Vermont Travel Notes

In suburbs all over this country, homeowners are gearing up to do battle with lawn weeds this spring. The king of all weeds, the dandelion, is often number one on their hit list. But naturally, here in Vermont, we take a different tact - people here cultivate the darned thing for heaven's sake. And wouldn't you know, there's even a group of Vermonters who have a festival celebrating America's most frustrating weed. To top it off, there is another group of Vermonters who actually show up at the event. Go figure.

You should come out and take a look at these quirky folks. You'll find they are friendly and relaxed. Some of that may have to do with the fact they are drinking white wine that's made from their exalted weed.

So, while the rest of the country digs, cuts, chops, burns, poisons, and generally mutilates the poor plant, you can find a place that celebrates it with raised glass and grateful palates. This festival is a good chance for you to make an entry in your list of goofy but fun stuff you did with your time on this planet.

The festival is Saturday, May 19th at Grandview Winery from 1:00 to 5:00.Admission is free. There will be music along with other types of wines to taste. Grandview Winery is located about 15 minutes north of Montpelier. You can get directions here. It's a very scenic area to drive around exploring. I recommend a drive up through Plainfield and Marshfield over to the town of Peacham and just pick some side roads to explore. It's a lot of fun to see the beautiful vistas and farms back in the hills and you will no doubt find some good places to photograph. The area around Peacham is one of the most photographed in the state of Vermont. Cabot Cheese factory is nearby in the town of Cabot and it's worth a visit for the factory tour and cheese shop.

The dandelion blossom produces a wine that tastes surprisingly good. It is aromatic and lightly sweet. Quantities are limited and the price is about $15 a bottle.

(c) 2007 Jeff Connor