Category: New England

  • The Hundred Mile View

    The Hundred Mile View

    As our stay in Wilmington winds down, we can’t leave the state without showing off some magnificent views! This post takes us on Molly Stark Byway (Route 9), which offers a glimpse at Vermont’s splendid valleys, historic villages, and the extraordinary Green Mountains.

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit Fall for New England 2021.


    Molly Stark Scenic Byway

    Also called Vermont’s Heritage Trail and Route 9, Molly Stark Scenic Byway covers the entire 48 miles of southern Vermont – from the western edge of the state in Bennington (through Wilmington) to the eastern edge in Brattleboro.

    It has had many names in its long and historic past as this area of the country began its settlement. Built in 1746 as The Great Albany Road for moving military supplies, its Western Extension was added in 1762. In the early 1800s when five highly unpopular toll gates were added, it became the Windham County Turnpike.

    Postcards from the 1920s and 30s started referring to this stretch as the Molly Stark Trail – paying homage to Vermont’s roots, but it wasn’t until 1967 that it was officially named that. And in July 2003, the State of Vermont renamed it the Molly Stark Scenic Byway, officially a Vermont Scenic Byway – and scenic it is!

    Wow, What a View!

    From the Hogback Mountain scenic overlook in Marlboro, miles and miles of undeveloped land provide the famous hundred-mile view of southern Vermont, northern Massachusetts, and southwestern New Hampshire. The clouds added a dramatic element, like they always do. I could have stayed here all day staring out into the distance. Except for the occasional car speeding by on the highway, there was total silence.

    The red building above had a wonderful array of items from Vermont – maple syrup, fudge and cheeses, t-shirts and souvenirs. Of course that fabulous red building also housed Hogback Mountain Creamee – ice cream that we just had to taste. Something you just don’t see every day in a touristy Vermont store however, was the Southern Vermont Historical Museum, located in the basement.

    The Southern Vermont Natural History Museum was founded around the Historic Luman Nelson Natural History Collection. With over 600 mounted specimens of native northeastern birds and mammals, close to 250 species are represented. This is the largest collection of its kind in Vermont. In addition to the Natural History exhibit, the Museum houses a northeastern mineralogy collection, live animal exhibits and presents educational programs on site and around the region.

    I wasn’t sure how I’d react once I heard about the “mounted specimens”, but it really was quite interesting. They were beautifully displayed in a somewhat natural environment. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures, so you’ll have to visit if that sounds interesting to you.

    A Brew with a View

    On another visit to this spot, we were just up the mountain from the scenic overlook at the Beer Naked Brewery. There we could get another look from the top of Hogback Mountain and drown our sorrows, since today it was raining, our view was through the window, and it was our last day in Vermont. Sigh.

    Bad News, Good News

    We had a wonderful time in Vermont and were sad about leaving, yet happy to be moving our home base to New Hampshire. Since we only had a 3-1/2 hour drive, we filled in our commute with two covered bridges and a fantastic late breakfast. What a surprise!

    The Creamery Bridge was built in 1879 right near the old Brattleboro Creamery to replace one that was destroyed in a flood the previous year. The covered sidewalk on one side was added in 1920 and makes this bridge quite unique in the county. It was retired to a pedestrian bridge when a more modern bridge was built in 2010 to handle emergency vehicles more safely.

    Adorned with planters of flowers, the new bridge provides a great side view of the old one. It is located in a lovely little park right off the main drag, and a nearby softball field offers lots of parking – a rare commodity near covered bridges in this area.

    Deli/Bakery Stop!

    If you’re hungry while in Brattleboro, stop by the Vermont Country Deli, which is about two blocks from the Creamery Bridge. A great selection of fabulous, beautiful and healthy food awaits! If you don’t think you’re hungry, check out their website and you’ll be booking a flight. We had breakfast sandwiches and took an Apple Tart to go, which we enjoyed later on down the road.

