Summer in Vermont
The Green Mountains
I had only been to Vermont in the winter until this summer. There is a certain kind of crisp to the dry coldness in Vermont that is indescribable unless you’ve experienced it. A quiet stillness especially on a snowy evening. So, it was a shock to my system when I attended a two-day music festival in Manchester last weekend when the temperature was in the 90s with relentless humidity. The Dead of Summer Music Festival, featured Melvin Seals and the JGB… Jerry Garcia’s old band with John Kadlecik at the helm. Similar jam bands played on an open field surrounded by the magnificent Green Mountains. There was a tent built for shade, but it was too hot to stay under. I bought a beautiful cloth parasol, made in India, to protect myself until the sun went down. The vendors offered a variety of food and colorful hippie clothes and novelties.
Day One of the festival was rained out before the last band played, so we sought shelter because of lightening and returned to our Airbnb just a short drive away. My friend, Joe Levy, who organized the event, told us the next day that the last band did end up playing when the rain stopped, but we had no desire to sit on a wet and buggy field, so we found a nearby restaurant to eat dinner. We chose The Ye Old Tavern, built in 1790! The food was good and the service friendly. I had lobster bisque and crab stuffed mushrooms and both were excellent.
On Day Two, we lucked out regarding rain. The bands were all really good and we met up with friends who we did not know would be there. Once again, the sun was blistering, but when it finally went down and the headlining band came onstage, there was a slight breeze and it was comfortable. The JGB band delivered their own brand of Dead tunes and classic jams bringing the crowd up to dance with abandon.
Manchester is known for its many outlet stores and we hit up quite a few of them. My friend did some damage in the Ralph Lauren and Marimekko outlets. We took some time to shop locally and of course, I had to buy maple syrup, Vermont cheddar cheese and a bottle of maple infused bourbon for my man.
Mount Equinox Skyline Drive
We decided to take a ride up Mount Equinox Skyline Drive to the summit of Equinox Mountain, supposedly named by the Ekanock natives. It cost $15 to drive to the top and we were warned that it was cloudy and the view would not be clear. We drove up anyway and it was spectacular, despite the clouds. In fact, we drove through a cloud once we reached the top of the mountain, something I did not think was even possible. On a clear day, it is said you could see the White Mountains of Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
We had our Airbnb room booked for one more night, but decided to leave for home a day early because the forecast called for excessive rain. We drove four hours in torrential rain. In fact, the rainfall totals were historic. Vermont was on the national news, showing roads and houses under water and we felt like we dodged a bullet leaving for NJ a day early.
Next time I go to Vermont, it will be in the winter!
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