Another beautiful ride through the Green Mountains with a stop at the Texas Falls and the Stephan A Douglas birthplace.  Unfortunately, the Douglas house (shared with the Chamber of Commerce) was closed.  Would have liked to know more about his beginnings.  Had stopped at some of the Lincoln/Douglas debate sites when I took a trip down the Mississippi River area a few years ago.

Missed this national park on the way up Hwy 100 so wandered back across the state to the Marsh Billings Rockefeller Historical Park. The house has a wonderful history of attracting inhabitants who dedicated their lives to conserving our resources. The New England forests were decimated by the logging industry in the mid-1800s.  George Marsh was the first to recognize that razing the forests of trees and allowing unlimited sheep grazing destroyed the earth’s ability to control water runoff, thereby increasing flooding and silting up the rivers which destroyed the fish.  His book, Man & Nature explained that dominion didn’t mean destruction.  The next owner, Frederick Billings saw the devastation and set about planting trees and developed the first forest management program, which was continued after his death by his wife and their daughters.  His granddaughter, Mary French, married Laurence Rockefeller and they continued the tradition and eventually donated the land to the National Parks.  The forest management educational program continues and Vermont runs the working Billings Farm.The Rockefeller family has a long history of recognizing the value of setting aside land for conservation and park donations, among them Acadia, The Grand Tetons, Yosemite, Great Smokies and others.

Several towns in Vermont are holding celebrations to mark their recovery from Hurricane Irene which hit two years ago.  The flooding from the unrelenting rain was devastating to many of these mountain villages and many are still in the midst of rebuilding. Also couldn’t help noticing all the apple trees growing wild along the mountain roads.  Orchards were a big part of the early farms.  Heard hard cider was also part of the mix.  Got a little tricky during Prohibition. Also noticed a surprise occupant in one of the pastures.

A lovely couple at the church service I attended invited me to spend the night in Bennington.  Gave me the chance to explore more of sights in this pretty town whose streets are decorated with the catamount, a local mountain lion-type creature that was hunted and eventually killed off.  Began by going to the museum to get a bit of history about Vermont.  It was NOT one of the original 13 Colonies – was actually a part of New York.  Its constitution outlawed slavery in 1777, even before it became a state in 1791. Also saw the Grandma Moses exhibit that was there along with an interview with Grandma by Edward R Morrow - like wandering back in a time capsule as I had just seen Good Night & Good Luck on a movie channel the other night. 

The Battle of Bennington (actually fought in New York) was also the scene of a stand-off of General Burgoyne’s grab for the town ammunition (remember him from Concord).  Coming to the town’s rescue were Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys.  There’s a 300’ obelisk tower (with an elevator) commemorating this battle and honoring all veterans.  The elevator was installed after WWII to accommodate the many disabled veterans who returned home. Also had a chance for a short visit to one of the top 10 Garlic Festivals in the country being held that weekend.  Had no idea garlic could be used so many ways.

From there I moved on down to

 Williamstown, MA and visited The

 Clark Museum.  They’re in the midst of building and renovation but nevertheless, extensive and beautiful collections of Old Masters, Impressionists and others.  Their special exhibits at this time were Winslow Homer and George Inness.  Since I’ve been traveling New England, these were especially appealing to me plus a darn fancy piano fashioned for the head of the New York Symphony.

Wandered over to Susan B. Anthony’s birthplace in Adams to hear a very enthusiastic guide tell her story.  Susan was the product of a mixed marriage – Quaker and Baptist.  Surprisingly to me, her independent-thinking Baptist mom was a big influence on her.  She’d dress in her Quaker drabs, walk over to her family’s home and don her red satin to attend the Baptist church.  She threw a fit when her husband sold the business and made arrangements to move the family without consulting her.  Susan always wore a red shawl in her honor.  That family experience led Susan to become a leader in the Temperance, Anti-Slavery and Women’s Suffrage movements.  

