Back to Vermont

Leaving Lake George, NY on the way to Connecticut, we pass through Vermont and Massachusetts again.   On our way to our campground in Vermont we stopped at the Vermont Country Store.  Their slogan is “Purveyors Of The Practical And Hard To Find”.  Going through their shelves and racks brings back lots of memories of things from many years ago.  They carry items that are/were useful and make sense, at least that’s what their sign says.  The store has been in existence since 1946 and is the first restored rural country store in the U.S.  Going through the store was our entertainment for the day.   

 

The next day we drove through the country side, making a loop.  Everything is nice and green; the road has gentle hills and curves.  We still see lots of Tiger Lillys.  We’ve seen them all over the sides of the roads and by the homes since Mississippi.   There are also see a lot of ‘For Sale’ signs just like at home.  Our first stop was Putney, Vermont where we walked through the Basketville store.  The first time we were here on another visit Judy said it reminded her of World Market/Cost Plus because of the many baskets and decorations available to purchase.  We made a few purchases and then were on our way.

Our next stop was the Grafton Village Cheese Company in Grafton, VT.  We sampled their wares and didn’t purchase anything, liking Cabot Cheese a little more.  We did enjoy their air conditioning as it was hot and humid outside.  Then we walked around the town seeing many historical buildings.  We saw houses from the 1700s and 1800s.  The Old Tavern was built in 1788 and was converted to an inn in 1801.  As Grafton prospered so did the tavern/inn and by 1823 it had doubled in size and was the center of activity for the town.  It is listed today in “Historic Hotels of America” which includes the 110 foremost lodging and dining establishments in the country.  We saw a few churches, museums, galleries, restaurants, library and shops.  Our walk through this quaint town, which is well-kept and very picturesque, was pretty short since it was extremely hot.  It is one of the prettiest villages in Vermont we have seen.  Our next stop was a branch of the Grafton Village Cheese Company which was right by a covered bridge.  Here we could look at some of the employees working on the processing of cheese and a movie.  Last time here we made purchases and had a picnic lunch by the bridge.  Down the road a short distance we came across the Kidder Hill Covered Bridge.  A light-weight kingpost truss bridge, it was reconstructed in 1994 by adding laminated beams to the interior to increase its load-capacity, so we felt comfortable walking on it!!!!  

This couple found a novel way to try to beat the heat!

(They are sitting in the river by the covered bridge)