New England-Bennington

While we were mainly on a motorcycle ride to enjoy the fall of New England, Wally and I both decided we would love to return to Vermont someday.  There is a lot to to see and enjoy.  We were planning to have lunch with Ben’s folk in Pittsfield, MA.  When Wally called Jim to confirm our plans, he suggested if we were going through Bennington to take a look at the Battle Monument and the graveyard where Robert Frost was buried.  So we did. 

This obelisk was built in 1880 as a monument for the famous Battle of Bennington during the Revolutionary War, in 1777.  It is 306’ high.  The battle actually took place ten miles away in Waloomsac, NY…sound familiar?  It was a turning point in the war as it was a great blow against General Burgoyne and reduced his army by 1.000 men.  August 16 is a legal state hoiday in Vermont, Bennington Battle Day.

This is a statue to Seth Warner, Captain of the Green Mountain Boys who joined with the Continental Army against Burgoyne.

And this is Wally, we just pulled up to the curb and enjoyed the monument.  It was built on a green circle at the top of a hill.  Just down from here was the First Church.

I finally found some red red leaves on a low hanging branch by the church.

I thought the graveyard was beautiful…so many old and ornate stones.  There was a sign stating tombstone rubbings were not allowed due to the age and historical significance.  I never knew there was such a thing as “tombstone rubbings!”

There is something sobering about wandering about a graveyard.  The markers that represents someone…their life, their, dreams, their family.  Yet sin’s curse is so well represented, death!  Some lives were so short.  I wondered about the illnesses that claimed lives hundreds of years ago which we now have cures for.

Here is the grave of poet Robert Frost, his wife Elinor, and two of their children, a daughter Marjorie and son Carol.  They had six children.

We ended our afternoon at Jim and Sissy Hamilton’s house.  We had great fajitas and great fellowship.  It was nice to see their home.  I didn’t realize they were nestled in the mountains and Pittsfield reminded me a little of hometown, USA. 

Sissy, Jim and Fezzi

This is Fezzik, named for the giant in Princess Bride.  When the kids leave the nest, we are left with our dogs. I think Sissy chose Fezzik and really likes him.  We have Gypsy, whom I inherited and she has never been a favorite. Elaine differentiates between her Grandmas by these dogs…Grandma Fezzik  and Grandma Gypsy.  Kind of cute, but I am not really fond of it!

New England- covered Bridges of Bennington, VT

We were on the road again, taking rte.9 from Battelboro to Bennington.  We came upon this gorgeous view, Hundred Mile View.  I guess it means you can see for a hundred miles…if not, it must be pretty close!

Then onto Bennington where we searched out three covered bridges.  These bridges are still in use today.  They are all replicas of the original bridges built in the 1800’s.  All three of these bridges were just down the road from one another.

 

This is the Henry Bridge.  It crosses the Wallomsac river.  How’s that for a name?  It was originally built in 1840 by landowner Elnathan Henry.  His home is just peeking though the back of the bridge and it dates back to 1769.  It is now a B&B.

This is the Paper Mill Bridge.  It also covers the Wallomsac River.  It was originally built in 1790 and named for a paper mill that was one of the state’s first.

This is the Silk Road Bridge and it covers, yep, you got it, the Wallomsac River.

New England-Connecticut and Vermont

On Tuesday we left Andrea and the adorable grandkids for a ride into New England.  We drove to the end of Long Island and took a ferry from Orient Point over to Connecticut.  It was really pretty out on the end of Long Island…lots of orchards.  Its called the winery.  It was also pretty chilly…wind blowing across the water on both sides of us. 

Here’s something I never thought I would see…welcome to Connecticut!  We paid even more since Wally was using premium gas in the bike.

We rode a scenic highway and it was very scenic.  We were there for the leaves, but most of them had dropped in this area.  I guess they had a big drop in temps and a huge wind, and the leaves dropped overnight.  But I enjoyed the small towns and the tree lined roads.  I can only imagine the history that has taken place here.  There were several private schools…and their grounds were pristine!

I loved this old stone rectory and church.

There were lots of these rock walls and graveyards.  Many of the tombstones were quite old and looked like they were barely standing.

We passed this farm and stopped to buy some maple syrup.  I knocked on the back door and stepped into a kitchen with a huge wood burning stove.  It was so nice and toasty!  I had a hard time leaving and getting back on the motorcycle.

Here’s  flock of wild turkeys next to the road…you don’t see that too often in Colorado.

We finally arrived at our Bed and Breakfast in Brattleboro, VT

I loved getting this little tray sent up to our room in the morning. 

I don’t think I had my glasses on when I took a picture of our breakfast table, it’s a bit fuzzy.  We enjoyed this B&B. The innkeeper was a Christian and she decorated with lots of scripture hanging on the walls.  She said she and her husband bought the house in 1960 as a fixer upper and raised their six kids in it. Then they fixed it up for a B&B.  The other two couples we had breakfast with were there to walk the trails in the woods.  Wally and I both decided Vermont would be a place to return to and explore.

These were the last of the leaves on the tree at the B&B.

We found a covered bridge right in the middle of town.  It is not used anymore for traffic.  This is the Creamery Bridge built in 1879.  There was large cheese factory in town also.

This was just outside of town, a little more color here.  And it improved as we headed down the road to Bennington, MA.

Stay tuned for more leaf peeping!