The Green Mountain State

Yesterday, I finished up my time in New England with some scenic driving in Vermont.  In the early morning, I crossed through the snow-covered fields and frost-covered woods of the Connecticut River Valley enroute to Chester Arthur State Historic Site.  The actual site of the 21st president's birth is a bit of a mystery, but this site is as good as guess as any.  It is a reconstructed parsonage in the mountains northeast of Fairfield, the town where his family lived while his father was a minister.  The museum was closed but I could read some of the panels by peeking through the window.  I also found a short trail to walk that wound through the snowy woods.

I spent most of the afternoon around Lake Champlain.  Coming out of the mountains, I lost the snow and the scene became somewhat dreary.  I stopped at St. Anne shrine on one of the islands in the lake.

I didn't intend to go to the Ben & Jerry's Factory, but was in the right place at the right time to join the last tour of the day.  It was a pretty good way to spend $3.

I went a little bit out of my way to visit the town of Middlebury, another recommendation from my hosts.   It is a quintessential New England hamlet, with cute white churches, historic inns, and a small college.  It was dark when I arrived and many of the buildings especially the inn on the town square glowed with Christmas lights.   I had dinner at a wonderful tavern and then began the long drive back to Manchester, made 25% longer by an inconvenient road closure.