Sugar Daze concert and bike ride

 KT Tunstall was playing a free concert at Okemo, so I decided to drive to VT to hear her on Saturday, then go for a bike ride on Sunday.

Sugar Daze featured 3 bands: Seeking Homer, Chadwick Stokes, and KT Tunstall.

 But first, I stopped by Fitchburg State to watch my nephew Eric play in the sectional finals against Marlboro, the team that eliminated them last year. It was a tense game. Concord Carlisle trailed the whole first half, but finished with a 6-0 run to tie it 15-15 at the halftime buzzer (on a put back by Eric). In the 4th quarter, CC took a 12 point lead, but Marlboro pulled back within 1 point with 6 seconds left in the game. They fouled Eric to get the ball back, but Eric hit both free throws and Marlboro missed the 3-point attempt. CC plays in the state semifinals on Monday!

 The concert started when the lifts closed, outdoors at the Jackson Gore base area. It was 50F so I didn't put on all the extra layers I brought to keep warm. Later I regretted leaving the clothes in the car when the sun went down and it got chilly.

Chadwick Stokes was awesome. He played a collection of new songs and greatest hits from his bands State Radio (Right Me Up) and Dispatch (The General). His friend sang backup vocals and played a variety of percussion instruments, like tambourine and shekere.

 The woman next to me asked if I was a fan, and so I explained that Stokes was in State Radio and Dispatch and his songs got a lot of airplay on the radio. She smiled and said Chad was her brother. Doh!
Later I met Chad's godmother and she took this photo of Chadwick Stokes and me. After the concert he stood around chatting with his fans and signing posters and CDs. People asked how much for the CDs, and he replied whatever you can afford. I commented on his electric guitar body made from a suitcase, and said my son Michael saw him play a guitar made out of a gas can at a State Radio concert.Chad said his guitars were made by a friend of his in San Francisco, then signed the poster "To Michael, Peach and Love" because he thought Michael would appreciate it more than me. Chad grew up in Sherborn, MA and his family still lives there. He seems like a really good guy.

  KT Tunstall played as the sun set and the temp dropped. The entire concert area was full at the start of her concert (maybe 3 times the crowd for Chadwick Stokes) but emptied out before the concert ended. She played her big hits, some of her less familiar songs, and a few covers. She was on the stage alone, employing her trademark record and loop technique for percussion and backup vocals on pretty much every song. For some songs she started by drumming on her acoustic guitar, then switched to her electric guitar after recording the percussion. She told stories before each song (one was about biking as a 4 year old and swallowing a trumpet) and often engaged the audience mid-song. On her cover of Jackson 5's I Want You Back, Tunstall forgot the words so she just made up different lyrics, singing that the chorus was the important part anyhow. 

KT Tunstall was personable, funny, and entertaining and I enjoyed her music, but Chadwick Stokes is a hard act to follow and he was the highlight of the weekend for me.

My favorite song by KT Tunstall is Black Horse and the Cherry Tree. It sounded great live, but she changed it up by adding kazoo and transitioning into White Stripes' Seven Nation Army.

That night, I stayed at Homestyle Hostel right in the center of Ludlow, and I highly recommend this place. The owners, Eliza and Justin, are friendly and run a really clean, comfortable hostel. An unexpected bonus is that they also have an excellent restaurant / pub at the hostel. On Saturday night it was packed with friendly people. My veggie polenta with a poached egg was delicious, and I washed it down with a couple of local VT craft brews.

The next morning, I enjoyed fresh brewed coffee and homemade granola with yogurt (included for hostel guests). Justin suggested a short walk up to the reservoir, which I turned into a longer hike up the steep power line cut and back down to town.

 The reservoir is just past the cemetery at the end of Depot Street. The main lift at Okemo Mountain was running, but there wasn't much snow, or many skiers.

 From the top of the steep power line cut into the woods. To make the climb more challenging, I carried a full mug of coffee in one hand.

 Walking back down a road (or maybe driveway) to the town of Ludlow.

My favorite shot of the day. After my walk, I changed into bike gear and headed out on a 60 mile ride past 2 sugar shacks, Long Trail brewery, and Worthy Kitchen "A Craft Beer and Farm Diner in Woodstock, VT"

In addition to the short, steep climb out of Plymouth Five Corners, this ride featured two 6-mile climbs in the 2nd half, with the two food (i.e., liquid bread) stops in the 1st half; I probably should have ridden CCW instead.

