Saturday, June 4th, 2022 … Two Lane Adventures Continue!

Today our travel will take us from New York to Vermont. We departed Back Barn Brewing on US 20E. We passed the Tomhannock Reservoir. It is water source for the city of Troy. A man-made reservoir that is 6 miles long, and holds 12.3 billion gallons of water when full. I hope there is a purification plant, because the one end of it looked pretty green! We took I-87N to by-pass Albany. We got off at US 7E in Troy. I have blogged about Troy before, as I spent many years here with my military service in the 42^nd Infantry Division HQ.

Coming into Hoosick, the Old Hoosick Tavern certainly has a unique means of advertising! I guess unique advertising is not enough, the tavern is permanently closed. What a shame to let a beautiful bus go to waste!

Wow, what you see as you drive by! The Big Moose Deli and Country Store is one of those unique roadside stops! It is an interesting visit, there is a lot to see when wandering through the store.

Wow, they have a second building! They sell food, drinks, and a wide array of souvenirs. There is also a roadside marker noting that Chester A. Arthur, America's 21st President, lived in the Hoosick area around the 1850s.

This sign says it all. We certainly need more of this in our lives!

We crossed the NY / VT border. Vermont is known for its natural landscape, which is primarily forested. Part of the New England region, it's also known for being home to more than 100 19th-century covered wooden bridges, and as a major producer of maple syrup.

The Green Mountain National Forest is located in southwestern and central Vermont. This Forest is a four season recreation experience. The most popular season is autumn when the mountains are ablaze with color. The Forest's diverse landscapes range from the rugged, exposed heights of the Green Mountains to the quiet, secluded hollows in the Wilderness. The Forest is within a day’s drive of 70 million people. Today, the nearly 400,000-acre Green Mountain National Forest contains more than 2000 archaeological and historic sites spanning the history of Vermont. Of interest are Native American sites, the remains of colonial-era subsistence farmsteads, and evidence of the technologies of the industrial period. Other sites include the roads, structures and facilities built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's. And one of the most sought-after sights within the Green Mountain National Forest is the majestic moose.

I almost missed this picture, but I grabbed it out the drivers window. When I saw Yankee, I knew I had to get the shot! There are 2 barns on RT 7 formerly used as retail known as Yankee Vineyard and Danby Marble. It’s closed and for sale now. That was all I could find out about it!

In Wallingford Vermont, there are many historic places – the Paul P Harris building is just one of them. In this brick building, constructed by his great-grandfather in 1818, Paul P. Harris attended school as a youth and received his elementary education. Many years later, Mr. Harris expressed the conviction that it was during his boyhood in Wallingford that he learned the basic ideals which became the cornerstones of Rotary International; destined to become a World-wide service organization. This former schoolhouse is now maintained as a Memorial to Paul P. Harris by Wallingford Rotary.

Look, I found a purple house! Yeah, my favorite color! In this historic town a brave soul painted their homes this bright and beautiful color.

The first priest stationed in Rutland, Vermont, was Fr Charles Boylan, who took in hand the project of establishing and building our present church in Wallingford. In 1864, a building site was purchased from IB Munson, and the church was designed by architect PC Kieley, who also designed St Bridget's in West Rutland, St Peter's in Rutland, and the cathedral in Burlington. Stone to build the Wallingford church was quarried locally at a cost of $8,888. The cornerstone was laid in May 1865. On 2 September 1866, the church was blessed and named for its patron, St Patrick. 

The parish at that time included Wallingford, Danby and Dorset. Rev Thomas O’Donoghue became Wallingford’s first resident priest in 1910.  In 1954, the outdoor shrine to Our Lady of Knock, the first of its kind outside Ireland, was dedicated by Bishop Ryan. Sadly, on 30 December 2007, St Mary church in Mount Holly, which had been a mission of St Patrick's, burned down. The decision was made not to rebuild St. Mary's but to combine it with St. Patrick's. The same year, Holy Trinity church of Danby was also combined with St. Patrick’s, and St. Patrick’s was placed under Christ The King, Rutland. The sanctuary at St. Patrick’s was rearranged by installing the altar from Holy Trinity. St. Patrick’s is a vibrant, lively parish filled with the Holy Spirit, as it was when it first opened on 2 September 1866.

