Travel Rewind: The Ben & Jerry's Factory and Other musings about Vermont.

Vermont is fucking gorgeous. But for the most part, we found the people to be assholes. I guess we're partly to blame but I don't really care. It all started with getting to our campground later than we planned. Most campgrounds have a 10pm quiet time, sometimes 11, but for the most part 10. We were got there just around quiet time and Griff had to set to finding us a campground and setting up the tent with on a head lamp for light. It fucking sucks, but sometimes this happens. We both hate it, but it's the only option we have. I sat in the car with Oz, getting him dressed for sleep and nursing him.

We finally get into the tent and Oz is a bit fussy, and all I can do is offer the boob. Eventually he settles and falls into sleep. We all do. It was maybe 6 am when Oz wakes up and is upset and crying. While trying to soothe him, some asshole the site over yells out "SHUTUP!!!!". Fucking dick. No doubt he heard it was a baby, and who the fuck yells out for a baby to shut up. That is one classless motherfucker. It took me not even 5 minutes to get Oz settled back to sleep.

Another hour or so later, our peeved off neighbors start making a big stupendous noise of packing their gear up. Lots of pots and pans clanging around. I'm' sure this was piss us off, but we're hardcore sleepers. If we want to sleep, we sleep. Their planned failed! Middle fingers to them!

Well, in the morning when we're all awake, Griff makes his way to the office to let them know where we are on the campground and to pay for our site. The woman informs us that our site is actually reserved for that day and we'll have to move. He checks that the site next to us is empty and we use the tarp to drag our tent over. It's a pretty big park and plenty of spaces. We're annoyed but we move on with the day.

Once the tent is moved we start the normal day routine. Or we thought about it. I was pretty pissed off and decided FUCK BREAKFAST, let's go to the Ben & Jerry's factory. O, and on the way out, let's stop and ask if we can stay 2 nights instead of another 1. Well, sure you can! But the spot you're in (you know, the one you just moved to) is actually reserved for the next night. What. The. Fuck.

I honestly do not understand why, if we are there and set up and PAID, we can't stay there. Why can't the people coming be moved to another site, since they aren't currently occupying a site. They are all pretty much the same! I said screw it, we won't stay the extra night...ON TO THE FACTORY.

And the Ben & Jerry's Factory smells like heaven. You walk in and you just feel good and want to roll around in ice cream. I had forgotten about their S'Mores flavored ice cream (vanilla with swirls of chocolate and marshmallow and chunks of graham cracker. SO GOOD.).

The tour was pretty short, but we had a great time. I think I will enjoy Ben & Jerry's more in the future simply because I think the actual people (you know, Ben & Jerry themselves) are pretty decent human beings that are trying to run a good business.

I don't remember *exactly* which ice cream I had afterwards. I know it was peanut butter ice cream and had marshmallow swirls. I know I had hot fudge and whipped cream on it. Griff had a banana split with three different types of chocolate ice cream and hot fudge and caramel sauce on it. Ice cream for breakfast is never a good idea, but now we know this for any future great ideas of ice cream for breakfast. It was awesome, but damn did we feel sick!

Afterwards we found a Sear's to get the car an oil change and tires rotated. We then went a Barnes & Noble to use the wi-fi. Pulling in a woman thought my car was taking too much space while she was pulling out and she flipped me the bird. Fucking Vermonters.

I was excited that I was able to meet another Imaginary Friend, Suzi, for dinner and then we sat outside downtown and talked till 11 pm.

The rest of Vermont was cool too. We went to a tiny town called Montpelier and enjoyed wandering around and had breakfast at a cute little diner. We bought maple syrup (SO GOOD). So while we enjoyed the state itself, but the people kind of suck. O well, no biggie.

(I need to take it easy with the parenthesis).

GRIFF--- I have to add a comment about the Ben and Jerry's factory:

You enter through the gift shop while you wait for a tour to start and they have a cowbell to let people know when the tour will start. I saw Ashley eyeing the cowbell jealously, so when the tour guide came round I asked if Ashley could ring it. He agreed and I so wish I had a picture of how excited she was, she really gave it her all on that cowbell.

