Spring Vermont Trip - Wolcott to Jericho

On a recent trip to Vermont, we strayed from our usual route to explore some places a little more off the beaten path.  It was one of those chilly spring days when the clouds held fast and there was a constant threat of rain that eventually let loose as we got close to our destination.

Our first stop was the Fisher Bridge in Wolcott.  When it was built in 1908 it included a unique full-length cupola to keep the engine's smoke from depositing a layer of soot on its passengers as the smoke was able to escape through the cupola.  The bridge spanned the Lamoille River and if it were a few degrees warmer, it would have made for a pleasant picnic spot and a place for the weary traveler to stretch his legs as there was a covered picnic table and a nice flat area to run.

Fisher Covered Railroad Bridge, Wolcott, Vermont

The next stop was the village of Johnson, a small college town of about of about 3,200.  You may have not heard of Johnson, but if you know where Stowe is, keep heading about 20 miles north and you'll get to the village which is home to Johnson Woolen Mills and the Butternut Mountain Farm store, among other interesting stores.

The Woolen Mill was originally built in 1842 and it was the place where the local farmers brought their wool to be woven into cloth.  The store offers up fine quality wool clothing not only from Johnson Woolen Mills, but from the younger Pendleton Wool Company which started producing products in 1909 in Oregon, and the slightly older Woolrich which opened its doors in Plum Run, Pennsylvania around 1830.  If you go to the store, remember the fine quality clothing has a fine quality price, so for about $350 you could have a wool-lined flannel shirt and a Worsted Wool pair of pants.

Next door the Butternut Mountain Farm store is a worthwhile stop for Vermont-specialty food products.  Upon entering the store, I was struck by the floor-to-ceiling wall of maple syrup.  As a native Vermonter, just the site of these "liquid gold" containers makes my mouth water.  I can't think of any better way to top off my pancakes, waffles or French toast as part of a hearty breakfast.  They say it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup, so I figure about 10 gallons of water was boiled off to make the quart of Grade A Medium Amber syrup we bought for $19.50. What always amazed me is how something so tasty comes from the innards of a tree.

With our maple syrup, maple candy and a couple of Champlain Chocolates to top it off, we began heading out of town until seeing Buggyman Antiques where we browsed around and chatted with the proprietors.  These guys have been pulling stuff out of old farmhouses and barns for years and have a great collection of antique country furniture.

Jericho Historical Society/Snowflake Bentley Exhibit, Jericho, Vermont

A few miles east of our ultimate destination of Burlington, we stopped in the Jericho Historical Society to see the Snowflake Bentley Museum.  Despite my wife's skepticism,  we pulled in to see what this place was all about.  As a young Vermonter, I grew up hearing about the man who photographed snowflakes and determined that no two are alike; a claim my 8-year-old dismisses because he insists that just this past winter he saw two that looked alike.  Vermonters knowing about Snowflake Bentley is not unlike Mainers knowing about Chester Greenwood (the Farmington man who invented ear muffs).  It might win you a trivia contest, but doesn't have much practical use.  With that said, here's the 10 second sound bite for the man and museum.

Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley was born in 1865 and photographed his first snow crystal 20 years later.  He's said to have photographed 5,000 snowflakes by hooking up a microscope to a camera and keeping the flakes on a cold surface so they wouldn't melt.  The museum is located in two small rooms at the back of the Old Red Mill that once housed a grist mill.  You can watch a video about Mr. Bentley and view his photographic equipment and snowflake photos.  In the front of the mill is a gift shop with many snowflake themed gifts, like the Christmas ornament we purchased, and other items, including a catnip lizard we bought for our feline friend at home.  Snowflake Bentley died in 1931.  And if you wonder what possesses a man to photograph snowflakes, perhaps one theory is that since the first ski lift wasn't built in Vermont until 1934, he needed something to keep him busy during the long winter months.

April Traveling in New England

In a recent trip from Maine to Vermont, we discovered something...when traveling through Northern New England in April, it's hit or miss as to whether the OPEN sign is illuminated or the windows are temporarily shuttered.  We tried stopping at two restaurants in New Hampshire for lunch, both of which were closed.  A gift shop in Vermont was closed and a factory tour in Vermont was not running a full schedule of tours because it was "vacation week" for the schools.  Frankly, that seemed a little odd to me.  One would think that there would be more people around during a holiday, but then it struck me; many people needed a break after a long New England winter and they most likely went someplace warm.  So the bottom line is that we will just pack a picnic lunch next time we travel in northern New England in April. 

Family Wanderings

When I was a kid my family spent a great deal of time traveling the back roads of Vermont.  The Sunday drives brought me, my parents and two brothers to secluded lakes and ponds dotted with rustic cottages and general stores with a jingle of the door-top bell and creak of the old wooden floors, to many spectacular spots with sweeping Green Mountains vistas.

It was the late 60s and early 70s when there were no GPS devices to guide our travels.  We had a full tank of gas, our trusty Vermont State Map - which showed most of the roads - my father's 35mm camera, and a well-honed sense of direction.  At scenic locations along the way the family would file out of the car and patiently (most of the time) pose for the photos that now grace the dusty old family photo albums.  This instilled a somewhat inherent sense to study maps and simply see where the road will lead.

My family in the "People Pen" at Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, Vermont

Today, my 8-year-old son and wife humor me most of the time when I want to check out something that may be a little off the beaten path.  We've been to historic sites, parks, attractions and practically every kid's museum in New England.  We're always on the lookout for interesting places to explore, and as we do, we'll be posting them within these pages.  If nothing else, it will be a personal travelogue of activities and adventures.