New England - Day 6 Vermont

Another gorgeous day in New England greets us when the sun rises.  Our first stop today is Sugarbush Farms, a maple syrup producer and so that is where the GPS is set to lead us.  Oops - road construction takes us to a different route and also to an unexpected treat - the Queechee Gorge area and Village.  We arrive at the Gorge, find a spot to park and the first thing we see is a sign listing all of the great things there are to do in this area.  As I read it, I realize that I could spend a week in this area alone.  I am falling in love with Vermont mile by mile and would really love another opportunity to spend time here.  Perhaps in the future we can slip another trip up here into our schedule.






We start walking over to the Gorge and as we do, we notice a beautiful hot air balloon overhead.  We cross the highway and step onto the walkway to lean over the rail and looks into the depths below.  It is beautiful and we can hear the water roaring below us.

We stop in at the Village nearby and check out the Vermont Spirits Distillery, makers of Vermont Gold Vodka.  It is a cute little village with so many fun shops and I would love to just shop, but we are not able to take much back with us as my suitcase is so full already and we don't check luggage when we fly standby.




Back on the detour, we locate Sugarbush Farms and wander through the trees seeing the lines that they use to collect the sap to make maple syrup.  We walk down the hill to the sugar house that holds the boiler and a video explaining the whole process.  Next stop is the farmhouse/store where we are able to sample all of the syrup grades and also the wonderful Vermont cheddars that are made here.  It is all delicious (definitely an online order to here when I return home) and also another great lesson learned.

Continuing north, we are back on the bridge trail.  We are in Tunbridge and there are six bridges here, all on the National History Register.  First up is the Howe Bridge built in 1879.  These old wooden bridges are just so cool.  Mister is such a sweetie to photograph them all for me as it is not a good walk day for me and so I am stuck in the car a lot today.  That does not stop me from enjoying these bridges though.  I absolutely love them.

Second in line is the Cilley Bridge built in 1883.  I love the construction in this one as does Mister.  He inspects it closely to see just how it all fits together.

The Mill Bridge is next and was built in 1883.  There is a sign on it that proclaims, "One dollar fine for a person to drive a horse or other beast faster than a walk or drive more than one loaded team at the same time on this bridge."  I love the waterfall that you can see under the bridge.

I love watching Mister as he works.  Which bridge is he seeing now?

It is the Larkin Bridge built by Arthur C. Adams in 1902 and spanning the White River.  I love the flower baskets on each end.

Just down the road is the Moxley Bridge which was built in 1883 and also spanning the White River.  They almost look like sister bridges.

The last bridge for today is the Flint Bridge circa 1845 with an unknown builder.  The view from the window was resplendent with color and not to be missed.  Such beauty in nature never ceases to amaze me.

My research shows that there are a couple of items of interest in the area to present as options to Mister.  Ben and Jerry's is up ahead or we can take a slight detour and go to Graniteville and the Rock of Ages plant and quarry.  I don't think it is too tough of a choice for him to make and off to the quarry we go.  We stop in at the visitor center and are just in time for a tour.  We add our names to the list and board the bus for an information-packed ride up to the top of the quarry.  This place is amazing with its incredible white granite.  It is over 600 feet deep and goes even further below the surface of the water. I cannot believe how large it is -- the people on it look like little ants scurrying around.  When we finish with the quarry tour, we are able to enter the plant and see the production lines for the main product that is produced here:  headstones.















The manner in which they transport these huge and heavy pieces of rock from place to place is incredible. In addition to the tombstones, granite from this quarry has been used in buildings all over the United States.

As we leave the plant and continue our journey north, the sun is peeking through the clouds and the glow on the mountains really show the colors.  Such a nice sight to see while riding in the car.

On the road again and heading towards Waterbury.  Our last planned stop of the day is at Cold Hollow Cider Mill for some fresh cider and donuts.  The cider press is operating at the time I watch for a very long time as the juice is pressed from the apples, the trays are changed out, and new pulp is readied for pressing.  Oh -- and it tastes dang good too.

Our time in Vermont is almost over and I am so sad.  I have truly loved it here.  This is our last night in the state and tomorrow morning we will head into New Hampshire.  As we start our travels east, we go through Montpelier as the sun is setting and the rotunda on the Capitol Building is so pretty that we stop to check it out.  Colors, colors, everywhere.







Our place of rest for the night is the Lyndon Motor Lodge and after a quick check-in, we go in search of some dinner before calling it a day.  The Valley View Restaurant is the lucky winner and we are soon satiated and ready for sleep.  Night.

New England - Day 5 - Vermont

Mister is up first and in the shower when I open my eyes and decide to look outside.  Oh my!  What a view.  The clouds are low, but the colors are so intense.  It is sad that the camera loses that.  Additionally, my turkeys are back and so I get Mister's camera out and try to take a decent picture - oh my, I do need lessons on this thing.

When Mister goes out to warm up the car, he finds it covered in leaves  We have timed this trip perfectly - a week from now and we might not have been so lucky to see the colors we are seeing.

On the agenda today:  Bridges!  I have always loved covered bridges.  To me they exude romance and I have always wanted to experience their mystique firsthand.  We will be traveling the length of Vermont and are looking for interesting stops along the way to Ascutney, our stop for the night.  Here we go.

