A weekend roadtrip to Burlington, Vermont leaving from our home base in New Hampshire. Next stop was at Green Mountain Coffee in Waterbury, Vermont. There is a coffee shop and café but the big attraction is the huge variet of K-cup coffee types on sale. If you are a coffee drinker and use the Keurig type machine there will be a flavor to your liking here.
From coffee to ice cream; our next stop was Ben & Jerry’s a famous ice cream manufacturer here in the states who got their start in Vermont. There are long lines in the summer and fall for their factory tour and ice cream bar.
If you think you want to skip the tour you can get the same ice cream in any number of dipping shops in the area without the crowds. Our hotel for the night was the Days Inn in Colchester, Burlington.
The Church Street Market Place in downtown Burlington is a pedestrian only street lined with shops, cafés and restaurants.
During the next two days we ate at the restaurants Church & Main and Halvorson’s Upstreet Café. Both establishments had great food and great people watching. Halvorson’s had outdoor seating on the street that reminded me of European café culture.
I will list just some of the shops on the street that we visited. Crow Bookshop had a nice selection of both new and used books. Not that expansive but a nice little shop. Saratoga Olive Oil Company was fantastic! they had a huge selection of flavored high quality olive oils and assorted artisan salts. You get a small plate and some cut up cubes of bread and the olive oils are in dispensers so that you can sample each type. When you find one you like you can purchase a bottle of that flavor. Earth Prime Comics is a comics and SciFi shop. Bruegger’s Bagels is a great spot for breakfast with great breakfast sandwiches. A favorite store is Ten Thousand Villages. This store, one of a chain throughout the country, sells artisan craft items from third world countries that have difficulty finding a market for their goods. A good cause and some wonderful gift items.
The Echo Center for Lake Champlain is a wonderful hands on children’s museum. I will let Alex give the review “Papa, this place is awesome!” The hands on exhibits and interactive displays are great for younger children.
There are many more things to see and do in the area that we will return for such as a Cabot Creamery cheese tour and Lake Champlain cruise. A nice extension would be to cross over into New York and travel down the western shore of the lake to Fort Ticonderoga or the Lake George area.
I have to mention the restaurant we stopped at on the drive back to New Hampshire. This is one of reasons I like my Yelp app so much. We were nearing the Vermont New Hampshire border and wanted to find a place to eat. We try to avoid fast food or chain restaurants whenever possible so yelp pointed us to a Korean restaurant in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Yama turned out to be a hidden gem. Who would expect authenic korean food in rural New Hampshire, but it was fantastic. Fresh soft shelled crab and squid and bountiful noodle soup and stir fry dishes.
Civil War Battlefields and Shenandoah National Park
We left our home in New Hampshire to begin a week long tour of civil war battlefields and Shenandoah National Park. After a travel stop for refueling and some Roy Rogers chicken we arrived at our first hotel Crown Plaza in Monroe, New Jersey. Our mode of travel is to have a set list of attractions that we want to see but to travel leisurely stopping when we see fit using and adjusting schedules as a place of interest takes more or less time.
After a night of restful sleep in a clean comfortable hotel we set out for Fort McHenry Natioanl Monument in Baltimore. The visitor center is a must stop and be sure to take in the short film with its impressive flag emphasis. A short walk up to the fort brought us just in time to the flag raising ceremony. We had fun with a self guided tour of the fort as Alex worked on his junior ranger booklet. The single passport cancellation station is in the visitor’s center.
We next drove to Frederick, Maryland where we had lunch at the Beijing Chinese restaurant a typical corner take out location the likes of which you will find in any American city. Monocacy National Battlefield was next on our itinerary. This is touted as the battle that saved Washington. In 1864 the Confederacy made a push into Maryland in an effort to capture the capital. Vastly outnumbered union troops were able to hold off the confederate army until reinforcements arrived. The visitor center has a nice museum describing the battle and this is where you can pick up your junior ranger materials and get your passport stamp. There are some nice walks through the battlefield but there is not much in terms of monuments or infrastructure.
Our last stop for the day was at Great Falls Park and the Billy Goat trail along the Potomac River. A pleasant place to stroll along the river in a nice wooded area.
We stayed the night after making our way to West Virginia at the Quality Hotel and Conference Center in Harpers Ferry. The White Horse Tavern attached to the hotel had wonderful meals and drinks. Try the Old Bay chicken wings as an appetizer.
We made our way the next morning to Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. We spent the day exploring the park and the preserved old town, this was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. There is a visitor center with passport cancellation station on a bluff above the town, This is where you catch a shuttle bus down into the old town where there are museums, preserved buildings and views of the river.
After a short drive to Front Royal, Virginia we ate at Joe’s Steakhouse and stayed the night at the Quality Inn Skyline Drive. In the morning we headed into Shenandoah National Park along the Skyline Drive. This park raod runs along the ridge of the mountains offering spectacular views at every turn.
