hyde park

On our way home from Connecticut we took the scenic route through Hyde Park, New York.  Turns out the Culinary Institute of America is in Hyde Park.  Unfortunately it was closed the day we were there, but there is also a Vanderbuilt mansion referred to as Hyde Park that we were able to tour. 

After being properly impressed by the Vanderbuilt story, family drama, and fortune we ate at possibly the best diner ever in nearby Rhinebeck. 

We might have to take the scenic route a little more often. 

connecticut (and new york) take 2

We decided to squeeze a trip to Connecticut to visit my sister one last time before they headed back west. 

We enjoyed the beautiful spring weather at the Stamford Nature Center. 

We appreciated some art, and people watching at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in NY.

We stocked up on some Moroccan and Indian spices at Kalustyan's.

We took tons of photos.

And now we're sad that our closest family is 18 hours away.

maple open house

Every year in March, Vermont holds a maple open house weekend.  Seeing as how Vermont is pretty famous for it's maple syrup, we decided we needed to participate.  The general idea is to visit several sugarhouses, watch maple syrup being made, make yourself sick on sample the different types of maple syrup, and maple products, and celebrate something very Vermont-y.

We got a late start so we only made it to one sugarhouse, Taft's Milk and Maple Farm in Huntington.  Unfortunately, because of some unusually warm, early spring weather they were no longer boiling sap.  But we were able to enjoy a cool little tour/explanation of the whole process.  And of course we ate our fill of the maple fudge, maple cotton candy, and the fresh donuts with maple cream.