Vermont Sightseeing

 

07/03/2018

 
     

 

 

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    HISTORIC SITES

    See www.historicsites.vermont.gov/directory  The 8 sites include both the Hubbardton Battlefield and Mount Independence.  Out of more than 85,000 places on the National Register of Historic Places only about 2,500 are NHLs.

     

    NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS

     

    There are at least 2532 NHLs in the US.  There are only 18 NHLs in Vermont.  (Brown's Bridge became the 18th in 2014)

    See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Historic_Landmarks_in_Vermont and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._National_Historic_Landmarks_by_state Calvin Coolidge Homestead in Plymouth is a "must". Mount Independence is included and Hubbardton Battlefield is excluded. Hubbardton Battlefield is however included in the National  Register of Historical Places.

    I requested that Vermont's Historic Sites Division apply to the Department of Interior in June 2013.  I learned they did not have the staff, so I started  the application process to get Hubbardton Battlefield designated a National Historic Landmark. In  2013 Vermont's  Historic Sites Division added staff, and they restarted the process.  Stay tuned. 

    MUSEUMS

    See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_Vermont  This list is extensive. "Musts" include Shelburne Museum and  scenic Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, Billings Farm in Woodstock, and Hildene in Manchester. Although the list included Mount Independence it omitted Hubbardton Battlefield, which is a "must see".

    The Slate Valley Museum in nearby Granville NY is interesting.   http://www.slatevalleymuseum.org/

    ART CENTERS

    See http://art-collecting.com/nonprofits_vt.htm

    The Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center is 1 and 1/4 hours away.  and they have a harness racing (in its 73rd year) and  its famous  "flats" track., the second oldest in the US.

    Saratoga Race Course has several nicknames: The Spa (for the nearby mineral springs), the House of Upsets, and the Graveyard of Champions. Famous race horse Man o' War suffered his only defeat in twenty-one starts while racing at Saratoga Race Course; Secretariat was defeated at Saratoga Race Course by Onion, after winning the Triple Crown; and Gallant Fox had been beaten by the 100-1 longshot Jim Dandy in the 1930 Travers Stakes.

    The Saratoga National Historic Park is a must see for history buffs interested in the battles at Saratoga as is the Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site

    The Bennigton Museum contains a terrific exhibit of primitives by Grandma Moses.  http://www.benningtonmuseum.org/

    Drive one hour north to Shelburne and visit Shelburne Museum   http://shelburnemuseum.org/  and Shelburne Farms  http://www.shelburnefarms.org/

    CONCERTS

    There are many free concerts around the state.  Go to free summer concerts:  The "Concerts On The Green" in Castleton are held on Tuesdays at 7 pm.  They are terrific with over 500 people attending each week. See dancers from  Reggie's Red Hot Feetwarmers who also play at the flats track in Saratoga Springs, NY.

    Bandstands on the Town Green: The Brandon Town Band performs on Mondays at 6:30 pm.  It is a small affair, but the trombonist is terrific.   The Orwell Town Band performs on Thursdays in July at 7:30 pm.  There are also concerts on Sundays in July at 6:30 pm in East Poultney.

    RESTAURANTS

    30 minutes:   Cafe Provence and Music Cafe in Brandon.  Fair Haven Inn in Fair Haven.   Countryman's Pleasure in Rutland.  Swift House, Fire and Ice, and Mr. Ups in Middlebury.  Wheel Inn in Benson. 

                        Fair Haven Inn                                                          Wheel Inn

    45 -55 minutes:  Have lunch at Pauline's, when in the South Burlington area. Victorian Inn in Wallingford.  Cafe Shelburne in Shelburne. 

                           Paulines                                      Victorian Inn

    The famous Dog Team Tavern is gone. It was a restaurant that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was located on Dog Team Road, off U.S. Route 7, roughly four miles north of the town of Middlebury, Vermont. The restaurant burned down in early September 2006, destroying artifacts of the Sir Wilfred Grenfell Mission and Labrador handicrafts. The building was originally a mission house that was started by Grenfell and his wife in 1931. In the 1940s the building became the Dog Team Tavern.

