Vermont - Day Three and Four

On Day 3, we decided to stay close to the motorhome due to rain and cold.  In addition, Nancy and I had been feeling a little sick with a cold and cough.  However, we did get out to have some lunch.

On Day 4, we drove back to Montpelier and Waterbury to visit two sites we were unable to see on our first trip to this area. 

First, we went to Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks in Montpelier.  This is Vermont's oldest maple family farm.  Maple syrup farmers drill a small hole 3-4 inches deep into maple trees and hang a bucket to catch the sap.  Several hundred gallons of maple sap is needed to make one gallon of maple syrup.  During the winter months, the sap is retained in the roots of the sugar maple trees until warmer temperatures cause it to rise in the tree to be harvested.  Notice the creativity as evidenced in the "character wood" below by the wood carving artist!

 

 

 

 

After visting the maple syrup farm in Montpelier, we drove to Waterbury to visit the Cold Hollow Cider Mill.  It was interesting to learn how apple cider is made.  This Mill is also known for its legendary cider donuts. 



 

 

While in Waterbury, we had to make another visit to Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory for a scoop of ice cream.

 

On our way back to the campground, we took a 60 mile loop in the central part of Vermont which was recommended to us.  Even though the color has past its peak, the scenery was still very beautiful.

 

 

Just before we arrived at our campground, we drove through Woodstock, Vermont and saw these two homes which were representative of the area.

 

 



Vermont - Day Two

 

Today, we travelled quite a distance from our campground.  We drove in both Vermont and New Hampshire.  Both of these states are small in geographical distance so we could move from one to another.

First, we drove to the St. Johnsbury area which is in the northeast portion of Vermont.  We wanted to take a northern loop recommended to view the fall folliage.  During this trip, we also visited the town of Cabot which is known for the world's best cheddar cheese.  We toured the Cabot Creamery which produces various types of cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt, butter, and sour cream.  It was very interesting watching different aspects of the cheese preparation for distribution.  The area had many beautiful dairy farms on rolling hills with cows grazing in the fields.  This old tractor was on display outside the Cabot Creamery.





 

























Later, we also travelled into northwestern New Hampshire through several great fall folliage areas:  Cannon Mountain, The Flume Gorge, Franconia Notch State Park, Loon Mountain, and the Kancamagus Highway.  Nancy and I believe this area was the most vibrant folliage colors so far, although the pictures below do not necessarily show that.  Unfortunately, the camera eye does not always reflect what the human eye sees!  Our drive was also through mountainous areas where we could not always stop and take a picture due to the road or traffic.

Vermont - Day One

We are staying in the Quechee/Pine Valley KOA in White River Junction, Vermont.  We decided to use this campground as our home base while staying in Vermont since this state is a relatively small geographic area.

On our first full day in Vermont, we went to the following towns or cities:  Burlington, Waterbury, Stowe, Montpelier, and Quechee.  In the days ahead, we will probably go back to one or more of these places.

As you might guess, our first stop was the Vermont Teddy Bear Company located just south of Burlington, Vermont.  As you know, Nancy loves teddy bears!  This was a fun place to go on tour and visit the gift shop.

Our second stop was in Waterbury, Vermont to visit the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory.  We enjoyed a cup of wonderful ice cream.  There were so many tourists, we had to stand in line for 20 minutes for ice cream!

Our third stop was the Trapp Family Lodge outside of Stowe, Vermont.  This is a luxurious lodge, high in the mountains.  After leaving Austria, the von Trapp family moved to this 2,500 acre homeplace.  The family moved to this location because it was the closest to their native countryside in Austria.  The von Trapp family story was depicted in the movie, "The Sound of Music."

Our fourth stop was to visit the Quechee Gorge in White River Junction, Vermont.  This picture was taken 163 feet above the cascading waters of the Ottauquechee River.  It is known as the "Grand Canyon of Vermont."  Little do they know!

 

 

Finally, here are a few pictures of the countryside and trees as we were travelling today.  Even though we did not see any bears or moose, I took a picture of the two signs since we do not see signs like this in Arizona!

 

 



 



Kennebunkport, Maine

Today, we drove from the Boston area to Kennebunkport, Maine.  Nancy and I believe that this area is one of our favorite places thus far on the trip.  It is a small seaport village with beautiful homes on the water.  We enjoyed visiting the small shops downtown near the seaport.  I particularly enjoyed eating a lobster, scallops, and shrimp medley for lunch. 

Former President George Bush, Sr. has a vacation home here.  A deep fog came in just before we took the picture of his home.

The colors on the trees are much more prevalent and beautiful in Maine and certainly brighter than these pictures show. 

Nancy Relaxing Playing With Her I-Pad

Red Apple Campground



Red Apple Campground



Red Apple Campground



Houses Across From Seaport



Kennebunkport Seaport



Drive Coming Into Campground

Former President Bush, Sr. Vacation Home

Boston, MA

Nancy and I believe Boston may be the most difficult city to navigate around in due to the lack of signage, narrow streets, one way streets, and less than patient drivers.  However, we did get to see some sites we desired to see.

The USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) was named by President George Washington and is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat.

Bunker Hill Monument is the site of the first major battle of the American Revolution.  The monument stands 221 feet tall.

Old North Church was where Paul Revere gave the famous signal from the bell tower: "one light if by land, and two lights if by sea" was sent to warn the colonists how the British were coming..

Boston Tea Party site was where the colonists protested the heavy tax on tea.  In protest, the colonists threw the tea into the Boston Harbor.

Fenway Park is the home of the Boston Red Sox, MLB baseball team.  The picture also shows Ted Williams placing his cap on a small boy.  I was very surprised about the location and the older age of the stadium.

TD Garden is the new home of the Boston Celtics, NBA basketball team.  This arena replaced the old Boston Gardens. 




USS Constitution

Bunker Hill Monument

Bell Tower of Old North Church







Inside Old North Church



Fenway Park

TD Garden



Plymouth, MA

Today, we drove to Plymouth, MA to see the Mayflower II and Plymouth Rock along with other historic sites relating to the Pilgrims arriving in America.

Docked in Plymouth Harbor is the Mayflower II, an authentic reproduction of a 17th century sailing vessel of the period, similar to the one that brought the colonists to Plymouth in 1620.

The granite Sarcophagus on Coles Hill contains many of the recovered bones of the Pilgrims who died in the first winter.  They were secretly buried there to conceal the number of dead from the Native People.

Massasoit was the Wampanoag Sachem (chief) who befriended the Pilgims and signed a peace treaty with them.  It was through his help that the colonists learned how to survive in the New World.

Not far from our campground is Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots, NFL football team.  For all you sports fans, I wanted to include pictures as an added benefit.

Mayflower II



Monument Housing Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock

The Sarcophagus

Massasoit

 



 

Gillette Stadium

Inside Gillette Stadium

Mystic Seaport, CT

 

After several days in the New York City area, we left for Connecticut and Rhode Island.  Our first stop was Mystic Seaport, CT.  This town is the home of the Fisherman's Museum and other interesting boating, fishing, and coastal sites.  The leaves continue to turn into brighter colors as we move more northeast. 

   

Boat at Fisherman's Museum

Mystic Seaport