So, I'm off to the 'rents this weekend...
to partake in that tradition known as the Highland Maple Festival. This occurs only once a year for two short weekend stints in early March.
For those of you who have never been, I can give you a general breakdown of the schedule my family follows (and has done so for so many years, I don't know of any other way to live this day).
8am--Leave from home and drive the 1.75 hours or so through winding back country roads to head to the traditional Maple Festival breakfast of Buckwheat (or Buttermilk) pancakes, sausage patties, and sausage gravy. You can find quite a few organizations who hold these each year in order to raise money to fund the rest of the years activities. In times past, we always went to Bolar or McDowell. Now, my parents go to Williamsville Community Center. Last year, we showed up to find kith and kin (that means family--like uncles and cousins) working and eating, and raising funds for their community.
11:30am--Leave from Williamsville along back winding country roads, and go through the town of Monterey to one of the Sugar Camps. We prefer Puffenbargers, and have been going there forever. This is where we purchase all of our maple products including, but not limited to: maple candy, syrup, and donuts and donut holes boiled in fresh hot maple syrup. We also eat a hot dog with maple chili, and maybe some donut holes. Mmmmm....
12 noon--Leave the Sugar Camp and drive back to Monterey. Look for parking (in vain) so that we can walk down Main Street (the ONLY Street in Monterey) to visit craft vendors and specialty stores. My mom and I will go into the various art galleries, while my dad will walk further down Main Street to visit the Pork Rind tent, the Kettle corn Man, and the Country Ham sandwich vendor. These he brings back, meeting up with my mom and I somewhere along the street. We need only look for his head above the crowd to locate him. After lugging ourselves and purchases back to the truck, we prepare to head out of town and back home.
4pm--Our final stop is on the way out of town at the Fast Break convenience store. One of the few businesses that keep their restrooms open to the public, my mom and I will stand in line to use the facilities while Dad purchases Cokes and Sprites to drink on the ride back, where we will eat cold country ham sandwiches slathered in yellow mustard, and nibble on kettle corn, all the while complaining that we couldn't possibly EAT another bite.
Note: This is known as the McRoberts family annual pig-fest. We only do it one day a year (and believe me, that's enough). I have already planned to take a vacation day from work Monday in order to recover.
If you DO make it to Highland County, either this weekend or next, I highly recommend this order of events in order to fully partake and enjoy the day to the fullest extent.
For the first time, I am taking a camera (my new and little used digital camera) and will hopefully have some pictures to share next week (pending I can find some batteries and I take the time to go to Ukrops to use the free wi-fi).
Cheers! :)
For those of you who have never been, I can give you a general breakdown of the schedule my family follows (and has done so for so many years, I don't know of any other way to live this day).
8am--Leave from home and drive the 1.75 hours or so through winding back country roads to head to the traditional Maple Festival breakfast of Buckwheat (or Buttermilk) pancakes, sausage patties, and sausage gravy. You can find quite a few organizations who hold these each year in order to raise money to fund the rest of the years activities. In times past, we always went to Bolar or McDowell. Now, my parents go to Williamsville Community Center. Last year, we showed up to find kith and kin (that means family--like uncles and cousins) working and eating, and raising funds for their community.
11:30am--Leave from Williamsville along back winding country roads, and go through the town of Monterey to one of the Sugar Camps. We prefer Puffenbargers, and have been going there forever. This is where we purchase all of our maple products including, but not limited to: maple candy, syrup, and donuts and donut holes boiled in fresh hot maple syrup. We also eat a hot dog with maple chili, and maybe some donut holes. Mmmmm....
12 noon--Leave the Sugar Camp and drive back to Monterey. Look for parking (in vain) so that we can walk down Main Street (the ONLY Street in Monterey) to visit craft vendors and specialty stores. My mom and I will go into the various art galleries, while my dad will walk further down Main Street to visit the Pork Rind tent, the Kettle corn Man, and the Country Ham sandwich vendor. These he brings back, meeting up with my mom and I somewhere along the street. We need only look for his head above the crowd to locate him. After lugging ourselves and purchases back to the truck, we prepare to head out of town and back home.
4pm--Our final stop is on the way out of town at the Fast Break convenience store. One of the few businesses that keep their restrooms open to the public, my mom and I will stand in line to use the facilities while Dad purchases Cokes and Sprites to drink on the ride back, where we will eat cold country ham sandwiches slathered in yellow mustard, and nibble on kettle corn, all the while complaining that we couldn't possibly EAT another bite.
Note: This is known as the McRoberts family annual pig-fest. We only do it one day a year (and believe me, that's enough). I have already planned to take a vacation day from work Monday in order to recover.
If you DO make it to Highland County, either this weekend or next, I highly recommend this order of events in order to fully partake and enjoy the day to the fullest extent.
For the first time, I am taking a camera (my new and little used digital camera) and will hopefully have some pictures to share next week (pending I can find some batteries and I take the time to go to Ukrops to use the free wi-fi).
Cheers! :)
posted by ~ruthie @ 3:29 PM
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