Our Last Day in Vermont

We got some rain from Hannah over night, but today dawned bright and beautiful for our last day in the neighborhood. We had several chores to do today as is always the case when we are preparing to move to another location. Our next stop is in Gardnier, New York were we will be close to the train for an hour and a half ride into New York City. Our primary purpose is to visit with relatives, although we are hoping to get to Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and Ground Zero. We anticipate a very full week so we wanted to get as many of our upcoming chores done today as possible.

At times like this we choose to divide and conquer. So Gene dropped me off at the grocery while he went on to Walmart to pick up his prescription. You may recall a previous post in which I described the difficulty we had experienced with New York state law regarding prescription drugs. After that initial encounter and our doctors called in new prescriptions, we had not had a problem. That is until today. Because we are usually in a different location each month and therefore the prescription has to be transferred from a different store, Gene likes to go to the Walmart pharmacy in person rather than calling in for a refill. Yesterday, he stopped by the pharmacy on our way back from Wilmington and spoke directly to what he described as an “80 year old pharmacists and a 12 year old assistant”. Today, when he returned to pick up his prescription, he was told he couldn’t get it filled. I had been able to get my prescription refilled, I guess I’m special. The problem, it seems, is that Gene’s prescription was new (well of course, New York law requires a new prescription) so they would not transfer it to New Hampshire where our closest Walmart is to this location. Apparently, New York requires that a prescription be filled at least once at the pharmacy in which it is originally ordered before they will transfer it to another location. That even includes any other New York location. So he has two options—drive 300 miles back to Geneva to get it filled or have his doctor to phone in another prescription. Guess we will be calling the doctor.

My grocery shopping went well. I expected Gene to be a while at the Walmart, so I got myself a cup of coffee and browsed up and down all the isles which resulted in buying much more than we really needed right now. Our plan was for Gene to pick me up at the grocery and we would stop by the 99 for lunch to go.

We had seen restaurants around the northeast called simply 99. It looked like a fun place and there is one right here in Brattleboro. We went in one night last week for dinner. Our receipt, when printed, came up as a survey ticket. All we had to do was call the 800 number and answer a few questions and we would receive a free appetizer. Free is good so as soon as we got home, Gene called and answered the questions. Our plan was to stop by 99 and get our appetizer to go after grocery shopping. That would be our lunch. This plan was foiled by a minor detail which our waitress failed to mention as well as the person on the survey call—free appetizer with purchase of entree. Well, now that’s not free at all. Lucky for us we had a car load of groceries any number of which could become our lunch.

We spent most of the afternoon checking air pressure, stowing lawn furniture, making sure the dishes would ride safely, and one last trip to the vegetable stand next door for fresh tomatoes and peaches. We’re ready to head out in the morning. I hear the Big Apple calling.

Wilmington, Vermont

It is a rainy, drab day in Vermont, but we ventured out anyway. We found our way back to Wilmington. It is about 20 miles west of Brattleboro and we had driven through last weekend on our way to Bennington. On that bright, sunny day Wilmington was overrun with folks milling around, ducking into shops, or having pastry with their coffee at the bakery. Today, it was quiet around town. I guess we can call Wilmington the quintessential tourist village of Vermont. It is a quaint place with gift shops, inns, and eateries all there to serve the tourists.

Lymon House was an Inn, now the barn is a gift shop

Memorial Hall

There aren’t many ways to get to Wilmington and from Brattleboro there appears to be only one—US 9. It is a fine road and kept that way because of it’s designation as a scenic byway, or more accurately—the Molly Stark Trail. Apparently, Molly never came this way, but there are dozens of things that bear the name “Molly Stark” in her honor in Vermont as well as New Hampshire, including Route 9. Molly was the wife of General John Stark of Battle of Bennington fame during the Revolutionary War. Molly, mother of 11 children, defended the old home place while her husband was at war. Gen. Stark’s victory march from Bennington back to his home in New Hampshire is thought to have been along the path that eventually became Route 9.

Molly Stark Statue

Norton House.  It was moved here by ox cart in 1830.

Police Station and Town Hall

We did just like all tourists do. We strolled up and down the streets and ducked into a few shops, bought a few treasures, and had a cup of coffee at Dots. It was great.

