Mountains of spring and surprises

We drove through Maine and right into Spring

Turn around day brought us back into the U.S.  We drove and drove and drove through New Brunswick.  We stopped to gas and eat a quickie sandwich.  We stopped in Nackawic, New Brunswick to visit a grocery store and pick up my favorite salad dressing and ketchup potato chips.  They didn't have the dressing and I forgot about the chips.  We did see the largest axe in the world, though.  But I forgot to take a picture.  It was a really long drive.

We crossed the border at Houlton, Maine.  Mt. Katahdin peeked at us now and again from the road.  It still had plenty of snow on the top.   We drove on to Bangor, then west across a smooth Highway 2.

The White Mountains


After a couple nights on the road, we traveled into New Hampshire.  The White Mountains.  Signs of spring.

The Green Mountains

And on we went, into Vermont, the Green Mountains, where spring blossomed and the greening increased before our eyes.


Vermont was beautiful




Stowe, Vermont was part of the plan for the day.  We left early, and turned north toward Stowe.  There was one little sign on our right with a little arrow pointing to the left toward the Trapp Family Lodge.  "Stop!  Turn here!  Pull over!" was the wildly crazed outburst from MapGirl.


The view from the Trapp Family Lodge which reminded the family of their home in Austria

After a quick Google search, we learned that this was indeed the turn-off for the VONTrapp Family Lodge.  The Sound of Music Von Trapps.  Maria, the Captain, and all those children.  Who left Austria, traveled as a singing family, and finally landed in New England.  In Stowe.  Vermont.  On a mountain.  We didn't take a vote.  We drove up that mountain.

The lodge was rebuilt and expanded after a fire in the 90's

What a joyfully serendipitous moment.  This story has been a part of my life nearly always.  The Sound of Music, the musical, is a romantically dramatized version, but the bones of the story are the same.


The little white turtlevan at the lodge - proof we were here!

We went into the lodge, learned some new information, and savored a nice breakfast.


We ate eggs from Trapp Family free range chickens

We saw the private family cemetery where Maria, Georg, and some of the children were laid to rest.  The lodge is still family owned and family run by Maria and the Captain's youngest son.  We said "Good morning" to  Maria VonTrapp's granddaughter-in-law.  I know we did.  And no, I didn't buy a t-shirt.


Really can't believe we were here. 

It turns out Stowe, as advertised,  is a beautiful little village, but we drove through and back again without stopping.  There was extensive street work going on throughout the village.  It was hard to get around either walking or driving.  We were happy to see it and leave.

We sat in the warm sun and ate ice cream after our tour.

Even our planned visit to Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory paled in comparison to the excitement of our morning at the lodge.  But, hey.  Ice Cream.  Right there at the factory.  In the warm sunshine.  That was pretty cool.  And no, I didn't buy a shirt here, either.

We all agreed.  This was a really good day.


p.s.  My mom would have just loved hearing about this adventure.  Happy Mother's Day in heaven, Mom.  I love you and I miss you.  Lots.






Comments

  1. Another beautiful area and inspiring recap from your trip back into the New England.
    It reminded me of a couple of memories of my own in New England ... both during my co-op days in college. One, a trip to New Hampshire with some wonderful people (the Schimpf's) with whom I was living during one of my summer assignments. I drove up to New Hampshire and drove and hiked to the peak of Mt. Washington. A pretty severe place in the winter.
    The other time was a summer made a visit to my college roommate in Vermont (by Greyhound bus from Indiana!!), to Burlington, Vermont. I'll stop with that on this trip, as the rest of the story is a bit of blur ... except for my spending some time in the city fountain in the center of city square. The rest of the story needs no further elaboration!

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