    About two hours north, we found the Swiftwater Bridge in the town of Bath, NH. This was one of our favorites because of its weathered look and with the water level low, we were able to explore beneath the bridge which was quite a treat. Too bad there was no alcohol or nude bathing allowed, because I would have definitely needed one to do the other!

    This is the fourth bridge to cross the Wild Ammonoosuc River at this site. The first two built in 1810 and 1818, were destroyed by floods. The third was built in 1829, and remained for twenty years when it was dismantled and replaced by the current bridge – which was rebuilt by the state in 1977. That was a lot of rebuilding, but it was so worth it! The Swiftwater Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

    The Ideal Tour

    I was just thinking back to the beginning of this post and the green obelisk by the Country Store. It had information about the Molly Stark Trail and how back in the early 1900s, the dawn of the automobile age brought about “pleasure driving”. An ambitious hotel owner came up with the Ideal Tour, and he promised early road-trippers “a first class hotel at the end of each day’s run.”

    Of course, I could be dreaming, but this present day road-tripper is thinking we are on the Ideal Tour right freaking now! Start planning yours today, and safe travels!

    Next up: Another Week of Wow!

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • Vermont Covered Bridges

    Vermont Covered Bridges

    As we continue our stay in Wilmington, we’re definitely not couch-potatoes with so much to see and so little time! This post covers some random stops and a plethora of covered bridges that we found in the vicinity.

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit Fall for New England 2021.


    Our Scavenger Hunt

    Upon checkin we spotted one of those maps that look hand-drawn. Don’t you just love those maps? Things are “kind of” to scale (not really). But they show many places of interest in the town itself, but also en route to surrounding areas. Between maps and Google, Jim can make an itinerary out of the most random destinations, and here in Vermont was no exception.

    Our first day trip took us on a windy, dirt shortcut to Scott Bridge. We drove up on the end with no nameplate, probably because most folks visit from the paved Hwy. 30 end. The dirt road was in excellent condition and it definitely shortened up our journey, so it turned out to be a wise choice.

    Scott Bridge was built in 1870 and at 277 feet, it’s the longest wooden span in Vermont. After several failed attempts to strengthen the bridge during its long life, it was closed to vehicle traffic. We walked through the bridge and over the West River for another vantage point and a sign with more information.

    Weathered is Good

    We found this no-name bridge on Island Lane near Jamaica. This well-used bridge quickly became our favorite because of its weathered appearance and the wide-openness of it. We had to move for several cars arriving back to the homesites that were tucked back into the woods. We have no information on this one, but it was a great spot for some nice pictures. Since Jim was wearing sturdier shoes, he braved the banks of the creek to gain better positioning for the last photo.

    Off Season, Shorter Hours

    We took a drive through Mount Snow Ski Resort to check it out, grab a beer at the Snow Republic Brewery and visit the Dover Historical Society & The Harris House Museum. Shorter off-season hours hosed us today, so we set our sites on another trip back in the next few days for that beer and museum. We took a picture of the Grand Summit Resort (because it was awesome) and had some Brick Oven pizza and a sweet tea at Pizzeria La Toscanella in West Dover instead. The drawing above our table shows the ski runs at Mount Snow, with the Grand Summit front and center.

    Red, Red Everywhere

    I made the mistake of being slightly disappointed that both of the bridges we saw yesterday had that weathered look. When we flipped that map over to the Bennington side, the bridges were much easier to spot given their bright red color. As it turned out, all of the covered bridges we saw that day were red, which meant a lot of repetition. I was finding myself longing for a different color for heaven’s sake, but it was still fun finding them and playing the tourist. And they were at least slightly different from each other – well most of them were.

    We started the day off at the West Arlington Covered Bridge – one of the most photographed and painted bridges in the area. Constructed in 1852, it spans the Batten Kill River. Driving through the bridge, the view opens up to a church, a one room schoolhouse, several fabulous homes and a sprawling farm in the beautiful valley. It was a lovely little settlement with lots of photo opps.

