Here I am in Vermont! Ken and I flew out here on Thursday, and are having an absolute blast!

We started our adventures in Burlington, exploring Ken’s old UVM College campus. I got to meet his cows he played with in CREAM… and made quite a few new friends! After that we explored beautiful Church Street in downtown Burlington… right on Lake Champlain. Our next mission… the “Vermontster” at Ben and Jerry’s (which was born in Burlington). We’re talkin’ 20 scoops of ice cream, 2 brownies, 3 huge chocolate chip cookies, 4 ladles of hot fudge and caramel, 10 scoops of walnuts, M&Ms, jimmies, chocolate chips, and lots and lots of whipped cream. Ken, his mom, and I sat by the lake and tried our darndest to finish it all. We almost got it, but left a bit in the bottom. A sleepy drive to Wheelock followed. Early to bed…

The next morning, after lounging around a bit, Ken and I left for a jog. But this wasn’t any jog! Vermont has NO flat ground… so our first ¾ of a mile was straight up hill! Then we hiked through some beautiful woods only to find Ken’s childhood path was overgrown. After that interesting experience we jogged through town and played in Miller’s Run River. We both were 8 years old again dunking each other and running from rock to rock. Who says a childhood in a small town is boring? After drying off we made dinner for Ken’s wonderful folks and ate until we couldn’t eat anymore (this is a common theme throughout the weekend).

Saturday morning was a bit rainy, but we still ventured to Bald Mountain, and scaled it in no time! So yeah, I was a bit whiny and out of breath, but we made it up fast! The top of the mountain was inside a cloud and SUPER windy. So what do we do? Climb a 40-foot fire tower with no walls or windows! That was a blast! We didn’t have much of a view, but a thrill of a lifetime! That night we had a great pizza dinner (thanks Mr. And Mrs. Goldrick) and crashed.

Sunday began with yet another long hike; this time up Mt. Pisgah. The nicer weather gave us a beautiful view of Lake Willoughby and the Green Mountains of Vermont. That night we played some mini golf (I got two holes in one!!!) and had a great campfire…full of roasted, gushy marshmallows.

Today we went to the “Great Vermont Corn Maze” probably one of the coolest things around… and that’s not an insult to Vermont! We hiked around that puppy for an hour trying to find our way out… then explored the flower garden, gopher holes (underground tunnels) and some other fun maze puzzles. I guess we did a pretty good job with the Corn Maze because they say it is very rare to come out in less than an hour, and around 90% of the participants have to ask for help. We rock! We then went to Ken’s cousin’s Sarah’s house and met up with Sarah, Kerry (Ken’s dad), Cheri (Ken’s mom), Theresa (Ken’s Aunt), and Sarah’s kids Tim, Jac, and Theresa. Cheri made the most amazing brownies… I’ve seriously never had better… my belly is still bulging! After lunch we spent the rest of the afternoon at a beautiful cabin on Martin’s pond in Peacham, Vermont. There was plenty of dock flipping and diving, kayaking, and salamander catching to be done. After that Ken took me to a few more Vermont towns, and I tried Maple candy for the first time. Holy Yummy! I think I found a new addiction…

Tonight we had our last dinner that couldn’t be beat and it’s off to bed to catch our early flight (if NWA isn’t still on strike… but if they are… more fun in Vermont!).

I can’t say enough about how wonderful Ken’s family is. They are the kind of people who keep you laughing and make you feel welcome. And I can’t forget to thank Bailey, Jacques, Oreo, Lilly, and Lou for letting me share your house! It was so wonderful to finally get a chance to see the beautiful area Ken grew up in. The stories, postcards, and photos just don’t to this place justice.