ABC's (Alpacas, Beer and Chocolate)

Back in September, I had a Grand Plan to visit brew pubs and microbreweries in each of the other five New England states within a two-week span, just to get out & about for a bit. While that fell by the wayside due to economic circumstances, I kept a couple of the day trips' plans on my desk, and this past Monday, with my list of things to do & a hand-drawn map, I made the drive northwest to Bennington, VT.

After a quick stop at my parents' house to drop off their share of my homemade seafood chowder, I headed down Route 2 West. The 60-mile stretch of highway had little traffic at 11 am, so it was a stress-free drive up and down the hilly highway, and I made it to 91 North in no time at all. Fifteen minutes later (and 18 miles gone), I was on the final leg of the 2-hour drive: Route 9 West (Exit 2 Brattleboro/Bennington) in Vermont. Up and down the mountain roads I drove, with the early afternoon sun shining through the multicolored leaves, and the occasional stream or pond off to the side. I stopped twice, once at a farm where the grass was shockingly green, and also at Hogback Mountain, where the view was too amazing to pass by. I took a few pictures, and headed into town, onto Main Street in Bennington.One of the purposes for this particular destination was the local brewpub, Madison Brewing Company (no website available). I had one of their IPAs (Crowtown Pale Ale) as I waited for my swiss burger. It had that delicious hoppy smell that I love so much, and was above average for the style. The burger was great too, though the roll it came on was frighteningly powdery (haha). I also had one of their signature Old 76 English Strong Ales, which was passably good, but otherwise unremarkable. The best part of the meal though, was being seated in front of the bay windows and being able to watch the town pass by on its daily routine. People of all ages walking by in the sun, chatting each other up, and trucks of all sizes driving by with local business logos and phone numbers on their sides. And there is nothing quite like having a pretty girl flash you a winning smile through the window as you stare off into space... Moments like this enhanced the vista of a quintessential small-town Main Street, with its coffee houses, craft stores and other shops.

Next up was the local bookstore. It had a musty smell, but not the good one you'd expect from a bookstore. More of a 'we rarely clean the carpets' understench. And it was pretty generic in layout and selection. After that entirely underwhelming experience (all five minutes of it), I headed up the street to The Village Chocolate Shoppe. Whooooo! I was so entranced by the immense selection of chocolate and other homemade candies, that I think I lost a half-hour of my life just looking around and drooling. Everything is locally made, and most of it on the spot. I snagged some malted milk balls, chocolate covered blueberries, a white chocolate "Snowman on a Stick", four big homemade jawbreakers, a few peanut butter fudge Santas, and four big chocolate initials (HCHG) for my sister's kids. All for under fifteen bucks! (note: it's Friday as I write this, and all but 2 of the jawbreakers have since left this mortal coil...). I highly recommend this place if you're ever in the area.

Then it was down the street and up a flight of stairs to Now And Then Books, a used bookstore that had the good kind of musty smell: old dry books! Pachelbel's Canon was playing in the background as I searched through the tall stacks of rare, out of print, amazing 1st editions, and just plain old books. I got two lessons in that place: a) old books can be expensive (sometimes inexplicably so); and b) one can lose an ear when being talked at by a lonely clerk. I asked the kid behind the desk (after he finished his loud cell phone conversation) if he had to keep that specific music on all day, and this poor Missouri transplant launched into a fifteen minute 'conversation' (quotes because I was only able to get the occasional "uh-huh" or "wow, really?" in edgewise) about various aspects of his life. I felt bad for the lonely guy, but it made for a quirky (and somewhat charming) shopping experience. I excused myself, headed back to the car, and drove west out of town to my next destination......Shaftsbury Alpacas! I nearly drove right by the farm, as it's located on a left-turn bend in the road on Route 67, but I pulled in, and waited in the gravel drive for someone to notice me. The woman in the far pen saw me, and came over. Sandy Harder has been raising and breeding alpacas (and attending shows) for eight years now. She has 24 alpacas (and a llama!), and I got to hang out with some of them (including one adorable recently newborn boy) as she told me about the business. She is truly passionate about the alpaca wool industry in America. I learned about the various grades of wool, the ups & downs of breeding, pesky recessive traits that pop up unexpectedly (the white-wooled baby was "show perfect", except for a streak of blue in his left brown eye), and I got to pet a few of them. Her lesson was so engrossing and passionate that I didn't have the heart to interrupt at all to ask for a picture or two with the animals! She showed me the shop where she sells the yarn she spins herself, and a wide selection of scarves, blankets, hats, socks, scrunchies and teddy bears. The quality and softness of the processed wool is amazing. I've never felt the like. I thanked her for her time (she needed to finish mucking out the stalls before sundown, and it was already 5 pm), and headed back east into town.

Once back on Main Street, I made a quick dash into the quaint Nova Mae Cafe to get a coffee for the road home. *POW!* The woman behind the glass pastry counter had the face of an angel. I gave her a hearty big-grinned hello, and she pushed her light brown hair back over her ear, poured my coffee, gave me a few blushing smiles, and wished me a good evening. Wow. There is nothing like one of those rare "insignificant except for in the moment" romantic interludes to put a spring into a guy's step. I know I had a stupid grin plastered across my face as I walked back to my car! ☺ Most of the day had a certain dreamlike quality, and the drive home was no different. The full moon loomed humongous above the mountains as I headed out of town at sunset. Seriously, it was so bright, that a few times I thought cars were approaching from the opposite direction just from the moon's reflected light off the guard rails. I even stopped to take a few pictures of it to demonstrate how huge it appeared, but the stupid flash on my camera prevented my obtaining any good shots. Up and down the mountainous roads I drove, the moon appearing and hiding over and over until it set. It was awesome. And the lack of traffic (even at what is normally rush hour everywhere else) made it even better. Beautiful autumn scenery, good coffee, friendly locals, and a long but enjoyable drive all combined into a perfect day.

It was truly a fantastic day. I can't recommend Bennington, VT enough. Someday I want to go back, and spend the night so I can hit more of the local shops, visit the museums and a few of the crafters, and get a picture or two with the alpacas! Plus: more chocolate! ☺