Sniffing around Bennington

We've had something that has looked and felt like a Spring day today.  With the Man off work, we celebrated by making a family trip to Bennington, VT.

Unfortunately we picked a season/day when some local attractions were closed, so we didn't go up the Battle Monument, and we didn't get to visit the Arts Center and Covered Bridge Museum.  However, the British fish 'n' chip shop was open, and we got to chow down on some excellent chips and, in the Girl's case, a couple of proper British bangers [sausages].  That's the second British food outlet we've sought out in less than a week - are we homesick or something?

Nicely full, we toured the town.  We liked the Bennington Bookshop.  As the Girl observed, it smelled like our attic back in Linton after we had a new carpet fitted and it suddenly became the room we all wanted to be in all the time.  The kids were also delighted by the Gamers Grotto, a busy, geeky gamers paradise, which it has to be said did not smell quite so lovely (slightly remniscent of the stinky old carpet we pulled up in our Linton bathroom - mm).


The Man adds...we discovered this stone near the monument. Time capsules always make me think of Blue Peter. I wonder what is in a time capsule from 1999?

Views of Vermont

It was great on the ski slopes this afternoon.  Cold, but not as bad as I'd feared because the sun took the edge off (and I was wearing my new, warm snowpants).  The snow was good - consistent and quite zippy.

I took my lesson as usual, and our class took the opportunity to do a new (to us) run.  For the first time in two years the left-side of the mountain was open for skiing, so our instructor took us down the very pretty tree-lined Shady Lane, leading to the steep, icey and nerve-wracking Look Out and then the White River Run.  I was glad to be following someone down - it gave me confidence (the kids, meanwhile, merrily skied down this route several times all by themselves apparently without a qualm).

Halfway down Shady Lane our instructor stopped us and pointed off into the distance.  We could make out a sort of spike - which turned out to be the Bennington Battle Monument.

To Bennington, Vermont

The Man took a day off work, so he was able to join my parents and me on a trip to Bennington, Vermont.

It took about an hour to get there.   We came across our first destination, the Bennington Museum, as we drove into the old town.  It's home to a large collection of engaging "American primitive" Grandma Moses paintings, various historical artifacts and a changing quilt exhibit (my mum was disappointed to find she had just missed the Jane Stickle quilt, which is rather famous in quilting circles).  There was an interesting temporary exhibition of bold paintings and etchings by Rockwell Kent, who had at one time lived in the area.

By then we were pretty hungry, so we took ourselves off to the South Street Cafe in town - a fun, funky sort of place, with its own exhibition of chickens painted on recycled window shutters.

We had a wander up and down the two intersecting streets of downtown.  It looks like the town is trying hard.  There are intriguing arty-crafty stores and eateries...but a few too many empty storefronts reveal that the community is struggling a bit.  However, the chocolate store seemed to be able to support a huge range of sweeties.  It also stocked genuine chocolate moose...

Next we headed up to see the 300 foot tall Bennington Battle Monument, and by good luck the sun decided to come out so we saw the best of the views all around (though the narrow windows at the top of the monument chopped those views - of three US states - into frustratingly small chunks).

We took a quick look in the Old First Church, and found Robert Frost's grave. 

Then we finally set off home, knowing that we'll have to come back - we've still to explore the promising-looking Bennington Arts Center, not to mention taste-test the Lil' Britain fish 'n' chip shop.

Seasoned travellers

Today has mostly been about heading home.

Our route was rather scenic - New Hampshire is pretty much all trees, we seemed to drive for miles through forest.  Over the border into Vermont, we detoured through Brattleboro, which looked like it might repay another visit some day.  Likewise I plan to return to Bennington (apart from anything else, the Lil' Britain fish and chip shop was closed today - ngg).  Between those two towns, here's a view taken during a brief stop on Hogback Mountain, VT.

From Bennington we were suddenly back in New York state, where we were reminded to turn our thoughts to autumn - pumpkins on sale at the sides of the road, and signs for those seasonal "mums".  And to think just a week ago here it was still full summer...

Then only an hour more in the car, and we were home.  Sad in a way - this has been one of our best ever family adventures - but there's also plenty to look forward to once the fall really gets underway.