Oh Vermont, You did not Disappoint

So, Aunt SuzQ and Aunt Tish decided to try and save my big birthday trip by agreeing to go with me to Vermont. Before Rae talked me into this trip a year ago, I never thought much of going to Vermont. Surprise that, since aside from Jesus, my family and my classroom, I'm not huge fan of too many things.  I don't watch T.V., don't love movies much, don't follow too many folks specifically.  It was at some point that I no longer recall,  I was smitten by a Vermont Artist, Tasha Tudor, and a movie that my first grade teacher had an album about- The Sound of Music, and my Thanksgiving tradition of watching White Christmas. Tasha homesteaded in Vermont, the real Von Trapp's settled there and White Christmas happens there as well. As to Tasha, it was so much more than her art, she was just living a life on her mountain that was so appealing to me. It was her home I wanted to see.So that seemed like a bang up way to celebrate being a senior citizen. But things kind of went south after plans were made and it didn't seem like it was going to happen, till my sisters came riding to the rescue.
It was a long way and a lot to accomplish, especially for a general non-traveler like myself.  There are a million things I want to see, but  car rides, train rides, plane rides, bus rides, walking and looking and a host of other things, like simply waking up on the wrong side of the bed,  can bring on vile vertigo, so I just don't do it much.  SuzQ and Tish are well aware of this and I knew they'd deal in the event they had to. I felt completely safe in saying, "I need to stop," or "I'm going to need to drive this time."  SuzQ created her nest in back, Tish can read the map on that little screen and drive without losing her lunch ( who knew)  and I did spend some significant time following that white line through the mountains, but blessedly, had no bad spells.
After many weeks of trading ideas, images and thoughts, we loaded up and pulled out last Friday morning at 5 am. These are girls after my own heart. We made a plan, and worked the plan.  Due to our advanced combined ages and that we all inherited our Mom's back and sciatica issues, we stopped often.  Our first big destination though was Buffalo New York, home of the original Buffalo Wings, another favorite of mine.
On the way, we took a little side to trip to Lake Erie, which I had never seen.  Here you see the left, middle and right.

I didn't know if the Anchor Bar, home of Buffalo Wings would be really touristy, but aside from a little gift area, it was just a lunch stop. The wings were delicious. 

 These buffalo are all around Buffalo, New York .  Wonder if our neighbor around the corner, got his from here.

Ol Mother Hubbard outfitted us in these cutest matching sister shirts.

Sister's Road Trip 2019

Seriously good wings. 

After we filled up on wings, we headed to our first overnight in a little house in downtown Niagara. 

They have  fireworks on weekend evenings at ten. 

I think if this had been my destination and vacation spot I would have been disappointed.  I mean once I saw it, then that was done.  Interesting, as I would have moved into Tasha's and few other places we visited and stayed. Like maybe forever. 

We were up early again, stopped at a neat little place for breakfast, and began the long, slow, drive through New York to Marlboro Vermont. Did I say it was long and slow?  Ugh. 

Early on we found this apple orchard. I was on a quest to try some different kinds of apples.  Ahem, they had Gala, Honey Crisp, McIntosh, all familiar. I bought a bag of Empires that I had never heard of.  We ate them all week long. 

Funny, different things made me miss different ones of my people.  This display brought my holiday gramerlings to mind. 

It was dark when we wound our way into Vermont.  I am telling you it was just dullsville until we turned and started up through the mountains. That is where someone lit the trees up, and we oohed an ahed till dark fell fast.  We found our next stop and my, these were the dearest people.  In their seventies and bopping around like they were many years younger. They had just returned themselves from the man's mother's funeral.  They grabbed us and hugged us like we were long lost relatives.  Such a sweet welcome. 

 

 They then turned us right back around and headed us back down the mountain to their son's restaurant, The Maple Leaf Tavern.  I had chicken piccata and it was so incredible. We each got something different and all of it was amazing.  In my family, we are sharers.  Everyone gets something different, so every meal is a buffet.  We had so much leftover, we packed it in the cooler, and returned to warm comfortable beds.

 Breakfast was baked apples and egg in a nest. She had a full house, so we met some interesting folks from as far as Texas and Washington.

We packed up again, though that was one of places I could of stayed a while longer and headed out early to Tasha's. 

This is another house, built by her son Seth, who is currently 77 and one of the tour guides. This sweet little home houses her cards, books and prints and where we gathered up.  My one big disappointment was not being able to take pictures of her home.  I felt like I went down a wooded path that opened up to a woodland fairy realm.  It was so plain in many respects and so detailed and wonderful in others.  A concept there, I'm guessing due to hard winters, is to join the barns to the home.  It had two very small bedrooms upstairs, with roped beds. Several rooms downstairs, it was just as she lived in it until her death in her bed in 2008.  It was her children and grandchildren that led you about giving you glimpses into her everyday life. Lying about were prints. She painted exactly what she lived, so you could that the furniture, candles, pots, bowls, etc. were in those prints just like they were sitting right in front of you. 

 I mentioned to Seth's wife that her  life seemed so idyllic and she said that everything I read and saw was very real.  Seth built her this little dream cottage when she was 55, following a very old homestead pattern.  A big iron stove was in the kitchen where she got up, put on water for an egg each morning and a cup of tea, taken as she rocked by the stove.  After that the table was set for tea with cups and cookies for anyone who wondered by.  She had a spot in a sunny window where she painted.  All about were other evidences of how she lived like looms and a spinning wheel, a crafting cubby, where she created her dolls and marionettes, be still my heart.   She kept chickens and goats and gardened extensively.  I asked if they would mind if I took some spent flowers from her garden for seeds and they graciously said to do just that.  Wow, how happy will I be with my own Tasha Tudor garden.

All over the walls in the kitchen and hall were notes and numbers and dates. Seth said she commented, "Little bits of paper disappear, but the wall stays where you put them." These notes were prolific near the phone. Along with notes were sketches. I could see her standing and chatting on the only wall phone there was, and sketching while she listened to whatever the caller was sharing. 

What connection I felt to this person was very clear to me.  She was not about things the world values. There was no television, so much was there for a purpose and used extensively, but then, a shed was turned into a Marionette Theater with an amazing little stage and pews built for her by Seth.  

Her grandson, Winslow, said she was just so content. Even when she went to the grocery, she was so happy to return to this little home.  I asked Winslow if he was aware of her artist fame. He said, "Yes, in some vague way, but mostly for me, she was just Granny." Whaaaa. 

I so loved seeing it. I am actually tearing up just writing about this.  I hated to leave.  

We returned to the house above. They made fresh apple cider for us from her apples. 

I brought pods of her milk weed for monarchs.

 We had a picnic with items made from her cookbook.

So, the main reason for traveling so far, was over.  It would have been worth it to me if we needed to turn around and leave. Thankfully we didn't, and headed north to Warren.

Vermont was so different.  They allow no billboards and very little signage and when you get off the beaten path, you better hope you have plenty of gas and aren't in need of a restroom.  You climb a mountain, mountains all around, and get up higher to find more mountains.  Who new you could drive anywhere for hours and miles and never see a Walmart or Walgreens. We loved it!  

I had phone service for about one third of the trip.

Next stop, Warren.