Saturday put us on the road to check out the scenery and some attractions of interest. Also of interest were the scattered rain showers of varying intensities most of which we managed to avoid, seeing several cruise throughout the regions we were traveling in.
Our first stop was Caledonia Spirits in Harwick, VT purveyors of several types of spirits though focusing mainly on gin. We were shown the distiller and participated in a tasting of there line of gins. I'd never tasted gin so I enjoyed the opportunity to do so and purchased a bottle of their Tom Cat barrel aged gin. Tastings are nice but I realized it wasn't enough to make a judgement whether to keep a bottle around in my liquor cabinet.
Afterwards we hit a little local grid lock as the town we wanted to pass through were holding there annual spring festival and fair parade before we made our way to our next destination.
Here left to right is your blog host (me), wife Carol, wife's sister Lois and driving us around her husband Jim.
Now an example of weather to be dodged though not this time as we were caught in the rain when we arrived at our next stop - the Cabot Creamery. Product tasting ensued then a short but interesting tour of the creamery operation.
After enduring a fair amount of tasting at Cabot we still were ready for some sit down food. As we passed by an interesting building with a cafe and bakery sign then noticed lunch and dinner mentioned below we turned around to check it out. It turned out to be the high light of the day.
Rainbow Sweets is a small operation in floor space and staff but big on quality of the food and the person preparing, suggesting and presenting the food at our table with quips, short stories and explanations of the origins of the lunch and deserts that were prepared for us.
Both Carol and I chose the same - above, "B'stilla: Moroccan shredded chicken in filo pastry with almonds, cinnamon, saffron. Light, aromatic, fluffy, with a Greek salad." ($12)
Below, "St. Honore - 'Johnny Depps on a plate' Profiteroles (eclair balls) filled with custard, dipped in hot caramel on top of fresh whipped cream on top of puffed pastry with pate a chou." ($6)
Add in a couple of cups of coffee, what a lunch!
Well fed and caffeinated - must be time for wine
Here we are at Grand View Winery...
and what a grand view it is.
A enjoyable wine tasting with the owner and a good size group of people who had come together. Carol and I walked away with a Riesling and a Cranberry wine.
Now onto our next stop.
Views along the way.
Now at Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory where we hoped to take the tour and indulge in a serving, alas it wasn't going to happen. Over an hour for the next tour and a line of a couple hundred people waiting to buy a serving. Being it was late into the afternoon we settled on a visit to B and J's Flavor Graveyard where Jim was able to pay homage to a past flavor favorite of his own.
So it wasn't so bad to miss out on the tour when we were able to enjoy a short hike into the woods on the way back to the campground to visit the Moss Glen Falls. A few people were on the way out as we arrived and we had the entire trail and views to ourselves.
Ah, the romance of it all ;-)
Sunday Carol and I decided to take a drive to the northeast see a bit of Lake Champlain, cross over to loop through Grand Isle and the islands north of it, then back to the mainland. Lois and Jim headed to the Shelburne area to do some sightseeing and visit with Jim's niece.
We stopped in St. Albans, VT to stretch the legs, then grabbed a cup of coffee from The Traveled Cup.
Carol took this picture of a couple of the signs inside The Traveled Cup
Back to the camp site with plenty of time to do some serious reading.
I had been enjoying a LaBatts while reading when I realized I'd forgotten to pick up a couple of extra brews for the evening. I did have a Guinness but wanted to save it for later in the evening, after a short time Lois and Jim returned with a 32oz growlette of IPA from the Fiddlehead Brewery in Shelburne that his niece sent back for me. What great timing. With a heady whiff of hops it carried me right through a supper of steak and chicken I'd grilled up and string beans and fried rice Lois prepared. Great meal!
Fine finish to the weekend.
