Scenes from Central and Eastern Vermont
We did a four-mile hike at Little River State Park in Waterbury, Vt., which featured the remains of an 1800s farming community. For the most part, all that was left of the town were cellars, …
Category: History
Architecture / Art / History / Museums
The Shelburne Museum, Part 2
Continuing on with our tour of the crazy-fabulous Shelburne Museum (see here for Part 1), we came up the Pet Friendly The Art of Stephen Huneck exhibit. As we walked in I thought, “something about …
The Shelburne Museum, Part 1
The Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vt., almost defies description. It is certainly not what you’d expect in the traditional sense of a “museum.” Electra Havemeyer Webb (1888-1960) was a pioneering collector of American folk art. …
Scenes from Western Vermont
Wilson Alwyn Bentley (1865–1931) was an American farmer known for his photography, but not of the usual subjects. Instead, he was the first person to take detailed photographs of snowflakes and record their features. He …
“Sun to Cheese” Tour at Shelburne Farms
Doug and I did a two-hour “Sun to Cheese” tour at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, Vt. The idea behind the tour is that they show you the process of making their cheddar cheese: growing the …
Wilson Castle
Wilson Castle is truly a castle in Vermont –– it has a turret and a parapet and a coat of arms –– but the structure today is a shell of its former self. Traces of …
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A Few Sites along the Mid-New York State Hudson River
While in Vermont we saw an exhibition of famed American folk-artist “Grandma Moses” at the Bennington Museum. Later, we stopped in at the gallery of her great-grandson, Will Moses. His Mt. Nebo Gallery and studio …
The 1777 Battles of Saratoga
We spent a couple of hours exploring the Saratoga National Historical Park, which preserves the history of the Battles of Saratoga in 1777. Saratoga was the site of the first significant American military victory of …
Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home
Hildene bill itself as “the Lincoln Family Home” – no, not that Lincoln, but his eldest son, Robert Todd Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, and this home in Manchester, Vt., wasn’t even built …
On the Trail of Benedict Arnold
Unintentionally, our travels this year have taken us to several locations where America’s most famous traitor (I’m referring to Benedict Arnold) showed the duality of his personality as a hero and as a villain. Born …