On the Go in Stowe, Vermont
Got way ahead of myself yesterday so here’s the skinny on Stowe. Stowe, Vermont was founded (chartered) in 1763 by Royal Governor Benning Wentworth. Wentworth was not British but American born and served as governor from 1741-1766. Probably best known for stealing, or acquiring, land from New York to incorporate into the newly founded Vermont.
Next on the to do list was to run off all the indigenous peoples to make room for settlers, which they did. The Abenaki tribe lived mostly in New England and were eventually ran off to Quebec by settlers who brought war and disease. Of importance concerning the Abenaki, they practiced subsistence living (long before we even knew the word) and made baskets of grass and ash for picking berries, and boiled tree sap to make syrup. (Vermont produced over 2 million gallons of maple syrup in 2022 at $33.10/gallon, over $66,000,000.00!) Thank you Abenaki tribe!
Moving right along, Stowe, Vermont, our home for 4 days on this New England adventure. Stowe has a current population of ~5,230 people of which 44% are over the age of 45. The average age in Stowe is 44 years. So, what do these people do? Well, they used to be loggers and farmers but that gave way to ranching in the 1800’s. And that gave way to cattle, specifically dairy farming, later in the 1800’s. But today Stowe is predominantly a tourist & ski destination with outdoor activities year round leading the revenue stage.
Cross country skiing in Stowe began in the 1930’s with the Civilian Conservation Corp. cutting the first trail down Mt. Mansfield. The Von Trapp family (yep, the very same family from Austria and The Sound of Music) opened the first commercial full service cross country ski area in the United States on their 500 acre estate. Today they operate a ski area that encompasses over 2,500 acres! Guess they found out what to do with a problem like Maria, besides raise children.
We toured Von Trapp lodge today and learned a bit of history about the lodge and the family. Most of the original immigrant family members have long ago passed and are buried in a small plot by the lodge. The pictures below are of some of the estate and the private cemetery.
Von Trapp Lodge
Von Trapp Cemetery
Part of the 2,500 acres for skiing
But I know what you’re thinking, “What about Ben and Jerry’s, aren’t they in Stowe, Vermont?” Why yes young padawan, they are in Stowe, AND they offer tours! Had to do it. 11am sharp we mooooved down to B&J’s place for a factory tour and hopefully a taste of ice cream. Both happened. We did a 30-minute factory tour, heard about how the millions of gallons of ice cream are made each week, and what the company culture is like. B&J sold off their company in 2000 but remain on the board and have a strong say in how the company still gives back to the community. It didn’t hurt that we also got a small sample of the flavor of the day, Dirt Cake. If you come across it, try it. We thought it was really good.
Lining up at 11am for ice cream
No, that’s Betsy & Collette
Just outside the factory, on a hill overlooking the town of Stowe, lies a somber, quiet place. A place where visitors to B&J’s can go to pay their respects for the departed. Those that have left the store shelves for the last time can be found in this holy of holy places, the Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard. There are quite a few flavors remembered here like, peanuts & popcorn, wavy gravy, turtle soup, and Dave Matthews Band Magic Brownies, and many more. We had to stop and pay our respects before moving on.
The Flavor Graveyard
Enough for tonight, on our way to Colebrook, New Hampshire in the morning. So far the foliage has been beautiful, lots of golds, yellows, and reds. No crab or lobster yet but we’re getting close. One last tidbit, Vermont was accepted into the United States of America on March 7, 1791 as the 14th state. Damn, just missed it!