    Had I known then what I know now, I would have photographed at least one of those fabulous homes, since Norman Rockwell lived in Arlington from 1939 to 1953 in this very valley! Rockwell’s Retreat is available for intimate romantic getaways or whole-inn family rentals. (7 suites total). I think a re-visit is in order!

    Slow Down!

    Chiselville Covered Bridge spans the Roaring Branch River and threatens a one dollar fine for driving faster than a walk on its bridge, but there was no enforcement. Too bad, because they could make some serious cash! We had to be very careful exploring this bridge and soon thought better of trying to get any inside shots.

    All Aboard!

    As we drove by North Bennington Station I just had to stop! Who could pass by this charming railroad station without a closer look? Not me – especially with that stout little man out front worried about getting to work on time!

    This station was built in 1880 by Trenor W. Park, who amassed his fortune in San Francisco. When he returned to Vermont, he started building “one of the truly grand Victorian mansions of New England“. Once he founded a bank and provided railroad connections to Boston, Maine and New York City, his negotiating skills with the state legislature helped establish North Bennington as a separate municipality. Even though this station was “more pretentious than one might expect for a village the size of North Bennington”, he needed a pretty snazzy station to keep up his snazzy reputation.

    The station became dilapidated after passenger service was discontinued in the 1950s, but the citizens of North Bennington rescued it from demolition. The station was restored and now is the location of the town offices.

    Henry x2

    The original Henry Bridge was built over the Walloomsac River in 1840 and was supported by Town lattice trusses – a great technological advance at the time over other designs. As a testimony to its strength, wagonloads of iron ore were transported over the bridge from the Burden Iron Company mines to their washing works in North Bennington during the 1860s and 70s.

    Today’s Henry Bridge was re-built in 1989 and is a replica of Ithiel Town’s original design. I’m not sure which I like better – the Henry Bridge or the Henry House. I think both are fantastic.

    Paper Mill and Silk Road

    Two other covered bridges – the Paper Mill and the Silk Road – also cross the Walloomsac River two miles upstream and look like the same exact design as the Henry (above).

    A Little History

    This obelisk was visible from all around, so we stopped when we ended up driving right near Monument Circle in Bennington. This beautiful park paid homage to the Revolutionary War battle with a monument and a statue of Brigadier General John Stark, victor of the Battle at Bennington 1777.

    Pause and Refresh

    We finally got the beers we’ve been looking forward to for days, along with fried brussels sprouts at Madison Brewing Company in Bennington. There was outside seating upstairs, but with the looks of the sky we decided against it. Great beers, great snacks, and another great day in Vermont. Cheers!

     

    Next up: The Hundred Mile View

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • Historic Wilmington

    Historic Wilmington

    This morning we finished up a few stops in New York and took the scenic route to the historic Crafts Inn in Wilmington, Vermont. By the looks of this small town, it was going to be a great week! With lots of restaurants, bars and shops and lots to see in close proximity, we’ll be keeping plenty busy.

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit Fall for New England 2021.


    On the Road Again

    After breakfast at our BB&B in Sodus, NY, we made a quick stop at Sodus Point Beach Park on our way to our next accommodations. Although we decided not to walk out on the pier, we stretched our legs for a bit and were reminded of the fabulous weather we’ve been blessed with so far on this trip.

    The Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum (third photo) was a find only with my zoom lens, since we decided not to pursue it further. We did take quite a few side trips since a Great Lake coastline – or any body of water for that matter – is oh, so tempting. We checked in just as the sun was setting.

    Beautiful Vermont Revisited

    Our first visit to Beautiful Vermont was a day trip in June of 2012 where we barely scratched the surface. Earlier this year we secured a week at Crafts Inn in Wilmington, VT thru RCI – a clearing house of sorts for owners wanting to exchange a location that their timeshare provides for one that it doesn’t.