Eclectic Brattleboro

For the past 10 days we have driven to, through, and around the small town of Brattleboro, Vermont. During those trips we have made several observations. Brattleboro has many faces. At first glance, the town doesn’t really strike me has having a distinct character.

Coffee at Common Loaf Bakery

It is an old town, but doesn’t retain that “vintage colonial” look. Sure, there are old buildings, but most have been renovated rather than restored. Some of the older structures were restored, remodeled, re-something or other so many years ago that they now look rundown—derelict as opposed to stately in need of paint. However, the building next door may present itself as it did a 100 years ago with the brass door handles polished to a high gloss. Among the old are the more modern from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Apparently, there were no zoning restrictions so the downtown area is a real hodge-podge of architectures.

And the people are as diverse as the town they live in. They come in every shape, color (some multicolored from the tattoo shop), and size and it almost seems like from every decade since the 50s. There does seem to be more than usual the number who favor the 60s. Based on the number of coffee shops in town, these folks like to drink coffee, probably iced with lots of raw sugar. They are metropolitan in their dining, as well. There are Indian, Thai and Chinese restaurants along side grills serving standard American and a hotdog stand on the corner. There are bagel shops and delis, but if you want a Big Mac you gotta get out of downtown. The town is not very big so there are a lot of people living very near the downtown area and they walk to the food co-op to stock up on their organic groceries. We have been in there a couple times and it is really nice with a lot of prepared foods in the deli area. As with most groceries of this type, there are a lot of bulk foods—everything from flours to nuts to candies and even oils and honey.

This morning we made what will probably be our last trip into downtown Brattleboro. We wanted another loaf of the fantastic bread from the Common Loaf Bakery. Their breads are made from spelt which they grow on their farm. We had never heard of such a thing, but were very impressed with the taste. While there we got a cup of coffee and sat outside to soak up this fine Vermont day. From our perch we could see another coffee shop and two used bookstores. What a great place. The bakery owner decided we needed to sample a just made cookie. I can’t say it came right out of the oven because it was cream-filled—2 oatmeal cookies with a maple (that’d be Vermont maple) cream filling. I wonder how many miles I’m going to have to walk to get rid of that.

We think Brattleboro is a fun town and it seems to fit perfectly with the rest of Vermont.

Bennington, Vermont

Today we drove west to the town of Bennington. One of the first city settlements in the state, Bennington sits in the southwestern corner of the state nestled amongst the Green Mountains. There are plenty of outdoor activities in the area, but we just wanted to see some of the old city.

Henry Bridge

We started out with the covered bridges. There are 5 bridges in Bennington County, as well as a Covered Bridge Museum, but we only went to the 3 closest to the historic district. Although covered bridges come in many different styles, these three were all built in the Town Lattice style. All three also span the Wallomsac River. As you look at the photos, they are going to look very similar, almost like looking at the same bridge. The Henry Bridge was named for the land owner who built his home across the street from the bridge. The Henry House is now a Bed and Breakfast.

Bennington College Dining Hall and Commons

Dorms at Bennington College

On the opposite side of highway 67 from the bridges is Bennington College. Since it was so close we decided to walk around there. We had no prior knowledge of Bennington College, but we felt like it would be an old campus because the city is old. Boy, were we wrong. However, it is beautiful and very small.

Sacred Heart Church

The Monument commemorating the Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington was next. About this time of year in 1777 the “Green Mountain Boys” of Vermont helped to defeat a superior British force. Today the towering 300 foot stone monument can be seen from all over the city. From here we walked about 4 blocks down Monument Ave admiring the old homes from the late 1700s and early 1800s. This little walk brought us to The Old First Church and it’s cemetery where Robert Frost is buried. The church, built in the early 1800s in the Georgian Federal style, cost less than $8,000 to construct.

Old First Church

We wanted to see a little bit of downtown so we found a parking place and walked around for about an hour. This part of town is very accessible to tourists. There are several public parking lots which are free as well as free parking along the streets. We enjoyed the architecture, window shopping, and sculptures along the sidewalk. Like the cows, moose, and guitars or other cities, Bennington is decorated with sculptures of everyday folks doing everyday things. Most of them are so good they almost look alive. My favorite was the couple peering through the binoculars on the lawn in front of the funeral home—looking for the promised land, I guess.