    The rustic restaurant was a local landmark known for its sizable portions (most notably the prime rib) and the "relish wheel," which typically contained corn relish, apple butter, horseradish cottage cheese, beets, and sauerkraut. Also, the restaurant's famous sticky buns were always served at the beginning of each meal. The restaurant was very popular among students from the nearby Middlebury College, who often flocked there with family during the college's fall family weekends.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Team_Tavern

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    DAY HIKING FROM BEEBE POND

    Eagle Rock Hike and High Pond Hike  Take an easy hike to the summit of Eagle Rock or to High Pond in Sudbury (via the Nature Conservancy Trail on Ganson Hill Road East, or via  Delancey Road).   Examine the topographical maps. Look at two maps: Topo of High Pond and a topo of the road from Brandon to High Pond area. Be sure to examine these hyperlinks. Also see info on Ganson Hill Road and Delancey Road.

    Birdseye (or Bird) Mountain  This is just east of Castleton on Route 4A.  See a terrific video on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zn4_G131NA See the Vermont Fish and Wildlife web page that describes its 770 acre property athttp://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/library/maps/Wildlife%20Management%20Areas/Rutland%20District/Bird%20Mountain%20WMA.pdf  Deb Markowitz, former Secretary of State and currently Secretary of Natural Resources climbed Bird Mountain the weekend of 9.29.13 in 2.5 hours.  The trailhead is 1.8 miles south of Route 4A on Birdseye Road, just east of Castleton. http://trailfinder.info/trail.php?id=385  Also Birdseye Mountain was a former ski area  http://www.nelsap.org/vt/birdseye.html   Herrick Mountain is just south of Bird Mountain and has a hiking trail.

    Mount Zion This is located on Carson (Kit) Davidson's property near the Hubbardton Battlefield. There are trails to the top of Mount Zion and a terrific Japanese Garden on the West Side of Monument Hill Road on 200 acres and a trail to a waterfall on the East side of Monument Hill Road on another 200 acre parcel. 

    For info and directions see: http://dayhikinginrutlandvt.blogspot.com/2011/07/mt-zion-and-japanese-gardens.html  andhttp://mountaintimes.info/news/features/2013/07/hubbardton%E2%80%99s-japanese-garden-and-mt-zion-trails-offer-a-peaceful-stroll-through-a-unique-vermont-landscape/  and  http://www.afana.org/taconic.htm and http://www.castletonspartan.com/news/mt-zion-man-offers-reflection-paradise-1.998410#.Ug52Pa7D8fc  and                    http://www.vermontneighbornetwork.org/other-inspirational-stories.html                                                                                   

    Alyssa Bennett lives on the property as its manager. Her cell is 802-598-2404  She also works for Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and has helped survey Vermont’s cave-hibernating bat species. 

    Mickie died in 2012.  Kit's phone in Hubbardton is 273-2982                                                                            See maps and description of trails    Here are some pictures that were taken on August 16, 2013                                                        

    Here is Kit and the view from his home looking south towards his Japanese Garden. Alyssa also.

    Camel's Hump  A terrific day hike is Camel's Hump which has a granite dome which provides 360 degree views.  See Hiking info on Camels Hump.  Also, consider hiking the  "Monroe Skyline" on the Long Trail which requires two cars and takes all day or two days.  Many topological maps can be found at http://docs.unh.edu/nhtopos/nhtopos.htm and athttp://docs.unh.edu/towns/HubbardtonVermontMapList.htm 

    Mt Philo  Also consider Mt Philo State Park, a 45 mile drive north on Route 7 in Charlotte, Vermont. The 168-acre park is located atop Mt. Philo (968' elevation) and overlooks the Lake Champlain Valley and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. This is Vermont's oldest state park, created in 1924. There is a 1.1 mile toll road you can drive to the top for picnicking and camping.   Admission is $3. You can also hike to the summit.  The views are spectacular.

