Three Hikes & Some Church Music
Today we ventured to Brattleboro to explore a small town we just passed through on our last trip to Vermont. A hike and a museum were on tap, but instead of the beers we enjoyed in Arizona earlier this year, tonight we’ll visit a renovated Victorian Gothic church for some real Church Music!
To start at the beginning of this series, visit A New England Autumn.
Woodford State Park
Our hike in this beautiful park was not on the day we ventured to Brattleboro, but I’m adding it because of the hiking theme. Woodford State Park is actually west of Crafts Inn off Hwy. 9 rather than east to Brattleboro, but this is a great testament to the central location of Wilmington. A fourteen-minute drive offers great rewards!
Woodford State Park is full-service with camping, four small cabins for rent, several hiking trails (including a 2.7 mile trail around the lake), and a small beach for swimming. Boats are available to rent and fishing may reward you with a brook trout.
I love the serenity in the first photo below. In an effort to not disturb one single leaf with our clunky boots, we’ll leave that path (or road?) for next time.
“At 2400 feet, this 398-acre park has the highest elevation campground of any park in Vermont. Woodford is located on a mountain plateau surrounding Adams Reservoir. The high elevation spruce/fir/birch forest provides an ideal setting for the park. Woodford borders the George Aiken Wilderness Area, which is in the Green Mountain National Forest. There are several lakes and ponds in the surrounding area.” ~ READ MORE
Reservoir Loop Trail
We ended up on a section of the Reservoir Loop Trail, which was a wonderful find. It was not too strenuous for us senior citizens (lol), but long enough to enjoy the fall colors and the fresh smell of the trees. Nothing invigorates the soul like a walk in the woods… in the fall… in Vermont.
A Couple Stops en route to Brattleboro
Since we were going right by, the maple ice cream (and view) at Hogback Mountain were calling our names again. One more stop surely won’t make us late for anything. Remember, it’s the journey!
Brattleboro Museum & Art Center
Our next stop was Brattleboro Museum & Art Center. Several very cool, and one very strange exhibit kept us occupied for quite some time. The quote below will explain the construction going on in the third photo.
“The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) was founded in 1972 by two groups of Brattleboro citizens committed to saving their town’s historic train station from the wrecking ball. One group sought to transform the former Union Station into a museum of local history, the other into a center for art classes and exhibitions. At the request of the Town of Brattleboro selectboard, the two groups agreed to work together, and BMAC was born.” ~ READ MORE
Next up was supposed to be Whetstone Station on the bank of Connecticut River, seen below from the back window of the Art Center. We were set to request outdoor seating, “for a gorgeous view while we eat and/or sip”. Turns out it’s permanently closed.
Madame Sherri Forest – Anne Stokes Loop
Just over the New Hampshire border was a fascinating find. Although I had never heard of Madame Sherri, her story is bittersweet. There is lots more info about her and the photos just below were taken from the Chesterfield New Hampshire Historical Society.
The third photo was “Taken shortly after Ann Stokes purchased the property. Note the two stone pillars were the location of an interior tree and the chimney is still standing. Comparison is Paul Penning’s 1949 photo of the house.”
“The Madame Sherri Forest is named after a former owner, Madame Antoinette Sherri, a Paris-born theatrical costume designer who worked in New York City during the early 1900s. She and her husband built a French-inspired chateau summer house in Chesterfield that featured extensive stonework including a roman arch stairway, ornate interior, and designed landscape gardens. There they lavishly entertained their New York City friends at parties during the Roaring 1920s.
“Madame Sherri became famous – or infamous – for her wild parties. Her chauffeur-driven Packard, her fur coat, and her fast crowd of friends made the townsfolk talk whenever she appeared. However, in time Madame Sherri’s fortunes declined, and her castle fell to ruin and vandalism. After a long separation, she returned to the house in 1959 to find the interior badly vandalized.