We found a coffee shop, grabbed a cup to go, and headed home having enjoyed another fine Vermont town.

Vermont

Maple syrup, covered bridges, dairy farms, cheese, fall foliage, small villages, lots and lots of snow. These can all describe Vermont. But other words come to mind, as well—laid back, environmentally friendly, rugged, outdoorsy, liberal thinking. It seems to be a place that is genuine, without pretense. The people are hard-working, some living entirely off the land. There are even a few communities of people working a farm together. A few years back we would have called that type arrangement a commune, but that doesn’t seem to be the word used today.

Vermont is colorful and I don’t just mean the fall leaves. Perhaps it is the long, harsh winters that make Vermonters want to liven things up a bit. Buildings are often painted vibrant colors and yards are landscaped with flowering shrubs, annuals, and perennials. Vermonters seem to know they have a jewel and want to preserve and share it with the outside world. Bridges, churches, historic buildings, and sometimes even entire towns like Grafton—all are preserved.

Vermont is not about high mountains or great vistas but rather it is about the people. Perhaps that is why we enjoy it so much. I’ve put up a few pictures that I hope captures a bit of the taste of Vermont. It is a special place—one that I would like to get to know a little better.

Lazy, Stay At Home Day

This day didn’t turn out exactly like we had planned. This being Friday before the holiday weekend, we were required to move to a different campsite. That was because we failed to make a reservation far enough in advance of the holiday to have a full-hookup site. We were lucky to get a site at all for this weekend, even 2 months ago. We have known all along we would have to move. That is no big deal and it was part of our plan. Then we were going to the grocery and after lunch to one of the state parks in the area to do a little hiking.

Our change of plan really got started several days ago. Gene was doing something and bent over or twisted in the wrong way to cause his back to start hurting. He has been stretching and walking and trying to be careful until it is back to normal. This morning, however, with all the bending and twisting associated with hitching up and unhitching, his back truly and earnestly went out. He was coming up the steps into the Montana with the air compressor in his hand when the spasm occurred. He immediately dropped the air compressor and stretched out on the floor to ease his back. He did literally drop the air compressor. I guess it’s a good thing he didn’t drop it on his toe or the cat. He wouldn’t have had to put more air in the rear truck tires if Mike at the Ford dealership hadn’t deflated the tires so much. Gene took the truck in for regular service yesterday afternoon which included rotating the tires. He explained to Mike that he needed 75 lb of pressure in the back tires because we haul 14,000 lb of house in the truck bed. I guess Mike didn’t think that was necessary. Anyway, Type A personality that Gene is, he always checks the tire pressure before hitching up. Thus, the whole deal with the air compressor. After we got moved to the new site he was bringing the compressor inside for recharging because the tires were so low they had depleted the compressor battery. I guess you’d say our day didn’t get off to a good start.

Gene stretched and then he walked while I finished getting things back in order after our move. I went to the grocery in order to have lunch then I stayed at home the rest of the day. I love being at home and I love just piddling around the house. While I piddled I noticed the campers around me. They are pulling in, putting fun lights on their awnings, and sitting in their lawn chairs. They are apparently happy and content to just be sitting and reading or talking to their spouse or neighbors. This is almost like my grandparents sitting on the front porch, waving to the folks who passed down the road, and talking about how well the garden is doing. How refreshing.

I enjoyed my day and I enjoyed the people around me.

Grafton, Vermont

We were in Vermont a couple years ago, but I had forgotten just how pretty it is.

A porch rooster

As is our practice when visiting a location for the first time, we pick up a hand full of brochures then try to select what we want to see and/or do. Monday, when we stopped at a Vermont Information Center to have lunch and stretch (that’s another thing about not driving on the interstate—I miss the rest areas. They are so convenient and easy to get in and out of.) we picked up a brochure for the village of Grafton. On the front, it proclaims Grafton to be “one of America’s top ten most beautiful destinations.” That proclamation is not by the Grafton Chamber of Commerce, but by USA Weekend, whoever they are. Anyway, that statement caught our eye and we put Grafton on the list of things to see.

