Green Mountains Majesty

We headed for Vermont about 10 minutes after I finished this morning's entry. We loved our trip to the Mary Meyer Big Black Bear Shop and the Vermont Country Store last year so much, we decided to repeat it. It was a perfect day for a drive into the country, too, 85, dry, and sunny. Vermont was beautiful, with its babbling brooks, rolling emerald hills, and endless miles of fields, farms, and Inns.

Our first stop was the Big Black Bear Shop in Townsend, Vermont. The store is an outlet and museum for Lauren's favorite stuffed animal company, Mary Meyer. In addition to selling Mary Meyer stuffed animals, they also have toys and children's books.

We found something interesting the moment we walked in the door. One of the first shelves held a display of "Quarter Bears" that were on sale. They represented each state and the quarter released for that state between 1999 and 2009. Lauren bought the Massachusetts bear; I, of course, bought the New Jersey bear. I don't have the room (in my apartment or my luggage) to buy large stuffed animals, but Lauren picked up a big red lobster, a cute teddy bear made from recycled bottles, and a soft, floppy giraffe in addition to the MassBear.

Our next stop was a little diner about a mile or so back from the shop. The Townsend Dam Diner is about as typical of a small-town diner as you can get. Mismatched thrift shop tables and a big Formica counter-top dominated the room. A dry-erase board with colorful writing announced the specials of the day. The small kitchen was perfectly visible from the dining area, allowing everyone to see the waitresses hard at work pouring salad dressing and chocolate syrup from huge jugs.

Lauren had the chicken fajita. I had the salmon burger. Both were excellent. The salmon burger was real salmon, not a patty like I figured it would be, and it was on a huge bun with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and onion. My fries were home-made with their skins still on. Lauren's fajita was filled with real chicken, cheese, and vegetables, and for once, she ate the whole thing.

We hit the road again after lunch and made our way up the mountain to the Vermont Country Store. Alas, once again, we didn't have as much time there as we hoped we would. The store was not only incredibly busy, it was closing an hour and a half early for a funeral across the street honoring the adjacent Bryant House Restaurant's late manager.

Despite the crowd, Lauren and I found what we wanted in record time anyway. Lauren bought a bottle of orange soap her dad really liked and some magnetic rocks to use in her room. I bought a small bottle of real Vermont Maple Syrup, a box of tasty Vermont "Buttons" small cookies (maple flavor), and a bear-shaped glass jar that's supposed to be used for cinnamon. I love that bear jar. I've almost bought it online a hundred times. I also bought a bottle of water. I'd forgotten to bring some from home and was feeling a bit dry.

Since we left the store earlier than we thought we would, we made a few short stops on the way home. Lauren stopped by another country-style store called The Apple Barn Country Store. This one was attached to a pick-your-own farm and specialized in toys, gift items, real farm-fresh fruit, and things made from said fruit, like jams and jellies, fudge, pancake mix, and syrups. Lauren bought fudge for her dad. I just bought a small maple sugar candy. I have a fondness for flavored sugar.

We drove into Berrington next, stopping at a small Stewart's Shops. Stewart's in New Jersey is a novelty brand of very sweet soda in glass bottles. In New England, its the equivalent of the Tri-State area's WaWa. The Stewart's was actually pretty cool. WaWa needs to start putting tables in. Their stores are big enough.

By this point, it was after 6. Most of the small, local stores we wanted to explore would be shutting down, so we just drove down the mountains and back to Pittsfield. Our last stop was Lauren's favorite sub shop right next door to the bank where she works, Angelina's Subs. It's a local chain specializing in what New Englanders call "grinders" and what we in Southern New Jersey refer to as the hoagie. Lauren had her favorite Taco Wrap. I opted for a simple turkey sandwich.

We're back at Lauren's house now, chatting, blogging, and watching Good Eats episodes. Tomorrow, we hit Jiminy Peak, a small family amusement park in the Greylock Mountains.