A Dreamy Creamy Time in Vermont
07/17/2024 – 07/21/2024
What comes to mind when you hear “Vermont”? World class skiing? Maple Syrup? Cheese? Ben and Jerry’s? It’s all the above and MORE! Our visit focused on the dreamy creamy area of Vermont while we checked out the Upper Green Mountain region of the state.
Our new home, in Morrisville VT, was a short 90-minute drive from our campground in Ticonderoga. The ride took us across Lake Champlain and north across some rolling hills dotted with dairy farms. And you know what dairy farms produce, right? Delicious fresh milk that is used to make that dreamy creamy cheese and ice cream! Bill even said he thinks the milk tastes better up here too. Must be the happy cows.
In the distance we could see the Green Mountains ahead of us as the Adirondack’s faded behind us. Before I knew it, we were in the heart of the Upper Green Mountains and heading north towards Stowe. My excitement grew as I saw the Ben and Jerry’s Factory, Cabot Creamery, antique shops, a cider mill and Stowe. I can’t wait for us to get out and play.
A Flooded Campground
Our campground was located right on the Lamoille River and one of the things I was looking forward to was tubing down that river. I mean that’s why I chose this campground. They had a trail that led upriver a ways and then you floated back down to the camp’s beach. Fun, right? It would have been had the river not flooded.
About a week before we arrived, the remnants of Hurricane Beryl came through followed by several large thunderstorms. Several areas in northern Vermont and New Hampshire were severely damaged. Luckily for this campground, the river just flooded their lower section and didn’t do any damage. Unluckily for us, the river was still high, it was very muddy and not fit for water activity. Darn it.
Notch, Pass, Gap or Saddle?
Friday afternoon, we loaded Kona in the truck and went for a drive. We headed up to Mount Mansfield, drove through Smugglers Notch and circled around through Jeffersonville and back to camp.
Doesn’t Smugglers Notch sound mysterious? It is actually a pass that separates the Green Mountain’s highest peak, Mount Mansfield from Spruce Peak. Did you know that “notch” is another word used to refer to the space between mountains? I didn’t realize different parts of the country use different words for this. Out west the term most used is “pass”, in the south-eastern and some north-eastern states it is a “gap”. The New England states mostly use the term “notch” and a couple of states like Idaho call them “saddles”. Interesting.
The drive up to and through the notch is very narrow and at times goes down to one lane even though it supports two-way traffic. It has a lot of bends and hairpin turns. That means you travel slowly and pay close attention. Smugglers Notch got its name in the 1800’s when it was used as a route to trade goods and livestock with Canada, which was illegal at the time. It also provided a hiding place for the pirates of Lake Champlain. Today it is a hiker’s paradise in the summer, a leaf peeper’s paradise in the fall and a snowmobiler’s paradise in the winter.
We made our way down the other side of the mountain and into Jeffersonville where we found a little river to play in and an old covered bridge.
Friday Night Pizza Night
My favorite night of the week! Most Friday nights are pizza nights in the Butrico household. This was a tradition we started, oh…I don’t know how long ago. I love pizza. I mean I LOVE pizza! And I especially love NY pizza. Now, Bill usually makes homemade pizza on Friday nights and it is my favorite…except for when some good NY pizza is an option. (sorry, Sweetie 😉)
I happened to be looking at the list of local restaurants the campground recommended and saw Pizza on Main, authentic NY pizza. Well, we aren’t too far from NY. How good is it? I checked out reviews and it scored almost 5 stars. Bill, you get the night off! 😊 It was fantastic!
A Day on VT-100
VT-100 is a state road that runs the length of the state of Vermont and its entire length is designated as a scenic route. When we were here in April for the eclipse, we drove the southern portion of this highway and thoroughly enjoyed it. The road passed through small mountain towns and large ski resorts. We visited a sugar shack and learned all about maple syrup then too. Today our plan is to explore the area of VT-100 from Stowe down to Waterbury, where Ben & Jerry’s is located. We have a 6:00PM appointment for a factory tour.
Stowe
Nestled in the Green Mountains is Stowe, VT, famous for its superb winter activities. On average they get about 300” of snow a year. Stowe offered its guests the first lifts to its ski runs in 1937 and was the birthplace of the Ski Patrol. But Stowe has a lot to offer during the other three seasons as well. There are miles and miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, rivers to paddle in, craft breweries to enjoy and it’s a leaf peepers paradise in the fall.
Historic Downtown
Stowe was founded in 1763 and retains much of its historic charm. We spent about an hour wandering around Main Street and perusing many of the little shops. And we walked away with some goodies like Maple Bourbon Cream and some Maple Syrup aged in a bourbon barrel. Can’t wait to taste these!
Many of the buildings date back to the 1800’s, including the Meetinghouse and the Stowe Community Church. The Meetinghouse was built in 1818 and was the first public building in Stowe. It served as the Community Church, Town Hall and Fire Department and is now home to the Vermont Ski Museum. It once occupied the site now occupied by the Community Church, which was built in 1863. It’s a cute little town.
