We boarded the buses again today. First we went to Morse Maple Sugar Works and this crusty old Vermonter had us all in stitches with his jokes and explanation about how maple syrup used to be made, and how it’s made today.
This photo is an example of the different grades of maple syrup and how their colors differ. Earlier in the season the syrup is light and it darkens as it gets towards the end of the season.
We stopped at Montpelier and walked through their gold-domed capitol building. I was surprised we didn’t have to go through metal detectors like in Columbus, OH and also how small the building was.
We also drove right past NECI’s old building and I learned that NECI (New England Culinary Institute) closed because they couldn’t hold on through COVID. So sad.
We went up to the top of the quarry and it’s quite an impressive hole in the ground. They also took us to the Hope Cemetery where there were lots of sculptures made by the sculptors employed by Rock of Ages.
Then we went to Rock of Ages. Yes, the people who make tombstones. Lots of us were wondering why, but the locals are quite proud of the white granite they get from the quarry here, and have a competition about who has the most elaborate tombstone and who keeps it the cleanest. The graveyard had tombstones of lots of the people who worked there, including the sculptors. We had a local who gave us a tour of the graveyard, pointing out the most notable stones and shared some really scandalous stories about some of the inhabitants.
Back at the campground, the ambassadors arranged a goodbye dinner for us down by the lake, complete with a roaring bonfire. Here’s a photo of one of the more memorable participants, Asher. Looks intimidating, but a very nice “character”. The back of his shirt has Trump and Melania riding off on a motorcycle.
They also provided us a breakfast in the morning while everyone came to hug and say their goodbyes. It’s kind of surreal to think it all over and everyone just got in their rig and went their separate ways. I may never see these people again. Most of the friends I made are on their way to Niagara Falls.
