Outdoor Adventure

Seeing Southern Vermont is an adventure and the most exciting part was a visit to the British School of Falconry in Manchester. Even though the weather kept me indoors for this visit there was an adequate flying space to experience the joy of having a beautiful falcon take off from my gloved hand and fly to the other end of the enclosure. And then, with a hand signal from me, fly back and land on my still gloved hand. These magnificent birds are put through an extensive training program with carefully controlled diets to maintain them at optimal flying and hunting weights.

If that wasn't enough to get my adrenaline pumped, I had only to step out the door of the Falconry to find a Land Rover waiting to run through the Land Rover 4 x 4 Driving School. This time the wet weather did win - sort of. I was able to drive through the school's 4 x 4 off road course, but not as the driver. But, sitting in the passenger seat was okay. The course traverses some pretty rough and interesting terrain and when I get back to Southern Vermont I'll hope for drier weather when the school is open.

Indoor Food

There were a number of indoor activities that filled the days very nicely in spite of the rain. A visit to Jon and Kate Wright's Taylor Farm in Londonderry was another highlight of the trip. Jon, who is also the head of the Vermont Cheesemakers group, was busy mixing the ingredients for his award winning Gouda cheese. His sister was alongside helping to add the water and then to do the mixing as Jon told me about his farm. He has 560 acres on which he raises about 100 cattle, divided between Holsteins and Jerseys. Only about 40 are milked. Somewhere along the way Jon said he realized that cheese making would be more profitable than just selling milk.

Now he and his wife and sister make some of the best Gouda cheese in Vermont. Jon let me peek into the cooler where the cheese is aged and the red and yellow waxed cheeses reminded me of a long ago trip to the Aalkmar Cheese Market in the Netherlands. I have since read that the Dutch cheeses at the market are still very good but are now so similar in quality and taste that the Aalkmar market is really more for the fun experience than actually selling distinctively different cheeses. However, in Vermont there are at least three dozen small artisanal cheesemakers who are each producing high quality cheeses with their own distinctive flavors and nuances. You know they have to be different when you see that they are often made of different ingredients cow's mild cheese, goat's milk cheese, sheep's milk cheese and even water buffalo milk cheese. Some are raw cheeses, some are organic, and some are mixed goat and cow's milk.

Taylor Farm is a perfect place to buy that loaf of bread I mentioned in the title. While Jon's sister is helping out with the cheese, his wife Kate is in the kitchen baking an amazing assortment of breads, coffee cakes, foccacias, cookies and other goodies. I'm not a food critic so I can only describe it as delicious. You'll just have to try it for yourself. But, be sure and buy it while you're there. Don't hope to come back later in the day - when it's gone it's gone. With no preservatives, Kate bakes enough for the day and that's it. Everything was going fast when I was there. The coffee cake, baked into small loaves, makes a perfect snack for the trip home.

And More

Vermont Country Store
Self-described as Purveyors of the Practical & Hard-to-Find this amazing store will most certainly have something for everyone on your gift list. They have a great little motto that reads We sell products that don't come back to people that do! Now can you imagine a country store in a small town in Vermont sending out 100,000,000 catalogs a year? No, that's not a misprint. This is a family owned business that has been around since 1946. They stock over 10,000 items in the store.

Some of the old time products I had not seen in many years. See if you remember these. How about Black Jack gum, Walnettos candy, Chocolate and regular Necco wafers, Original Chicken Bones, B & M Brown Bread in a Can, Raggedy Ann & Andy dolls, Dick and Jane Books, Nancy Drew and Uncle Remus books, non-electric floor sweepers, Pant Stretchers, Rug Beaters, MuuMuus, Seersucker dresses, watches, perfumes, hibachi grills, soaps, maple syrup and 10,000 more unusual and sometimes very old and almost forgotten treasures. And in the midst many modern and equally useful items. Plus, a clearance room where I found a perfect pair of outdoor shoes for the rain and mud, but alas, they only stock up to size 12. A size too small for me.

After you pull yourself away from the Country Store take time to walk around the small town of Weston. The whole town is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Old Mill Dam is just a hundred yards or so up the street. . There are several other shops of interest including an art gallery. If you're there at lunch time go next door, left as you exit the Vermont Country Store to the Bryant House Restaurant. A specialty is Yankee Pot Roast. I defy you to find any better than this. Outside of your Grandmother's kitchen, of course.

Lincoln's Stovepipe Hat
Another indoor visit that you may find interesting is the Hildene mansion in Manchester, The Lincoln Family Home that was occupied primarily by Robert Todd Lincoln, Abe & Mary's son. There is a permanent collection of well preserved artifacts that includes one of the President's stovepipe hats. My guide was exceptionally knowledgeable and offered an excellent presentation of the life of the Lincoln family during its time at Hildene.

Hawk Inn and Mountain Resort in Plymouth
I arrived mid-afternoon and wasn't able to enjoy all that they have to offer. My choices included horseback riding (these were beautiful, well-groomed horses), kayaking, fly fishing and more. I chose a fly fishing lesson and I couldn't have made a better choice. Having never had fly fishing instruction before I really got lucky here. Ed Eagen, who is also the Executive Director of the local Chamber of Commerce, was my teacher. Patience, knowledge, and the ability to impart that knowledge helped me land a beautiful 15" Rainbow Trout. Yes, it was a stocked pond, but I was fishing with a barbless hook! Thanks, Ed.

Now I just have to get back to the Hawk Inn and check out the Spa and do some riding. The good news is that Southwest flies directly from Manchester to my home base near Tampa so it's only a few hours away when I decide to go back.

Oh, you're thinking I forgot to mention the Forever Guarantee. It's really simple, if you buy something at the Vermont Country Store, when it breaks, stops working the way it should or you're not happy with it - send it back. There is no time limit. They've been in business for 60 years and I guess they're planning for 60 more. That should be long enough for most of us to test the Forever Guarantee!