DAY 4 - TUESDAY

We needed a nice warm breakfast this morning as it was a chilly, rainy start to our day.  As I mentioned yesterday, since we stayed overnight in Waterbury we would be very close to the places we wanted to visit today.  After loading up the bus, we left the hotel at 9:50 and arrived at the Ben & Jerry's Factory at 9:55!

We were scheduled for the 10:00 a.m. tour (who doesn't like ice cream at 10:00 in the morning!). 

The tour began with a short video about the origins of Ben & Jerry's.

After the video we were taken to the heart of the factory (no photos allowed) and were told about the different stages the go into making a pint of ice cream.  The payoff was at the end of the tour when we were given a free sample of ice cream!

 

After finishing our yummy treat, the last stop of the tour was the gift shop and, of course, the ice cream shop where you could buy your favorite flavor of Ben & Jerry's ice cream (and many of us did!).

Another five minute bus ride and we were at our next "free samples" destination: Cabot Cheese.  They had a large station sampling station of their famous cheeses, along with a maple syrup station and samples of some of their jams and spreads.

 

 

The next stop (yes, five minutes away!) was at a local store that offered many Vermont products such as maple syrup, apple cider, and maple donuts.  Needless to say, after all this food (just after breakfast) we needed a little time buffer before we sat down for lunch.  Our bus driver, Bob, remembered that the Trapp Family Lodge was just up the hill, so we took a short sight seeing tour.

 

 

The rain had stopped and we had a great view from the lodge.

 

 



We have a 2:00 concert today, so it was time for lunch.  After all the free samples, a light lunch was all we needed.

After lunch we headed off to The Manor for our 2:00 concert.  We were greeted by an awaiting audience.

After the concert, everyone was treated to ice cream sundaes.  Although it was our second ice cream of the day, I'm sure the kids enjoyed something cool after all that singing.  While enjoying our ice cream, we visited with the residents.

 

 

We said our goodbyes and headed to our motel where we were able to rest up before our evening concert at Puffer United Methodist.  When we arrived at the church we were greeted by warm, friendly, and familiar faces...

 

 

 

and the aroma of dinner in the air.  Members of the church had prepared a delicious dinner for us.  And can you guess what we had for dessert?  YES---Ben & Jerry's ice cream.  No one turned it down!

 

After dinner, we were surprised by two more faces from First Pres---the Kashners!  They drove two hours to come hear us sing. We were so glad to see them!

The two hours of rest was beneficial for the kids as their voices were strong and their energy level was high.

The audience was very appreciative and loved the kids.  After the concert, we visited with some of the church members before we headed back to our motel.

It was another great day!  The kids are relieved that our 2 a day concert schedule is over and that we only have one concert tomorrow and Thursday.  Speaking of tomorrow, we're scheduled to stop at Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire on our way to meet Fred Slayter in Rangeley Maine.  We're hoping for good weather!

Thanks for you prayers of support.  They are appreciated!