Also, as sick as we felt all day for having had a huge ice cream for breakfast, I totally don't regret it and would do it again if we ever go to another ice cream factory.

Travel Rewind: Boldt Castly & Ferry

One of my favorite things about our trip is that I've been able to
meet some of my Imaginary Friends (aka Friends from the Net, for those
of you not in the know). On our trip to Boldt Castle I met imaginary
friend Christie and her husband Phil. If we hadn't met up with them I
wouldn't have any idea about Boldt Castle and it was a lovely day out.

It was also Oz's first time on a boat and he LOVED it. He loved the
rocking and sway and how it messed up his balance slightly. He loved
being out on the front deck and feeling the breeze (no, let's be
honest, it was wind and it was rough!) on his face. He was just a
squealing ball of excitement.
The trip to the castle takes about an hour and along the way you see
the Thousand Islands. What's so cute are all the houses that are set
up on these teeny tiny islands!
If you didn't follow the link to the castle itself, I'll fill you in a
bit. Mr. Boldt was building it for his beloved wife and when she
unexpectedly died, he ceased all work on their future home and there
it sat. Unfinished. Several years later (after Mr. Boldt) it was
decided to resume work, and the over the years the house has been open
from it being in complete disrepair. It's one of Christie's favorite
days out and I thought it was very cool that she has seen its
progression of renovation with subsequent visits. It makes her a part
of its history by being a frequent visitor. There are so many beautiful
details to find throughout the Castle. Christie pointed out all the
hearts that have been worked into the design, so I spent a good
portion of our visit hunting out all of the hearts. Unfortunately, I
didn't get a good picture of Christie and I together. When Phil was
taking a photo of us, I assumed that Griff was taking one as well. I
assumed wrong.


After the trip to Boldt Castle (and it's a full day!) we decided on an
easy dinner back at the campsite. Ozzy was really fucking tired and
C&P were kind enough to go pick us up a pizza. Griff decided to try
the Canadian dish Poutain, which is fries covered in cheese and gravy.
Not my thing, but Griff devoured it and when we were up in Maine he
found another resteraunt that served it and gobbled that up too.
Pretty much anything covered in gravy and cheese is a good meal to
Griff.


(*I have no idea why that last paragraph is underlined in blue. )

Happy Trails

My Poor Blog!

Would you believe me if I told you that I've actually been writing things about our trip pretty consistently, I just haven't been able to upload them WITH pictures? It's true. I know I have left you all dangling with us in Canada, while at this moment, I am sitting in a basement in Olympia, Washington.

This journey has been so crazy. A big surprise was how much we loved the midwest. Initially we wrote that part of the country off and wanted to just shoot across to get to the West Coast.

BIG MISTAKE.

Kansas had some of the kindest people ever, Nebraska had some lovely surprises, South Dakota was breathtaking and we had the best time driving through Wyoming and Montana. We've seen snow peaked mountains. It's an image we can't seem to get enough of.

I am hoping I will get an opportunity to sit and catch up on all my blogs soon. I always feel like if just had that ONE DAY, to sit and catch up, I would be happy. But we move. Every. Single. Day. It's hard enough to find an hour's quiet time to one's self, let alone SEVERAL hours.

I've done loads of knitting, and I keep collecting yarn from all these amazing shops and my list of things To Knit just keeps growing longer and longer. I hope I will be able to get most of it accomplished for christmas. I'm sort of counting on it.

I'm also looking forward to the day when the trip is over, I've had a long soak, and I can start taking photos of all the things we've collected on the trip. I hate that it's eaten into our budget of things to do/see, but Griff and I are collectors. We like to be surrounded by things. Not fancy, expensive things. But we love trinkets, christmas ornaments and books. O the books. And yarn. So there will probably be many posts explaining all our awesome finds.

AND THE HAT. We have so many stickers. My car will be tat'd up to make all the teenagers jealous.

So just know, I haven't forgotten about this space, and I've written 20 or so blogs about the things we've seen and people we've met. Sometimes I don't realize how amazing this trip has been until we sit and talk about some the encounters we've had. Let's just hope blogger pulls its finger out and lets me start uploading photos again, soon enough.

Just 2 Guys...

Enjoying their breakfast in the morning. It's visions like this that make me want to live on the road forever.