We were woken in the night by very heavy rain and thunder! But by the time we had partaken of an excellent breakfast here at the B&B the rain had stopped. This morning we were treated to a very delicious cheese and ham scone (no, not like a British scone, this was a flat cheese scone with the ham inside) together with poached eggs on top and tomatoes completed with a lovely red nasturtium from the garden on the side. There were also homemade raspberry turnovers, fruit and cereals. We were the only two for breakfast but more guests are arriving today so it will be interesting to see who those other guests are and where they are from tomorrow morning.

After breakfast we left to drive to Waterbury. The rain had left mists everywhere, curling round the mountain tops it was a stunning sight.

We saw various warning signs along the way …….

but alas the only ‘wildlife’ sighting we saw today was a little bunny rabbit!

One thing that is always obvious to us as we speed along the Interstates is how well kept they are. Grass nicely cut and no rubbish at all.

Being in this part of the country always feels like home as a lot of the towns are named after places back home i.e. Manchester, Portsmouth, Windsor, Essex and Middlesex to name but a few. It’s pretty obvious who settled this part of the USA!

By the time we arrived in Waterbury the sun was out and it was lovely and hot. Waterbury is home to the original Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory. This is where the whole B&J story really started. From a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, to far-off places, the journey that began in 1978 with two guys and the ice cream business they built is as legendary as the ice cream is euphoric. We decided to do the factory tour but were not really impressed as we had chosen the day production had been stopped to clean the machines ready for a new flavour run!  Anyway, we were given free ice cream to try so not everything was lost!

They have an ice-cream graveyard on site and that’s where all the retired flavours go to ‘rest’. Each retired flavour has its own headstone. Here are just a couple.

As Si’s into cider at the moment we felt that a trip to the Cold Hollow Cider Mill was in order. We were able to go and see how the cider is made and this turned out to be very interesting as we had it explained about how our cider is known as ‘hard’ cider in America (i.e. alcoholic) but American cider is just pure apple juice with no additives whatsoever and confusingly enough, in American you can also buy apple juice distinct from cider because it does have additives and flavourings! Confused ………… we were. There’s a wonderful store in the Cider Mill too filled again with all those goodies we just have to have! I picked up a jar of Apple Cider Jelly (jam to the Brits) to bring home with us but sadly it didn’t make it to the counter as I dropped it, boom, glass and jelly all over the floor. They also make cider doughnuts and of course we just had to try them! They were fabulous.

Tonight we went back to The Mill at Simon Pearce for dinner and once again, it didn’t disappoint. We don’t eat lamb at home but Si decided that as we are in the USA it’s somehow okay as the lambs are American …………….. so that’s what he had for dinner!

I think someone somewhere wasn’t happy with his choice because as we tried to leave the restaurant the heavens opened and the rain lashed down! It was running in rivers down the car park. We had neither coats nor brolly! That’ll teach him!

Tomorrow (Friday), we leave the lovely Applebutter Inn here in Vermont for quite a long drive down to Atlantic City for the weekend. Just a little history note for all those historians reading the blog, the Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as in 1854 it was the home of Edwin C.  Emmons and he fought in the American Civil War for the Union.

By the way, that’s our ‘beast’ of a car on the drive. I can just about manage to climb out of it without falling but getting in is not a very lady-like affair as I have to put one foot in and then heave myself in by pulling on the armrest!! Hey ho, the perils of being short!

See you on the shores of the Atlantic ocean tomorrow folks.