Greetings From New Hampshire/Vermont

Miles Driven: 23,099

         If you ever find yourself in a conversation with someone from New Hampshire or Vermont (like I have) and the conversation drifts towards the person’s home state, there’s one question you’re guaranteed to ask.  “Oh you’re from New Hampshire?  Interesting.  That’s the one on the left, isn’t it?”  Unless you’re from the east coast or you’re a geography buff, I guarantee that question is asked.  Why?  Because, like seriously, who the fuck knows anything about New Hampshire and Vermont, let alone the difference between the two geographically.  That question comes out because of ignorance on the area.  When I asked it, I got a “ohh.. haha nooo New Hampshire is on the right.. don’t worry, everybody gets them mixed up.”  I didn’t want to feel like a fool anymore.. I wanted to get them straight.. so I decided to explore this area once and for all.  I went in without knowing what I’d get and left very impressed with the incredible landscape these two states have to offer.  

Here I am, driving in Maine.  I see on my Garmin the dotted lines that denote a different state.  What is the sign going to say?  Why.. it’s New Hampshire!  New Hampshire is on the right!  I got to see it for myself!  Good times.  But enough sarcasm.  When I actually got into the heart of this area, I was taken aback by how beautiful it was.  It reminded me of the hilly greenery of Washington, which I remember fondly.  It was weird having that feeling and realizing that those days.. when I was driving in Washington.. was a staggeringly high three months ago when it doesn’t feel like that long ago at all and yet it does.. which probably makes no sense unless you’re living this thing.  But anyway, it really was beautiful.  I kind of had an idea it was hilly up here, but the hills were much bigger than I ever imagined.  The area wasn’t that developed either, making the green hills feel untouched by civilization.  The trees were just starting to turn colors up in these parts, and I have a feeling that in another week or two it would be in full tilt and even more picturesque.  But I don’t think there would ever be a time when this area wasn’t breathtaking. 

Endlessly Green Hills (not too great in quality.. I took while driving)

There was one specific thing I wanted to do while in this area, but I only heard about it like the day before I crossed into New Hampshire.  It sounded interesting, so I was like why not.  The suggestion was a tour of Ben & Jerry’s main ice cream-making factory in Waterbury, Vermont.  I was going here expecting some hugely impressive building with all these huge pieces of equipment pumping out tons of ice cream all being visible on a free tour.  What did I actually see?  A non-descript small building with one decently large room with average looking equipment that pumped out NO ice cream on a tour that cost $3.  While I’m okay with ice cream not being made on a Saturday, I think it’s silly to charge the same price when the tour is incomplete and you don’t get to see all the interesting moving parts in action, which is perhaps the biggest draw.  But I’m not even cool with being charged at all, to be honest.  I went to a Coors brewery tour in Golden, Colorado around my graduation and that was free, and it also included a three-beer free sample.  Yeah, we got a “free sample” here, but it can’t exactly be called free when going through this bland factory cost $3.  I bitch and moan because I feel the whole idea to open a tour to the public is to expose people to your product so they would buy it in the future.  I don’t usually get Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, so getting a truly free sample and seeing what they’re all about might have turned me on to the company, an idea that Coors gets and pulled off beautifully.  But instead, I got turned off when they charged me $3 to see an uninteresting tour that showed us ONE ROOM (WOW!!!) with the only thing gained being a scoop of ice cream in a paper cup that we had to push out like fugitives since they didn’t give spoons.  Soooo to wrap it up in three words…. FUCK THIS PLACE. 

Their hilly location (and a van that Ben & Jerry drove around selling their stuff in back in the day)

The outside of the building

Inside the building (they wouldn't let you take a pic of their super secret and high security machines.  OOOOOO.  Like I'd want to anyway.  And WTF does it matter.  If somebody wanted to get intel on this place on a TOUR that takes place 30 feet away from the equipment, I think they would be smart enough to figure something secret out.  Dumbasses.)

Even though the only thing of note I did in New Hampshire/ Vermont left a bad taste in my mouth (figuratively, not literally, it was good ice cream), I enjoyed my time in the area.  The scenery really was breathtaking.. surprisingly breathtaking.  I had no idea it’d be so nice up here.  But I guess I never knew much about the area to begin with, so anything nice would have been a pleasant surprise.  I could even see myself living here someday, but only like way down the line and to the same fashion as I would for Montana or Wyoming, which is when I’m older and want to retire to a quiet place away from everything else.  Or if I ever turned into a serial killer and turned into a crazy recluse, this place would work like a charm.  But one thing my trip through these parts did was help me to remember that it’s New Hampshire on the right, Vermont on the left.  No more making a fool of myself in the future!  No sir.