Quechee, VT

If you look closely at the photo left, you will see that, indeed, we WERE here...tucked into the tall pine trees on a steep hillside at Quechee/Pine Valley KOA and enjoying not having to follow any schedule.

No WiFi and poor cell service kept the world from us for most of the time. When sightseeing, we were able to check texts and make calls, but even that was limited. We survived and I flourished.

Vermont is known as the "Green Mountain State," thus, Green Mountain Coffee, and even more well known for its delicious cheddar cheese, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, and a huge granite quarry. We searched for the quarry, but to no avail, see below for a link to the amazing site.

We visited the Cabot Cheese Center and I was able to taste many flavors that are not offered in any grocery store that I've been.  My favorite was their Cheddar Reserve, which is wrapped in a heavy plastic coating.

We visited the Quechee Gorge, which was quite deep, but had very little water in the river. Unfortunately, every view worth photographing was obscured by chain link fencing. The photo I included here is not mine, as there was no way I was prepared to climb down and follow the trail, but thought it was worth showing.

We observed many kayaks atop cars, but couldn't figure out where they could "put in" until we discovered the Connecticut River that separates VT and NH and was deep enough and smooth as glass.

Vermont is a very pollution-conscience State. We were only offered paper straws in restaurants (don't know why people complain about them - that's all there was back in MY day).  At supermarkets there were signs that said, "Did you remember your reusable bag?" and when we checked out, I was embarrassed that we were one of the only customers using the disposable store bags.

Many eating establishments did not accept "plastic" - as in credit cards.  Good thing George is always "carrying," but had he not been with me, I would probably still be washing dishes or sweeping floors.

Here are a few photos of our time in the cities of Woodstock, Essex Junction, Pine Valley, Taftsville and White River Junction in VT and a quick ride across the border to West Lebanon NH.

Fabulous collection of toys at a huge Antique Mall.
Star Wars photos were specially taken for son, Glenn. Of course, George and I drooled over the spectacular train display.  

A newer covered bridge in Taftsville, VT, but still fun to drive through.

Great food and atmosphere at an authentic diner in Quechee, VT
I don't think I've ever seen one with as many original features, including stained glass windows.

Walking throughout pretty Woodstock, VT

Dog Friendly Ice Cream in West Lebanon, NH
Here's a little German Shepherd waiting for his Bogey Biscuit!

McGillicudy's in Essex Junction, VT

So very sorry to have missed Rock of Ages Granite Quarry in Barre, VT. If I ever return to Vermont, this will be at the top of my list of things to do. Click on that link above in blue to see more amazing pictures and information about the quarry,

Deep thought for the day:  Although it was a tiny sticker that we added to our map, The sights and atmosphere were hugely enjoyed. Don't overlook the tiny signs of beauty in your life. ~vc     

Catch Up Post

I have found myself writing too many posts that begin, "It's been a long time since I've posted here....." and here I am once more in the same situation.  I don't know what prevents me from keeping up to date, but being retired seems to keep me very busy - not doing much. I'll attempt a recap from my last entry, which will be difficult to top, since it was the Wonderful Walt Disney World extravaganza.

Most of what followed, while not Disney created magic, was magical with shiny and sparkly adventures with family and friends. Celebrating Christmas in North Carolina with son, Glenn, and family topped the list. We traveled two days, each way, and spent 3 fun and food-filled days with our NC Crew. It was great to be able to  enjoy the holiday with these grandkids who are growing up way too quickly.  My daughter in-law’s parents, who conveniently live right next door, are lively, terrific hosts and so much fun to be around. Ronnie outdid herself with presenting a wonderfully festive and healthy Christmas Eve dinner and Joan pulled off Christmas Day expertly. Kudos to both. 

This year, once again, I planned some "Minute-to-Win-It" games and fun was had by all, including great-grandma, GiGi.  I can't remember who won, but I do recall all of us laughing a lot during those games. The prizes were varied, but the most coveted of all, for the second time, was the package of dog treats! Next time, I'll need to get extra bags of Beggin’ Strips and hope I don't win that prize. 

Although a short visit, we did get to share time with the legendary 53-year-old Rubber Baby Jesus, a tradition that began with a gift to me the Christmas of 1966. I think I managed to snap a shot of everyone posing with Him. I was extra vigilant to keep Tucker and Buddy an arm’s distance away, even though I caught Glenn trying to taunt him in front of Tucker.  Years ago, the same situation with a different dog left Rubber Baby Jesus with one less pinkie finger.  

Before we headed north for Christmas, we finally got to (sort of) attend  the Christmas Spectacular in Epcot with friends, Kathy, Ray, Tricia and Craig. We began with a dinner in France and got to see Père Noël before heading over to the outdoor amphitheater.  As we got closer to our destination, the sky opened up and we were caught in a deluge. We tried to be troopers, but even with rain jackets and umbrellas, we gave up.  We were able to watch and listen from a distance under an overhang.

On January 1st, we hosted our Third Annual "Laid Back" NYE Bash. New neighbors, Carole and Serge were included in the mix this year. We ate, drank and were merry.

