Monday, September 9
It was cold this morning when I got up, but after lighting the stove it warmed up considerably. By the time I finished my 1st cup of coffee it was nice and toasty in here. We haven't heard from the RV tech yet, so it will probably be tomorrow before we get the furnace back. It got up to 75 today and is supposed to be in the 80's tomorrow so I think we will survive.
We haven't done much driving in the last two weeks so after breakfast we loaded into the truck and started exploring Stowe. Our first journey was up highway 108 to Smuggler's Notch. A notch is essentially a hole in the mountain or a pass. This one got its name because smugglers hid guns, booze, or other contraband that was not to be traded with Canada in caves in the mountains and eventually smuggled them on into Canada.
The notch is located on a very narrow steep road that goes up and over the mountain. It was a beautiful drive and a fun one too.
As we came back down from there we stopped at the Stowe Mountain Resort and rode the gondola up to the top of Mt. Mansfield, the tallest mountain in Vermont. From the ridgeline you can see Lake Champlain, the Adirondacks in New York, the white Mountains in New Hampshire, the Green Mountains of Vermont, and Mont Royal in Quebec. The ride to the top was in a gondola that streaches over 7700 feet and rises up 2200 feet. Views from the top were spectacular. While at the top we had coffee in the Cliff House Restaurant and made a obligatory visit to the gift shop.
Ski runs at Stowe Mtn Resort
We also visited the von Trapp Family Inn which is located high above Stowe to the south. 
The von Trapp family - from The Sound of Music - immigrated to Vermont following WW II. They have operated this Inn for many years along with a brewery, bakery, and villas that can be rented. Following that we visited a syrup maker and bought our bottle of Vermont Maple Syrup. The owner told me that they tap 9500 Sugar Maple trees and pipe the sap into tanks that he then empties into a 2000 gallon tank truck. That 2000 gallons of sap is then boiled and processed into 40 gallons of syrup. That's a lot of sap for a little syrup. No wonder it costs about $100 a gallon!
The von Trapp Family Inn
Stowe Community Church
The windows on the barn are painted on.
A little fall color.
Fall color is on the way.
We returned to the park for a social and met most of the couples going on the trip. So far 11 or 12 rigs have arrived with 3 or 4 left to come in tonight or tomorrrow. One of those left to come in is from Grandbury. Tomorrow we have a continental breakfast and orientation. The wagonmaster and tailgunners wives will be visiting with us to get medical information and give us new jackets
and pins. It's mainly a day to finish paperwork.
Until next time, Happy Trails.
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