The visitor center is close to the start of the drive coming down from Front Royal and is where you get your passport stamped. Keep your eyes open not only for the views but for wildlife as well. The family of bears in the video below was a welcome sight.
We traveled just a few miles on the parkway to get a flavor of it before heading to Appomattox Courthouse National Historic Park. There are several buildings on site included the reconstructed McLean house where the surrender was signed by Lee and Grant.
A 4.5 mile walking tour called the History Trail takes you to several historic areas all the while traversing quiet country fields and glens. The passport cancellation location is behind the first building on the site in the bookstore. The hotel for the night was the Winchester Travel Lodge in Winchester, Virginia.
The morning brought us back to Maryland for a visit to Antietam National Battlefield the location of the bloodiest one day battle in the history of America. We were lucky enough to see some re-enactors in full costume. Alex was thrilled to mix with the “soldiers” while wearing his union army hat.
You get your passport stamped at the visitor center, watch the introductory film and tour the exhibits. There is a wonderful driving tour through the park where you can stop at any point of interest and explore at your leisure. A wonderful park to picnic and spend the whole day.
The Weir Farm National Historic Site was our destination in the morning. This is an art centered site that is great for kids. There is an artist in residence and the kids get sketching materials to draw their own “masterpieces.” The junior ranger program is also a great deal of fun as it involves a scavenger hunt as you wonder around the grounds. Ranger Adrian was wonderful working with Alex and it is people like him that make the National Park experience so special.
My mother was born in Eastport, Maine about ninety minutes north of Arcadia. We would visit her home town at least once every year and when my parents retired they bought an old farm house and spent summers in the area. All the while I was growing up and into early adulthood I would visit Arcadia and I came to consider it my “home town National Park.” Because of my familiarity with the park and my unbridled love of the area I was very excited to take a trip with Rita and Alex and act as tour guide.
We booked a room at the Wonder View Inn on a bluff overlooking Frenchman’s Bay. The view of the bay was spectacular out the window with views of the bay and visiting cruise ships. A reasonable $150 per night provided a clean, comfortable moderate level accommodation.
You will most likely be flying into Bangor or driving up from Portland or southern New England. Either way you will be passing through the gateway city to the park Ellsworth, Maine. Ellsworth is a typical National Park border town with fast food restaurants, numerous mid-range brick and mortar restaurants, Walmart, etc. Stock up on needed supplies for picnics, hiking supplies and other sundry items before crossing over to Mount Desert Island the site of the park.
We drove up route one from our home in New Hampshire leaving early in the morning. Our first stop for lunch was in Camden, Maine. We drove up the auto road to the top of Mount Battie where we climbed the tower and had a pleasant lunch overlooking the harbor. Across the street from Mount Battie you will find the Camden Hills State Park with access to the bay.
One stop I highly recommend as an interesting diversion, especially if you are driving up on Route 1 from the south as we were, is the “Big Chicken Barn Books and Antiques.” It is exactly as the name implies an old chicken barn turned into an antique shop and used book store. The entire second floor of the barn is dedicated to magazines and books. It is a great way to spend an hour and pick up some treasures before embarking on your tour of the park.
After checking into the Inn we decided to get some dinner at the restaurant adjacent to the hotel. The Looking Glass Restaurant had the same spectacular view as the hotel room and being able to sit and enjoy dinner while watching the harbor made it all the more special. As we were waiting for our meal we saw the chef hop out to the garden and snip a few herbs, the resulting meal was exceptional.
The visitor center has several displays, a nice book store and a short film about Arcadia. There is a passport to the National Park stamp cancellation station here but Arcadia has a wealth of stamp locations at many sites around the park. I will make note of them in the body of the blog as we get to certain areas. From the visitor center take the Park Loop road; this is a one way road going along the coast with numerous pullouts and stops for sightseeing or hiking.
There is a small walk through botanical garden with local plants and a small visitor center with a unique passport cancellation station. Proceed out the back of the visitor center and a short walk will bring you to the Abbe Museum. There are some native American artifacts and some craft items for sale. Next up is the Precipice Trail. I have not done this trail for many years, not since I was much younger. It is less than a mile to the summit but it is literally straight up the side of a mountain. There are spaces where metal rungs are driven into the cliff face and narrow ledges and ladders in other places. My nephew and I did not have too much difficulty but when we got to the top and looked down we had second thoughts. We decided to take the gradual descent along a ridge line but the hike down was more than five miles. Be prepared and bring plenty of water but a great experience.
Next up is Sand Beach. As the name suggests it is a sandy beach area which is not easy to come by on the typically rocky coast of Maine. The water is Northern Maine cold! Thunder Hole is the next stop. There is a small gift shop with another unique cancellation station for your National Park passport. When the tide is right the surf comes crashing into a rock crevasse causing a loud thundering sound and a huge splash. If you catch this during a storm surge it can be really spectacular.
The Park Loop is a one way two lane road so if you see an interesting vantage point just stop, park and explore. My wife and I have a couple of private spaces where no one else goes where we can sit watch the surf and spend some time together.