Hopped onto the Mowhawk Trail (which I hear will be bumper to bumper in a few weeks during the fall foliage season)  Am seeing just a hint of color now.  Looked down at Gaby and it looked like there was another road right alongside of me.  Turns out it was the extension of the hairpin turn I was about to take. At one time there was a store at the bend but after multiple trucks crashed into it, it was moved to a less dangerous site.  

Stopped at a turn-off to get a better look at the Deerfield River and met another traveling kin. She was raised in Maine, had a home in Alaska and was also traveling the country.  She had moved to Alaska so her twins could go to college tuition free. Now all 6 children are fledged so she’s wandering the world.  Has had lots of house-sitting experiences in Europe and Australia. 

Stopped to admire the
 “Hail to the Sunrise” Monument with arms raised to the East, honoring the Mohawk Indians. There’s also a beautiful stone circular wall and flagstone walkway with tribal names and memorials etched. A flyer advertised an annual gathering that’s held on the second Sunday in Sept.

                                                             Next was Shelburne Falls to see the Bridge of Flowers. Two local women got the ball rolling to make this former trolley track across the Deerfield River (when the mills closed & fell into disrepair) into something beautiful and they certainly succeeded. It’s a floral pathway of brilliant color now maintained by a women’s club and lots of community volunteers.  Especially showy were the dahlias.  The town is also famous for its glacial pots - deep rounded impressions in huge striated boulders below a waterfall.

Made the turn south toward Amherst to meet my hosts in Hadley.  Couldn’t bypass Deerfield where I was almost aroma-ed to death at the Yankee Candle Village.  Thirteen display rooms that even included Halloween pasta.  Then took a brief walk thru Historic Deerfield to admire the restored homes by the local preservation group. It was the beginning of school at the Deerfield Academy so lots of good-bye hugs being exchanged between parents and their kids. 

From the White Mountains of NH to the Green Mountains of Vermont.  There are large National Forests in both states and also a scattering of beautiful State Parks.  I had to choose which I wanted to visit as my National Park pass doesn’t cover the state entry fee so park sampling would have really run up the tab.  Most are destination sites for camping and hiking - for longer vacations or a weekend  trip.  Although recreation activities are available for all seasons, couldn’t help noticing that Vermont mountain areas seemed to advertise more winter skiing while NH focused more on summer activities.  In fact, Middlebury College has their own Snow Bowl ski area as well as a mountain top campus.  

Someone told me the NE interstates have outstanding views and I’m sure they’re right but am also sure you won’t be able to get these shots whizzing along at 60-70 MPH.

My kind hosts divide their time between PA and a lovely wooded, black-eyed Susan infused summer retreat in Guilford, VT.  Brattlesboro’s a very active and eclectic community.  I spent much of an afternoon watching dance classes at an ABENE African Dance and Drum Festival. Incredible energy put into the moves by the 25 or so participants. 

Was exhausted just watching.  Also dropped in at the local art museum where they were exhibiting Red Groom creations. The very clever and comical constructions included a circus elephant and a NYC bus you could board, complete with very strange passengers. Joined my hosts for the movie Northern Borders, directed by a professor at Marlboro College.  The project made use of the help and talents of students from a variety of New England colleges.  The director was there for the introduction and when the sound system failed, we were treated to extended opening remarks that included stories about the production and his experiences growing up in northern Vermont.

Some practical joker told me about alternate ride over to Hwy 100, the scenic ride through the Green Mountains, but he neglected to tell me it was a rutted, gravel road.  Lovely scenery through the hilly woods but took a while to navigate onto a paved road

Spent a day in Montpelier and wandered around the downtown area and capital building.  Sadly, the museum next door was closed and wouldn’t reopen until 11:00 the following day so missed out on getting the VT story.  Noted the wall portraits of the past governors and all were dressed in suits except for Howard Dean. He’s seated on a rock beside a lake wearing jeans, shirt & hiking boots. 

