Phase XL : Vermont 2

Our redemption trip to Vermont first took us through New Hampshire.  We stopped for dinner that evening at Elm City BC.  Believe it or not, we were there for the food, but we tend to gravitate towards brewpubs if they exist.  It's a win-win scenario.  They had a limited appetizer on the menu that evening, which were the likes of pierogies, but deep fried with cream cheese in the middle and topped with bourbon glazed syrup.  They were to-die-for!

We then crossed the border into southern Vermont that evening.  The goal was to find some free camping in the Green Mountain National Forest.  We did find a free spot that evening in the national forest area, but I would not say it was forest like.  Most of the area has been domesticated.  The next morning, we headed towards White Rock National Recreational Area.  This is where Mer would attempt her first hiking since Adirondacks.  We ascended several hundred feet in attempt to meet up with Appalachian Trail (AT).  Then we did another small hike, which provided a clear view of the mountain we just attempted.  The mountain's face revealed why the area was called white rock.  All-in-all, Mer was a champ!

One of the motivating factors for returning to Vermont was to purchase some maple syrup and cheese.  We wanted to do our part to support the local community.  Our intentions were to stop by the Vermont Country Store, which was highlighted in the Rand McNally atlas.  This entire adventure was never about shopping, but this was the only time we went out of our way to do so, ha!  The samples were plentiful!  Cheese, sauce, and syrup samples were abound.  We truly relished in the moment.  We also stopped at the Christmas store, where they specialized in ornaments.  Each tree was decorated in different themes.  It was fascinating, and really made you rethink how you should be decorating a tree.

While our stay in Vermont was < 24 hours, I would say we redeemed it.  Hopefully we will return soon, but probably not soon enough.