Discover the short, sweet season of “sugar making” in some of the most beautiful regions of North America.
Are you ready for a unique spring trip? Explore the short but sweet maple sugar season in the Far North.
The maple sugar season is short because there are only a few weeks each spring when sugar maple farmers-known as “sugar trees” – have the perfect time for their maple trees to produce the sweet sap found in maple syrup, maple sugar and other products. Sugar manufacturers usually celebrate the syrup season from the middle to the end of March by visiting typed trees and “sweets”, in which maple juice is turned into syrup.
The maple sugar season is mild, as you will not believe the taste and aroma of pure maple syrup, sugar and sweets. Whether you are looking for a fun family outing or a romantic party, there is nothing better than visiting a forest full of felled trees and stopping by the “sugar house” to see how the juice is boiled and made into syrup and sugar, as has been the case for centuries. You could even take a sleigh or steam train ride around the farm and, of course, try syrups and sweets.
Some of the best places for a maple syrup road trip are:
1. VERMONT, UNITED STATES
Enjoy fresh maple syrup in the region that Grandma Moses immortalized in her photos-a visit to a sugar maple tree can make you feel like you have penetrated into one of its classic rural scenes. Stay at the historic Eddington House Inn 1857 in North Bennington, where very helpful staff can take you to the best sugar farms and producers.While you are in the Bennington area, you should not miss the beautiful collection of paintings by Grandma Moses at the Bennington Museum and the Robert Frost House, dedicated to the inspiring words of this great American poet. Contact Dutton’s Farm Stand near Manchester to catch a glimpse of a local sugar manufacturer in action.
2. MONTREAL
The Canadian province of Quebec produces 80% of the world’s maple syrup. An hour’s drive from Montreal is a wonderland of “sugar huts”, each offering managed tree tours and sugar production activities. Families with children will especially love the cottages, which include a steam train or pony rides. Stay at the Square Phillips Hotel & Suites, a 15-minute walk from the famous Notre Dame Basilica, with spacious rooms with kitchenettes from much less night. To see a Canadian sugar bowl at work-and take a steam train ride around the farm, visit Cabane a Sucre Bouvrette, about an hour’s drive from Montreal.
3. United STATES
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Big Woods” is a maple wonderland! Make downtown Milwaukee your base for this trip, at well night’s charming Art Deco Ambassador hotel, and explore high art at the Milwaukee Art Museum, as well as beverage and pretzels at a Milwaukee Brewers baseball game. Head to the countryside to visit sugar factories and farms during your busy April season. For tours and rehearsals, contact Inthewood’s Sugar Bush, about an hour and 20 minutes north of Milwaukee.