We had an on going leak somewhere under the bathroom vanity and that caused the wood to warp, also the radio would not pull in any radio stations. It is tough enough to get appointments for RV service this time of year yet alone while you are on the road from state to state. Luckily Doreen obtained the direct phone number to a warranty representative at Forest River so that helped with arranging the appointment.
We drove the 224 miles to the dealer near Montpelier and let them look at it. After a few hours they informed us they would need to order the parts so that meant bringing it back in before we left. This was our second go around with the leak. We thought we had it fixed when we were going through Ohio but apparently they did not fix the correct component. The servicing is very inconvenient when you have no where to go while they do the work and have a cat in tow. Anyway they assured us the parts would arrive before the week was out and we could stop in when we ready to leave Vermont for our next destination. I knew that was a pipe dream. The parts didn't arrive until the day after our planned departure so we had to stay an extra day. To compound matters the parts would not get there until after noon. I really don't like to set up the trailer in the dark and I knew that we had another 275 mile drive after we left the dealer. That meant we had to be out of there by 3 PM at the latest. I will end the narrative and we will pick this part of the story up in another post but here is a sneak peak of the repair job:
We stayed at Lazy Lions Campground near Barre, Vermont.
Lazy Lions was a welcome respite from our prior site in Sturbridge. Peace and quiet at last! We had a nice roomy site with no neighbors for a week and nice clean restrooms directly across from us. The grounds of the property were immaculate and I informed the owner thus. The tent sites were spaced around the rear of the campground and looked very inviting. If you are looking for a place to stay in Vermont look no further; from motor home to tent camping this place is perfect. They take pride in their establishment.
Vermont is truly the Green Mountain State. The greenery is spectacular and unspoiled as far as the eye can see. Vermont is the second least populous state in the Union after Wyoming and the state capital, Montpelier is the smallest. Everything is very quaint and the people are very friendly. The state capital reminds me of a movie set or a made-up town.
The parking meters accept quarters, dimes, and nickels! Eight minutes for a nickel. Now that is quaint.
If you are hungry don't look for your favorite chain restaurant because its not here. Other than a Subway all the eateries were local.
We took a ride up to Stowe, VT and saw the Trapp Family Lodge of the Sound of Music fame. I really knew next to nothing about the Sound of Music and I never saw the entire movie. I didn't realize it was such an interesting story. The ride was gorgeous up I-89 and into the mountains. The Trapp's selected the site for their home because it reminded them of their native home in Salzburg, Austria.
The VonTrapps came to America to flee Nazi Germany. They were not Jewish, however Captain VonTrapp was a war hero from The Great War (WW1) and was known to Adolph Hitler. Hitler had asked Von Trapp to take command of a U-boat when WWII started and he refused. Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels asked him to fly Swastika banners from his home and he refused. Lastly Hitler then asked him to have his singing family perform for the Fuhrers birthday and, after much family discussion they refused. The Captain knew it would only be a matter of the Gestapo or the SS coming for them since no one refused the Fuhrer let alone thrice so they made their way to the Italian border and crossed into Italy. As providence would have it The Captain was a dual Austrian-Italian citizen by virtue of his owning a summer estate on the Adriatic Sea prior to the Great War when that part of Italy was actually The Austrian Empire. As a result of Austria losing the war they ceded that part of Europe to Italy and the Captain was granted Italian citizenship since he was a land owner. The family made their way to England and ultimately the United States.
There were ten children in all. The Captain had seven by his first wife and after a short time as a widower married his children's governess Maria, whom he had three more children with.
I learned all this as part of the tour we took of the estate. A short film of an interview with Maria VonTrapp is shown and the daughter of the youngest VonTrapp son gives a little q&a. The views are spectacular and one can understand their decision to live here. The lodge was their private home where friends would come visit, which was frequent and in 1955 they opened it as a lodge for the public. The original lodge burned to the ground in 1980 and the present building was built. Most of the Trapps are buried in the family cemetery including the Captain and Maria.
The eldest son:
Daughter Maria died recently and will get a traditional Austrian marker soon.
Two of the Von Trapp sons served in the U. S. military during WWII and are also buried here. One ironically saw action in in the Italian Campaign and fought the Germans and saw the liberation of his village in Austria.
We ate lunch and admired the view:
After the Trapp Family lodge we passed by Ben & Jerry's.
I declined to take the tour since they charged $5 for it plus there were bus loads of kids and the place was packed.
I didn't even consider all the businesses that call Vermont home: Ben & Jerry's, Cabot Cheese, and Green Mountain Coffee. I guess that explains Vermont's low unemployment rate which is the lowest in the country.
Very close to the campground is Rock of Ages Granite Quarry home of famous Barre white granite. Granite is a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale and is an igneous rock.
A tour bus takes you up to an observation deck about 600 feet above the quarry floor.
The granite is quarried and finished in the factory:
Vermont is also famous for maple syrup so we went to a local farm.
The sugar maple trees are tapped for their sap and connected hoses bring the water looking liquid to the sugar house where it is boiled and the pure syrup is separated.
Many trees are needed for fuel and for the sap and there is no shortage in Vermont.
There are four main grades of maple syrup from light to dark. The dark amber is harvested when the weather is coldest and to me is the tastiest.
I enjoyed Vermont but the cost of living is rather high. They recycle and the cost is added to your purchase. For example if you buy a bottle of liquor there is an added 50 cents that you get back when you return the bottle. The same for a case of beer even. The scenery is beautiful but I bet wintertime is a challenge. I think there are more Subaru's per capita here than anywhere else in the country.
Miles this leg: 224
Total miles: 4880.4
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