Vermont

We got 2 vehicles at the Burlington Airport, and left for Stowe. We stopped at the Von Trapp Lodge for lunch. I ate a schnitzel and drank an October beer and looked out at the glorious colors. This was a classic New England Fall. From there, we found the Stone Hill Inn, and checked in. It was a gorgeous place -- 9 rooms on rolling hills. The place was built in the late 90s, so has all the modern conveniences, but looks like it was there for a hundred years. Our innkeepers Linda and George bought the place 2 years ago, after long corporate careers. We liked them immediately, and George told us some great places for Eric and Marc to photograph. We drove to a covered bridge, and later a hike to a waterfall. Eric and Marc snapped away, and Wifey and I enjoyed the autumn sun. Our Dolphins were on Monday Night Football, and we asked George for a local sports bar. He told us to go to the Sunset Grill. We did, and as I looked around, saw a familiar name on a plaque. Sure enough, the place was owned by Rich Haab, an old Levittown classmate. He came over and told us he went to the Culinary Institute, and then was a ski bum. He bought the place in '88, and has run it since then. The Fins lost, but we left for the Inn, and some fine Scotch Eric bought. The next day we hiked some more, and then drove for some excellent coffee. Another 2 days followed the same way: gourmet breakfast, outside leaf peeping, and then wine and cheese with Linda and George and the other guests at 5:30. The Inn attracts a fine group of guests -- we met folks from the UK, and Texas, and Wisconsin. Most were newly empty nesters like all of us, and we shared tales of college and grad school, and how we grew up with far less parental involvement than we gave our kids. One couple was from Michigan -- there to marry -- in front of the fall foliage and waterfall. We toasted them the night before... The final day we had breakfast and said goodbye to Linda and George. Eric and Dana drove to take more photos; we 4 stopped at the Ben and Jerry plant for a silly and boring tour. The only highlight was when I asked the pun spewing guide why there was a big dead rat on the floor of the factory...I didn't really, but should have... From there we drove to Burlington, and the huge come down of checking into La Quinta. It was no Stone Hill Inn. We drove to Church Street -- a cold weather Lincoln Road -- and walked and ate pizza. Eric and Dana met us, and then left to photograph a sunset over Lake Champlain. We found an excellent local bistro, near the Quinta, and had our farewell dinner. Our flight out was at the absurd hour of 6 am, and so we dragged ourselves to the airport. In Atlanta, Marc and Edna said goodbye, and Eric, Dana, Wifey, and I hung in the Delta Club. We then left for our flight to Lauderdale, while Eric and Dana waited their West Palm flight. We flew back to the non Fall South Florida weather -- but with a winning Canes game the next Saturday -- it was more than tolerable.