Back on Route 100 and the mountains through the Appalachian Gap. Stopped to take in the beautiful views of the lakes and valleys.

Couldn’t leave VT without a stop at Ben & Jerry’s.  Had a terrific

tour guide who impressed upon us the quality of the ingredients, including the monkeys in Chunky Monkey.  The two good friends had no idea what they were going to do when they graduated – pizza equipment was too expensive so they took a $5.00 online ice cream making class and split the tuition.  Opened up in a renovated gas station in Burlington VT because there was a college and no ice cream shop.  Very well known for their social justice, environmental and fair trade activism.  Their latest project is “Get the Dough Out of Politics.(getthedoughout.org)

Took a ride over the northern edge of Vermont to the Lake Champlain area along the Canadian border.  Took a breather at the Missisquoi Wildlife Refuge and found a spot to sit along the river.  Met a former ranger who had been kayaking through the channels.  She’s from the Hudson Valley area and spends weekends finding a place to “put in”.  Has a map with pins in it, marking all the places she’d been.

Unfortunately, the weather for my drive along Lake Champlain was a bit drizzly but nevertheless a lovely rambling of ins and outs along the shoreline.  This is where “Vert Mont” (Green Mountains) began with the explorations of Samuel de Champlain.  Will be heading this way again when I cover northern New York so am hopeful the weather will be better then

Landed in college-town Burlington – home to UVM (there’s that Vert Mont), Champlain, St. Michaels, Burlington and probably others. Has a lovely waterfront park that’s home to the ECHO Lake Aquarium.  Watched a “feed the eel” demonstration and wandered around the exhibits.  My host and her husband had hopped in a camper and did a year of volunteer work and traveling – 7 months in New Orleans after Katrina before coming to Burlington.

Some people (like Electra’s mother) collect art, maybe frogs or plates.  Electra Webb collected big things – a covered bridge,  lighthouse, 200’ river paddle-boat, among other things.  Her mother, Louisianne Vanderbilt Havemeyer, began a close friendship with Mary Cassatt when she visited France as a young woman.  Mary introduced her to the Impressionists when they were considered out of favor and Louisianne eventually bought thousands of artwork.  Her daughter, Electra, inherited her collection “bug” and began her own amassment of close to 50 exhibits and buildings which are displayed at the Shelburne Museum near Burlington. 

I went to the Wyeth exhibit and then took a tour of the boat, the Ticonderoga.  The 900 ton ship was brought from the lake via railroad tracks (sorta like the Cape Hetaeras Lighthouse).  It’s been completely restored to its former grandeur as the passenger liner.  Our tour guide took us for a thorough tour from the fancy deck to the engine room.  Learned it was the pilot who drove it, with instructions from the captain.  

Also visited the Memorial building Electra’s children built to house the reproduction of 6 rooms

of her 18 room Park Avenue New York apartment.  The shell of the house is that of a Vermont house Electra had admired but the rooms are furnished with the original furniture and most impressively, the paintings.  She donated 2000 to the museum in NY and the paintings in the house are some of those her children kept.  A large collection of Monet, Cassatt, Degas, Renoir and others decorate the walls of this memorial.

Her playful side shows up in the 525’ circus parade housed in a horseshoe shaped building.  The scale of the figures is 1” for 1’ that ends with the big top display.  There’s also a collection of merry-go-round horses and other carousel animals

Heading back to eastern Vermont to see the long National Park honoring conservationists Marsh, Billings & Rockefeller.  

Campobello is technically in Canada so you have to cross the border (ID required), but it’s designated an International Park - apparently that translates to no fee charged.  Arrived in time for the 1^st house tour and also the morning Tea with Eleanor program.  FDR and family spent many summers here but only 1 night in the house after he was elected president.  The secret service insisted he spend the 2 other nights on a Navy ship parked out in the bay.  Also, it’s believed he picked up the polio virus while visiting a nearby Boy Scout Jamboree.

