Some parting shots of (and at) the lovely Trapp Family Lodge. You can see our room and balcony on the third floor above our car, right by the lobby
It’s a very large resort, with lots of secondary rental chalets, a “village” where you can build your own dream home in the Austrian style, a deli/bakery and brewery where they make their own Austrian beer. What I didn’t know was that Maria and the Baron are buried on the beautiful and green landscaped grounds, right by the hotel in a little private fenced off area –I imagine just to keep over eager fans from getting too close. That’s Maria on the left.
A final minus — the rustic large cobblestone in the front extended to the steps and double ramps … a seriously bumpy way up for John. Even the bellhops had a time with luggage carts on the slope:
And to end on a high note, a final plus — they had a library room full of lots of lending books and comfy chairs, as well as book-sharing shelves on every floor with plenty of kid friendly offerings:
We were only a few hours away from our destination in Amherst. Along the way there we stopped at the Ben and Jerry’s factory in Waterbury VT. Glad I saw it but it was a zoo crowded with tourists and kids. It would have been fine but just too chaotic for John to enjoy. Then we had a little shopping spree at the extensive King Arthur Flour store in Norwich VT; we’re set for baked goods through Christmas. We had to wait out our first major rain before leaving; we came totally unprepared for wetness, not even an umbrella in the car!
And one final sentimental stop in Putney VT where John and I had our civil union ceremony on our first cross-country trip in 2000. Like we did back then, we had to visit Basketville, a wonderland of baskets, baskets and more baskets, plus kitchen and bath and Christmas and other stuff. Think Cost Plus but twice the size and half or more of baskets.
A welcome sign greeted us at the home of our friends Dennis and Elizabeth (long ago of Stanford):
The house is an 75+ year old Cape style home that has been remodeled and extended but retains many original structural features, e.g., wide board pine floors, lots of moulding and built-in cabinets and shelves … and quirky features like this 15-inch wide door between the kitchen and living room.
Lucky for John there is another way to get through. The house is on three levels and normally we’d be upstairs, but our hosts have graciously given over their master bedroom wing (a new part) with luxurious bath for our stay.