And so the Cannon clan descended on the poor unsuspecting city of Burlington for the epic occasion of Jesse’s 21st birthday.  This would be the first time all four of us had been to Burlington at the same time. Duncan was staying with his sister but Frank and I had rented our first airBnB accommodation and boy were we pleased.  A small, one bedroom apartment with fully fitted kitchen, really comfy queen size bed and all around a neat and tidy wee place.  We got a good night sleep and then headed to the rugby pitch the next day for the tournament – where Jesse scored twice!  The sun was blazing and though the breeze was cool – this is Vermont after all – it was beautiful way to spend the morning. We then parted ways for a bit:  Frank to replace a valve cover gasket (yes, he did); me for a long run (10 miles – longer than was good for me!) and Duncan and Jesse to the rugby social.  They were allowed to shower and change for the occasion which is apparently not always the case which is why the gatherings are sometimes referred to as “stink and drink.”   Jesse was appropriately roasted and got toasted – as befits the birthday girl/co-MVP of the game.

Sunday was to be our grand day out with a hike up Camel’s Hump but Mother Nature had other plans and the glorious sunshine turned to grey drizzle.  We are not to be deterred, however, and instead headed up and down the coast of Lake Champlain visiting wineries.  Yup, Vermont has them and both Shelburne Vineyard (just south of Burlington) and East Shore Vineyard to the north provided lovely experiences.  The former was busy and bustling and was our first chance to taste sparking wine from the Louise Swenson grape. (We don’t have those in MO.)  The latter was empty and had a very congenial woman running the tasting and so much conviviality (and a great family picture) ensued.

But wine isn’t the star of the show in Vermont.  They have an amazing array of craft breweries including The Alchemist which brews Frank’s very favorite IPA – Heddy Topper – that is nearly impossible to find even in Vermont but for the first time we were able to procure his very own four-pack. (Sales are limited to one four-pack per customer per day when you can find it.)   beer isn’t the only fizzy beverage popular in Vermont and we found ourselves sampling a couple of flights of cider at the Citizen Cider tasting room.  It is by far my favorite cider anywhere but of course you can’t get it in MO.  We enjoyed snacks and drinks and then what is one to do on a rainy Saturday?  Why bowl, of course.  We got two games in before enjoying a fabulous birthday dinner at a farm-to-table restaurant (are there any other kinds in Vermont?) in South Burlington.

Monday also dawned grey and dreary and also meant a return to class for Jesse who has less than two weeks left in the semester. But we had a quest to find one other Vermont specific beverage: Rail Dog maple spirit.  I don’t know how to describe it – it’s not whiskey or vodka but it is liquor made from distilling maple syrup.  Frank loves it and, again, it can’t be had anywhere outside Vermont.  In fact, it’s getting hard to find in Vermont because it is produced in such small batches which have such a loyal following that it rarely makes it to the store.  Such was the case on this day and so off we went to the farm where it’s distilled, 45 minutes north of Burlington and not far from the Canadian border. There we met Dave Howe, chemical engineer turned craft distiller, who gave us a private “tour” of the small building where he distills Rail Dog and a vodka, Literary Dog, which is the most amazing vodka (I don’t know how vodka can be creamy but this really is!) We also met the dogs for which the spirits are  

named and had a fabulous time talking about the distillation process, favorite single malts, and the best hikes in the area.  We parted with several bottles to bring home and an invitation to come back and hike the farm in the fall.  Oh and if Duncan wanted to put his biochem degree to good use, Dave would be happy to teach him everything he knows.  It was really the most singular day.

Or it started out that way.  And then we had to fly.  Luckily, the worst thing that happened to me and Frank was an hour delay in Detroit.  Duncan had the day from hell where his flight from Burlington to Charlottesville via Philadelphia turned into a rebooked flight to DC which was diverted to Harrisburg PA due to weather.  They sat for four hours (longer than it would take to drive to Charlottesville from PA) before finally being flown to DC in the wee hours of the morning.  He had to stay in a hotel before heading south Tuesday morning (but I understand there were Georgetown cupcakes to help soften the blow a tiny bit.)  That’s the last time any of us flies American Airlines again.  Ever.

So we ate, drank, and were merry (and then we ate and drank some more).  And it was good to be together as a family again.