 

 Dang! I just spent beaucoup bucks getting my bike ready to ride again. Then in the first 7 miles out of the shop, I find myself (inadvertently) on muddy dirt roads and my bike looks trashed already. Also, I didn't do a test ride after picking up my bike. When I got to VT I discovered the saddle was about 2 inches too low, and I didn't have the tools to adjust it. So I rode 60 miles with a less than efficient setup.

 Who knew? 

"By 1855 a gold rush was underway. At Plymouth Five Corners, a gold mill and crusher were built."

Now Plymouth has the Five Corners Pub and Brewhouse serving up a different kind of gold, a pale ale.

Plymouth Five Corners is also noteworthy because the road goes up for a half mile at 8% gradient. I gotta say, it seemed much steeper this early in the season. Don't know how I'm going to manage racing up Mt Washington for 8 miles at 12% average in August.

 The beautiful scenery along the VT roads more than made up for the hills and mud. 

My favorite road sign. After climbing the short, steep Plymouth Notch, I enjoyed a 12-mile downhill. 

It was hot on the climbs, chilly on the descents. My Ripper gilet helped me control temperature.

The weather changed from sunny in the morning to overcast in the afternoon. Seemed like there was a stiff headwind most of the time. The only protection from the wind was on narrow dirt roads, where the mud sucked the speed out of my wheels.

So it was a fun weekend of music, hiking, and biking. Of course there was some beer too!

Okemo's Sugar Daze advertised a beer garden, but it was very disappointing, serving only Coors Light and Blue Moon. Vermont has some of the best craft brewers in the world and Okemo serves up this dreck?

At their Sienna restaurant they served Magic Hat, Long Trail, and Switchback; at least local brewers, even if not the best the state has to offer. But you weren't allowed to take the beers outside. I heard a couple songs by the first act Seeking Homer when I got there, and decided I'd rather have a Magic Hat and listen to the sound of silence than listen to Seeking Homer while drinking Coors Light.

 

 Okemo's food and beer was hugely disappointing. The brick oven flatbread tasted like crackers with ketchup on top. The beers were ok--actually I really liked the Magic Hat Snow Roller, a hoppy brown ale--but the service was terrible. Even though they had a big sign outside advertising apres ski food and drink, I had to beg my way in at 4:15 because they "were about to change over." Then as I was finishing up (and leaving a big tip), the waitress told me they would have to "kick me out" because they change over at 5. I was leaving anyhow because Chadwick Stokes came on at 5, but Sienna was not a welcoming environment and I won't be back.

 Seems like most of Okemo's patrons probably think Coors Light and Blue Moon are craft beers. Or at least the patrons that drink beer in the restroom.

After the concert, I warmed up at the Homestyle Hostel.  The polenta was delicious. I also enjoyed a tulip of Light In The Window, a rye IPA from Burlington Beer Co., and a can of Maple Breakfast Stout from 14th Star Brewing Co.

Long Trail Brewing Co. was at mile 18 of my bike ride. I had a bowl of their carrot ginger bisque and it was amazing. One of the best soups I've ever tasted. The bisque was better than their beers. The flagship Long Trail Ale was surprisingly better than I remembered. But the Limbo American IPA wasn't as good as their English style IPA, which they are discontinuing in favor of their new Green Blaze IPA. Their only offering that I really found intriguing was their Smash Project series, but it wasn't available on tap and I didn't want to carry the extra weight of a six-pack of cans on the remaining 43 miles of my ride.

My last stop (only 8 miles past Long Trail Brewing) was at Hungry Kitchen. The truffle fries were disappointing, but they have a great selection of craft beers. I had trouble deciding between Hill Farmstead Edward or Lawson's Sip of Sunshine, finally choosing Hill Farmstead because it is harder to find. The large order of fries was enough for a small family so I stayed and chatted with my neighbor at the bar. He was a diplomatic security agent in VT for a training exercise with the army. Diplomatic security protects people like the Secretary of State. He told me about wiring video cameras at Colin Powell's estate and meeting Hilary Clinton. I ended up lingering at Worthy Kitchen long enough for another beer, so I got to enjoy Sip of Sunshine too!