For the Love of Charleston

The third time's a charm! Actually, every time is a charm in Charleston. The gracious hosts of the Goose Creek Inn extended another invite, so last weekend we were on their doorstep! (let this be a lesson to anyone who may think that if you invite us, we wouldn't possibly come...we will!)

We started a foggy Saturday morning off with coffee and geese-watching at the now-famous Inn. These friendly fellas get fed every day, so they like to hang out...but they'd better be careful; I think Mitch has a round or two with their names on them!

Later, Laura and I did a little shopping at the local Kohl's (surprised?), then picked the guys up to head to Mass downtown before dinner.

 Luck was on our side as we (literally) nabbed a parking spot right in front of the church. This is St. John the Baptist Cathedral, which the Bakers call the 'Lego Church', and I can see why!

The gorgeous reredos behind the altar.

This organ blasted out some mighty powerful hymns! (they were actually quite deafening!) There was a church tour offered after Mass, but our dinner reservations trumped the tour, and we promised the young lady that we would certainly be back.

 Time to eat! 3 courses for $30 at Fleet Landing...it just so happens we caught "Restaurant Week", and boy oh boy, is that up my alley!

 

This was my appetizer: a stuffed hush puppy filled with lobster, rock shrimp, leeks & corn over Creole tomato sauce. I chose the wine pairings (I know, I know) to complement my three courses, and this was paired with a luscious Pinot Grigio. Dinner was Low Country fish & chips, pickled veggies, fingerling potatoes & okra fries, served with a crisp Chardonnay. I have a problem; I LOVE food! Errrr, and wine.

 

This ridiculously decadent beauty was chocolate torte with fresh whipped cream, complimented by an amazing Ruby Port. I chose the Port over the pie, and saved this slice of chocolate heaven until the next day's afternoon snack! Hmmm, I have no idea where these extra pounds came from!
 

 

Sunday turned out to be another gorgeous day, so Mitch drove us to Folly Beach for a walk along the water, and to see Morris Island Lighthouse. At one time there were 15 additional buildings on the island where the lighthouse stood, but changes in tidal currents caused severe erosion on the island and it began to shrink. Today it stands alone, completely surrounded by water.

 

We took a break and sat on these large pieces of driftwood, directly in front of the light.

 

Another view of the light from further down the beach.

 

There was so much marine life washed up on shore during this particularly low tide. This was the biggest horseshoe crab any of us had ever seen! (with Mitch's foot being used for comparison)

 

After a nice walk on the beach, it was time to eat again (of course)! We stopped for more seafood at the Charleston Crab House, right off the Ashley River...man, this is the life! (except for the no-see-ums, which surprisingly weren't so bothersome to me, for a change)

 

 We watched the bridge go up a number of times, as well as boats docking to grab a bite to eat. Jack could sit and watch this all day; he loves being outside, especially by the water. Me? I think cold beer tastes really good outside by the water, but you probably already knew that!

Can't wait to see what we find next time!

 

 

 

Keep It Weird, Vermont! I'll Be Back!

("Keep it Weird" is another t-shirt slogan, I'm not being cheeky ☺)

 

For my own memory's sake, I have to finish this trip. Our last full day was very cool & misty, but it was still heaven to us. We rolled outta bed and walked next door to Mass (isn't that cool?! St. Alphonsus was literally two doors away), where the priest invited us to the church dinner since he "bagged" a 50 pound turkey for it! Then we put on our "extra" shoes and sweatpants, and set out on a hunt for blue rocks!

Peg took us on a 15 minute walk to the creek where her kids and now grandkids love to play. I know why!

 

 Kinda like the "Where's Waldo" of blue rocks; the rocks are blue from iron (I think) from a furnace factory upstream. Do you see one?

After we loaded up with rocks, dried off and had some warm snacks, Peg drove us all around Pittsford. That little town is packed with cool things to see, one of them being a huge haunted house and hayride during Halloween week. Dang, we're gonna miss it! Here's a stop at Hammond Bridge, #2 of four covered bridges in town. 

