Vermont Travelogue, Final Episode

It was our last day.  Jake literally held back tears as he said goodbye to the black bear in the lobby of the inn.  He obviously didn't want to go home yet.

Jill, our innkeeper, suggested that we drive up to Stowe and through Smuggler's Notch--a scenic mountain drive.  We were in no real hurry, so we decided to take her advice.  In Stowe, Jake was lucky enough for us to find that the Stowe Volunteer Fire Company was having an open house to celebrate the opening of their new (and incredibly huge) station.  Climbing on trucks ensued.

We passed a number of chocolate and cheese places--if we had stopped at each of them, we'd never get home.  But not far from the inn, in Waterbury Center, we stopped at Cold Hollow Cider Mill.  Their store sold all sorts of knickknacks, but mostly food items--cider BBQ sauces and mustards, jellies and jams, they're own maple syrup and much more. 

Of course, their main item is apple cider.  They weren't in production since it was Saturday, so we couldn't see it being made, but they had a huge tank of cider where you could fill a sample cup (or 2 or 3 or 6, in Jake's case).  I have to say that it was the best cider I've ever tasted in my life.  Just enough sweetness and tanginess, crisp and clean.  I regret not buying some.  It was that good.  Cider is one of Jakester's favorite drinks--always has been--and he loved it. 

 

We didn't buy any cider, but we did buy a couple apple cider donuts.  Now, I don't know if you ever had anything like these before (someone told me that they have them at Tabora).  They don't look like much.  Just a donut.  But they're warm, a little crispy on the outside, wonderfully soft on the inside and filled with apple flavor.  Man, it's a good thing I don't live around this place.  I could have eaten a dozen of them (only had 1, though).  (Oh boy, I just realized that they sell their donut mix on line!)

A beautiful last drive through the beautiful Vermont mountains took us back toward Shelburne, where, a little south of there, we drove onto the ferry to take us across the lake to New York and home.  As we floated across, we pointed out to Jake that behind us was Vermont.  He again got teary and said that he didn't want to go home yet.  I don't think any of us really did.