September 30, 2008

Thatcher Brook Inn!

The road trip coutinues….

After a fun filled day checking out what Vermont had to offer, it was time for KA and I to go checkout the “Thatcher Brook Inn” where we were going to be spending the night.  Yes, I stayed at an Inn (of course 100% effort, idea, and execution by KA)!   She comes up with the best ideas! J It actually turned out to be really fun, and more or less halarious, staying at this little Inn.   Believe it or not, this little Inn was so popular, that by the time KA and I checked in at night there were no vacanies!  Amazing.   Checkout the pictures from my first stay at an Inn:

“No Room at the Inn”

There was no one at the front desk (aka: living room with a desk) when we checked in, however there was a this sign that said dial 333 on the phone BY THE BROCHURES and we’ll be right with you.  The “Brochures”  that was the key part of the note.  If you can find those then you are all set…. can you say… Where’s Waldo?

Take a look at the bedspread….now look at the picture below….

Notice anything?  If not, keep looking! 

Yeah, the bedspread and the shower curtain match!  Don’t worry, they are in diffrent rooms! 

So Great!  You don’t get stuff like this just anywhere! 

After our stay at the Thatcher Brook Inn it was off to Boston… Woot, Woot!

 

Vermont!

After the long awaited, much anticipated, and highly satisfying tour of the Ben and Jerry’s Factory it was off to find out what other things Vermont had to offer!  Within minutes we came across the Cabot Cheese Factory, Cold Hollow Cider Mill, and Tangle Woods Bar and Grill (don’t worry it was the only restaurant that was open after 7:30pm).  What more could anyone want!  Check out the pictures below:

I had to take this picture since the firm I work for in New York is also called Cabot.

Totally “CHEESEY” I know!  🙂

The Cold Hollow Cider Mills is where you can find the towns legendary cider donuts and the best apple cider that you have ever had!  Brief history of the Cider Mill Below, pretty cool.

History:  The Mill has become one of the top tourist attractions in Vermont because our operation is open to public viewing. Come and see cider that’s still made the old fashioned way, with a rack and cloth press built in the 1920’s.

You may be lured by an overwhelming aroma to The Donut Counter, where you can sink your teeth into our legendary cider donuts. These donuts have been featured as one of the top four donuts in the country. They go great with anything!  We sell many fresh mouth-watering baked goods from our natural ingredient bakery right in the store, including apple pies, pumpkin rolls, maple cream cheese pockets, apple-cheddar squares, and many others.

Don’t worry, KA and made ourselves sufficiently sick after visiting this place.  It is impossible to resist sample all the goodies that they have to offer!

I would have NEVER gone to this place if it wasn’t the only place in town that was open after 7:30pm where dinner was being served.  Keep in mind we were visiting on a Saturday night and this was the only place open!  (why is it that small towns have the strangest eating schedules?  Does everyone eat at 4:30 and receive a senior citizens discount our what?  I swear there is some secret that the rest of us don’t know about.)

As you can see from the picture the “TangleWoods” used to be a barn that was converted into a restaurant.  I just don’t know how I feel about that!  How clean can a place really be if horses, chickens, and cows used to live there?  I mean seriously, is the chicken that they serve me for dinner the same chickens that lived in the barn before it was converted into a restaurant?  These are the things one thinks about when eating at a place like this!

In all seriousness, the ONLY difference between this restaurant and a real barn is that this place had tables.  Otherwise you couldn’t tell a difference.  For example, there was absolutely no light (just like in a barn), I mean KA and I had the most romantic candle lit Quesadilla dinner in history!  It honestly was so dark that within minutes of us sitting down to eat I spilled my cup of ice water everywhere.  It was just too dark, I couldn’t see where my hand was in relation to my cup.

This place was out of control.  KA and I left hungry and ended up going to the one grocery store that was open and getting a few snacks there… what a joke!  This place is only good for the story factor, I would not recommend it be a place you eat at anytime soon.

September 26, 2008

Ben & Jerry’s Factory!

Still Making Dreams Come True!

Ever since I have known KA she has talked about her dream of going on a tour of the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory in Vermont!  Everyone knows that KA LOVES ice cream, but let me tell you, this dream came with a serious price tag.  Let me give you the quick run down of what it costs to make this dream become a reality:

Price of on Gas:  $164

Hours Spent in the Car: 13

Price of Parking Ticket: $115.00

Cost of 1 Night in a Hotel: $135.00

Seeing KA’s Face as we Pulled into the Parking Lot:  PRICELESS!

“There are some things that money can’t buy!”

When we arrived at the B&J Factory KA was like a kid in a candy store!  First thing we did upon arrival was got in line to purchase our tickets for a tour of the factory.  The tour consists of seeing where, how, and what the process is for making ice cream!  SO COOL!  When we got to the front of the line, KA asked the ticket master if we had won the “we traveled the farthest so we should get in for free” prize!   Are you asking yourself if that is a real prize?  I know I was!  Guess what, its not!  KA was making it up!  She somehow convinced the ticket master that since we had traveled so far, and this had been her dream for so long, that we should tour the factory for free… and it WORKED!  We totally got in for free!  I love that girl!  Below is a picture of us sporting our free tickets!  Don’t worry, the factory made a pretty penny off of us from all of the purchases we made in the gift shop!  Good times!

(My sirt says: “Body by Ben & Jerry’s” / KA’s shirt says: “Ben & Jerry’s Factory – Vermont”)

After the Factory tour you walk through a long hallway which has framed pictures of the Top 10 Most Popular flavors sold.  KA is standing next to hot item number 5…

Half Baked: This is KA’s Favorite Flavor! 

Once you get outside of the factory you get to see the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream bus aka: “Cowmoblie”.  Lots of history behind this bus… brief history below. 

The “Cowmobile”!

History Lesson:  Ben & Jerry’s launches its “Cowmobile,” a modified mobile home used to distribute free scoops of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in a unique, cross-country “marketing drive” — driven and served by Ben and Jerry themselves. The “Cowmobile” burns to the ground outside of Cleveland four months later, but there were no injuries. Ben said it looked like “the world’s largest baked Alaska.”

Top 10 Most Popular Flavors: YUM!  What are your favorites?  

I found this link below as I was googling something on Ben & Jerry’s…For a good laugh, read the article, then read the comments that people post.  Halarious!  Who are these people?

PETA wants Ben & Jerry’s to use Breast Milk