Depot Bridge...that makes three that we've seen!

Laura and I ventured to the Maple Museum ourselves while Peg attended a speaking engagement. We were so looking forward to getting our syrup on...after all, that's Vermont's #1 souvenir!

 

A syrup tasting! How fun is that?! If they only made maple flavored wine...

 

A little exploring found us a huge pumpkin patch! (because it was on the main road) Pumpkins as far as the eye can see! Well, almost. It felt very fall-ish! And Halloween-y! And "northern"!

Why not?! Look at that misty sky ☺

 

Ok. Laura felt bad for just taking pictures here; she had to buy something, and it was gonna be a pumpkin! And it had to fit in the suitcase. This lil pumpkin did NOT get her busted at the airport, but her blueberry pancake mix (white powder) and maple syrup did (more than 3 fluid ounces)! She's a nut! A fun one!

After another lovely homecooked meal, courtesy of our hostess, and a mad dash to find the elusive maple cremee (which we unfortunately didn't find), we settled in in our favorite spot in the house. Over five nights in here, we chatted, watched a debate, a movie, drank lots of tea, coffee and hot chocolate, and chatted some more. Thank you, Peg! We don't wanna go home!!! 

 

But alas, we must. On the way to the airport in the morning, we stopped by the Shelburne Museum and snapped a pic of the Ticonderoga through the fence. Then we stopped in a local bagel shop for one last Green Mountain Pumpkin coffee and a cider donut! We don't wanna go home!!!

 

Good fortune smiled on us before our trip home; we took a "bump" and came home a few hours later. Hmmm, $400 each in free airfare, and $60 for food while we waited? Sure!

 

WHERE TO NEXT?! ; )

The Leaf People!

Full day #3 started with a Republican breakfast in Castleton, which was fine with us. We're Republicans. We like breakfast. Peg is driving (again). And it's another fabulous day. So we visited and ate (alot, including cheese blintzes), and listened to the man who would be senator. Fingers crossed, Mr. MacGovern! (and crossed really tight, because the state is primarily Democratic; there are only 600,000 people in the whole state!)

Anywho, Vermont has some very cool laws:

1) You can carry a concealed weapon without a permit (NRA rocks!) 

2) In 2010, the state enacted a law requiring that a DNA sample be taken from everyone arraigned on a felony (Take THAT, felons!)

3) Public nudity is legal (Ok, that one's an ewwww); disrobing in public is not!

4) Vermont was the last state to get a WALMART! (You go, Vermont!)

5) Billboards are banned! (So the roads are noticably more beautiful!) 

6) Double yellow lines are "advisory" only (Errr, this one's a little dangerous...)

 

Moving on...

Lake Bomoseen, in Castleton, famous for ice fishing. It was a picture-postcard day!

After breakfast, Peg had a memorial service to attend for a bit, so Laura and I made a quick run (not really a run, we drove) a few miles north to Brandon, famous for their Leaf People! (we call 'em scarecrows here, how boring is that?!)

 I obsess. I can't help it. It's just who I am. (a/k/a weirdo) I took a ridiculous amount of pictures, but they were all so charming!

 

 The guy on the left was in front of the Chinese restaurant, of course!

 

 These ladies all looked fabulous in their fall attire!

 

 And these guys were a class act! The bride and groom were outside the Inn!

That's snow on Big K! (Mount Killington) Yet another beautiful sight on our drive. That snow was made just for the season pass holders, since last year was disappointing due to Hurricane Irene.

Then we drove through Woodstock (lovely!) on our way to...

Quechee Gorge! The mile-long gorge is 165 feet deep, cut through the hills at the end of the last ice age. This photo does NO justice to the swiftly travelling water so far below! Again, I took a bajillion pictures, and couldn't find one I liked!