Speaking of my new neighbors, we feel pleased and lucky to have had them purchase the lot directly across the street from us. Carole is a very talented sewer, artist and calligrapher and she sparked an old passion of mine for sketching and calligraphy. We watched You Tube videos and sat together on warm Florida winter evenings inspiring each other. There will be a future Blog entry that will include our new friends as we booked a couple of campgrounds together in Connecticut and Maine this month.

A huge accomplishment, that deserves noting, was achieved by "daughter," Meily on January 9th when she earned her US Citizenship. The timing was perfect since her mom was visiting from Brazil and was able to witness the event. "Uncle Gregg" was there to help save the day and even FaceTimed the whole ceremonny with me. Anyone who has obtained their citizenship, understands that accomplishing this with a full-time job and three kids is worthy of respect and pride.

Valentine's Day arrived in a flash, and it found us celebrating it with good friend, Charlie. He had driven down in his new Winnebago View - aka "Winnie II," which replaced his former RV. Just the year prior, "Winnie I" went up in flames on his way home from our campground and was totalled. This year, he chose to stay at Thousand Trails, just a mile down the road.  We did get to enjoy a few meals together in he towns of Celebration and Clermont, which naturally included at least one where Sesame Chicken was served,  (Private joke - every time we go out for sushi, George orders Sesame Chicken.)

Last item of note, while not an RV journey, I flew out to Colorado to provide three of my grandchildren with a few fun-filled summer-break days (and nights). We went to see the movie, "The Lion King," and it reminded me that grandson, Cooper, acted in a production where he played the character, Timon (pronounced Tim-own). We spent a day at a water park, thanks to Aunt Patty, who drove us to "Pirate's Cove, where we met her daughter-in-law, Marie, and her two little girls, Sienna and Lena. It was a perfect day to get wet and wild. At the end of the day, Lola developed a bad allergic reaction, which made her very uncomfortable. Some Benadryl and cortisone cream did the trick (and a bit of special Meema love) and she was soon feeling better.

The journeys of visiting multiple grandchildren are always filled with a lot of noise, chaos, laughter and love. A few photos depicting some significant growth since the Disney trip in October.

Lola and Meema Remmy and Meema with Lola Remmy

Nina with her Meema Lobster and Nina Lobster

Heading into Church

Three bathing beauties!

Emma with her Meema Bear and Emma Bear

Aunt Patty with Lena and Sienna

Deep thought for the day: Friends and family make up a "quilt" that depicts our lives. Most quilts usually need some ironing, but I hope your quilt is a masterpiece like mine.  ~vc

When you wish upon a star...

On October 7, 2018 I was able to reap the rewards of my previous six months of planning, scheduling and dreaming of a most wonderful Disney experience for the Colorado girls. I had been wanting to make this happen since last year, but somehow it never came to fruition; so this year, as I made my New Year's Resolutions I knew what one needed to be. 

Every year, besides a resolution, I always try to "challenge" myself to do something I've never done before and that fete (zip lining - see last post) was accomplished with my other three grand kids in North Carolina. So last New Year's Eve found me with two big things to accomplish in 2018.

A lot of time and effort were required in the planning of a trip to Walt Disney World for four individuals who had never seen it and were HUGE Disney fans. I compiled lists that I checked twice (actually about twelve times), drew maps to plan out our walking routes, printed detailed calendars of each day, chose between rides and attractions at each park and kept track of about a dozen confirmation numbers!

The "Wonderful World of Disney" works like no other attraction I know. Sixty days in advance of your arrival, a "window" opens for you to go to their website to book "Fast Passes" for the rides and shows. This is crucial to seeing as much as possible, because with those magical passes, you get to go on the "express" waiting line. Sometimes, it shaves over an hour of wait time or more per ride. 

At the 60-day mark we were camped out in a KOA near Niagara Falls that had limited cell service and no WiFi. To ensure I would not fail, at 7:15 a.m. I gathered all my lists, laptop, cup of coffee, pen and pad and headed up to the porch outside of the office to connect to their internet. Don't let me leave out the fact that I needed to grab my umbrella too, as we were experiencing torrential rain. It sounds like the old saying of having to "walk uphill both ways" to get somewhere - and that's just how it felt.

Four hours later, all my boxes were checked off - and I could breathe. Let the official countdown begin for Walt Disney World. Sixty days and counting! Oh my....such a long....

time.....Fast forward 60 days and OMG, it's THE day and I can't believe it's here. The girls were already on the plane heading to Florida, believing they were going on a business trip with mommy to California.  I had wanted the trip to be a surprise, and I'm not sure it was a TOTAL surprise, however, there was enough excitement all around to make everyone happy and they really had no idea how special it was going to be.

George and I checking into Fort Wilderness

The trip officially began at the airport where I told them they were going to be staying in Florida with us and going to Walt Disney World together. I had a pair of ears for each - just to make it official.

Once everyone had their "Ears," it was time to get to the hotel to settle in and get ready for dinner at The Rain Forest Cafe in Disney Springs. Let's get this party started!

