Green Mountains on My Mind
Originally published at Blind, Not Dumb. You can comment here or there.
My wife and I enjoyed a long weekend vacation in Vermont a few days back…
Something I have noticed over time is that nothing leaves me relaxed in quite the same way as a vacation to Vermont.
I think it has to do with more than just the majestic green mountain views, fresh air, and locally sourced fresh food. It’s a state of mind, one which embraces an aesthetic that pervades everything and is a conscious decision on the part of its participants to build in ways that harmonize with the natural landscape rather than paving over and obliterating it.
Among other things, we visited the Woodstock Apple and Crafts Fair and the Stowe Foliage Arts Festival. The artisans displaying their wares were really quite amazing. This is not your average New England craft show with 9000 booths of knit scarves. These festivals had woodworoking, blown and stained glass, metal smiths, leatherworkers, you name it.
No trip to Vermont (for us anyway
would be complete without a stop at The Alchemist in Waterbury. These folks have some of the best craft brewed beer I’ve ever tasted. This time I got to sample their new ‘Wee Heavy’ - a super malty dark brew called ‘The Wee Little Wabbit’ - yum!
We’ve talked about retiring there in our dottage, and I’ve got to say I’m definitely up for it. Hopefully we can retire young enough to be able to actually enjoy it