The leaf colors are changing more every day.
Vermont's countryside is so picturesque with all its barns and farms.
Our first stop of the day was at the Vermont Maple Outlet in Jeffersonville. They had an exhibit that showed how maple trees are tapped for their syrup. The tube coming down from the tap connects to a main line that other trees are tied into.
Below is how they used to tap the trees and collect the syrup.
We tried some maple caramels which were pretty good and then headed back down the road. We drove past this old mill...
...and then headed up the mountain towards Smugglers Notch.
We could see a few of the green ski runs from the Smugglers Notch Resort.
When we reached the summit,
we could barely see the Smugglers Notch Cliffs because of the clouds.
Smugglers' Notch got its name because the narrow pass was used by northern Vermonters when President Thomas Jefferson passed an embargo act forbidding American trade with Great Britain and Canada. Since Montreal was closer, the locals continued illegal trade with Canada carrying the goods and herding cattle through the Notch. In later years, fugitive slaves used the Notch as an escape route to Canada and during Prohibition, liquor was smuggled over from Canada.
As we began descending from the summit through the tight windy curves, we began to understand why it was called a Notch.
We soon came to another part of the Stowe Mountain Resort where gondolas were crossing over the road.
As we approached the town of Stowe, we passed by this very unusual jeep...
...with extreme traction control. :)
Before heading into Stowe, we drove up to the Trapp Family Lodge.
The Trapp Family Lodge is a 2,400 acre resort that was formerly the home of the Trapp Family -- the family from which The Sound of Music was written. Baron Georg von Trapp and his wife Maria settled their family in Vermont in 1942. The family expanded the home to a 27 room ski lodge in 1947 but the lodge was destroyed by fire in 1980. A new Austrian-syle lodge was opened in 1983.
The clouds had really moved in and it had started raining so we were unable to enjoy the views which reminded the Trapp family of their Austrian home from which they fled.
It does look like they might have enough wood for a long cold winter. :)
After leaving the Trapp Family Lodge, we drove into Stowe and found a Subway where we enjoyed our Subway "picnic" lunch under their porch.
Our next stop was the Vermont Annex Store in Waterbury.
We sampled cheese at the Cabot Annex Store...
...and chocolate at Lake Champlain Chocolates.
Next, we headed a little further south to my favorite place of the day: Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory. :)
We took a tour of the factory that involved a short movie explaining how the company evolved, watching the ice cream being made and packaged and then sampling some ice cream in the lab where Ben and Jerry originally tested their flavors.
I really liked this sign in their lab.
And their ice cream was delicious (of course)!
After finishing the tour, we got a "real" cone of ice cream (not just a sample) and the boys got their picture taken on a Half Baked Lid of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. :)
How do you like the Ben & Jerry RV? This is similar to the original Ben & Jerry RV that they drove around the country in the early years introducing people all over the country to their ice cream. Unfortunately, the original RV burned up on their way back home which ended up bringing national attention to their ice cream.
Our last stop for the day was at the Green Mountain Coffee Cafe located at the train station in Waterbury.
I'm the only coffee drinker of the bunch so I was the only one to sample some of their coffees. We sat outside for a few minutes while I was enjoying my coffee and while we were there, the same couple we had met at Bolton Landing who had been staying at the B&B that was a boathouse over Lake George happened to walk up. What a coincidence! We enjoyed talking with Tom and Michelle from Michigan again and hope to meet them again some day! :)
While it was a rainy day (and is still raining now as I write this post), it was another great day. We have fun and meet the nicest people no matter what the weather is like! :)
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