Peg then drove us to New Hampshire, so we could add another state to our list of "been there"s! This is on the campus of Dartmouth University, in Hanover! ☺ (wasn't she a fantastic guide?!)

Last stop for the day was at Simon Pearce, famous for handblown glass, in Quechee. What an

artfully-amazing-day nature provided!

 

Back to hot coffee in pj's in Peg's tv room! Man, I'm gonna miss it here! Only one more day...

I Feel Like Ethan Allen...

Our second full day started with a visit and homemade apple strudel muffins from our new friend, Rebecca. The day before, we stopped by Rebecca's house while she was making stovetop spiced fruit, and Laura and I swooned over the intoxicating smell of it. We ooohhhed and aaahhhed so much, she gave us each a spoon for a taste. (clearly, our ploy worked ; ) Homemade goodies appear to be plentiful here, and we were taking full advantage!

Peg steered us toward southwestern Vermont this time, hoping to catch more vibrant leaves there, but we were ecstatic with every leaf we saw. It was funny to us that folks apologized for the leaves not being particularly colorful this year; we didn't know any different! Our tour took us through Rutland, Brandon, Dorset and Manchester (where we truly enjoyed a warm coffee on a cold day!); we pit-stopped by Elfin Lake at Wallington Lodge, passed Emerald Lake (the deepest in VT), and drove close to Mount Equinox, the only Carthusian monastery in the United States. We would have never known any of these things if we had set out on our own; we were sooo thankful for our knowledgable guide! (who pulled over soo many times and stayed extremely patient while we snapped thousands of pictures!)  Here's our second full day:

 We toured Robert Frost's modest home in Shaftsbury, which is of particular interest to me, as "Stopping By Woods" is the only poem I know by heart. (thanks to my high school shop teacher, Mr. Frick, I still know most of Jabberwocky ☺) He was a fascinating fellow!

Next stop: The Bennington Monument, dedicated to a Revolutionary war battle that took place in 1777. The obelisk is 306' tall, and an elevator took us about 2/3 of the way up for some fantastic views!

 

The windows actually open for clear photos, and each view is marked with the direction in which you are facing; this is facing west, looking at New York. Breathtaking! 

 North - Green Mountains.

 

Facing Massachusetts and Mount Greylock, which should be south! Loved this!

East - Vermont and the Green Mountains. (errr, I hope these are right...if you've been here and they're not, keep it to yourself! ; )

And...it was windy and cold here! Brrrr! We high-tailed it back to a heated car!

 

 Southern Vermont College...look at THAT view! (but I'd hate to have to get there in the middle of winter...)

 

An empty grotto at the college, which was at one time a private estate. It had a very Harry Potter-like feel!

Time to visit Bennington town, and the Old First Church!

 

The cemetery was lovely and very peaceful. "I had a lover's quarrel with the world" ♥

Inside the Old First Church, the first Protestant church in Vermont; started in 1762 and built in 1805, services are still held there! I would like "Box #13" please!

 

Looking out into the cemetery.

 

Before the drive back home to Pittsford, we ate a very welcome late lunch in Bennington. We also learned that some towns have their own painted "mascot":

 

 Bennington has Moose (meese?!)...

 

And Rutland has Hearts! What fun community spirit! They're all over the place in each of the towns; these are just a few.We stopped in Rutland before heading home to a movie; there IS a Walmart there, but it was built right downtown so as not to take business away from the local folks, and it works! 

Our final stop was at one of Pittsford's four covered bridges. (of course we were super excited and Peg let us out of the car. Again.) It's very Vermonty!!!

Stay tuned for the Leaf People of Brandon!

