Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Visit to the Sugar Shack

August 18, 2021                                                                 Most Recent Post:
Camping on the Battenkill                                         Kayaking St. Catherine
Arlington Vermont                                                         Faulty Expectations



Any day I’m not hiking I take a trip around the campground and out onto Vermont Route 7a for a look down the Battenkill River.

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The river is normally very low going by the campground so it isn’t a place you can put in a kayak.  But in large rains, like the one they had just before I got here, the river front campsites get flooded out.  You’d never know it to look at the Battenkill today.

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Some days, instead of stopping at the bridge and turning around, I continue on to The Sugar Shack.  As you can see, they have pies, fudge, maple syrup, jams, cheese, Maple Creemees, Cider Donuts AND A Norman Rockwell Exhibition.  What a combination huh?

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I had no idea what a Maple Creemee was until I came to Vermont.  But I learned quickly in St Johnsbury that there is quite a competition among those who make maple syrup for the best creemee. 

A creemee is soft serve ice cream piled high and mixed with maple sugar and/or maple syrup.  Yes SWEEEET!   

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I try not to walk over too often but sometimes I just need a Dreemee.  That would be a creemee plus cider donut.  Totally a sugar attack.

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There are two buildings on the Sugar Shack Property.  One is this retail outlet and one is the barn in which they process the maple tree tappings.

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Inside the main building they sell all the things mentioned above and more.  The bakery making those delicious donuts is right there.

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One side is all the goodies and on the other side is all things Norman Rockwell: prints, cards, books, magnets, bookmarks and on and on.

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Did I mention Norman Rockwell puzzles and prints?

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Did I mention books and cards?

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Off of the Rockwell store area is the exhibition which focuses on the work he did when he lived here in Arlington from 1939 to 1953.

He used over 200 local people in his work.  This is the centerpiece of the exhibition. On the wall are pictures of the people and the paintings for which they modeled.  It really is very interesting. 

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Four of his most famous works, The Four Freedoms, on the left in this photo, were painted in Arlington during WWII when Rockwell lived in the house by the covered bridge shown in an earlier post and in the second picture below.

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This is one of my very favorites of his work showing him painting himself.

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The florescent lights made it very difficult to take photographs of the framed pictures.

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You can see Rockwell’s house through the bridge and beyond the church.  What a sweet little area it is.  The home is now an Inn and retreat center with no public admittance sadly.


I really loved this.  The painting is of Mary and Norman Rockwell welcoming their oldest son Jarvis home for Christmas of 1948. 

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According to the information in green on the painting glass,  their middle son Thomas is on the opposite side of Norman and their 3rd son Peter at the far left.  Norman said he liked his neighbor little Sharon O’Neill so much he portrayed her as twins.  She looks to be 6 or 7 there which would make her around 80 years old this year if she is still living.

And wonderfully, Grandma Moses who visited the Rockwell family often and lived in nearby Eagle Bridge, New York is there in a black dress with lace collar.


The major Norman Rockwell Museum is located in Stockbridge Massachusetts where he moved after leaving Arlington in 1953.  He died there in 1978.  I’ve always loved Rockwell’s work and wish I’d realized that the major museum was only 70 miles south. 

Somehow I did not take a picture of the barn where the maple sugar is processed.  I can’t remember why but it may be that there were too many cars in front of it.  So I’ve taken this one from their website but clearly it is taken during sugaring season with the smoke and stacks of firewood though no snow on the ground.

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Inside during off season is the equipment used for boiling down the sap and on the opposite side is a small seating area for viewing the excellent video on Rockwell’s life and art which runs continuously in a loop

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Lots to see at The Sugar Shack.

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Try not to visit as many times as I did to eat creemees and donuts.  It’s a serious problem when the Sugar Shack is right next door and you can walk there.

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29 comments:

  1. You are right, a very "sweet" post. I too love Norman Rockwell. You find the most interesting spots we never hear about any other way except blog travelers.

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    1. So glad you are still following along Sue and commenting. You help keep my spirits up. Thank you!

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  2. Oh how lucky to be within walking distance of the Sugar Shack. I'd never want to leave between the maple syrup, fudge, and Norman Rockwell, also a favorite artist of mine.

