In Good Stead.

Worth the Climb.

Bar Harbor, ME – Gravel crunched like overcooked granola under our tires as we wound over pitted roads past farms with parted-out tractors.

A horse grazed within feet of us, tied to the front railing of its owner's trailer.

A sports car, flying at us, slammed on its brakes, drifting sideways, almost into the trees. It was incongruous given the otherwise quiet morning off the beaten path in Vermont.

Except, of course, this path is actually disproportionately used compared to others nearby. Located in Greensboro, Vermont, Hill Farmstead Brewery, last year's top-rated craft brewery, is seemingly tucked into a middle of nowhere framed by white fences and disinterested cows that pay little mind to the incessant pilgrimage of beer aficionados.

Thankfully, the beers were much, much smoother than the roads. And appropriately, the brewery provided samples of a couple beers called 'Excursions.'

Vitals:

• Time: 8.5 hours
• Distance: 571.3 kms
• Weather: Sunny, with some cloud
• States: Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine
• Wildlife: None