The Vermont Tradition Continues

Three years ago we took our first excursion to Vermont as part of a research trip for Chad. This was the first year that our trip did not include foraging around in the forest for metallic sensors, but we managed to have a great time anyway. One of our challenges this time around was staying warm in the freezing overnight temperatures our first night camping. We stayed snug in our quilt-enveloped sleeping bags extra long before indulging in pancakes, sausage, and eggs the next morning.

We tried a new site with a shelter this year, to the delight of the kids. Up a little embankment was a woodsy play space Gavin and Arwen promptly fell in love with. My favorite feature of the site was the open view of the changing leaves on the wooded slope across the reservoir. Gorgeous!

Chad’s high point from the trip was our hike up Mt. Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont. This was tame after climbing Mt. Lafayette in New Hampshire last year, thanks to the road that took us most of the way up, but the challenge was enough for us to claim having bagged a peak together. While we saw many other hikers on the trail, few were children, and Gavin and Arwen received many compliments on their stamina. Chad and I were just as pleased with their interest in and respect for the wildlife as in their dexterity on the rocky terrain.

Back at a normal elevation, we stopped at the Ben & Jerry’s factory. Our Mini-Vermontster caught the attention of a group of British tourists who had to snap Gavin and Arwen’s picture before we all dug in.

The second morning of our trip (not quite so cold, thank goodness), we got in a nice long kayak trip around the reservoir. While not as vibrant as in years past, the leaves were gorgeous, and it was a fantastic day for kayaking. Arwen threw rocks into the water and made crazy videos while we waited for the boys; Harry Potter occupied the boys while we were out. (Gavin started the 7th in the series on our way out of town and is now 400 pages in.)

The side trip through New Hampshire’s White Mountains yielded the most spectacular views on our way back.

We broke up the six-hour drive with a game of catch at the rest area (a completely different experience than the rest areas in Vermont). Several chapters of reading books and pages of stats homework later, we made it home and sank into our warm, soft beds.

How we love our annual fall weekend in Vermont!