PRESIDENT CALVIN COOLIDGE

As winter winds down I wound up my Pontiac Grand AM and headed for the hills of Southern Vermont To Plymouth. The round trip took 302 miles RT and it was the antithesis of Driving to Boston! For the real first time I plugged in my gps and heard the directions from "the lady of the sky." With 24 satellites directing me, I lost contact only 3 times.


I was reliving my youth as far back as 1957 Hogback Mountain was in my blood. Ginger Mansfield, Home Ec teacher was a skier  and took us boys to the hills. Further, Don Kent, meteorologist touted Hogback in his weather forecasts along with Mount Snow and its out of door pool. Then in 1959 I drove back with dad. His words came back to me today.

COOLIDGE WAS BORN ON THE 4TH OF JULY 1872!

COOLIDGE WAS GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS!

."Bob, I'd like to live to the year 2000." He made it to 1986.


My solitary journey was spiritual. No radio, no discs, just beautiful mountains on this last leg of winter. As I drove up I-91 into Vermont the grandeur of the Green Mountains in a distance told me I was headed in the right direction. Once I alighted from the Eisenhower Interstate, tiny town after town seemed asleep. Patches of snow were transformed into a formidable covering of the white stuff. But with each mile I traveled north, the traffic seemed to be just me.


As I got closer to President Calvin Coolidge's birthplace my enthusiasm for our 30th President grew. From my boyhood to a college a term paper entitled "The Man Behind The Myth" and the gentleman's "C" received from Dr. Steinbicker at Saint Louis U, everything about Coolidge came to life. The tiny town of Plymouth is truly a sleepy hollow. Maybe six antique buildings grace the grounds where Grace and Calvin are buried in the cemetery. I didn't know what to expect?


Then I observed a sign PLYMOUTH CHEESE and an Open Flag limping in the snow-generated-fog. Great. This wonderful country store reflects the traditions of the Coolidge family cheese enterprise that was founded in 1890. I knew this as I once interviewed President Coolidge's son, John while living in Connecticut.


The bell rang as I waked in and here was "Mark" labeling waxed blocks of Vermont cheddar. Yummy.  I spoke and Mark Listened as if I were The Ancient Mariner. I dumped my bucket of Coolidgeisms. For an hour we spoke about so many good things .Mark He learned ; I learned. Mark's from Chicago. PLYMOUTHCHEESE.COM is the real deal. Why not check it out?


The country roads of Vermont are equal to John Denver's Country Roads of West Virginia. Earlier in the day I filled up with John Denver on Slackr radio.


The trip back was formidable but not as enjoyable as watching Calvin Coolidge on YouTube. Coolidge has come alive in time for tonight's Debate. I can hardly wait. I may return to Plymouth Notch in apple blossom time, my favorite time of the year. Today's trip and visit was a jewel.. Thanks for the cheese, Mark!