Alexander-Davis house

It is indeed a pretty, little community. I might not go as far as to say “one of the top ten in America.” However, this is not leaf season and folks in these parts put on their best duds and spruce up when the leaves turn. Maybe it will rank as a top ten in a few more weeks. Top ten pretty or not, it was still very much worth the visit.

The old fire station is now a gift shop

The Old Tavern is still and inn

The thing that makes Grafton unique is that everything here is old. There are no new structures. Most of the buildings have been restored so it looks like it might have looked way back when. The brochure we picked up had a map of town and a brief description of several of the buildings. We found a place to park the truck (in the white church parking lot) and set out on foot. The Historical Society operates a small museum. We were the only visitors there at the time, so once again got a personal tour. This is getting to be a habit I like. Bet this won’t happen in New York City.

The Brick Church

The white church

There were two churches in town—the white church and the brick church. They were about a half a block apart. The sign in front of the brick church read “Grafton Church”. Obviously, it was Christian, but had no denominational affiliation indicated. We couldn’t get very close because they were serving lunch in the “chapel” next door and it seemed like all the town folks were there for lunch. The sign out front just said “Lunch Today” so I don’t know if it is a regularly scheduled event or if this was a special occasion. It was the place to be, apparently. At the white church, the sign read “Baptist Church”. Our brochure gave us this history. The brick church was built in 1833 for the Congregational Church and the white church was built in 1858. The Congregationalists and the Baptists combined forces in 1972 and meet in the brick church during the summer and in the white church the rest of the year. By the way, the brochure refers to these buildings as the Brick Church and the White Church.

Town Hall and Post Office

We had our picnic, of course, and on our way out of town stopped by the Grafton Village Cheese Company. We sampled the 2, 3, and 4-year olds, but decided to purchase the 4-year old. I did not like the sage flavored cheese at all.

We liked the fan over the door

Grafton is a pretty Vermont village and we enjoyed our visit.

Vermont Country Store

We went for a short drive north today to see a little bit of southern Vermont. We drove US highway 5 which parallels the Connecticut River. I guess this would be considered the foothills of the Green Mountains. It is the beautiful rolling countryside they call the Connecticut River Valley.

We found ourselves at The Vermont Country Store in Rockingham. It was a wonderful place. There was a large section of clothing—lots of warm stuff for the long, cold winters. There was a huge section of toys for the young and those who want to be young. All kinds of toys and games were in stock, modern things as well as toys and games our parents might have played. There were books, body lotions, and boots along side wood burning stoves and enamel cookware. There were fun things, too. One of Gene’s favorites was the duck tape bandages. There were candles and kitchen gadgets. There was one large room of food items—chutney, jam, pickled green beans. This was my favorite place—it was where all the samples were. I tasted cheeses, preserves, lobster bisque dip and something hotter than anything I have ever put in my mouth. And what country store worth anything doesn’t have a boat load of candy. There was everything from liquorices and the old fashioned rock candy to chocolate covered gummy bears. Just fabulous.

Also on the property was a grist mill. It was not open at the time we were there, but it is a small museum. There was also a covered bridge. Usually, bridges will have a name and there was none that I could find. It made me wonder if it was the genuine article or not. It did look old and there were numbers and letters on the ends of the beams inside which made me think it had been moved there from somewhere else and reassembled. It was neat anyway.

Sipping Green Mountain coffee on a glider

We had a great day. This is just the kind of thing we like to do.

Brattleboro, Vermont

We acquainted ourselves with the town of Brattleboro this afternoon. The walking tour consisted of a walk along the city’s Main Street from the Connecticut River to the old town green—a distance of about 8 blocks. That short tour was packed with no less than 25 historical buildings and churches.

Connecticut River

It was a walking tour that bombarded our senses. We started our walk on the Connecticut River bridge. Our perspective there was of water and trees. You could almost forget there was a town at all. Within a few yards of the bridge we crossed the railroad tracks. Up the hill a few yards past the tracks is Main Street. In an earlier age, the merchants along Main Street received their goods from suppliers by way of the river and rail.