    Mt Horrid  It is 8 miles east of Brandon at the junction of Route 73 and the Long Trail. The elevation is about 3,200 feet, 1000 feet  above Brandon Gap.http://www.summitpost.org/great-cliffs-of-mt-horrid/346627  and http://www.rei.com/guidepost/detail/vermont/hiking/mount-horrid-and-the-great-cliff-trail/39332  Brandon Gap is one of the Gaps included in the Six Gap Bicycle ride.http://www.northeastcycling.com/six_gaps.html 

    Snake Mountain An hour hike to the summit.  Three miles south of the junction of Route 22A and Route 17. Seehttp://www.hikenewengland.com/SnakeVT080511.html

    Tim's Trail   A nearby hike is on "Tim's Trail" an easy 2.8 mile loop along the side of Bald Mountain in West Haven VT near  Whitehall NY.  Bald Mountain  is 1065 feet high, whereas the elevation of Lake Champlain is just under 100 feet.   In 2007 Caitlin Whitney counted 32 Leopard Frogs on Tim's Trail.  You will have great views of the South Bay of  Lake Champlain.  From Rutland, VT, take Route 4 West. Then from Route 4  you will cross the state line from Vermont into New York. From the state line, continue west on Route 4 for about 5.5 miles, crossing a set of Rail Road tracks. Turn north (right) onto Route 9A just across from where there was a garden center. Route 9A takes you by the Skene Valley Country Club.  Travel about 1 mile on Route 9A, and then turn left onto Route 9 at the T intersection.  Take the first right onto Route 10 (Doig Street).  Drive a half mile, then turn left onto the dirt road (the paved road curves right).  Cross the bridge over the Poultney River into Vermont and turn left on the unmarked Galick Road.  (Ward Marsh is to the right) The parking area for Tim's Trail is .7 miles down the dirt road on the right.  Please be advised that this road is often flooded in the spring. The parking for the Susan Bacher Memorial Trail, a 2.5 mile loop trail, is another mile down the road from Tim's Trail.   See Topos of the area.

    New York: The very best hikes are in the Adirondacks.  The "High Peaks" in the Keene Valley area are well described inhttp://adirondackhikingtrails.com/  Also, visit nearby Lake Placid.

    New Hampshire: An excellent day hike is Mt Chocorua near North Conway.http://www.mountainsummits.com/mountains/newhampshire/chocorua.htm   For Mount Washington and other hikes, see:http://www.slackpacker.com/map_nh.html  In Franconia Notch a great hike is Mount Lafayette.  http://www.hikenewengland.com/FranconiaRidge001021.html The Franconia Inn http://www.franconiainn.com/ in Franconia Notch and Notchland in Crawford Notch  http://www.notchland.com/ are both terrific.  Have dinner at the the Appalachian Mountain Club's Joe Dodge Lodge in Pinkham Notch at the base of Mount Washington.http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/whitemountains/pinkham/before-you-go.cfm  Drive up the Auto Toll Road to the top of Mount Washington or take the Cog Railway http://www.thecog.com/ from Bretton Woods.  Stay or dine at the old hotel http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/BrettonWoodsMountWashington.aspx?cid=sd_psg_g-mtwash&gclid=CPvU0Pn6orcCFUOe4AodClAAYA Drive along Route 112, the 35 mile scenic "Kancamagus Highway" between Lincoln and Conway, NH. http://www.kancamagushighway.com/

    MAJOR HIKING TRAILS

    Appalachian Trail  This well known trail goes from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine.  It is approximately 2,184 miles long. It was completed in 1937 and took about 15 years to build. The trail passes through the states of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut,Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.  The Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail form what is known as the Triple Crown of long distance hiking in the United States.

    Long Trail  This is a 273 mile long hiking trail located in Vermont, running the north south length of the state. It is the oldestlong-distance trail in the United States, constructed between 1910 and 1930 by the Green Mountain Club. The Long Trail traverses almost all of the Green Mountains' major summits, including (from south to north) Glastenbury Mountain, Stratton Mountain, Pico, Killington Peak, Mount Abraham, Mount Ellen, Camel's Hump, Mount Mansfield, and Jay Peak.  The Long Trail was the inspiration for the Appalachian Trail, which coincides with it for 95 miles in the southern third of the state. The Appalachian Trail heads east to New Hampshire near the Long Trail Lodge in Sherburne Pass by Pico.

    If you are in the northern part of Vermont try Belvidere Mountain.  http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/840396 andhttp://www.summitpost.org/belvidere-mountain/261999 and http://www.travelthekingdom.com/listing_detail.php?id=484 andhttp://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/geo/bmtn.htm This is part of the Long Trail.

