Fall Adventures

Well after a nice, long hiatus from blogging, (100% due to procrastination) I finally have a blog to post!

Since we have lived in Massachusetts, we have become some of those crazy 'leaf peeper' people who drive around taking hundreds of pictures of the leaves during the fall months. But along the way, you don't just find beautiful landscapes and sceneries ablaze in autumn's hues, you find yourself on a bit of an adventure, there's always something to discover. So this year, for our annual Fall Foliage Tour, we invited a friend along for the ride, Jorge, our honorary 'peeper' and the perfect companion for our Fall Adventure!

After meeting at Logan Airport (Jorge flew in from Jersey, Chris and I straight from Texas) we made our way through the lovely Boston traffic and out of the hustle and bustle of the city for a delicious dinner at a 100 year old barn turned restaurant to kick off our trip. The next day we stopped at an apple orchard for some fresh apple cider and apple cider donuts as we walked around admiring the 4th generation farm and barn that was built in the mid 1700's, yes, 1700's! (if you ever take a trip to New England in the fall, you can't leave with out having some apple cider donuts)

With our bellies full of cider and donuts, we hopped back in the car, meandering our way through Vermont and New Hampshire, stopping to take pictures of covered bridges, quaint towns and the obligatory state sign selfies. 

About the same time last year, Chris and I passed Simon Pearce Glass Blowing and Restaurant in Quechee, Vermont but didn't get a chance to stop, so this year, we made sure to end our day at the Mill at Simon Pearce for dinner. The name had rung a bell and we realized that the famous glass artist is the father of professional snowboarder, Kevin Pearce, who was expected to win the Gold Metal at the 2010 Winter Olympics against Shaun White but due to an unfortunate training accident, left him with a traumatic brain injury and ending his career (check out the inspiring documentary about his story, The Crash Reel). Voted "One of America's Most Romantic Restaurants" by Travel and Leisure, the Mill is overlooking the Ottauquechee River waterfall and covered bridge and boasts some of the most delicious food from local Vermont farms. (the Vermont Cheddar soup is what dreams are made of)

Every night we bid on hotels wherever we happened to be (something Chris and I are used to doing, you never know exactly where you are staying until your bid is accepted but you can get some killer deals) and scored a hotel with an indoor pool AND an arcade! So more fun was had and I ended up being the champion at air hockey and slept well that night. (dreaming of Vermont Cheddar soup)

The next day we woke early, knowing the photo-op scenery that lay ahead on the Kancamagus highway through the White Mountains of New Hampshire and it didn't disappoint. We made our way through the pass and on to Maine, in time to watch the sunset over the picturesque Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth and some Maine lobster in downtown Portland.

To cap off our trip, on our way home, we stopped in Salem, Massachusetts, for some spooky witch history and a little Halloween spirit. If you look closely, you can see the Sanderson Sisters putting a spell on the residents in the old Town Hall. 

It's always an adventure with our friend, Jorge, and we had a blast exploring New England during what I think is the prettiest time of year. Jorge, you are now officially a 'Leaf Peeper', welcome to the club!

Cranberry Bogs and Gristmills

This gem of a day was back in October, but I'm just now getting around to posting it (being punctual is not my strong suit). Now that it is February in Massachusetts, I'm starting to long for those sunny, warm days, like everyone else about now (sans you southerners)... 

So we had set out on a drive, knowing it was cranberry harvesting season, to find some cranberry bogs to take some pictures of. Little did we know that this particular bog was going to be harvested right then and that we were welcomed to stay and watch. It's quite a feat to gather up all those juicy, tart cranberries to bring them to, where else but, Ocean Spray, right in South Carver, MA. 

There are two ways to harvest cranberries: 'dry' used for cooking and baking, and 'wet' used for juices and sauces. The field that we came across was being 'wet harvested' in which it is flooded with water and the cranberries float to the top (since they have a hollow space inside them). They are then corralled using wooden 'booms' forming a circle to trap them and are pumped into a truck to take them to the cleaning and packaging facility. It is really a fascinating form of harvesting that I honestly knew nothing about and always wondered when I saw the Ocean Spray commercials (filmed right there in South Carver!). Kinda like peanuts, I always wondered how they got peanuts....

After an hour or two watching the harvesting and eating our PB&J's we made our way over to Sudbury where Chris was determined to find a Gristmill that he had heard about. I had no idea what he was talking about but was awestruck when we found it, there in a field against a quiet stream, with it's beautiful red water wheel. It was like a scene out of an old story book... There was a path that led to a pond with the trees lit up in all colors and a peaceful swan just posing for our camera. It was enchanting to say the least. 

It was an awesome day watching cranberry harvesting and exploring an old gristmill...I wonder what that gristmill looks like in winter....challenge accepted, will post next summer. 

Cheers!