fries, I asked if you could get a real American-style burger in Germany these days. "A few places try to make them, but it's not the same. I think we should not try to make American ham-burgers, and Americans should not try to make real German food--it loses something," he replied, then wiped his hands and snapped a few more photos for his buddies back home.

Route 12 meandering northwest out of Keene somewhat parallels I-91 to the west, but if stopping for fall foliage photos or winter landscapes is a must, and time is not an issue, stick to the byways.

We detoured briefly into the idyllic village of Walpole, home to the well-known L.A. Burdick, makers of fine chocolates. The simple exterior of the historic building--decorated, by coincidence, with the German and Bavarian flags--belied the decadent treats within. The lavish displays and packaging evoked Fifth Avenue, but the friendly and helpful staff were pure New England.

From Walpole, we headed to The Vermont Country Store to show our guest a real old-fashioned general mercantile, one still run by the son and grandsons of the founder.

Retro toys, linens, garden tools, old-fashioned perfume brands, long johns, flannel nightgowns, homeopathic medicine, samples at the cheese counter, a large pickle barrel... The Vermont Country Store has everything--even a real candy department with tiny scoops and little paper bags.

"We have similar products in Germany," my friend said as he picked up a few unusual gifts for people back home, "but things are not presented for sale with the love that you see here." With night falling, we headed back to Keene to the Elm City Brewing Co., there to toast Yankee pride and country car trips with a pint of German-inspired brew.