    North Country Trail  This is  a 4600 mile trail ends at Crown Point, New York. There are plans to  connect it to the Long Trail in Weybridge, Vermont.   See http://northcountrytrail.org/

    Catamount Trail  This is a 300 mile long snowshoe and cross country ski trail in Vermont.  You can travel from  Inn to Inn:http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/trips/americas-best-adventures/ski-catamount-trail/  Learn about the trail:http://www.catamounttrail.org/trail/

    DRIVING

    The Hubbardton Battlefield and Visitors Center on Monument Hill Road in Hubbardton is terrific.  Also visit  Mt Independence in Orwell only 15 miles away. 

    Take the three minute ferry across Lake Champlain at Larabees Point  to NY to visit Fort Ticonderoga.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Ticonderoga  Visit the Fort and the Pell Family's restored Pavillion Hotel and Gardens. The space within Fort Ti's walls became known as the “King’s Garden,” a reference to the jardin du Roi planted by the French defenders of Carillon. See www.fortticonderoga.org/history-and-collections/preservation and www.fortticonderoga.org/visit/the-pavilion and www.fortticonderoga.org/history-and-collections/landscape-gardens

    Drive the short one mile non toll road to the summit of nearby Mount Defiance, where General Johnny Burgoyne had a cannon dragged to the summit and see the terrific view.  This action made the  situation untenable for the American General St. Clair, who then vacated Fort Ticonderoga in the middle of the night.  The British caught the Americans the next morning and a successful rear guard action at the Battle of Hubbardton on July 7, 1777 saved the main body of the army which subsequently defeated Burgoyne at Saratoga a month later.  Here are pictures of Fort Ti and a lovely view of the narrowing of the lake between Fort Ti and Mount Independence seen from Mount Defiance.

    View north from Mount Defiance showing Fort Ticonderoga, center, on Lake Champlain  Mount Defiance, is  west of Fort Ticonderoga.       The La Chute River, from Lake George, is at right

    From NY 22, take Montcalm Street into the village and turn left on Champlain Avenue, Then veer left on The Portage.  Mount Defiance Street is the second left.  The road is on the right.

     

     

    Lake George is a beautiful 32 mile long lake.  It is connected to Lake Champlain by the La Chute River which flows out of the Northern end of Lake George through Ticonderoga. It drops 230 feet in 3.5 miles.

     

                        Beautiful Lake George 

                     La Chute River in Ticonderoga

    Take a ride on the Carillon (Fort Carillon was the French name for Fort Ticonderoga), an excursion boat at Larabees Point. http://www.carilloncruises.com/   Consider renting a houseboat for the day at Plunder Bay.

                            Don on Houseboat 1990

                   Sophie and Heini on Houseboat 1990

    Visit the historic 60 mile long  Champlain Canal. Take an excursion boat tour from Schuylerville, NY south through lock 5 and north to a nineteen foot high  waterfall.  The canal's waters flow south to the Hudson (and Erie Canal) and north to Lake Champlain in Whitehall, New York.  The mules along the towpath are all dead.  See:  http://www.champlaincanal.org/  &http://www.tug44.org/champlain.canal/ & info on the 11 locks at http://www.offshoreblue.com/cruising/champlain-canal.php

    Visit the historic Vail House in Sudbury.

    Go to Proctor and visit the Marble Exhibit.  Also drive the Marble Trail: http://dimensionsofmarble.org/thetrail/VermontMarbleTrailWeb.pdf

    Go to the summer Theater in Weston and in Dorset.

    From Hubbardton go to Brandon and drive over the Brandon Gap (Rt 73) or the Middlebury Gap (Rt 125) to the Skier's Highway (Rt 100) to Waitsfiled  and then over the Appalachian Gap (The McCullough Turnpike) (Rt 17) to Rt 30 and to Hubbardton. Rt 17 runs from Rt 100 in Waitsfield to the Champlain Bridge in Addison. See http://www.addison-eagle.com/news/2012/jan/26/mccullough-turnpike-vermonts-long-and-winding-road/ andhttp://vermonthistory.org/research/research-resources-online/green-mountain-chronicles/fighting-the-depression-the-c-c-c-1933

    Dorset  Dorset is a lovely town just north oh Manchester on Route 30. It is famous for being home to America's oldest marble quarry, the Doset Inn (Vermont's oldest continually operated Inn), and the Dorset Playhouse:http://www.dorsettheatrefestival.org/  Also, the Vermont Summer Festival (its horse show) is held in Dorset.

