Last Day in Vermont...

We had quite an eventful day today for our last day in Vermont!!

We started the day with a tour at Ben & Jerry's. Let me tell you, the mint chocolate chip sample was fantastic. We then did a little shopping in Waterbury, and stopped at The Alchemist, a great little brewery. Their brew pub was devastated by Hurricane Irene, so that wasn't open, and won't be for a few months as they rebuild. However, we stopped in for a sample and some swag of their Heady Topper IPA. YUMMY!! Bringing home eight cans.

We drove to another dairy farm (goat) and it's just not in the cards for us. We got there, and it is like you need to go up to their door and knock. Not our style, so we left.

We then went to Rock Art Brewery in Morrisville. And um...Morrisville stinks. It was like every farm field had just had a dose of liquid manure put on it. It's like it got in my mouth and I could taste it. It wasn't pleasant. But the beer was good at the brewery.




We then headed to Montpelior, which is the cutest little city. See us with the State House in the background.

We came back to Burlington, had a drink and an app at The Vermont Pub and Brewery (and frankly, it sucked), and then had dinner at The Farm House again. Pate, cheese, meatloaf...I'm still full and that was three hours ago. GH - we need a serious workout boost when we are back.

We'll be getting up at 4:00 am to get ready and leave in time to catch our flight in Boston at 11:25.

We really loved Vermont!! I highly recommend it. Ta ta for now, until our next adventure!

Overheard at Delta Delta Delta

Those earrings make your WHOLE HEAD SPARKLE.

Leaf Peeping

The leaves are about at peak here, and after three absolutely GORGEOUS days, here is a typical view...

To Get To The Other Side...

A lot of stuff crosses the road here.

Dinner Adventure

So we went to A Single Pebble. We got there, got seated, and found ourselves next to a table of 8 where two of the men had the loudest voices that carried and resonated so horrifyingly I thought we might have PTSD. They left before we even ordered thank God, or I would have needed counseling.

We ordered potstickers (fabulous) and Mushi pork (also fabulous). However, we got the spicy pork on the advice of our waitress who said, "I like spicy, so if you do, I would get it." I affirmed that we did indeed like spicy and our order was placed.

Let me just say this: that Mushi pork was so fucking spicy, AND about 211 degrees, that at one point while I was eating it I actually became frightened about what was happening to me. But you know me...I'm resilient. I finished it all.

I highly recommend that restaurant and that dish. Just go in with eyes wide open...and soon your nose will be running.

Friday Dinner!

Decided. Heading to A Single Pebble for some top notch Chinese food. Thanks again to KK and JH for the recommendation! We have not been let down.

Shopping and Drinking in Northern Vermont

After leaving Shelburne Farms, we took a very scenic drive down to Middlebury and visited:

- Otter Creek Brewing: good but not great, the brown ale had severe diacytle issues and made me gag.
- Vermont Soap Factory: cool little joint, we walked in and Chris said very quietly, "My nostrils are burning." Bought some soaps.
- Danforth Pewter Factory and Store: HIGHLIGHT!! They make absolutely gorgeous pewter dishes, serve ware, jewelry - all in the traditional way. Totally scored a great necklace. Loved it. (Side note: tragedy struck as Chris dropped his new sunglasses and -CRACK- the lens broke. Thank God for the Sunglasses Hut - all better with a new pair!)
- Drove through a covered bridge. Not as cool as the other one.
- Bobcat Cafe and Pub: had a sampler, very good beer, bartender was about six and a half feet tall and, I swear to God, his arms hung down to his knees. He also had a big, deep, booming voice. The whole thing freaked me out and we didn't stay long.

We are now relaxing a bit and figuring out where to eat dinner. Tomorrow? Waterbury - breweries, Ben & Jerry's, and shopping and eating. What else??

Annual petting of a cow? Check.

After an alarming encounter with heartburn in the middle of the night, we got up this morning for a full day of touring, cheesing, beering, and shopping.

We started the day eating at Penny Cluse Cafe - yes, I had the pancakes and MAPLE SYRUP. It was outstanding. Chris had the Zydeco breakfast - think black beans, eggs, and andouille sausage. Our waitress from last night recommended it, and it did not disappoint!!



We then traveled a few miles south to Shelburne Farms. It was pretty cool, I have to say. As we walked the 3/4 mile to the farm barn, we checked out these chickens and I hung out with one.



Have you ever seen a chicken run? It's not a trick question. IT IS HYSTERICAL. They kind of pick up speed very quickly, and not only bob up and down but side to side. I wish we took video, I laughed out loud.







We then went up to the barn where I hung out with this cow, and petted her...as is my thing. Good luck for another year!!! WOO HOO!!

Nap and Dinner

After a much needed post-brew tour nap, we got off to a slow start for dinner. We went to American Flatbread where they have pretty damn good pizza. Now I'm ready for bed and an adventurous day tomorrow - we are heading to Stowe and Montpelier.