I have mapped out the bridges prior to leaving so we start out towards the Creamery Bridge.  Isn't it great!  This one is not far off the highway and we are not alone on the bridge trail as there are a few other "peepers" stopping for pictures.  Built in 1879, (the covered sidewalk was added in 1920) the Creamery bridge is the only covered bridge in Brattleboro to have survived.  What a treasure.

The exit sign on the interstate says that there is a Visitors' Center in Putney, only to discover that it is closed. But there is a shop next to it that says "Green Mountain Spinnery" and since I have never been in a spinnery I want to check it out.  I cross my fingers that it is not just a yarn store and in we go.  WOW -- we hit the jackpot.  It smells like wet sheep. The woman who greets us sees our interest and takes us into the back to show us the old equipment, from the soaking vats for the fleece, the carding machines, and the spinners. We are lucky enough to get to wander, ask questions, and take pictures. What a gem and I will be ordering some yarn from them when I get home.  I want brown, poppy, pumpkin, and lichen as my colors to work on a throw for the living room.  Now for a knitting class.

A resource that I use when planning domestic trips is the book "1,000 Places To See Before You Die" and it lists Walpole, NH in the Monadnock Region as one so we cross over the river into New Hampshire to check it out.  It is a quaint little colonial town with a picturesque little church and a delectable cafe and chocolate shop.  L.A. Burdicks chocolates are absolutely beautiful and yummy.  We purchase some Dark Hot Chocolate to go and oh my goodness when they said "dark chocolate" they were not kidding.

Even with the great timing we have had for color, most of the maple trees are empty and so we have missed many of the reds.  We do spot the maple syrup farms along the way with their tubes running from tree to tree and a sugar shack always nearby.

The Hall (a/k/a Barber Park, Osgood) bridge is next.  It was built circa 1870 by an unknown builder and destroyed in 1980 by an overloaded truck.  This is an authentic replacement built in 1982 by  Milton Graton, who insisted on the strictest authenticity, right down to the team of oxen used to haul it into place.

We continue on towards Rockingham and make several stops along the way for memory making.  I snap a picture of Mister taking a picture.  What do you suppose he sees that is so cool?





Ah - he is right --- Beautiful!

Since we are in Rockingham, I pull out the AAA book for the area and find Rockingham Meetinghouse listed.  Off we go to hunt it down.  It does not disappoint!  How very cool.  Built in the late 1700's, it has so much history inside -- if only those walls could talk.  The pew boxes, raised pulpit, and second level all all so fascinating and we spend quite a bit of time here.  Even the windows have original glass in them.  Great find.

 The view from the meetinghouse.  Oh my.

The next bridge is the Baltimore and even though it is not in its original location and is closed to motor traffic, it is still special.  It sits next to the oldest schoolhouse in Vermont.

We are just enthralled with the colors we are being allowed to enjoy along our drive.  I don't care if being a "peeper" puts me in the "old" category as I am loving every minute of it.

After a quick stop in Ascutney to check into the Yankee Village Motel (yep a highway motor inn -- Mister had decided to vary our stays at all types of places along this journey) and drop our bags, we continue on up towards Windsor.  Ah yes, the Cornish-Windsor bridge.  Perhaps one of the most famous of the covered bridges as it is 204 feet long and a single span that still carries traffic.  It crosses the Connecticut River and connects Cornish, New Hampshire with Windsor, Vermont.  Mister snaps me peeking out of one of the windows as I dodge traffic.  This is a busy bridge.  Is it not just way fun?

Windsor is "The Birthplace of Vermont" and where the state constitution was adopted in 1877.  The assembly met here until Montpelier became the capital and the place is rife with history.  I have located another gem in the AAA book and want to take Mister there as I am positive he will love it. I give directions to him and off we go.  It is the American Precision Museum and I am not prepared for how much I will love the place also.  This has to be one of the most fascinating places I have ever been.  I have a brother-in-law who is a machinist and I may chew him out for not exposing me to this previously.  The museum is housed in the old Robbins and Lawrence Armory where they first started mass producing parts for guns.  The gentleman that was demonstrating the various tools to a small group of men noticed that I was there and since I was the only female paying attention, he started talking to me.



He made an item and gave it to me causing the other men to request one for their wives as well.  He took me from machine to machine teaching me all about them and giving me little treats to take home.  He explained that during the war, this place was almost completely operated by female employees.  My attention never wavered and this was such an educational stop for me.  I think Mister liked it as well.

















Another cemetery catches my attention so we stop and walk around for a few minutes.

The leaves are falling from the trees like rain and I feel like I am in a movie of sorts.  It is almost magical.




Our final stop in Windsor is the Harpoon Brewery.  Couldn't really come up here and not stop in now could we?  Well, at least Mister couldn't.  It is a beautiful building complete with a sitting area outside that has a fireplace going and lounge chairs.  It looks like Summer around a pool only not.  Inside, we visit with some locals and love the way they talk about Vermont.  The mentality is similar to the one in Texas.  Don't mess too much with us -- we pretty much like to do things our own way.  We like the solution that Harpoon has come up with to fill growlers and want to share this with other places in Dallas when we return.  It is a nice time, but they close at 3 (I know, I know --- how odd is that?) and so after we finish our lovely cheese board we go back towards Ascutney armed with ideas for dinner tonight that have been provided by the wonderful people we have met.

We turn east and off we go across the bridge (yep the Cornish-Windsor) into New Hampshire and South to Claremont and the Common Man Restaurant for dinner and to relax.  We have a nice time, good food, fun conversation and soon are ready to head back to Ascutney and our room.  Another amazing day.