Thanks everyone for your prayers. He's in hospice, and about as comfortable as one could expect. Thank God for good nurses. I'm back home, but expect to be making the drive again before long. *sad*
Some final notes on the trip:
Mad River Lodge - the parking lot is fine gravel and doors to the rooms are right along the drip line of the roof, so in rainy weather it's a bit messy. The exterior doors lead to a short carpeted hallway with a room on either side, so most of what you track in doesn't make it to the room. There's no carpet in the room. These things didn't bother me, but I mention them in case they might bother someone else.
Stowe Motel and Snowdrift - another place I'd go back to, my wife would probably like newer and fancier digs but it was clean and the water was hot.
@KevinF , thanks for the recommendation; I'll have to wait for the next trip to try the pizza at Plecasso.
Vermont plowing and salting - it seems to me that salting the interstates only after there's been an accident, and only just before the accident site, rather misses the point.
White River Junction - Phnom Penh Sandwich Station is excellent. The lobby of River Roost Brewery smells amazing, I don't drink any more so that's all I can tell you other than that my buddy made a special stop to pick up about ten cases.
Aberdeen and Matawan, NJ - I always stop at Livoti's Old World Market and at Bagel Time. Also, Manhattan Special Espresso Soda is the BEST; unfortunately they don't have it in 2-liters and you can't mail order the quarts, only the 12-oz bottles.
NJ E-ZPass - If you don't have a pass and go through an unmanned toll station, you cannot go to the website and pay the toll. You MUST wait until they send you a bill: a separate bill for each station, each with a thirty to fifty dollar administrative fee tacked on. My nephew says that you don't have to pay the admin fee, but they don't make that fact immediately obvious; looks like you have to fill out Section B on the back of the bill and send it in along with a check for the amount of the toll. And, of course, trying to speak with someone there is a total waste of time.
Thanks again for everyone's advice and comments!