Maybe tomorrow will be more blog-worthy.

Burlington Brew Tour

Good beers. German lunch. I'm shit faced.

Enough said.

Why do we always have a toilet story?

So in Germany, it was that Chris was supposed to sit down to pee - complete with instructional picture.

Now, in the hotel, the toilet is so high off the ground! My feet literally dangle when I'm sitting on it. (And I'm using the word "literally" correctly, not for affect.)

I look like Edith Ann in the high chair.

Patty loves Chris; Chris loves Patty

Happy Anniversary to us! I think this sign sums up our 15 years of wedded bliss.

We were thinking about our wedding and the funny things that happened. My favorite is the clip from our wedding video in which my sister in law KB (who wasn't my SIL at the time) was caught saying randomly, as the camera rolled by, "He's GOTTA be an asshole!!!" No one has any idea WHO the asshole in question was, nor what she was talking about - we didn't at the time, or to this day. I just knew that AB should ensure that he didn't screw it up and lose her. Ahh...memories.

To celebrate our big 15, we had dinner last night on the advice of friends KK and JH at the Farm House. EXCELLENT beer list. We both had an Allagash White, and we also both had the Hill Farmstead Abner - a double IPA. Holy shit was it good.

And then there was the food! Two cheese plates (it was a special with a 1/2 glass of beer), the country pate (I think it was pork, but it didn't matter...it could have been a cat and I would have eaten it), Chris had a burger and I had the mac and cheese with bacon.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm good.

If you are ever in Burlington, you have to go here. I'm guessing we'll stop in again before we leave. :)

Today we head out on our Burlington Brew Tour. It will be a balmy 56 degrees today, but sunny. PERFECT for drinking.

Scott Covered Bridge

Scott Covered Bridge was built in 1870 near Townshend Vermont. It is in excellent condition, and so, so, so cool. I love covered bridges. I know that it is because as a kid we would go camping (yes, I did camp as a child which is why I hate it now) in Southern Indiana, and go to the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival.

It reminds me of my dad, persimmon and vanilla ice cream, the town square in Rockville. I walked down to the end of the bridge, and it felt exactly like it did 30+ years ago - quiet, cool, and you could just hear the river below. We'll try to hit a few others while here, but this one was the first and it was fabulous.

Beer & Cheese Road Trip - Thy Name is New England

We got up Wednesday morning after our 9 hour stay at the hotel in New Hampshire (not to be confused with the John Irving book of a similar name) and headed to breakfast. We found a charming little New England spot and had a unique breakfast.

OK, we actually went to Panera. But it was still good and hit the spot.

We took off north through NH and made our first random beer stop at a little brewpub called the Flying Goose. It was in New London, NH and had a respectable list of beers. We got the sampler, and the place smelled great - we had just enjoyed our amazing Panera experience so didn't eat, but the beer was good. Chris picked a Berline Weisse for one of the beers and he said it was excellent. It tasted like vinegar mixed with pee, but I trust that it was to style.

We then stopped at Poverty Lane Orchards & Farnum Hill Ciders where we sampled some heirloom apples and some cider. The apples were FUN-KEE. But they were amazing! Some had weird, almost nutty flavors, and some were had weird textures. We bought a couple of three different varieties...there were all different sizes, as you can see. I wish we could have gotten a big bag and somehow gotten them home to make a cool pie. Of course, we also got two bottles of cider. Amazing how I can figure out how to get that home.

We then tried to go to a dairy/creamery, and drove our bitchin' mini van up a long, dirt road for about 3 miles. When we got there it was like someone's house, and I didn't feel like I should just jaunt up to the door and say, "Can we taste your cheese??" So we wound our way back down the scary road and went to the Grafton Village Cheese Store - pretty standard. But we bought some cheese. We also got some meat sticks from the Lawrence's Smoke Shop and Country Store.

After screeching off of the highway once we saw it, we had a 10 minute stop at the Vermont Country Store (where I spent $7 on a milk chocolate/cashew patty) we landed at Harpoon Brewing for a sampler and some snacks. It took us another hour and a half to finally land in Burlington at our hotel.

This completes the first boring post and blow by blow of our trip yesterday...more blogs later about our anniversary dinner and covered bridge!

Hello New England!

After and uneventful flight to Boston, we arrived about 11:30 last night. It then took over an hour to get our luggage, since Logan International has some issues with blown fuses on their luggage carriers. They finally just did it manually.

We then took the shuttle to the rental car place...where "Ford Fusion or like vehicle" actually means Kia mini van. It was either that or a Cadillac or Crown Vic. since I'm neither a rich retiree or drug dealer, we went for the mini van.

Once we finally got to our hotel in Manchester, NH, it was after 2:00.

Once we get up and around, we'll drive to southern Vermont for leaf peeping, cheese, and some small town adventures!