    Crafts Inn stands on the site of Wilmington’s first hotel Childs Tavern, which burned in 1885. The land was passed down to the son – Frederick Childs, who financed the re-build. It re-opened in 1903 as more of an extended-stay resort, which was very popular for folks wanting an escape from the city for a month or so in the fresh, country air during the summer. The fabulous front porch is a perfect place to do just that!

    The Tavern was sold to the Crafts family in 1911, but it wasn’t renamed Crafts Inn until the 1950s. It was sold again in 1980, when it became an RCI timeshare. Like with any name that starts with the word historic, it may not have been the most updated accommodations of the trip, but it was very clean and cozy and close to everything. We would come back in a heartbeat.

    Memorial Hall (last photo below) was opened December of 1902 – just in time for Christmas celebrations in the town. It was built to house the town’s first theatre and serve as a memorial to the Childs family and other prominent citizens. Today the hall continues as an entertainment venue, hosting holiday events and school functions. Its interior offers exquisite moldings, a beautiful proscenium arch and portraits of war veterans on its walls. In its day, it was considered the finest building in town. A website with rental information for the hall shows several photos of its interior.

    Our first day in Wilmington was a rainy one, so we used it as a down day to get groceries, unpack and get settled in. We picked up a pamphlet about an Historic Walking Tour at checkin, which we set our sights on for the days to come.

    Historic Walking Tour

    “Founded in 1751 on land granted by Banning Wentworth – provincial governor of New Hampshire – Wilmington’s original settlement was on Lisle Hill, northeast of today’s town center. But in 1833 town leaders moved [eight buildings] into the valley, with better access to the Deerfield River and closer to the sawmill at the foot of the hill. Known as “Mill Hollow,” the new town center was on the Windham County Turnpike (today’s Route 9), which linked Brattleboro and Bennington. Commerce generated by this road attracted new business and residents.”

    Since most of the buildings have been repurposed, we were not able to visit the 25 buildings in the brochure like a typical walking tour. We used it more as a guide to the original intent of each building with tidbits of history while we visited them as shops, restaurants or bars. Crafts Inn and Memorial Hall are two significant stops on the map.

    Some History behind the Buildings

    The photos above: 1) The lawn next to the Deerfield River is to the east of Crafts Inn, and where the town’s first newspaper stood (the Deerfield Times). 2) Childs Garage (now Bartleby’s Books) is located in 3) The Vermont House  which was built as an inn (and still is), restaurant and tavern, and was a stopover for the stagecoach that ran between Bennington and Brattleboro. Its porch was the judge’s stand for parade float entries and in later years the third floor was used as a dancehall, similar to other hotels around the country in the early 1900s.

    The photos below: 1) The Lyman House was built in 1836 and now houses Jezebel’s Eatery which offers craft beers and farm fresh comfort food. 2) Right next door is Norton House Quilting. The old metal sign out front reads: The Norton House circa late 1700s, one of the oldest houses left in town, was originally built on Lisle Hill in the first town of Wilmington. It was moved to its present site by ox cart in the 1830s. 3) Pickwell’s Barn has been a women’s clothing boutique since 1994, but the building was built in 1836 as the backyard barn of original owners Fred and Nellie Pickwell. 4) Wheeler Woven & Mosaic is run by a delightful woman who does fabulous work with her dog Rex in the back portion of Pickwell’s Barn. 5) Reardon’s Crossing is a beautiful footbridge over the Deerfield River where the Hoot, Toot and Whistle Trail starts. The unpaved trail provides a relaxing journey through peaceful woodlands on the west edge of town.

    A Church, Library and a Bank

    The photos below: 1) The Valley Town Church was undergoing some renovations, which doesn’t surprise me since it was built some time after 1835. Before it was built, early meetings of the Universalist Church held their meetings in members’ homes. 2) Pettee Memorial Library. Before there were public libraries, there were social libraries where residents purchased a membership to borrow from a private collection. 3) Seasonal events are held where this beautiful sun-lit flag hangs, but from 1885-1970 this park was the site of the town’s first bank, which burned in 2007.