    Weston  Weston has a terrific Playhouse Theater Company, Vermont's oldest. http://www.westonplayhouse.org/  Be sure to visit the Vermont Country Store. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont_Country_Store  Weston is on Route 100, south of Ludlow.

    The beautiful towns of Manchester and Woodstock are well worth the one hour drive.  Brandon and Middlebury are less than 30 minutes away. 

    Manchester Drive the 5.5 mile toll road to the 3848 foot summit of Mt Equinox in Manchester, Vermont.  The origin of the word Equinox may be that it is a corruption either of the Indian word Akwanok or Ekwanok. These words can be freely translated to mean the top or the place where the very top is - an appropriate name. A must is a visit to Hildene the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's son in Manchester. He was an attorney, Secretary of War, and  Chairman of the Pullman Company.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildene   Articles about Hildene 2013 & Hildene 2018.

    Plymouth  Visit the Calvin Coolidge home. www.vtstateparks.com/htm/coolidge.htm and www.vermonthistory.org/research/research-resources-online/green-mountain-chronicles/memories-of-silent-cal

    Woodstock Visit the Billings Farm in Woodstock http://www.billingsfarm.org/ .  Dine at the Woodstock Inn.    In 1874 tourists were inspired to flock to the area via "The Woodstock Car" - a rail car that departed nightly from Grand Central Station in New York City.

    1927 Picture of Woodstock Inn (opened in 1892)

          Inn replaced by Laurance S Rockefeller in 1967

    Visit the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park .  Read about it in:            http://www.npca.org/parks/marsh-billings-rockefeller-natl-hist-park.html Conservationists were George Perkins Marsh.  (Seehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Perkins_Marsh  and http://www.nps.gov/mabi/historyculture/index.htm ) and Frederick Billings (See  http://www.nps.gov/mabi/historyculture/frederickbillings.htm )

    Visit Quechee Gorge just east of Woodstock. http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/quechee.htm

               Have lunch and watch glassblowing at Simon Pearce in Quechee.

    Berkshires You should consider visiting the Berkshires in Northwestern Massachusetts:

    Clark Museum in Williamstown  www.clarkart.edu/museum/

    Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, the largest contemporary art museum in the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Museum_of_Contemporary_Art

    Mount Greylock is the highest mountain in Massachusetts with its 3491 foot elevation.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Greylock  Visitor Center entrance in Lanesborough, Notch Road Gate entrance in North Adams or Greylock Road in New Ashford.    Be sure to read about the road to its summit. at www.bywayswestmass.com/byways/mt-greylock/  There are two roads, one from Lanesborough and one from North Adams to the summit. 413-499-4262
    From  Williamstown. At rotary bear onto US Route 7 south. Continue for 13.7 miles thru New Ashford into Lanesborough.

    At the brown Mount Greylock sign turn right onto North Main Street. Follow the brown lead-in signs 1.5 miles from Route 7 to the Visitor Center and park entrance.

    Driving distance from Visitor Center to summit is 8 miles.

    From North Adams. Go 1.2 miles west on Route 2. 

    Turn left  onto Notch Road and follow brown signs 2.5 miles to park entrance.

    Driving distance from Route 2 to summit is 8.5 miles.

    Thunderbolt Trail on Mount Greylock at www.skinet.com/skiing/articles/ghosts-thunderbolt and berkshirehiking.com/hikes/thunderbolt.html

    Below are the Highest Mountains in  Massachusetts
    Berkshire County Height in Feet Town
    Mount Greylock    3,491     Adams
    Saddle Ball Mountain 3,238     New Ashford
    Mount Fitch 3,110     Adams
    Mount Williams 2,951     North Adams

    Hoosac Tunnel.  See www.hoosactunnel.net

     

     

     

     

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    This site was last updated 07/03/18