To Infinity and Beyond!

Ok so I didn't go to infinity, and I definitely did not go beyond, but Naomi and I did take a short jaunt around Vermont a week and a half ago (I have delayed posting sometimes). After church we headed up the highway and found our way to Quechee Gorge Village. There was a flea marker outside where many treasures were to be found. Inside we sampled all the Cabot cheeses, tasted Putney Mountain Wine, and ate all the other delectable Vermont goodies. We found ourselves sufficiently thirsty so we grabbed some water and headed out for a hike into the Gorge.

Despite the mosquitos it was beautiful and we even saw about six butterflies fluttering around.

After our hike we continued across Route 4 to Long Trail Brewery. We both enjoyed a cold pint and decided on our new goal for the summer: complete our Vermont Brewery Passport.

A little ways down the road Route 4 connects with Route 100 which takes you down to Ludlow. Just before you get into town is the Green Mountain Sugar House which sells the best maple creamies. Of course we had to stop and eat the delicious ice cream by the lake.

Once home we finished the day by watching Mamma Mia! Does it get any better? Go out and explore Vermont for yourself, I always find something fun... and usually delicious!

Route 4

Route 4 connects White River Junction with Rutland. Quite a long road. Today Jill, Naomi, Steph, and I discovered a good chunk of this road. Woodstock was our first stop. Now some would call this town a yuppy town... o wait, I would call this town a yuppy town, cause it is. Flat landers. Just sayin'. Putting that aside, it is a beautiful town. Very picturesque Vermont town. We attended church at the First Congregational Church, where Jill goes during the school year along with many other Dartmouth students. My co-worker also goes there and after saying, "Hello" Naomi claimed I know people everywhere. I don't see this as a problem.

After churched we strolled the sidewalks, ducking into little shops that peeked our interest. In one of them I started choking but no big deal, we moved on as if nothing had happened. Along our walk we happened upon a small stream running under the road. There was a little pathway that lead down to the water. At this point we were quite warm and decided to put our feet in and cool off.

As our stomaches started to growl more we took off for Quechee to have lunch at Simon Pearce. Delicious, I must say. And a beautiful view overlooking the waterfall. Perfect place for a late lunch with the girls. After eating our lamb burgers or sesame chicken or quiche we went out to the overlook above the waterfall. There were about 20 guys and girls swimming in the river. Two of the guys were climbing and jumping off the waterfall into what appeared to be shallow water. After marveling at their stupidity for a few minutes we realized they were drinking and it all made sense. Boys...

Next we went to one of my favorite places, Quechee Village and Antique Mall. Much to our surprise as we walked up to the door we saw a sign for a wine tasting. Yes please. Putney Mountain Winery makes all their wines from fruits that are all grown locally in Vermont and is only sold in Vermont. We tried samples of a pear wine, two rhubarb wines, an apple maple wine, a cranberry wine, and a cassis. All amazing. After our wine tasting we sampled some of Vermont's finest foods including Cabot cheese and maple syrup. We then wandered through the endless isles of the antique mall and bought ridiculous pins. A quick stop at the hand made ice cream shop and a short chat with R2D2 and our day was complete.

Great day in two wonderful Vermont towns. Success. :)

The Plan

After living in the Upper Valley for 21 years my best friend, Naomi, and I have decided to discover our surroundings. Every summer we dream of taking trips to the beach or some place other than here but this summer we will find fun activities that anyone can do close to home. Indeed, this effort may be a result of the economic down turn and, lets face it, we are poor college students, but either way we will have an adventure. Along our journey I will post links so you can create your own "Discover Local" initiative.

Courtesy of Hyperterm:

Here is a list a 100 things you must see, do, or experience in the Upper Valley. This list created the inspiration for our "Discover Local" summer. See how many you can check off in the next few months.

Our first event was in a little town called Quechee located about a half hour from home. Quechee is popularly known for Quechee Gorge but this past weekend we discovered more to love about this small town. The Quechee Balloon Festival was in town. This, like any other small town fair, was complete with greasy food, live music, and craft tents. What made this fair special was the hot air balloons. The fair goes for three days and the balloons take off periodically throughtout the three days. Parking was $3 and addmission was $10 for adults. Not a bad price for a fun day of activities. My personal suggestions would be to get a henna tattoo and eat fried dough while listening to the live band before the balloons take off. If you are looking for something to do in June next year we would highly recommend this fun filled festival.

Another plan for our summer is to get healthy. This may have been forced on me from my fitness class but I am starting to like the idea more and more. Naomi and I have picked one day a week that we will get together to do some type of physical activity such as biking, hiking, or a work out video on the rainy days and after our exercise we will cook a healthy meal. So far we have done this once... today in fact. Hopefully, if her schedule permits, it will continue to be on Mondays. For our first outing we went for a bike ride on the bike path in Springfield, VT and then came home to make delicious chicken with peach salsa. I would also just like to note that today was my first bike ride since I was a little kid and that saying about never forgetting how to ride a bike is a lie. ;)

That's all for now folks. Look for the next post about our crazy adventures of the "Discover Local" summer.