Tea with Eleanor is limited to 24 and includes tea and cookies with an hour talk about this amazing lady.  Very shy, and would have been content to support FDR and raise their four children.  She’s also a great example in facing your fears – had to overcome her shyness and become FDR’s eyes and ears (he trusted her to give him the true facts) and overcame a terrible fear of water because of his love of sailing and the children’s involvement with water sports.  Face down a fear each day, was her mantra. She also held press conferences with one condition, the reporters attending had to be women.  Sent the editors scrambling to hire women reporters in that male dominated business. 

Back across the state to begin a huge U turn that took me for a ride up the Kennebec River, through the mountain area, a brief swing through part of Quebec (ID required) and back down into more mountains in Maine.  The US border guard seemed a bit put off when I

explained the reason for my crossings, especially when I said I didn’t know where I was going to stay. It’s a beautiful drive and found out Maine is second only to MN in the number of lakes with lots of beautiful pine islands scattered in them. It’s also the land of moose crossing signs.  Even had a couple with flashing lights which were activated by approaching cars.  Didn’t see any of the big guys tho.

On the way up, I stopped off to see the marker where Col. Benedict Arnold (when he was playing for our team) crossed the Kennebec with the intent of taking Quebec City.  Didn’t work out as planned but it did clear the way for the defeat of the British at Saratoga.

Next is New Hampshire where Patience was awarded her I Climbed Mt. Washington bumper sticker.  She’d climbed 12,000’ in the Rockies so wasn’t too nervous although there were plenty of warning signs that asked “Do you REALLY want to do this?”  The road lacked guard rails and in some

places, chunks of the pavement edge had fallen away so meeting cars could be a bit daunting.  One poor soul had straddled a side gully (luckily it was the interior lane and not off the outside edge). The weather was 80 and sunny when we started up but by the time we reached the top, it was a bit cloudy, windy and 50. The record wind speed for this 6200’ mound was 231 MPH set back in 1934. Too foggy for pictures of the Presidential range but got one of Washington from the ground.

Took a ride up the Crawford Notch Road to Bretton Woods where over 700 representatives from all 44 Allied nations met at the hotel in July, 1944 to hammer out the international monetary regulations and world financial order (IMF, GATT, etc.) Didn’t see anything marking the occasion but there was a large Appalachian Hikers Club compound for those who are tackling the trail.

From there it was over to the Flume Gorge and a 2 mile hike.  It’s a beautiful walk through a valley of fractured granite walls.  The mile thick Ice Age glacier had left behind some debris (huge boulders) and the Flume Brook. Stunning walk thru the crevice.

Stopped at a Shaker Village in Canterbury where a guide taught our group to sing and dance to the Shaker tune, Simple Gifts.  Then took a tour with a volunteer who had grown up in the village as his father was the administrator.  Said it was like having lots of Aunties. 

Another beautiful ride on the Kancamegus Highway where I met a family at an overlook who said not to miss Lost River Gorge.  The young boy was especially enthusiastic and I could see why.  There were eleven caves to crawl thru (and I do mean crawl).  One had an 18” wide gate to wiggle thru and if you couldn’t do it, don’t bother.

Couldn’t decide which side of the CT River to drive along so decided to do both.  Back and forth, across bridges I criss-crossed the NH/VT state lines along the CT river. Saw some interesting interesting buildings, a waterfall/dam in mid-town Bradbury VT and crossed a covered bridge.  The structures provided protection for the wooden bridges from the weather, especially the New England winters. 

Stopped off at NH’s only national park, the home of Augustus St. Gaudins, the most famous sculptor of the time The beautiful grounds in Cornish was the site of his home, studio and an art school where students came to study. One of his more famous works is the Shaw Memorial in Boston honoring the Massachusetts 54th Regiment of African American Volunteers