Main Street from Connecticut River Bridge

On Main Street, we felt we were alternately in the late 1800s and the 1960s. The historical buildings had been restored at some time in the past, but long enough ago for them to again look worn out. Many buildings are no longer what they used to be. One of the most interesting was the Methodist Church which is now the Hotel Pharmacy. The church was built in 1880 in the Victorian Gothic style. The building is now occupied by the Hotel Pharmacy. There was never a hotel here, but the pharmacy, which used to be in the Brooks Hotel down the street, kept it’s name when it relocated to the church. It was in this area that many shop windows displayed clothing reminiscent of the 1960. We saw several peace signs, flowing clothing, and lots of flower stencils.

Main Street

The Old Fire Station is now McNeil’s Pub. In the photo, the cupola on top was where the fire alarm was housed. The ground floor window was the doorway and I can just imagine horses pulling a fire wagon out of there. The high school until the early 1950s is now the Municipal Building and the All Souls Unitarian Church is now simply “the Church”--a performing arts theater.

Old Fire Station

All Souls Unitarian Church

About midway along Main Street, is a small park. About 10 years ago a welcome mural was painted on the side of the building showing the historic town of Brattleboro. However, it is so weathered now that you can hardly see it.

This may not be Brattleboro’s claim to fame, but we found it just one of those things we are glad we didn’t miss. The current Post Office was built in 1916, but in 1847 Brattleboro was the site of the first gummed postage stamp issued in the US. Most of these stamps were destroyed when the federal government started printing postage.

Hotel Pharmacy

Stained Glass window inside the Hotel Pharmacy

Gene’s favorite part along our walk was the Latchis Hotel and theater. Built in 1936, the Hotel is still a hotel and the Theater is still a theater. We wanted to see the Art Deco style inside so we asked the desk clerk at the hotel if we could look around. The theater was closed, but he showed us a door to get into the theater lobby. The lights were turned off so I didn’t even try for a picture, but it was truly special, especially what appeared to be the original ticket stub thingy (I don’t know what it’s official name is). We had stepped right back into the 1930s.

The old high school is now the municipal center

There is much more of Brattleboro to be explored. We’ll see what else we can find on another day.

A Detour to Vermont

We left the Adirondacks and Lake Placid area this morning. Our next stop in New York is “the city”. However, one of the main reasons we want to go there is to visit with Gene’s nephews. Their schedules are pretty hectic so the best we could do was a couple weeks from now. When we started looking around for a campground within commuter train range of Manhattan, they were all full for the Labor Day weekend. So we find ourselves this evening on the far eastern side of Vermont in the town of Brattleboro.

We spent a month in Vermont a couple years ago, but we were up north near Montpellier. Since that time we have been wanting to see a little of southern Vermont. This is our chance. We are only a stones throw from Massachusetts and will probably get down there, as well.

I felt like we had a long hard day; Gene felt like we did okay. Now, there is a difference in perspective. You may be thinking I was sitting in the driver’s seat, but not today. We didn’t get a really early start. It was almost midnight by the time we got to bed last night after watching the Lord of the Rings movie. We couldn’t just jump out of bed to a running start. I wanted to sit in the chair and sip my coffee just one more minute. Then there was the drive. We always do a “map quest” for directions. We haven’t graduated yet to a GPS. It wouldn’t have mattered though. You just can’t get here from there. The problem is Lake Champlain. It is 12 miles across in places. There are no bridges. And there are no interstates. To get to Brattleboro from where we were in New York by interstate we would have had to go to Montreal and then taken provincial roads back to Vermont to pick up interstate or gone south somewhere in Massachusetts. Map quest put together a 168 mile route of several state and federal roads out of the Adirondack mountains south to a place we could cross Lake Champlain, over the Green Mountains, to, what I felt like it should be by the time we got here, the shores of Gilead. In reality, the roads were not that bad, certainly not as bad as some interstates we have driven on. However, when it is your house hitting the pot hole you feel every little ripple. Some of those roads were pretty narrow, some were steep in places, and curvy in the mountains. I was on the look out for every tree branch, mailbox, and welcome flag that hung out over the road. Our trip, which Map Quest promised to be a short 3 ½ hours, really lasted almost 6.

Thank you, Lord, that nothing was broken, we didn’t hit any of those cars parked on the side of the road, and we didn’t run into the back of that truck hauling a load of timber going 10 mph downhill. We arrived safely, albeit a little nerve frayed.

Tomorrow we will begin our exploration of southern Vermont.