Exploring Vermont's Orchards

Last week, Colette and I stuffed the dog into the car with us and headed off for a day of countryside exploring in Vermont and Massachusetts. The foliage was just past peak and beginning to take on that more monochromatic aspect of late autumn. The day was partly sunny by the time we got to Walpole, New Hampshire, where we could take in the view looking toward Vermont. Looking pretty Vermont! Very pretty!

We stopped at our favorite chocolate stop, L.A. Burdick, to stock up on a tiny box of chocolates and some hot cocoa to keep us warm as we journeyed further.

We crossed the bridge over the Connecticut River and entered Vermont. Our first stop was Green Mountain Orchards in Putney, Vermont, where Colette had heard they had excellent cider donuts. Not only that, but they had breathtaking foliage!

We highly recommend their cider donuts...the BEST we've had all autumn! Super friendly people too!

Then we headed down the road to our next destination, but whoa! We brake for great farm stands! 

Colette purchased a jumbo pumpkin, which was plunked into the middle seat, and promptly named "Fred". On we went...

Our next destination was Scott Farm in Dummerston, Vermont. The farm is located down this dirt road, on the former estate of Rudyard Kipling.

It was here that he wrote "The Jungle Book" and other classics. His home is available for rental and still contains many of his furnishings. We passed the home later in the day, when it was pouring rain, so I have no photos to share with you of that. But here's a glimpse at the beauty of Scott Farm.

We set up, with the view you see above, for a picnic (ham on focaccia sandwiches, orzo salad, sharp cheddar cheese, Izze sodas, and chocolate chip cookies and cider donuts for dessert).

Bailey, our sweet 12-year old golden retriever, was was ecstatic to be out of the car and exploring with us.

We had barely finished eating, when rain began to fall. Slowly for a couple of minutes, then a solid, steady rain. We shoved the dog and our picnic fixings back into the car just in time to keep them dry. Then we explored the farm store, where we purchased some heirloom apples and cider. Fabulous cider! We are sweet cider snobs, because we were spoiled by our friends in California who make delectable cider. So, it's really hard to please us with cider. But Scott Farm's is GREAT!

Then we dashed through the rain (with our arms overflowing with apple deliciousness) to the car and journeyed on down the road to our next destination. More about that in my next posting.