    What a spectacular little town! When we came outside after our lunch stop on the next day, we realized it had rained while we ate and had beers. Fingers crossed that our luck continues!

    Next up: Vermont Covered Bridges

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • New England 2012 Recap

    New England 2012 Recap

    It took us way too long to visit New England, but the stars aligned and we got excellent accommodations to visit this gorgeous part of the country. This post provides an outline of where we went, what we saw, and links to posts associated with each stop.


    Our itinerary:

    Franconia Notch State Park
    Lincoln, NH (7 nights) Loon Mountain Resort. We spent the day in the White Mountains in Franconia Notch State Park. We passed a beautiful red covered bridge and walked the two-mile loop which included lots of stairs up the gorge. The falls were running pretty good so it was so worth it!

    Another Day in Paradise!
    Our stay in Lincoln continues with a wonderful and relaxing circle drive north past Franconia Notch again for fabulous roadside views and a lovely gazebo overlook. In the distance we saw the Mount Washington Hotel, which looked very impressive from a distance and we decided we’d return for a closer look. Silver Falls were right next to the road!

    Beautiful Vermont
    Our stay in Lincoln continues with a road trip to Vermont. Another circle drive took us past some antique shops, apple cider donuts, and fabulous ice cream. A small park along the road had a beautiful reservoir and a small dam, but my hopes to see a (real) moose were dashed.

    Mount Washington Hotel
    As promised, today we had an excellent tour of the most luxurious hotel of its day. Our guide gave us the back story of the hotel and how it was imagined, built and finally opened in 1902. After her husband’s death in the next year, Carolyn Stickney continued to run the hotel until her death in the early 1930s.

    Local Brew
    Today we checked out the local shopping and the area close to Lincoln. On our way to the local brewery, another beautiful waterfall was right beside the road. Like I said before, the rains may be a pain, but it’s keeping us in beautiful waterfalls.

    Mirror Lake 2
    I’m not sure was the name of this lake actually was, but it sure was beautiful!

    What About Bob?
    There are certain advantages to traveling off-season, and certain disadvantages. Castle of the Clouds didn’t open until next week. But the Loon Center in Moultonborough was open and was very interesting. We got some lunch at a bar back on the highway and headed for Lake Winnipesaukee (hence the name of the post). I can see why Bob loved that place!

    Rockland, Maine
    Rockland, ME (7 nights) Samoset Resort. After getting settled into our new digs, we went out for our first lobster dinner. The next day we checked out Rockland, took a Lobster Boat Cruise, and checked out Owl’s Head Lighthouse across the harbor.

    Bath and Pemaquid
    Our stay in Rockland continues with a short day trip to Bath to check out the town, have a lobster roll for lunch and then venture into the historic district. We ended with my favorite stop of the trip, Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol.

    The Olson House
    Another day trip took us to Cushing, ME to the Olson House – the subject of numerous works of art by Andrew Wyeth, including his 1948 painting Christina’s World. This 14-room Colonial farmhouse is almost empty and in pretty rough shape, but the story behind it is so beautiful.

    Acadia National Park
    This was way too far for a day trip without leaving way earlier in the morning or spending the night. We didn’t have nearly enough time to explore much but we took the Park Loop Road past Frenchman’s Bay, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Creek, and ended with Afternoon Tea and popovers at the Jordan Pond House. Can’t wait to return to see the other 70-percent of this beautiful place.

    Rockland and Vicinity
    On our last day in Maine, we visited the Maine Lighthouse Museum (excellent!), The Brass Compass for lobster rolls, and Montpelier, the Knox Museum. Although it’s a replica of his original mansion, Montpelier stands as a memorial to Henry Knox. Volunteers dress in Revolutionary garb and give a wonderful tour loaded with history about the man and the times.

    Another fabulous vacation is officially in the books!

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • Rockland and Vicinity

    Rockland and Vicinity

    On our last day in Maine, we dry our tears and take count of the wonderful things we saw here: the Rockland Harbor, numerous lighthouses, lots of craggy coastline, beautiful blue skies and a cute little fox are just part of what made this an excellent trip to Maine.

