Woodstock...Dartmouth College...Southwest Harbor, Maine

With Mac In Woodstock, VT

I am up at my usual time, 6:00, in Woodstock, Vermont, drinking my coffee, writing my blog, waiting for both Evie and Mac to wake.  We want to be on our way by 8:45 to meet our grandson Tyler, a senior at Dartmouth College, for breakfast at 9:30 at the legendary breakfast spot, Lou's.  So I have plenty of time

Along Route 86 In New York State' Drizzle

We left around 7:15 for Woodstock and had rain or drizzle almost the entire way through New York State on Interstate # 86, to Binghamton,  then up to Albany.   It was, as always, an easy drive because of the few cars, so we made smashing time.  Even in the rain the ride through New York was fine. When we got above Buffalo, towards Lake George, we turned East on Rt 4 at Glen Falls and it cleared up.  We hit traffic in Rutland, lots of shops and malls but once we got out of the hassle, it was a marvelous ride, a winding, two way road, following a river, with multicolored mountains on each side, the nicest drive of our trip.

Rt 4 Into Woodstock, Through The Green Mountains

We arrived just after 4:00, a 9 hour drive, and were greeted by our good friend Mac.  He lives in a town house, nestled in the woods, just off of RT 4, about two miles from downtown Woodstock, a perfect location for him, private but close to town.  We relaxed for an hour, with a beer, and then drove into town for a walk around the downtown area, following the stream which winds through the town.

Evie And Mac At One Of The Many Covered Bridges

Woodstock is a tourist destination (particularly in the fall) because of its quaint New England feel, great shops and restaurants, even a Spa, so during the day 8 to 10 buses unload their passengers to shop and eat.  And this is the best time of the year to visit because of the fall foliage.

Woodstock Historical Society Garden

We walked for about an hour, in neighborhoods as well as downtown, then took a drive out into the surrounding countryside of the Green Mountains, where the really wealthy live on large farms or estates.  It's a lovely area of Vermont, with the mountains and valleys and fields.

The Mountains Surrounding Woodstock, VT

We were home by 6:00, just as it was starting to get dark.  We relaxed until time to go out to dinner at Mac's (and ours) favorite restaurant, The Prince And Pauper.  We have been three or four times, and Mac goes three times a week.  He has become a fixture and they call if, for some reason they have a party or close early, just to warn him.  We feel like we know the bartender, the maitre'd and the waitress and they seem to recognize us from past visits.  We met Dale and Jean Conly, great friends from our teaching days at Western Reserve Academy, in Hudson, Ohio.  The restaurant has a warm and welcoming vibe, and its fun to be treated as if we are family.  Our meals were great, Evie's salmon and my short ribs were among the best we have ever had.  We had a great time catching up and reminiscing about the good old days at Reserve when all of us taught there and Evie worked with Mac in Admissions.  The good old days.

Dinner At The Prince And Pauper, With Mac And Jeanne And Dale Conly

We stayed until 9:15, said good by to Dale and Jean and thanked them for another bottle of their homemade maple syrup.  When we got home, we relaxed with a bit of Irish whiskey on the rocks, talked until 10:30 and went to bed.  A good beginning to our week away from the lake.

After our visit with our grandson Tyler, we have a six plus hour drive though Maine, to Mt. Desert Island and Southwester Harbor, where we have rented a cottage for the week.  We hope to be there before dark and be sitting at a bar eating a lobster roll by 7:00.