won't look the same in another week, month, or year. I imagine this guardrail covered in stickers is reflection of time, as people put new layers of fresh stickers over old ones. This image is clearly 2024.
Random Stops along VT-17
I enjoy opportunistically stopping at roadside pullout places. Sometimes, I walk away with some beautiful images! Other times, there's really nothing of great interest.
Robert Frost Interpretive Trail
Another unplanned pull-over spot turns out to be this wonderful trail area commemorating Robert Frost. The immediate area is mostly boardwalk, with several places featuring a mounted Robert Frost poem amidst a lovely view. Here is just one example.
That standing water and the need for the boardwalk - it makes me wonder what summers are like here, and if there are a lot of mosquitoes...
Our home for the next few nights
We're staying at an AirBnB in Pomfret, and when we arrive, this is the view from the main living room. Epic view. It's a wonder we ever pull ourselves away from this place!
I should mention, the driveway to get here is extremely steep (my opinion) - not sure how people navigate it when there's ice or snow. But in October with a 4-wheel-drive Toyota 4Runner, no problem!
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