Hello everyone,For those of you who may have had the opportunity to visit Vermont in your lifetimes, you've probably noticed that it's quite different from most places (well, maybe not *so* different from most of New England). As a native Vermonter and (unfortunately) one who left almost 17 years ago, I have a deep love for the state and try to get back to see my family and friends in the Burlington area whenever I can.
A few years ago, my father mentioned something called the 251 Club. After a little Googling, I came across a website that did a nice job of summing up the club (redjar.org), and decided to join. The 251 Club is a loosely knit group of people with a love of Vermont, who have set the goal of visiting every town and city (all 251 of them!) in the state! The organization was inspired by an article in Vermont Life Magazine, by Arthur Wallace Peach, with the goal of getting residents to know more about the state.
Having been away for so long, it was a great way for me to reconnect, while giving me the opportunity to see new parts of the state, as well as familiar ones from my childhood. As you'll see from the posts here, the experience so far, has been an eye opener. With such a small state, it's easy to think that you've 'seen it all', when in fact, you've barely scratched the surface. Even though my journey has just begun, I've been amazed by some of the places I've visited... especially those that I found while getting lost!
So, in these posts, you'll find out a little about each town that I visit, read some of my personal thoughts on my time in each, see some of my amateur photography, and maybe even join me as I revisit some of my favorite places!
Everyone takes on this challenge in different ways, but most do more than simply drive through and snap a few photos. What would be the fun in that? As a librarian, I've decided to try and visit the public library in each town. As I discovered after my second stop, though, not all towns have their own public libraries. In the absence of a library, I look for a government building or town store to pop into and say hello. Sometimes I get a chuckle out of these conversations, and sometimes I come across as a 'flatlander'... Ugh. But, either way, I try to learn a bit about each place.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy my musings, and feel free to let me know what you think!
Tony
(P.S. I'm really behind on my posts, and have only written up one entry out of the 30+ towns that I've already been to)
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12 comments:
Hi Tony! I've only been to one town in Vermont that I really spent any time in, St. Albans, for a wedding last fall. I grew up in the upstate (very upstate) New York countryside, but the Vermont country was a lot prettier, so green!
Hi Tony
Great looking site. The topic of your adventures through Vermont sounds exciting. As a history buff I think it's going to be cool checking out some of your personal thoughts on the places you visit. Never been to Vermont. Been there in my mind - for snow skiing.
Tony
My first and only visit to Vermont was in the 1970s. My uncle was in the Air Force at the time and was at a base in St Albans. I was fortunate that my parents loved to drive around and see things... and of course, gas prices were not an issue. My memory included a trip to Burlington, we went to the birth place of Chester A. Arthur, and Smuggler's Notch. I did some rock climbing there. I look forward to reading about your travels. - darren
Hey everyone,
Thanks for the great comments. Vermont truly is a beautiful state, and I'm really excited to spend some more time learning about it. My father is an amateur history buff, and has something to say about a lot of the places I've visited (we've even gone to a few together).
He and I (with my mother) will be spending a long day touring around Burlington at some point, where he can point out all of his childhood haunts. Keep a lookout for that one, in the near future.
Tony
Tony,
Although I don't remember visiting Williston, I have been to Vermont many times as I lived just across Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh in the 1980's. We spent many weekends in and around Burlington. When we had the opportunity to come back to New England, I was extremely excited. What a great idea to chronicle your visits and what a great idea for the club. I'll visit again for a walk down memory lane.
What a wonderful subject for a blog! Thanks so much, Tony. How beautiful! I will be heading up to St. Johnsbury next weekend. I've never been to the Northeast Kingdom - I'm looking forward to it. Just hope there's Internet access.....
Hello Tony,
I'm so impressed. This would be so helpful if I were planning a trip into Vermont. What a wonderful way of sharing your adventure. Well Done!
Hi Tony
What a great site! It really has a country feel. I taken by how you've used color and images to convey as much as the text does.
Hi Tony -
Great posts! Vermont is a beautiful state - I spend many of my winter weekends sonowboarding up there! :>
I am sure you will hit it during your travels...I stumbled upon the Quechee Gorge once on a day trip with my friends from Boston.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quechee,_Vermont
Took some great photos - it's especially pretty in the fall with all the neaves changing!
Good luck on your travels! I look forward to future updates.
Tony you have such wonderful adventures. And of course the pictures are great. I did not realize that you were from Vermont.
Patience, grasshopper... Quechee is on the way! :) Next time I'm through (depending on the season), I'll have to spend some time in the gorge.
Hi Tony...
Looking forward to reading about your travels.
My family goes way back in Vermont, mainly in Colebrook. I love it up there.
John
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