She left, heartbroken, never to return again. The house burned down completely in 1963. Today, ancient sugar maples surround a stone foundation and stairway, a large empty fireplace tapers to a freestanding chimney. This is all that remains of the former summer home of Madame Sherri who died in Brattleboro on October 21, 1965.” ~ READ MORE
Beyond the Rubble – a Lovely Reflective Pond
From the ruins of the castle, I headed out on Anne Stokes Loop Trail. Indian Pond was to be a half-mile out, and although this beautiful pond was right beside me right now, I didn’t think I had gone far enough.
I quit walking after a bit and decided not to worry too much about a name and to just revel in the beauty of what was before me. I couldn’t be more happy with the reflections of the gorgeous trees that were floating in the water as I stood in the shadows of the forest.
About the Anne Stokes Acquisition
“Anne Stokes, who loved this property and its theatrical legacy, purchased it shortly after Madame Sherri passed away in 1965. Over the next several years, she hosted several concerts and parties, using the foundation and stairway as a stage for elaborate sound and lighting displays.
She decided to permanently protect the land in 1976, when she donated a conservation easement on 488 acres to the Forest Society. Anne Stokes generously donated the full fee ownership of Madame Sherri Forest to the Society for the Protection of NH Forests in February of 1991. Simultaneously, the Forest Society transferred the original conservation easement to the Nature Conservancy. In 2005 Anne donated an additional 25.5 acres that contains the remnants of the castle, the parking lot, and the primary trailhead to the Forest Society.
Through the generosity of Anne Stokes, the unique community of plants and animals that live at the Madame Sherri Forest will be protected forever, along with the setting for the theatrical legacy and rich colorful history of Madame Sherri.” ~ READ MORE
Stone Church Music, Brattleboro
We arrived with plenty of time to enjoy some dinner and a cocktail before the concert at the Stone Church. Apparently I had old info while making our plan for the evening, because when we arrived, the place was locked up. We talked with a band member who was getting set up, and he said we could not enter until just before the show.
Their loss was our gain, since we found the Tower Bar and Lounge just down the street. Happy Hour drinks and empanadas made for a great time chatting with the bartender and a boisterous (in a good way) tenant who lived upstairs in the building.
A Beautiful Venue and Great Music
Usually playing separately, these long-time friends decided to put together a great show for this evening! Molly Parden, Louisa Stancioff, Eliza Edens, and their drummer blessed us with a relaxing and enjoyable evening. Their camaraderie and friendships made them very comfortable with each other and they had some funny stories to tell! Because we weren’t sure how busy it was going to be and we wanted a seat, we paid for seats in the church choir balcony, but ended up downstairs at a table with a nice crowd. The Tower Bar and Stone Church gave us a great introduction to the funky nature of Brattleboro. We’ll be back!
Ward’s Beach and Boat Launch
On an earlier visit to this area, we were unable to find Ward’s Beach and I didn’t want to leave the area again without checking it out. Since we were heading to New Hampshire in the morning, I had to be packed up as much as possible to avoid dirty looks as I headed out the door. I’m sure glad I decided to spend a few hours here on our last day in Vermont. I only wish Jim would have come along too.
As I ventured to the right, I took several pictures of the water and a small beach on the other side, the beautiful colors and a few of the rocks along the beach. When I headed back, I noticed a sign “Clothing Required Beyond this Point”. I was curious enough to google the beach to see what was up. Sure enough, if you look real close at the second photo, there may be a nudist standing right out there! Thank goodness my zoom lens wasn’t powerful enough to get a clear shot! And thank goodness I was fully clothed when I returned from the “clothing optional” section! Oh, the things you see on vacation!
Last Dinner in Wilmington
On our last night here, we returned to an old favorite. Anchor Seafood was pretty packed and we didn’t think to call for a reservation. Luckily if we promised not to lolly-gag, they could squeeze us in. It worked out well, since we were heading out in the morning and we really didn’t need that extra drink or dessert!
Next up: Definitely Not the Fastest Route!
Happy trails,
Barb