Arcadia is well known for its carriage roads. This is a system of roads built by the philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. that is only for pedestrians, bicycles or horses. We booked a ride on a horse drawn carriage that took us up to the summit of one of the nearby hills. Great views and a romantic ride for couples and fun for the kids. Last on the itinerary is Cadillac Mountain. Take the auto road to the summit for the best views on the island. Another cancellation station is in the gift shop.
For dinner we went to the Jordan Pond House where you must order the popovers. These are airy puffy muffin like appetizers that are out of this world. The food is of good quality especially the seafood. Next up on the other side of the island, a short drive away, is the famous lighthouse.
The Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse is one of the most photographed in the country. To get the iconic photo, take the short trail from the parking lot and climb out onto the rocks looking back at the lighthouse.
After sleeping in for a few hours the next day we went to downtown Bar Harbor for a morning stroll.
I hear that there is another unique cancellation station in the downtown area but we did not find it. We booked a cruise on the Sea Princess going out to Little Cranberry Island in the afternoon so we stopped at the Downeast Deli and picked up some wonderful sandwiches, highly recommended. The cruise left from the opposite side of Mount Desert Island so we made our way to the dock in time for the 1:15 departure. The ranger led cruise sailed by seals sunning themselves and numerous Guillemots frolicking in the surf.
On Little Cranberry Island the ranger opened the doors to the small Islesford Historical Museum where there is another unique stamp location. A short walk brings you to the village and if you are lucky the one general store will be open and you can some freshly baked pastry.
The next day we stopped at the visitor center at the entrance to Mount Desert Island got another unique passport stamp and Alex received a special Junior Ranger badge from the nicer than nice ranger on duty.
We decided to take a family road trip to Killington, Vermont in early august was a perfect time to experience this winter resort area in the summertime. The trip did not start out as auspiciously as we would have liked… As with most trips that we take I started with a detailed itinerary of where we would go, what we would do and where we would stay. I pre-booked our Hotel and listed several attractions that we would see. After a pleasant drive from our New Hampshire home through southern Vermont we arrived at Rutland, Vermont our first destination. We found a parking garage near the town center and after several false steps made our way to a closed off street that was set aside for pedestrian traffic. This was a nice albeit small area with several food carts, some sit down restaurants and shops.
The first attraction that we wanted to see was the Wonderfeet Children’s Museum that we were taking Alex to. The “museum” turned out to be a glorified play area for toddlers with some Legos and a couple of toys. Obviously Alex was too old for this so we decided to head to the hotel so we could get some swimming in.
I did not have a lot of time to plan this trip so when I booked our hotel my only priority was that we had a pool for Alex to enjoy. We found our way to the Rodeway Inn in Rutland to check-in. To our dismay the pool was drained and overgrown. After some finagling with Expedia and the hotel manager we were able to cancel our booking and not incur any cancelation fee. It was now my job to find a last minute replacement so as not to completely ruin our trip. We ended up booking North Star Lodge and Resort on the road leading up to the Killington ski area.
The lodge was a little bit tired and dated but had extremely inexpensive summer rates and turned out just right for this trip. One unusual feature for our room on the fourth floor was that the elevator emptied directly into the lounge area also on the fourth floor. During the summer season the lounge was closed but it would have been uncomfortable going through a busy lounge with suitcases or swim clothes if it was open. The rooms were clean with refrigerator and microwave. There was a small game room on the third floor with several old video games (one broken) and an air hockey table.
The Mount Killington area itself has numerous summer activities for the entire family. You can purchase an Adventure Center day pass that gives access to activities such as alpine tubing, maze, paintball, zip line and the scenic lift to the summit of Killington Peak.
The cooler in the Mountains free summer concert series is also held each Saturday afternoon. Numerous events such as mountain bike races or Spartan races are scheduled throughout the summer.
A fun activity for young ones is the Mendon Mini Golf and Snack Bar in nearby Mendon, Vermont. Always fun for the kids and the young at heart Rita and Alex thoroughly enjoyed the 18 holes around and into the water hazards and obstacles.
As I was watching the family play golf I was noticing a steady stream of locals pull up to the snack bar for takeaway. We decided to sample the fare and were pleasantly surprised at the hand cut fries, great burgers and battered seafood.
You cannot go wrong with scenic drives in this area. We had a slightly drizzly day so decided to take a drive into the Green Mountains. The combination of mountain and rural scenery was wonderful with great picture taking opportunities at every turn.
We purposely drove to one covered bridge but saw two more by shear happenstance and all were very photogenic. In the same areas take advantage of iconic Vermont products by taking in the Vermont Marble Museum and visiting a maple syrup or artisan cheese manufacturer.
One must stop in the morning is the Sunup Bakery on the Killington Road. The best scone I ever ate (blueberry) and this is from someone who has eaten scones in England. Unfortunately we stopped here on the morning of our drive home and I will have to wait for a return trip to revisit this taste treat.
