Sweet Memories (Vermont & The Adirondacks)

On their fourth day exploring the region, the Bests wanted to wander a little further away from the cabin. They were headed for the great (but small) state of Vermont. It was Memorial Day weekend, and they wondered if some attractions might be a little busier, but it was still late spring (before most families start travelling), so they weren’t terribly worried. 

The only one of the bunch who had been to Vermont was the kids’ dad. Their Nana and Papa took him to the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory when he was a kid. It was an experience that he cherished, and he told the kids how amazing it was. They were also getting excited to head down there and check it out!

The Ben & Jerry’s Factory is located in a small Vermont town called Waterbury, which sits between Burlington (the largest city) and Montpelier (the capital city). 

The trip to Waterbury wasn’t exactly simple for the Bests. There were three legs to the journey. First, they had to conquer the eastern edge of the Adirondacks. Next, they had to drive their car onto a ferry boat and cruise across the impressive Lake Champlain. Lastly, they had to traverse the Green Mountains, which is the mountain range that Vermont is famous for (if you know French, you’ll recognize it in the name!)

The first leg was twisty and turny with interesting homes and tiny villages around every corner. The second leg was more of a mental hurdle for the kids.

“We’re driving the car onto a boat?” Questioned Hugo.

It seemed like a silly concept, but when there’s a large body of water that separates two communities, a ferry is often more practical than a bridge. It’s also much more fun! Once the car was parked on the boat, the kids were able to get out and climb up to the top deck. The ride was absolutely breathtaking! The clear, crisp, blue water was rivaled only by the clear, crisp, blue sky.

Before the kids knew it, they were on dry ground, zooming past the city of Burlington and soaring through the Green Mountains. As she was taking in the scenery, the kids’ mom remarked, 

“Whoever chose the name for this mountain range picked the perfect one.”

No one responded, but they all agreed. They were too mesmerized by the richness of the green grass and the lush trees to take their eyes off the scenery outside their windows, or even to talk.

Toward the end of the third leg, Hugo had fallen asleep and the other two kids were getting anxious for ice cream. Their dad was excited to relive his childhood memory, but when they arrived they were surprised by how many cars were in the parking lot. The main parking area was completely full, so they drove to the overflow zone, but it was full too. Trying to make the best of it, they finally found a spot in the furthest lot. It was unpaved, with puddles everywhere.

As they approached the building, they noticed giant silos of cream, milk and sugar. The building was painted vibrant colors, and it was just the way their dad remembered! But when they turned the corner, they were confronted with an enormous line of people. There must’ve been 200 hungry customers waiting in line for ice cream! They tried to ignore the issue by approaching the special window for factory tours. The next tour was ten minutes away, which wasn’t too bad. The facility smelled amazing and the painted murals in the waiting room were fun to look at, but it was hard to not be overwhelmed by the Memorial Day crowds. 

On the tour, the kids watched a movie about the history of Ben & Jerry’s and got to see how the ice cream is made. It was interesting, but it didn’t quite live up to their dad’s sales pitch. At the end of the tour, they each received a free sample of a new flavor with salted caramel. Everyone enjoyed it, except Frederick who offered his to Edith.

When they finished the tour, the line for the ice cream shop had not died down. In fact, it may have gotten longer! In an effort to salvage the experience, their dad suggested buying ice cream in a tub from the gift shop instead of cones from the window. Not a bad idea (in theory), but when they found a table, they had to share with another family because the rest of the seating was taken. 

Dad headed inside to buy the pint-sized tubs, and emerged ten minutes later with three flavors. However, they didn’t have any spoons at the gift shop, so he had to scramble back to find some. They had to wait a few more minutes, but then he returned victorious with spoons in hand! Finally, the kids dug into the delicious ice cream. Unfortunately, the ice cream that’s sold in the gift shop is stored at “deep freeze” temperatures, so that it doesn’t melt when you’re driving home. The ice cream was so hard that the kids’ spoons broke when they tried to take a bite. They had to wait another ten or fifteen minutes, before it was soft enough to scoop. 

As they walked back to the car, the kids were (understandably) a little disappointed. To cheer them up, their dad encouraged them to check out the playground on the top of the hill. As they ran up to check it out, they discovered that most of the playground was barricaded off because it was being renovated.

The Best family collected themselves and got back on the road. They retraced their steps through the Green Mountains, were shuttled back across the shimmering waters of Lake Champlain, and weaved again through the twists and turns of the Adirondacks. Their experience at the ice cream factory may not have been as great as their dad remembered, but the trip was still fun! And with everyone’s tummies filled with sugary goodness, they realized sometimes the journey is more enjoyable than the destination. And that’s okay.