The day at the Trapp Family Lodge dawned a bit cloudy, but shortly afterwards, the skies cleared. The curse of the rain clouds seems to have left us.
The Continental breakfast was very extensive with breads, 
fruits, cheeses and some meats, oatmeal, granola, and muesli. We loaded up and headed south.
Our first stop was just about a half hour away, Ben and Jerry’s. We had been there about 20 years ago, before Ben and Jerry sold their company, and although Dan and Lisa did not remember, I noticed a few differences. The guy at the information booth opined that most changes must have been imposed by the new owners. First of all, it COSTS to take the factory tour. On the up side, the ice cream sample is larger than I remember. *G* Secondly, the sample used to be given as we walked above the machine that chilled the mixture to the consistency of soft-serve. Now it is scooped out at the end of the tour. That poor woman in the sample room must be scooping all day. By the way, although each employee receives 1.5 pints of ice cream a day, the guy at the information booth said he was done with ice cream for a while.
And then south through the Green Mountains to stop at a goat farm. We did not know that we should have let them know we were coming ahead of time. The tourbook said “open” next to the farm name. But the people were very gracious. They were in the middle of production for a farm fair the following week and were working hard. They had started the farm a few years before. They had 40 goats they miled and another famr nearby gave them milf from 45 goats. The also had a large flock of kids, although only two were two-legged and looked like them.
Lake Champlain is the border between Vermont and New York State. We opted to cross the lake on a small ferry at the town of Ticonderoga, NY.
Fort Ticonderoga was a stop I had opted for. My parents had taken there when I was quite young and my sisters and I all remember it with great fondness. My kids were a bit surprised because in comparison with Fortress Louisburg, it was tiny, the presentation of the displays was inferior, and the docents were not as well trained. But it still is an interesting piece of American history, first built by the French but then burned so the British couldn’t use it for the French & Indian War, and then rebuilt and used by the English and then captured by the upstart Americans during the Revolutionary War. Located at the lower end of Lake Champlain, the location was essentially the equivalent of today's interstate highway. With most travel by boat, this was the crossroads, with a short portage from Lake George just to the west and south providing access down to New York City via the Hudson River, and at the north end of Lake Champlain, a short portage lead to the St. Lawrence River, providing access to Montreal and Quebec. Fort Ticonderoga was captured by the colonists early in the Revolutionary War. The British soldiers did not know war had been declared, so they only had one guard at the gate in the night time. With 20 soldiers as part of the garrison, all sleeping away, the 40 colonists who knocked on the gate and were admitted, easily took control of the fort.
Fife and drum corps
We spent that night in a B&B that was off the grid. The parents had moved to this area from New York City in the early 70s and had managed to raise their family of 4 boys using photo-electric solar cells completely. He is currently in the process of installing a geothermal system and has completed his well. Basically, if I had not known it was off the grid, I never could have told. There was plenty of power for all the lights, computer use, refrigerator, hot water etc that we use at home. Two of the boys were at home when we visited. The 19-year-old took Dan, Lisa and Sam on a late evening/sunset/return in the dark hike up to an overlook shortly after we arrived. Both boys helped their parents prepare the breakfast, during which all of us, guests and family sat down together. This was the only B&B in which we felt as if we were guests staying in someone’s home instead of at a b&b.
Cannon firing demonstration
We spent that night in a B&B that was off the grid. The parents had moved to this area from New York City in the early 70s and had managed to raise their family of 4 boys using photo-electric solar cells completely. He is currently in the process of installing a geothermal system and has completed his well. Basically, if I had not known it was off the grid, I never could have told. There was plenty of power for all the lights, computer use, refrigerator, hot water etc that we use at home. Two of the boys were at home when we visited. The 19-year-old took Dan, Lisa and Sam on a late evening/sunset/return in the dark hike up to an overlook shortly after we arrived. Both boys helped their parents prepare the breakfast, during which all of us, guests and family sat down together. This was the only B&B in which we felt as if we were guests staying in someone’s home instead of at a b&b.
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