Lola at Disney Springs

Papa George smiled the whole trip!

Ready for the magic!

Getting ready to enter Magic Kingdom

The first day found us boarding a boat to the Magic Kingdom. We were able to get on many rides and see loads of characters at the parade down Main Street. We had a special visit with Belle, rode the Barnstormer, Peter Pan's Flight, Mad Tea Party and - of course - It's A Small World. You can't go to WDW without riding that one!

The Mad Tea Cup Ride WAS mad.

Nina and Belle

Emma and Belle

Lola and Belle

Nina with Mommy on the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train

After a long and exciting day we headed to Fort Wilderness' Trails End Restaurant where we had a great buffet dinner.

On day two we drove to Animal Kingdom where we got soaking wet on Kali River Rapids  We got even more soaked while on the Safari ride. A rogue storm blew in, we got drenched and Papa George lost his good Tilly hat. Some lucky worker is now wearing the best safari hat at Animal Kingdom. 

We had dining reservations for Tiffin's Restaurant and it was amazing food for adults, but skip this place if you have kids or picky eaters.  After dinner Meily, Nina and I went on Avatar Flight of Passage! What an amazing ride; I can't wait to do it again! 

On Wednesday, we returned to the Magic Kingdom and got to ride Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion and Meema's favorite - The Enchanted Tiki Room where, "All the birds sing words and the flowers bloom." 

Today's lunch was at the Diamond Horseshoe. The girls also waited on a very long line to meet the famous Buzz Lightyear in person and were able to get some great photos. Meema is starting to feel a little tired. A quick check of my Fitbit had me passing my greatest number of steps ever. It was flashing at over 15,000 steps!

Meema and the girls waiting for the bus to Epcot

Lola pointing to Remy!!!!!

Thursday found us heading into Epcot. We had a full day planned here along with a break for dinner at Chef Mickey's, located in the Contemporary Hotel. Entering Epcot, Lola was able to take her picture with a figure of Remmy (from Ratitoue) in the background. Remmy is "our" special thing. 

The morning at Epcot was spent riding Soarin', Living with the Land, watching Pixar Film Shorts, as well as an  "up close and personal" visit with Minnie Mouse and Pluto. 

If you look close, you will see us all.

 

Outside Under the Sea With Nemo

The "Fake" Mickey at The Contemporary's Chef Mickey Restaurant

The "REAL" Mickey

Daisy with Lola and Emma

Silly and Goofy

After dinner, we headed to the World Showcase where we visited Norway and Mexico. We rode the Frozen and Three Caballeros rides. At this point, I am starting to feel my age. Tonight, besides recharging my body I'll need to recharge my Fitbit - I wore it out!

Hollywood!

Entrance to Hollywood Studios

I awoke Friday morning extremely tired, but then realized that it would be our last day visiting a park. Today was Hollywood Studios. Due to height restrictions, this park had us splitting up often. Nina and Meily went on Star Tours and Rockin' Rollercoaster and Papa George, Emma and I visited Olaf (who seemed to like Papa George a lot) and then had lunch. All the girls got to participate in the Frozen Sing Along and everyone got on our last ride, Toy Story Mania. 

At Minnie's Diner

Mickey and the girls

Donald in his Halloween costume.

The best part of the day was our lunch at Minnie's Diner, located at Hollywood and Vine. Besides getting a great buffet lunch, we got to see Minnie, Mickey, Daisy and Donald. Each one signed autograph books and posed for pictures. 

It turned out that Meema was not the only one who was tired. Our last ride was to be Slinky Dog Dash, but the ride was closed for mechanical problems. I don't think anyone was disappointed, because returning to the hotel for a swim sounded like the perfect activity.

Saturday morning as Papa George pulled up stakes and checked out of Fort Wilderness Campground, I drove over to Port Orleans for breakfast with the girls. It would be their last chance for "Mickey Head-Shaped" Bignets. Everyone was tired, but happy. 

The trip was a success. All the hours of planning, adjusting, changing and double-checking went off without a hitch. The only complaint we all had was actually nothing we could have controlled anyway - the putrid, hot and humid weather. We experienced 92-95 degree temps every day with 100% humidity, yet we all trudged through like (storm) troopers.  

True to "Florida Weather," it rained at some point each day, but instead of getting cooler, it only got hotter.  My glasses kept fogging up and slipping off my face. We only got caught in one deluge at Animal Kingdom and rain ponchos I bought back in May sure came in handy! A very handy item besides hand sanitizer!

Sadly, the magical adventure drew to a close. It seemed like it had just started, yet here we were giving hugs and saying our goodbyes. After they boarded the Magical Express Bus for the trip to airport I headed to my car to make the short trip back to our home-site to crawl into bed for a long nap with a heart full to bursting. My life is blessed.

Sorry all for the lengthy post, but I had to get it all documented before I forgot the little details.

Deep thought for the day: 

When you wish upon a star, 

makes no difference who you are. 

Everything your heart desires 

will come to you.

Click HERE to be serenaded by Cliff Edwards, the voice of Jiminy Cricket singing Disney's most magical song.