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit New England at Last 2012


    New Hampshire was equally as beautiful with miles and miles of beautiful foliage, waterfalls, Franconia Notch and great beer. Vermont had great antiquing, more beautiful country and, of course Ben and Jerry’s. This was an excellent trip and I would repeat it in a heartbeat, although maybe just a couple weeks later in the year to make sure a few more things were open for the season.

    As sad as we are that our trip is ending soon, it’s not over yet!! We still have one day here, and although it’s pretty rainy, we left a few inside activities for when the weather looked to turn on us again.

    We started off at the Maine Lighthouse Museum, which I wasn’t expecting to like as much as I did. I knew Jim would love it and after looking around and reading some of the stories and looking at the pretty lights, I was hooked as well. As you can see by the photo above, with all the inlets, islands and plenty of fog – a lot of lights are required to keep ships safe around the shores of Maine.

    “The mission of the Maine Lighthouse Museum is to educate the public regarding the long standing traditions, heroism and progress of America’s Lighthouse and Lifesaving services and the United States Coast Guard through the conservation and interpretation of the nation’s most significant collection of lighthouse and lifesaving artifacts. The Maine Lighthouse Museum is located in Rockland, Maine, the heart of the Midcoast. From sparkling lenses to heartwarming stories of the keepers and their families, the Maine Lighthouse Museum is truly America’s lighthouse museum.” – READ MORE

    As you can see, the lights themselves are very beautiful and the stories that are told of the dedicated men and women who would keep the lights burning, even in the worst of conditions, were nothing short of amazing.

    One that I so enjoyed was the story of Abbie Burgess. Abbie and her father tended the Matinicus Rock Lighthouse and occasionally she would take over so her father could fish for lobsters and sell them in Rockland. Together they would care for the lamps, organize supplies, and scan the Atlantic for storms. In 1856 Abbie’s mother became ill, making a trip to the mainland necessary for her father to gather food and medicine. While he was away, a fierce winter storm hit and Abbie had to summon all of her courage to care for her mother, comfort her frightened sisters and keep the flames of the lighthouse burning while her father tried in vain to get home as soon as possible. At the age of 16, she trudged on for 21 days – saving her mother and sisters – and most likely many sailors who were counting on that light to keep them away from the shore. One of many books written about Abbie is “Abbie Against the Storm: The True Story of a Young Heroine and a Lighthouse” available on Amazon.

    It’s lunchtime! Time for lobster (what else???). Yippee! The Brass Compass is advertised as “The King of Lobster Clubs – Bobby Flay Throwdown Winner”

    And I can see why they got that title! It was fabulous! Only open for breakfast and lunch though, so make sure to plan around that!

    Knox Museum

    Next stop was the Knox Museum – Montpelier. A replica of his original mansion, Montpelier stands as a living memorial to Henry Knox and invites visitors to learn about the life and times of this great Patriot. Volunteers dress in Revolutionary garb and give a wonderful tour loaded with history about this man and the times.

    “Any great past event could have gone off in any number of different directions for any number of different reasons. In history, chance plays a part again and again. Character counts over and over. Personality is often the determining factor in why things turn out the way they do. – David McCullough”

    “Knox served Washington well, first as Chief Artillery Officer in the Continental Army; then as General in the United States Army; and finally, as the first Secretary of War in President Washington’s cabinet in the newly minted United States of America. He was one of two officers – Greene was the other – who stuck by Washington’s side from day one to the bitter end of the fight for America’s freedom, eight and a half long bloody years later. Washington turned out to be a great judge of character, and Knox, a loyal friend.” – READ MORE

    Well… that about does it for Maine. We headed out the next morning for the airport and I was already wondering when we can make a return trip. Some time soon I hope. Goodbye Maine, New Hampshire and Beautiful Vermont.

    Next up: New England 2012 Recap

    Happy trails,
    Barb