When Lincoln awoke on his first birthday he found himself appropriately located in Northern Vermont, aka Sugar Central. Up here they make maple syrup and have amazing sugar filled factories. The first factory we visited was Lake Champlain Chocolates. Probably the best tasting chocolate made in the United States. We first heard about Lake Champlain in a book called Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America by Steve Almond. The factory tour was little more than a video and looking through a glass wall as factory workers moved pieces and chocolate shot into plastic forms. We were spoiled by the Louisville Slugger Factory tour when you actually got to walk the aisles. The biggest perk was you got to taste chocolate in various forms throughout the demonstration. We visited the store and purchased factory rejects and limited edition bars like Grace Under Fire a mix of pistachio and red pepper, made for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.
Stop number two was the Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory. We were all excited about this trip and it did not disappoint. The factory had tents with fun activities like tie dye shirts and spin art. There was also a playground for kids to wait for their tour. Once again on the tour we found ourselves behind glass overlooking workers, but there was a tiny bit more walking and a little more humor. It was interesting to find out that Ben and Jerry took a cheap correspondance course in order to get started. There commitment to organic and local has always impressed me as well as the idea of giving back to the community from day one. The factory also liked to poke fun at weight gain as everyone know that the reason Ben and Jerry’s ice cream is so good is because there is no skimping on creamy goodness. There were “Body by Ben and Jerry’s” t-shirts and a mirror that made you look skinnier. The video also said that Ben and Jerry became friends while tailing behind the rest of the class in gym. Lincoln pigged out on Key Lime Pie with a “shovel” spoon.
It was a beautiful day which continued with a walk on the lake, a ferry ride, and a beautiful day in the mountains to celebrate our little boy.
Adventures with Lincoln 