HeARTS of Rutledge VT, was a street art project about celebrating our people and pride in everything the region has to offer.  The project had a series of talented local artists paint 4-foot fiberglass hearts that were on display in Rutland and the region through the fall.  After the public displays there was a live auction of the hearts at the Paramount Theatre in Downtown Rutland.  Profits benefited victims of disaster in the Rutland Region and children’s art education.  This project was a community partnership organized under the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Southern Vermont with support from Downtown Rutland Partnership, Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce, Rutland Economic Development Corp. This was the only remaining heart I could find, near the exit of McDonalds.

Killington is a town in the Green Mountains of central Vermont. It’s known for the Killington and Pico Mountain downhill ski resorts. The area’s many hiking paths include the Thundering Falls Trail, which leads to a tumbling cascade. The long-distance Appalachian and Long trails both cut through the town. West of Killington, old-growth hardwood trees, including sugar maples and beeches, fill Gifford Woods State Park.

Woodstock, Vermont was chartered in 1761, 15 years before the United States of America signed the Declaration of Independence. Later designated as the Shire Town of Windsor County in 1786, Woodstock became a hub for entrepreneurs, appealing to some of Vermont’s earliest manufacturers, craftsmen, and artisans, and quickly became one of the largest towns in the state. The advent of large mills and factories in the mid-1800s drove out small manufacturers, forcing Woodstock’s industry and residents to look elsewhere. Its population steadily declined, but as railway construction caught up with the competitive manufacturing industry, it enabled Woodstock to connect to larger, urban hubs and reinvent itself as a tourist destination. Today, Woodstock continues to honor its heritage in artisan culture and tourism, celebrating its historic American charm, outdoor recreation, boutique shopping, farm-fresh dining, and a thriving community of artists, makers, and local tradespeople with those who are inspired to discover the wonderful treasures of Woodstock, Vermont.

We saw two covered bridges, there are many in Vermont, just not on the route we took!

We arrived at Quechee Pine Valley KOA, our home for the night. On Gail’s suggestion, we are going to check out the Quechee River Gorge, after we get settled!

The land on which the Quechee State Park is located was originally owned by the AG Dewey Company, a major wool processor in the 19th century. Mr. Dewey settled in the Quechee area around 1869, establishing a woolen mill. The Dewey Company was a very successful processor of wool and employed as many as 500 people, many in the mill village.

Water from falls and the mill pond just above the gorge were used to power the facility. Numerous machinery and product inventions were created here, including Sheep’s Grey and Dewey’s Gray which was trademarked in 1875. Both types of wool were known for general excellence throughout the country and became the standard fabric for roller coverings in cotton mills. By 1936 this was the oldest mill in the country making shoddy. Some of the material was used to make baseball uniforms for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, and blankets for the US Army and Navy. The mill was closed in 1952, and relocated to Enfield, New Hampshire. Over the next several years, nearly all of the mill houses and buildings were demolished. Remains of mill and dam can still be seen at the head of the gorge.

The park had its beginnings almost immediately after the mill closed. That same year the US Army Corps of Engineers began taking land in the area as part of a large flood control plan, which included the construction of the North Hartland Dam. Construction of the campground and picnic areas began later, in the spring of 1962. In 1965, the State of Vermont leased the park from the Army Corps and turned over the management and operations of the property to the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. Today, the park campground is located in what used to be the mill’s recreation area. The area that is now the park’s play field contained a skeet range, baseball diamond and picnic area. All that remains of this past activity are a few foundations of fireplaces and pieces of broken clay pigeons.

Quechee Gorge is known as "Vermont’s Little Grand Canyon.” This is the second “Grand Canyon” we have seen on this trip! We first stopped on the bridge to see the beautiful vistas above the Ottauquechee River.

We then took the walking trail to the base of the gorge along the mile-long chasm. The Ottauquechee River flows through the bottom of the gorge and is a popular swimming area. 

If we had known, we could venture in … Sheryl and I might have worn our suits and brought our water shoes! Gary walked with us, but Charlie waited on a bench near the bridge.

Then we walked back to Charlie and we all walked to the head of the falls. 

I don’t think any of us were prepared for the beauty that we saw! The gorge is 165 feet deep and is the deepest gorge in Vermont. The original trestle was replaced first by a wooden arch bridge, then in 1911 by one made of steel. At one time the 163-foot high structure may have been the highest railroad bridge in New England.

We shopped at the Quechee Gorge Gifts and Sportswear, one of Vermont’s oldest premier, family-owned, and operated gift shop. I had to get a sticker for the RV and Charlie found a warm vest to wear, as we move further north! And we took some fun pictures!

A great day with great friends! Looking forward to our next stop, at Larry & Gail’s in New Hampshire!

Stay tuned for the next leg of our Two Lane Adventures!