The von Trapp Family
Located about 4 miles from the historic downtown district of Stowe is the Trapp Family Lodge. You know, that famous singing family from Austria whose story inspired the musical “The Sound of Music”. After losing most of their fortune in 1935 and immigrating to the United States in 1939, they toured nationally and internationally and earned fame, fortune and numerous awards as the Trapp Family Singers. Out of curiosity, i looked on YouTube to see if there were any videos of the Trapp Family Singers. Click here for a short video of one of their performances
In 1941 they settled in Stowe Vermont and purchased a 660-acre farm. The farm was converted into the Trapp Family Lodge in 1942 and was a destination for the family to entertain friends they had met during their travels. In 1950, the lodge was opened to the public and welcomed its first paying guests. Sadly, in 1980 a fire wiped out the original lodge. The lodge was rebuilt and reopened in 1983 and throughout the years has expanded to over 2,500 acres.
The Lodge Today
Johannes von Trapp, youngest son of Maria and Georg, and his two children still run the lodge today. The property is also a working farm. They raise Scottish Highland cattle, chickens and pigs and grow their own vegetables and produce their own maple syrup for use in their three restaurants. They also offer over 60 miles of cross-country ski trails as well as hiking and biking trails.
We visited the lobby of the lodge and the gift shop where I picked up Maria von Trapp’s book, “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers” and a few other souvenirs. As I started to read the book, I quickly realized the movie was loosely based on Maria’s memoir. However, as I am reading her words, they sound exactly like Julie Andrew’s portrayal of her in the movie.
Before leaving we stopped by the family cemetery and looked out over the mountains. I can see why they fell in love with this property.
Von Trapp Brewing
In 2010 Johannes von Trapp began brewing beer. He wanted to brew an American version of the lagers he enjoyed while visiting Austria. Today they produce about 2,000 barrels of beer per year and are available to purchase in 11 states. We stopped at the bier hall to sample one of his fine lagers. They were pretty tasty on this warm Vermont day.
Cider, Donuts and Cheese, Oh My!
As we continued to make our way south on VT-100, we pulled in to check out a rummage sale at a local church. We didn’t find any treasures, but next door we found a cider mill boasting “legendary” cider donuts. That sounds like a challenge to me…
Cold Hollow Cider Mill
Cold Hollow Cider Mill is located in a 19th century farmhouse and dairy barn. They use the rack and cloth press system to create their cider and offer free samples. Bill and I both thought the cider was a little weak. Sorry, Cold Hollow… We wandered around the retail store and checked out some work by local artists. On the way out, I asked Bill if he wanted to try a cider donut. “Sure, why not?”, was his response. We both took our first bite at the same time and had the same reaction. Legendary!
Cabot Creamery
A few miles down the road is Cabot Creamery Farm Store. Since it seems like our day is turning into a “foodie themed” day, we must stop and sample some cheese. How can we not? Cabot Creamery is a dairy co-op. It began in 1919 when 94 families from Cabot Vermont formed a cooperative to ensure their livelihood. The co-op merged with another co-op in 1992 and now stretches across New England and New York.
I don’t know how many cheeses we sampled, but everywhere you turned there was another stand with some little morsels of goodness begging to be tried. And if that weren’t enough, there were several employees walking around with more cheese to sample. It was all sooooooooooo good! And this is from a person who DID NOT even eat cheese (unless it was melted on a pizza) up until a few years ago. They have won many awards for their cheddar cheese and it is easy to see why. The cheese is very creamy and full of flavor. We walked out with a small block of a10-year and 1-year aged cheddar. Can’t wait to enjoy these with some of that wine we picked up a few weeks ago in the Finger Lakes.
If you see Cabot cheese in your local market, pick some up and try it, you won’t regret it!
Maple Creemees
When we came though Vermont back in April and I was looking for a sugar shack to get some maple syrup, I remembered reading about a Maple Creemee. It sounded delicious but not something you want to have in April when it’s freezing outside. Then I kind of forgot about it. While we were out driving around the night before, we started seeing creemee signs and wondered what a creemee was. Then it all came back to me and we were on a quest to try Vermont’s favorite summer treat.
What is a Maple Creemee? It’s pretty much soft-serve ice cream (only better) that has maple syrup mixed into the base. Supposedly the base for a creemee has a little more butterfat in it than the base for soft-serve making it a little more creamy. Time to find out.
It’s still a few hours before our appointment with the Ben and Jerry’s crew, so I Google, “best maple creemee near me”. Turns out it is at Morse Farm in Montpellier. Montpellier is only about 30 miles away and we have time to kill. Soooo….we drive to Montpellier.
