On the road again…. Day 2 on our journey to Maine and the ocean by way of Vermont and New Hampshire. Right now, we are in the middle of the Vermont in a town called Burlington, VT, contemplating a visit to a maple syrup farm. 

The day before we left, a storm came over with the clouds taking a formation none of us had seen before: striations. We all stepped outside to watch the storm come in.

Gradually the clouds shifted, losing their neat lines, as the rain poured down.

The last to peonie plants to bloom. The white one has the strongest, and sweetest, scent.

The sage finally flowered. I was beginning to think it didn't.

Clary sage! Sometime this summer I will be turning this into medicine.

These are just some last minute things from home before we departed from our own beds. Now on to the trip.

The scenery we watched pass by in New York state. 

Getting closer to Vermont!

This was the landscape we past when on the highway through NY state. Gradually flat land became rolling hills, then rolling hills became mountains. 

We stopped for a lunch break in a small town somewhere in NY at a small park. We picnicked along the riverside which is on the other side of the pine trees in the picture. Although a few of us (those with mosquito troubles) defended ourselves against the few brave mosquitoes that dared come close, we had a quite lunch watching the cottonwood trees' cotton gently fall to the ground like snow.

Then back in the car!

Now in Vermont. Regarding the landscape, not much different from the northern part of NY, but very beautiful with the mountains in the distance.

We had searched for a while for a coffee shop to have a coffee/tea time, but we were unsuccessful until nearly six p.m. That's when we found "3 Squares café". We picked up an iced coffee and enjoyed a few homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Once we reached Burlington, we got ourselves a room at a hotel and headed out to the town. We walked through the Church St. Market, which is off limits to cars, sightseeing while looking for a nice place to stop for dinner. Eventually we settled on a place and taking seats outdoors, had dinner on the street and shared topics for discussion.

My brother and I took this as we walked back to the car to return to the hotel for sleep. The lights were coming on decorating the foliage along to market's streets.

Tomorrow we will come back here to get some breakfast at a vegan restaurant called the "Magnolia Bistro" and taking one last stroll by the water as the sun continues to rise. Then it is on to Montpelier, VT!!

じゃあね！