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    1. It was wonderful to be so close but far too tempting.

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  3. Oh my! Nothing like Vermont maple syrup. I've never heard of Maple Cremee, but now I'm salivating for one, with the cider donuts!

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    1. Head to Maine or Vermont, not sure about New Hampshire, but anywhere they are tapping maple trees probably. The combination of donut and cremee=dreemee was amazing.

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  4. Norman Rockwell had an amazing talent. I tried to find out if Sharon O'Neill is still alive, but gave up the search when it wasn't immediately clear. How cute that he painted her as twins. Sugar Shack is a neat place that I imagine Dad would've enjoyed and Matthew would like too. So much sweet!!

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    1. How fun that you tried to find out about Sharon. So much sweet is right although your dad wasn't the sweet lover that Matthew is. M takes more after me. :-)

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    1. Absolutely right Pam. You MUST try one. Wish you'd come to visit me over the summer especially when I was within walking distance of all the Dreemees I could but should not eat.

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  6. Looks like something I would like...when are you flying south?

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    1. Wish I knew who to address this reply to. When you post as Unknown, I'd love if you'd sign your name. I am already in Virginia just very very very behind on posting which is why they are coning more quickly.

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  7. Was the campground private ? How were the bugs? We just got home from a no cell service campground. We are so reliant on our phones for everthing !!

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    1. Not sure if this Unknown comment is from the same follower as above. Wish I knew. It was a private campground. That's the only place I know of that you can spend an entire month. Bugs were amazingly seldom bad. Did you read the post about the Frost House? That was the worst.

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  8. A great area with lots of things to see and eat haha. I love when you get to see an artists work with the real subject that they portrayed. Love Norman Rockwell. Hope we get to see the area some time. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I hope you and Eldy get up to Vermont too Jeannie, it was a wonderful summer.

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  9. Just reading about all that sugar makes my teeth hurt! ;c)

    I love Rockwell's works almost more than mushrooms...

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    1. I know what you mean about that sugar making your teeth hurt but hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it. So glad you liked the Rockwell. It was a great exhibit and film and an unexpected surprise.

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  10. Isn't it just the best to have the time to spend in places like these?? You have to go back to Vermont and try your coffee with a bit of maple creamee stirred in!! Heaven with a cider donut on the side :-) I'm trying to remember what little town in Oregon we were in that had the Four Freedoms as huge murals on the side of a warehouse. His works are some of my favorites.

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    1. Not a coffee drinker here but there are lots of other reasons to go back to Vermont. Is there anyone who doesn't like Norman Rockwell? He just makes me smile which we can all use these days.

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  11. I love maple syrup—real maple syrup, like they make in Vermont! I always keep it around for drizzling a bit on yogurt for dessert. I think the combination of ice cream and maple syrup would be too sweet for me. But I've had ice cream made with Candy Cap mushrooms, which taste exactly like maple syrup, and it was delicious!!

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    1. Candy cap mushrooms? I've never even heard of them. Very unfortunately for me my sweet tooth is so severe that there is no such thing as too sweet.

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  12. Sherry..it did go..I was the unknown comment


    Susan

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    1. Susan I am so happy to see you here and 3 times at that.

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  13. Now that is a place I would love to visit... many times! I LOVE maple syrup. How sweet it is. Also would love seeing the Norman Rockwell exhibit...

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    1. It was a real problem being that close to it believe me. Take a trip to Vermont and see it and the not too far other exhibit on Norman Rockwell in Stockbridge Mass that I foolishly missed.

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  14. Cremees? Weird name. I am not a fan of apple cider donuts though I know many think they are the best thing ever. I do love soft serve ice cream- the texture is better than regular ice cream. I went to get a McDonald's cone only to find out "the machine is broke." xxxooo

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  15. I too have always loved Rockwell, and I think it is safe to say I would love all the sweet treats too! Dave and I and Duke will be heading to Georgia February and March, if you are in the area at all, let's get together for a hike!

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  16. Maple creemees!! The best is at our town store in Huntington. And cider donuts!! Miss the tastes of VT, thankfully our friends have an online store for their maple syrup, cider donuts and creemees just don't ship well.

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