So let me start by saying - we had been plotting and planning this trip for weeks. It all started a year ago when I realized Friday the 13th was in May. The perfect time for me to plot a weekend adventure - if I had someone to join me :) Last year on Friday the 13th - I spent it on an island with my daughter planting 3 series in the rain. It was fabulous... but this was going to be better.
I proposed my idea to Teacup - and she gave me that look. If you've ever met her - you know the look. The one that says "Are you freaking out of your mind???" "You want me to do what???" "You know that's NOT in Maine, right???" You know - THAT look. But the one thing Teacup does really well is be a supportive friend. Even when that friend makes her do things she really doesn't want to do (get in a speed boat driven by a crazy person, help plan events when she has to meet all sorts of new people and go over the border to other states.) So after I got the "You REALLY want to do that?" question a couple of times, with a great big sigh - she resigned herself to the mercy of being my partner in crime as we tackled - VERMONT!
Now mind you - going over the border is a BIG deal for Teacup... each time we've resigned ourselves that the need was there to cross the border - there are a few rituals we must observe. One: the state Gazetteer must be purchased. Because I don't care how much you all rely on those gps gadgets - ours usually leads us to a path along a long dirt dead end at some point. The map is golden and has gotten us out of many misdirected gps advice. Two: clues, clues, and more clues are printed. While I usually like to spare the trees - for an epic adventure - proper amount of paper/ink must be spent in order to plan the perfect trip (with at least 100 more boxes printed than humanly possible to achieve - just to be on the safe side.) Three: planning meetings. Many, many, many planning meetings... in the car, at the bar, along the trail and in the kitchen... via e-mail, via phone calls and messages written in the sky! LOTS of meetings - usually each starting with, can we add this? Four: deciding where or what we want to plant. Because we try to be good stewards to areas we visit. You plant for us to bring us there - so we try to leave a thank you or two or fifteen along our journey.
So we prepped, we plotted, we planned. Teacup mapped out our boxes (on our gazetteer of course with post-it flags for every box!), our routes (in multiple colors because we changed our route a couple times) and had a detailed timeline. We gathered our clothes (extra socks and shoes a must), pulled together trail magic supplies, had a bag full of boxes to plant and a bag full of HH's to add to boxes. We had snacks and water. We had phones charged (with numbers of our Vermont buddies on speed dial in case we needed bail money) and fill the car's tank up with gas. We were READY! Now bring on Friday the 13th!
Friday morning I picked up Teacup at 5am sharp. Not wanting to loose a moment - we had everything placed in the car in the perfect order - things needed immediately in reach, trash bag ready for the empty sweet tea and coffee cups. The gps plugged in and our first location added (after we added Vermont as a state - LOL.) We knew we had a long drive in our future - so off headed to South Portland. We were going to get a mug-up at IHOP to make sure we'd last that first 100+ miles before our first ink.
We pulled into IHOP - and it wasn't open??!!?? WTF? Didn't they get the memo that it was the start of our epic journey??? Well damn. Barely out of the driveway and we've already had a change in our plans... not to be defeated early - we adjusted. Dunkin to the rescue (should have just grabbed it in Brunswick to begin with!). So with coffee and hot tea in hand - muffins in the bags - we set out once more. (Please note, first of many, many uncharted, unplanned, unplotted u-turns in our future.) We headed west, we headed north, we headed north west. We crossed the first state line and a shudder of goodbye to Maine could be felt in the passenger's seat. (Mind you - normally Teacup drives and I navigate. But we were heading in to much farther uncharted territory - and realistically - I didn't want Teacup's car just up and stopping at the border - so I offered to drive this time.) We continued along. Stopped for a coffee refill and to make sure those left at home had managed to get up and go to work/school without us. (Because truly we know they can't survive without us, right!)
We chugged, we churned. Teacup gripped the map, the folder of clues and her notes in a death grip - until out of nowhere came what would turn into our trip's chant. Teacup randomly said "Look! Dead people. Can I get an Amen!" To which we both raised our hands in the air and said rather boisterously 'AMEN!" With that - we knew we were going to have a fabulously foolishly mis-adventurously epic weekend! The next state border sneaked up on us... and before we knew it we were heading off to our first box.
St. Johnsbury welcomed us and we visited the "First Normal School." It was still early - and we had to get into our boxing groove. The bugs were out in force to greet us as well. After taking the time to do some much needed clean up - we picked up the image and moved along. Our next stop was one that made the cut, then was cut, then added back to the list of potential stops during our planning trip. In the end we were very glad we ended up stopping to visit Pom Pom on Dog Mountain. Now mind you - both members of Team MudCup are cat owners - not dog owners. But we can appreciate the love of ones animal. And this location is truly an amazing tribute to man's best friends - be them dogs, cats, horses or ferrets. We climbed the mountain and spied a big blue bird swinging in the tree. Further up a flying dog angel heading over the local fire hydrant. And of course - our first wonderful view of the green mountain state. After inking up - back down to visit the chapel. In awe - we stepped into the chapel and were floored by what we found. After taking the time to appreciate our surroundings, Teacup left her own tribute to a departed family friend before heading off to the gift shop. And our first encounter with those friendly and chatty locals. We enjoyed the art, Teacup picked up a couple gifts for her Toys for Tots stash and we moved along.
