ILOVERMONT

Shortly after we were married Chad and I spent a weekend driving around Vermont and New Hampshire, and we’ve been looking forward to getting back up there for the past year. Conveniently, Chad needed to investigate the existence of his current favorite plant Herb Robert which provided the perfect opportunity for a long weekend getaway.

Our first stop was near Hanover, New Hampshire where Chad took off into the woods in search of a research site with Gavin, Arwen, and me trailing behind. After over an hour of bushwhacking at points traipsing and up hills and down we were about to turn back. We decided to call out one last time and found Chad not far away. After the hike we took a driving tour of Dartmouth College in Hanover – a beautiful campus!

Driving through Vermont brought me about as close to the Northwest as I can imagine out here on the East Coast. There’s so much green and enough topographical variation that you can see so much of it at once. Unlike in Connecticut, we could drive and drive and feel like we weren’t getting anywhere. It was wonderful. In the more populous areas we were delighted to see lots and lots of recycling receptacles as well as cars stopping for pedestrians. While I’m not ready to live that far off the beaten path, it had a flavor of coming home.

It was almost dinner time as we turned off the highway onto the three-mile dirt road to our campground. We were amazed at the multitude of campsites to choose from – we were the only ones there! With no firewood available in the camp and the felled branches to wet to burn we turned to pull out the gas stove and discovered we’d left it behind. The kids merrily helped set up camp while I prepared peanut butter and jelly delicacies.

The next morning we stopped by the charming town of Middlebury on our way to the Shelburne Museum. Chad had stumbled across the museum in a guide book where it got only three stars. We would recommend it to any family traveling Vermont, particularly those interested in history and mechanics. While Chad went in search of more Herb Robert the kids and I spent several hours wandering the varied buildings and exhibits. First we headed to the Ticonderoga, a restored 220-foot steamship that used to operate on Lake Champlain. We saw three bears and numerous other game shot by Electra Havemeyer Webb, the founder of the museum. We wandered through a period print shop, a train depot, a blacksmith shop, and a prison and walked across a covered bridge. Arwen loved the carousel while Gavin’s favorite was the model train.

After Chad’s return our next stop was to the Ben and Jerry’s factory in Waterbury to take a long-anticipated tour. While Gavin and Arwen waited patiently through the video chronicling Ben and Jerry’s rise to fame and fortune and tried to follow the activity on the factory floor, we knew they were there mainly for the taste testing.

During our journeys Friday we had been careful to pick up not only one but two large bundles of firewood so as not to get stuck without a hot meal. But as we started up the dirt road to the campground it started to rain. By the time we arrived at our site it was dumping buckets and the thunder and lightning were dramatic enough to keep us in the car. When the electrical activity abated Chad and I crouched for an hour around the fire pit, me holding the umbrella while he applied all his Eagle Scout skills to starting that camp wood on fire. After a very valiant effort the flames reached a height sufficient to roast hot dogs and one marshmallow each. Miraculously everything was just dry enough for us to get some sleep.

The next morning we drove south to Massachusetts where Chad and Gavin made a final Herb Robert stop while Arwen and I played in the nature center. After a brief stop at the Church cannery for some staples (a much longer trek from our house now than in Seattle) we dropped by Tougas Family Farm for a treat and a playground break (darn - too late in the day for strawberry picking) before finishing our trip.

One of the things we love about the East Coast is how much you can experience within a day’s drive of your own house. Lucky for us, we love catching the views from the road, reading the likes of Cheaper by the Dozen aloud, and just enjoying the time together as we go.