I love going on vacation, but I love coming back even more.
I'll tell you about the most remarkable activities for me.
I will try briefly…
We spent one night out of 3 in a tent. (We actually planned to have 2 nights in a tent, but the weather decided for us).
We visited Sugarbush Farm and Billings Farm & Museum, stopped at a store selling sheds and cottages, looked at the cider production process (Woods cider Mill), met with a representative of the company that will drill a well on our site, and asked questions to city officials.
And, of course, we admired the beauty of the season. It’s a pity that we couldn’t stop on the highway for photography.
At this time of the year, tourists travel to Vermont and New Hampshire specifically to admire the foliage.
Daniel heard about the town of Woodstock even before the vacation. Therefore, we began to look for sights that can be seen there. As the first attraction, Google gave us The Sugarbush Farm.
Google says: “Rural farm producing cheese varieties & maple syrups, with walks to view the tree-tapping process.”
Here's what I learned:
A tree must be at last 40 years old in order for it to be tapped.
The maple sugar season is about 6 weeks long and usually starts in late February or early March.
Maple sap is the combination of water that is stored in the tree’s roots and natural maple sugar which was produced the precious simmer in the tree.
The farm needs about 1500 gallons of sap before they have enough to begin evaporation.
The amount of syrup produced depends on the amount of sugar in the sap and is different every year.
For more technical information on this topic go on the Internet though.
In my opinion, in summer, the main attraction of the farm is the view and the store.
In the store you can buy maple syrup, lollipops, magnets, hats and all sorts of souvenirs.
By the way, they (farm) also produce cheese there and give you free samples. Unfortunately, I wasn't hungry (that was really unusual), and Daniel tried the cheese (that was ever more unusual).
I almost forgot! There is a map on the farm where tourists mark with pins where they come from. Do you remember the map at Shelly's tea? So, 2 people from Tomsk have already visited Woodstock, Vermont. Two!!!
The next attraction from Google was Billings Farm and Museum.
Google says: “Working farm & museum dedicated to scientific-farming history, with interactive exhibits & demos.”
We didn't go to the museum. We walked around the visitor center: again a souvenir shop, an apple orchard, an active vegetable garden and a beautiful view of the mountains.
On the way back, in the parking lot, we talked to a local television correspondent. At first I thought it was just a simple “ American small talk”. But then it turned out he needed a few people who wanted to get on TV. And Daniel didn’t mind.
In the evening at the hotel, we watched TV with the phone in our hands so that we could make a video about the video. We have never been so interested in local news!!! Already at home in New Bedford, I found a link to that interview.
Another attraction of Vermont (according to Google) was The Woods Cider Mill.
The day we went there was cloudy, cool and slightly drizzling. But we spent an hour there, if not more. The owner offered to watch the “process”.
Of course, we did not see how the apples were washed and crushed, but we were very impressed by what we saw. Unfortunately I was too shy to take a lot of pictures or videos.
Here's what came out with a little I had.
About the farm
It is a family business founded in 1798. Currently, the business is managed by the 6th and 7th generations. They raise dairy and meat cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, keep bees and make apple cider and maple syrup.
Most of what they produce is for family use or sold locally, but the maple syrup and cider products, their main income source, they distribute further from home. Via their website you can arrange delivery = buy and receive by mail.
Fortunately Daniel and I will not need such a service, because the farm is a 20-minute (or so) drive from our site.
By the way, we bought a gallon of apple cider and a jar of apple jelly. Jelly is very concentrated. I already tasted it at home with French toast - it's delicious. It has nothing to do with applesauce, which I have disliked since childhood.
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| Old Church, Claremont, NH |
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| Old building, Claremont, NH |
Well, that's all about our interesting activities.
I will add links below as usual.
P.S. A friend of mine (from Russia) said that we purchased not cider but apple juice. I decided to make it clear (at least for myself).
The difference between apple juice and cider, according to Southern Living magazine:
Apple cider is fresh, unfiltered, and often unpasteurized. It's also considered a seasonal drink and can be hard to find outside of the autumn months. Apple juice, on the other hand, is filtered and pasteurized, which gives it a long shelf life, a sweeter taste, and a smoother texture.
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