Landing in St. Johnsbury we just had to stop at the Maple Syrup museum (one of 5 we ended up seeing along our trip) to start our debauchery. We originally drove past this location - but turned around as an evil plot formed in our minds. We pulled into the strange little parking areas, looked into the 'museum building' and Teacup ducked into the gift shop to distract anyone inside while I tucked a box in the area. The stamp image - Maine Maple Syrup, of course! We laughed like fools at our foolish little coupe as we looked around and picked up a few tidbits in the gift shop. Maple candy, maple tea and partook of a few free sample (bring on our first sampling of the day - not to mention an instant sugar RUSH!)
Looking at our watch - we were happily ahead of schedule and headed off in search of our first tour. Cabot Creamery greeted us along with a persistent shower. We donned our blue booties, watched the informational video and then followed our tour guide on the quick factory tour. They have some wonderful murals in their factory for you to enjoy as you stroll through. A definite must tour for a cheese lover - after ditching our booties we saddled up to the cheese bar. We nibble, we nibbled some more, we tried all the cheese flavors (my favorite was the Alpine Cheddar) and tasted the honey Greek yogurt (not yet in stores) and popped a handful of cheese covered popcorn in our mouths. More nibbles of those cheesey tidbits - new toothpicks for each sample, please. And we opted to head along... we found out that we could pick up our not in all stores flavor pretty locally to us... Portland has a Cabot 'outlet' store in the Old Port. Who knew??? Not us. Go figure!
We wanted to plant at the factory - but there just wasn't a viable location. So we headed back to our main travel route. And low and behold "Can I get an Amen! AMEN" Dead people gave us an option to plant a cheese little mouse. With two plants under our belt, we were beginning to get on a roll. Consulting the map and the 7-page list, we headed off to the location from which the whole weekend had been planned. Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont. Destination central on a Friday the 13th! Where else would a letterboxer want to be on Friday the 13th but in a cemetery - and an epic one is even better. This cemetery is home to some incredible monuments. Stone carved into soccer balls, planes, cars, people in beds and other amazing works of stonemanship. We picked up the images we could find in the series and came up with a loss for another in the same location. The rain was getting heavier, and we started to hear the rumblings of thunder rolling around us. Time to move along....
Next stop - another epic must have in a Vermont trip - Ben & Jerry's. We went inside and did the tour, sampled ice cream - and much to Teacup horror - opted to pass on buying more ice cream. The lines were crazy and the rain was getting heavier. We need to get those inky boxes waiting for us. The first 2 were easy pickings - though they both required trail magic as they hadn't weathered the winter and the logbooks were a complete loss. We moved on to another one in the parking lot before heading off to the Flavor Graveyard. Final resting place of those dearly departed flavors. ***A moment of silence for your favorite flavor that is no more - mine being White Russian with Buzz *** Heads bowed and umbrellas held high - we entered the hollowed grounds... okay - it's a flavor graveyard... so we found our required 'stones' and got our bearings on where we needed to find more ink. And wouldn't you know it... muggles. Don't they know it's raining??? So we waited them out in the car - umbrellas at the ready to replant when they had their backs turned and umbrellas blocking our actions.
We had another a few other places on our list - places we thought might be interesting. So up our first dirt mountain road we headed to visit the Crash at Camel's Hump. Really?? People live on this road? They have to take a walking bridge to get to their house? And it's probably the very last road plowed in the winter... probably another reason why everyone we passed with local plates was driving a 4-wheel drive! Up, up, up. Corners, turns, bumps in the roads. We made it to the top - and couldn't figure out where to start... due to the rain - the daylight was waning - we opted to head back down the hill before the rain washed us down the hill. Green Mountain coffee called to us from a local train station... or at least that's what we thought we heard. By the time we got there though - it was closed :(
By this time - it was getting darker, the rain was getting heavier and we had an hours drive to our hotel. One whole town just got axed from our trip! Off we headed to Burlington. The fog was hanging in the mountains like it was tucked in pockets of a shirt. Whale tails drifted past us in the fog. By the time we made it to our hotel - we were ready to have a bit of a rest (and a cocktail!) We dropped our stuff and headed across the street for a late night dinner. And it was YUMMY! The asiago cheese sticks were perfect and the portions HUGE! After a day of dietary blockage - we opted for cleansing cocktails - high on cranberry juice and champagne. It's amazing how happy a cocktail after a long day can make one. We ambled back to our room and said good night to our guardian mother bird. Showers and tucked in for the night - Teacup and I adjusted our plans... we couldn't complete cut out Stowe... a new plan ready to go... we said goodnight to Vermont and thanked them for a fabulous first day! Join us tomorrow for day two's adventures.
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