Montpelier
With a population of just over 8,000 people, Montpelier is the least populated state capital in the US. We stopped by the Capitol Building hoping to be able to take a tour, but it was closed. Oh well. Just down the road from the Capitol Building is the downtown district so we took a quick drive around and were surprised by how “small town” this capital city is.
Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks
It’s time to go get that creemee and Morse Farm is located a few miles outside of town. We were actually going to be staying here a night through our Harvest Host membership, but that all changed when we helped Jefferey move to Arkansas. I’m glad we got to visit their farm after all.
The Morse family is celebrating 200 years of making maple syrup. Ancestors of the current owners helped settle this area of Vermont and were taught how to tap the maple trees by Native Americans. While visiting the farm you can take a stroll through the woods and see how they tap the trees and collect the sap. In their barn is a movie that tells a little about the family and the syrup making process. They also have samples of their fine syrups to taste and a great retail shop with local crafts, foods and of course their maple syrup. And then there is the creemee.
Since Bill and I visited a different farm when we were here in April, we went straight for the creemee. Let me tell you… it was creeeeeeemeeeeee, dreamy and oh so yummy! We could definitely taste a difference between the creemee and soft-serve. When you come to Vermont, do not leave without trying a creemee!
Ben & Jerry’s
Finally, it is time for us to head to the Ben & Jerry’s factory for our tour. Here is a heads up or PSA if you want to visit. Buy your tickets at least a week in advance and double-check the calendar. We got into town on Wednesday and I pulled up their website to see what the factory tour entailed. Well, you had to purchase a $7 ticket for a 30-minute guided tour. No problem, I pull up the calendar and look at what I think is Saturday and the day is almost sold out. We decided to do Friday evening at 6PM instead, thinking of an early dinner and ice cream for dessert. WRONG!
A Mix-Up
I happened to be talking to Chris that evening and he said something about Saturday, July 20th. I corrected him and said, “No, Friday is the 20th because we are going to Ben and Jerry’s on the 20th.” Then I looked at the calendar and by George, he was right.
How in the world did I think I was getting tickets on Friday the 20th? I looked at the Ben & Jerry’s calendar again and realized their week started with a Monday and not a Sunday, therefore, what looks like Friday on a normal calendar was actually Saturday. (Are you confused yet?) I’m just glad I didn’t get the tickets for Saturday because they would have really been for Sunday and we would have been on our way to New Hampshire. LOL Note to self and everyone else, always double check the days of the week at the top of the calendar when purchasing tickets on-line.
The Graveyard
We finally arrived at Ben & Jerry’s but still have 90-minutes before our tour and decide to walk through the ice cream graveyard first. It was fun reminiscing over some of the flavors we remember eating and wondering “What were they thinking when they concocted that flavor?”, like Sweet Potato Pie. Yuck! Do you have a favorite flavor that was retired?
The Tour
It’s time for the tour! Ben and Jerry’s was formed in 1978 just down the road in Burlington VT with a single ice cream parlor. Their trademark is the chunks of goodies they add to their ice cream; brownies, cookie doughs, pretzel bits, ice cream cones, nuts, hunks of candy and hunks of fruit. This is because Ben lacks a of sense of smell and relies on “mouthfeel” and texture to enjoy food.
In 1980 they started packing their ice cream in pints and in 1985 they opened their first factory in Waterbury. They began distributing nationwide and later worldwide. And, voila, we all have yummy, chunky creamy ice cream to enjoy today.
The Factory Floor
The factory tour starts with a short film about the company culture. After the movie, we mooove (see what I did there 😉) to the mezzanine overlooking the production room floor while grabbing a small chunk of cookie dough on the way. From the mezzanine (no photos allowed) we look out over the small factory where they produce about 300,000 pints of ice cream a day. Unfortunately for us, it was cleaning day. We did not see any ice cream being made but I can assure you, the equipment sparkled.
The Flavor Lab and Taste Testing
From the mezzanine, we mooooved on to the Flavor Lab. This particular lab is not used so much anymore, but it is where several of the older flavors were developed. Across the hall is a team of employees whose sole job is to taste ice cream and make sure it meets company standards. At the end of the tour, we all got a sample of a new flavor that will be coming to a supermarket near you in the very near future, Churray for Churros! It was pretty tasty!
Have you had Ben & Jerry’s? What’s your favorite flavor? Here is ours (and yes, we actually agree on this one. LOL) and it is ranked #7 nationwide! Do you know what the #1 flavor is?
After our tour, we had planned to go out to the scoop shop and enjoy a scoop but we were still full from the creemee and passed. I mean we can get Ben and Jerry’s anywhere, right?
Wrap Up
Can you see why I call this entry a dreamy creamy time in Vermont? Ice cream, cheese, creemees… and all the stuff good dreams are made of. 😊 Even though we were only here for 4 days, we feel we were able to fully experience the Upper Green Mountain region of Vermont.
What’s Next?
This week was time in Vermont’s Green Mountains, next week we explore New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