 

 

What Happens in Vermont, Stays in Vermont (but nothing ever really happens here)

I almost don't know where to begin, but first, I'm going to vent...WHERE'S THE COOL WEATHER?! WHERE ARE THE BEAUTIFUL LEAVES?! WHERE'S MY CHAUFFER?! WHERE'S MY HOT COFFEE & CIDER DONUT?! Sigh. I miss these things already. And just to prepare you, you'll probably hear "Vermonty" alot in the next few blogs, along with many references to "Green Mountains", the "Green Mountain State" and "Leaf Peeping", as well as an absurb overuse of the words "beautiful", "fabulous", "amazing", "lovely" and "maple syrup". So whether you stay tuned or tune me out, you've been warned!

This is may be an odd photo to start with, but just in case you didn't already know this, I HATE flying. The takeoff and landing are ok, it's the suspension in between that makes me come unglued. This is in La Guardia, and the plane waiting for us was a 70-seater. WHAT?! 70 SEATS?! THAT'S WAYYYY TOO SMALL!!! Breathe, breathe, breathe....praise God it was a 38 minute (yes, I timed it) flight.  I was extremely thankful to have my bff Laura with me (we love roadtrips, but they all involve that darned 'flying' part first!)

It was rainy coming in, but isn't this a fabulous first impression?! I can't wait! See the Green Mountains?! (note the use of 'fabulous' and 'Green Mountains'...)

 Our friend Peg had dinner ready and waiting at her home upon arrival: baked chicken, roasted winter vegetables, and baked acorn squash (my first ever, and delish!). I'm gonna like it here! Her home was warm, comfortable and inviting, and we felt like family straight away☺Off to bed (with lots of blankets), tomorrow is a busy day!

Peg told us initially that she was "an hour and a half from everything", and she wasn't kiddin'. The little towns lie far and away from each other, but we soon realized that was part of the Vermont charm. So with Peg as our driver (which was wonderful!) we set out for Montpelier, the smallest (but oldest working) capital in the US! This is the State House, where Peg serves as State Senator 24, so we got an insider's tour! We also met Lt. Governor Scott (super cute!) and Pro Tempore Campbell; man, did we feel special!

Next stop: Ben & Jerry's in Waterbury. I may not agree with their politics, but they make darned good ice cream! This is a "must do" for everyone visiting here, and their "Flavor Graveyard" is very tongue-in-cheeky cute. My favorite retired flavor was 'Vermonty Python'!

The cider mill down the road was enchanting with its locally made treats and gifts. We ate warm cider donuts while we watched them make fresh cider. Those donuts are just as good the next day, trust me!

This view is 'round back of the cider mill. Green Mountains everywhere, I tell ya!



♫ The hills are alive...♫ at the Trapp Family Lodge!



Leading up to the side of the lodge. We clearly didn't belong there, but boy was it fun to run around and act like we did! It's expansive and charming, and I'm sure, expensive. Laura convinced herself that this was the cozy Columbia Inn in Pine Tree, VT, from White Christmas ('Brrrr! Vermont!' our favorite line from the movie), and we really hoped to catch a glimpse of General Waverly! Shucks, no such luck. Did you know Dean Jagger (Gen. Waverly) was the same age as Bing Crosby (51) when they made the movie?! And Rosemary Clooney was only 26! 

Looking out from the covered bridge in Stowe, a ski resort town, where we started a brisk (chilly!) walk around downtown. We're official Leaf Peepers!

Pumpkin carving contestants on the town hall steps!

We headed for home via Smuggler's Notch, a narrow mountain pass used by (go figure!) smugglers to transport illegal and embargoed goods (and booze!) over many years. There are no places to stop for pictures, so this is through the windshield, which can't even begin to show the beauty that we gasped and gaped at around every curve!

 

Disclaimer: Please know that all of this blogging-ness is for my own memory-deficient purposes to document my trips, and you will in no way be held accountable for feeling bored as you read them. Keep in mind this is only day one (I blew through a 2 GB SD card in one day)! Uh oh!

PS. The title of this entry references t-shirts we saw in every shop we stopped in. It's very Vermonty! ; )