ziemke glass blowing studio • 6 comments • Our last stop in Vermont was Ziemke Glassblowing Studio where they have free demonstrations. We happened to walk in just as Glenn Ziemke (well, at least I think it was him) was starting to blow some glass. It was cool to see him make a candle stick holder within a few minutes. There was a window between us and his workshop as I imagine it gets pretty hot in there. We sat on a bench while a lady in the attached shop narrated what he was doing. He made it look easy but there's likely a lot of training, skill, and knowledge that goes into the craft. It even seems like it could be slightly dangerous, but he was cool and calm the entire time. He's obviously been doing this for years. - Mina
early vermont antiques • 7 comments • I asked Alex to stop as we drove by Early Vermont Antiques. It was musty and kind of creepy - everything an antique store should be. Alex found a board game that he used to play as a kid and bargained the price down to a few dollars. Score.
cold hollow cider mill • 12 comments • Cold Hollow Cider Mill was our favourite stop in Waterbury. We may have gone there twice during our 3 days in Vermont . It was actually my first time drinking apple cider; the perfect fall beverage, I think. We've mentioned that we usually don't care for donuts, but these cider donuts were unbelievable. It makes such a difference when they're hot and fresh. After enjoying our snack, we perused the mill (to see the cider-making process) and the gift shop. The prices were reasonable, so we stocked up on maple mustard (sooooo good). I also bought a little sampler pack of pumpkin butter/cider jelly/maple sugar, etc... Oh, and the apple cider BBQ sauce that we've been using for pulled pork sandwiches is the best. The views from behind the mill are gorgeous, too. I can't wait to go back someday. - Mina
new england in the fall • 15 comments • The recommendations on this post about how much I love road trips are what prompted us to drive down Route 100 to take in some of the scenery. Usually, we plan most details in advance but thought that it might be fun to just drive without a set itinerary or any booked accommodations, like we used to do when we drove to Minneapolis for concerts in our early 20s. Turns out it was "parents' weekend" in Burlington - a time when families visit their college kids. This meant that ALL of the hotels were booked. It was a bad time to attempt spontaneity. After getting declined by several B&Bs and even motels, we pulled into a McDonalds parking lot to steal their wi-fi and by some stroke of luck got what seemed to be the last hotel room in all of Vermont . Parents' weekend also means that the wait time for restaurants is obscene. (We were too hungry to wait so we just went to Mr. Crepe - not bad!) So, if you're planning on going to see the "fall foliage" of New England, make sure it's not parents' weekend or book waaay in advance. Lots of autumn photos to come...
ben & jerry's • 14 comments • Of course we went on the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream factory tour when we were in Vermont.... of course, we did. True Story: I tried Cherry Garcia for the very first time because I was given a free sample. Verdict: I'm in love. We also shared a small cup of Late Night Snack. I was both repulsed and amused to learn that one of the portion sizes for a "sundae" was bucket. It's called Vermonster - "A monster of a sundae - 20 scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, banana, cookies, brownies, and all of your favorite toppings". We saw a woman with ice cream all over her face, while a family member was feeding her. She was yelling "MORE BANANA!" with her mouth full. It was horrifying. But, really, who am I to judge? I've been on the hunt for Chubby Hubby since we've been back to Montreal. - Mina
