Day 111
Our trip through Maine, New Hampshire and now Vermont was more than we expected. We hiked part of the Appalachian Trail, I kayaked on Rangeley Lake, and we drove and jogged down some of the most beautiful roads in the country.
Last night we were looking for a nice, little place with enough room for me to bring in all my boxes and luggage and reorganize. The nights were getting cold. It was time to pack my summer things and get out the heavy duty stuff. We also wanted to stay 2 nights. Last night was Saturday and it was reaching peak foliage season in Bennington, Vermont. The "no vacancy" signs were turning on faster than the sun could set. We pulled into a Motor Lodge, which will remain unnamed) and the innkeeper had one room with one queen size bed. He was a rude man. When we started asking questions like, is there a coffee pot in the room, what can we see it first, etc. He got snippy. Then Lloyd asked if it was safe to leave things in the car and the man pretty much told us to get out. Can you believe it? He said he wouldn't have a room that would please us. I wanted to slap him for being so rude to my sweet husband. But, we settled things and took the tiny room for 91.00. He said it was the quietest room in the place. Well, the coffee pot was broken, the TV didn't work and around 9:00 a heavy-metal band began playing and didn't stop until midnight. We stayed one night and left.
Today we had another wonderful drive through the Green Mountains and just by accident we stumbled upon Robert Frost's cabin. It was so wonderful. We were the only ones there. We got to look inside and see his library and fireplace and little kitchen. Then we found the Robert Frost nature trail. His poems were displayed along the way and Lloyd read them to me. It was the most wonderful day. Then we drove into Middlebury. We had planned on staying at one of the motels outside of town, but saw the old inn called the Middlebury Inn. We almost didn't stop because it looked expensive. But we said, "What the hell?" The woman behind the desk, Marcia, told us the rooms in the motel behind the inn were $129.00 and inside the inn were $169.00. When we hesitated, she lowered the price, but it was still more than we wanted to pay. She lowered it again to $107 AFTER tax. That was the motel room. We asked to see it. She escorted us over and the room was very nice, very roomy, and we said we'd take it. She said, but the SUITE in the inn is much nicer, and she offered to give it to us for the same motel price. So, here we are in a HUGE room with two queen-size beds, TWO bathrooms, a walk-in closet with robes. A ladies' lounge across the hall with a small antique organ as decoration. The price also includes afternoon tea. We love Marcia.
We might stay three nights. But, we have miles to go before we sleep.