Road Tripping Fun

The drive to the North was long, but once we crossed the Mason-Dixon Line, things were really very close, so we haven’t really spent more than a couple hours at a time in the car. But our next couple of days consist of a number of hours on the road as we reach toward the farthest point, and begin to head south.

First off, let me update you on our car games.  Idaho and Hawaii were the two license plates that hid from us the longest.  Happy to arrive at our hotel in Connecticut after several traffic-filled hours, we were thrilled to see that the person who parked next to us in our hotel was from Idaho, and boy was he thrilled to tell us about his journey across the country.  Then, in the parking lot where we left Betty while out whale-watching in Cape Cod, we finally saw it: blue jeep with that rainbow license plate helped us to complete our game long before our journey was over.

As for the cow game, well, let's just say that the Northeast has been settled for a very long time.  As such, there are lots of large cities.  But, with that, also means that generations of people have come here, and left this earth from here.  What does that mean for our cow game?  Frankly that there are a lot more graveyards in the Northeast than there are cows!  Thankfully, we weren't counting negatives, otherwise, Jessica and I both would have been making up for cows for weeks to come!

No, these guys did not count in our game!

After leaving Burlington, we had a short drive to our first road-trip adventure of the day.  The Ben and Jerry's factory tour is in Waterbury.  We have a hard time passing up ice cream, much less an ice cream factory!  I rarely buy Ben and Jerry's, but now that I know more about the company, I plan on keeping my freezer stocked with their wide variety of amazing flavors.  Ben and Jerry were buddies, and in the 70s, they decided they wanted to make ice cream.  As it turns out, though, Ben had very few taste buds.  So, they kept adding chunks to their ice cream until he could taste it.  That's why they have some of the chunkiest ice cream!

Ben and Jerry are very ethically-minded, and care about the ingredients in their products, making sure that the ice cream is made of fair-trade chocolate and well-taken care of cows.  They are involved in political movements such as racial justice, global warming, LGBT equality and poverty.  I was very impressed with the facility and the company!

What happens to those flavors that just didn't make it?  Well, obviously, they end up in the flavor graveyard.  Over thirty flavors just didn't make it.  Some, lived long lives where popularity just began to break down, while others just weren't appreciated at all.  Whatever the reason, we could tell that the people working here really enjoyed their job.  Someone had fun coming up with all the rhymes that went on the tombstones.  You can see more on their website:
https://www.benjerry.com/flavors/flavor-graveyard

Just up the road a few miles in Stowe is the Von Trapp Family Lodge.  Yes, those Von Trapps!  And yes, we belted the soundtrack on our way there.  When Maria and the Captain escaped Austria with their children, they traveled the world singing.  At some point they happened upon Vermont and found it reminiscent of their homeland.  They purchased some land and built a home here.  For years, they invited their friends and family to come and visit them.  Eventually, they built the lodge so they could house even more guests.  Visitors come in the summer for lovely views and in the winter for skiing.  On the property are the graves of Von Trapps, and although we saw the graves, they were behind a locked gate and the markings were small.  So, while I saw Maria's grave, I don't honestly know which one it is.

Graves of the Von Trapps

The family also has a brewery on the grounds.  We stopped by for some refreshments and sat at the bar.  An older gentleman sat next to me and began talking to the bartenders as if he knew them well.  My attention was piqued when I heard his accent.  Convinced he must be one of the Von Trapps (whether a child or grandchild), I casually struck up a conversation.  He could not have been nicer.  He was a petite man, probably near eighty who had just recently retired.  Once a professional skier in Austria, he moved to America in the 1970s and worked the ski slopes ever since.  He taught some lessons, but mostly helped to keep the slopes in working order.  But no, he was not a Von Trapp. 

The countryside on our journey east was beautiful: rolling hills, mountain peaks, dense forests and zero billboards.  It is remarkable what a difference no billboards makes.  It allows for the appreciation of the beauty of the the world around without distractions, and without Alexander Shunnarah.  Just one more reason to love New England!  I also loved seeing the small towns that seemed to magically transform during the summer.  The mountain stores with "ski" or "snow" in the title were all selling inflatable creatures and water toys.  In order to thrive in more than one season, these places have to be creative!

We crossed into Maine, my 42nd state, and moments later were greeted by Paul Bunyan and Babe.  I met them both years ago near the Redwood Forest, but even then, I feel like more of the stories told about these two had to do with the middle of the country.  But then again, if you are that large, it doesn't take you all that long to cross the country, right?

Jessica indulged my desire to drive a couple hours out of the way simply for a photo op and to say I had been there.  But, several years ago, my parents and I, when in Washington, visited the most western point of the continental United States, and well, when you're that close to the eastern most point, you should go!  Driving north, for the last time on this journey, we headed up to West Quoddy Park.  As we approached, our phones sent us messages saying we were in the airspace of another country.  Although we never crossed the border, we could see it.  There is a light house at the point that marks this, the most eastern point, and I am glad we went, despite the out-of-the-way drive.

From here, our long journey home truly began as we were finally heading south, although there were still lots of stops along the way.  We drive down Highway 1 (yes, there is one on the east coast as well) on what I assumed would be the coast of Maine.  I was so excited for this drive as I assumed it would be similar to my drive down the Oregon Coast.  However, it wasn't.  Have you ever really looked at a map of Maine?  The coast is full of islands and peninsulas, that driving along the actual coast is nearly impossible.  At one point early in our journey, we saw lupines blooming near the coast with lovely homes in the background.  Had I known that we wouldn't be bombarded with that beauty all day, I would have stopped for a photograph.  Don't get me wrong, the drive is very pleasant, and every now and then, there are glimpses of the coast and harbor towns, but for the most part, you still have to travel east to get to the coast.

We passed one or two signs that had "Passamaquoddy" in the title like a auto mechanic and a real estate agent.  Does that name ring a bell to anyone else?  As a kid, I loved watching Pete's Dragon.  The one where the little boy, Pete, has a friendly dragon named Elliott who helps him out when he's in trouble.  As a young adult, my parents and I were talking about the movie, one that we hadn't watched for years, and discussing where it took place.  My father, who sometimes struggles remembering things he just recently heard, shouted out "Passamaquoddy" without a moment's delay.  The original movie was set in Maine, although it was filmed in California.  And while there is no town by that name, it is the name of an Indian tribe from the area.

Several people had told us to make sure we indulged in blueberries while in Maine.  So, when we drove past this:

I quickly did a U-turn.  Yes, that building is a giant blueberry.  Built by the family who owns the blueberry farm just down the road and makes just about everything you could ever imagine out of blueberries.  The inside of the shop was blue and purple, not only because of being inside a giant blueberry, but because everything on the shelves from jams to aprons to pottery to puzzles to books all had to do with the tiny fruit.  And the fragrance of the store matched!  The tiny bakery displayed scones, muffins, pies, cookies and truffles with a central connection, and we couldn't help but treat ourselves to a few pastries!  We did not take the time to play putt-putt with the blueberry golf balls on the mini-golf-course in the parking lot, but it was still well worth the stop.

Sure, we get tired of being in the car sometimes, but if we weren't road-tripping, we would miss out on so much.  It is often these, the odd little entities that we will remember the most, and certainly that make the best stories.