Vermont, Massachusetts, New York
Aug. 11, 2019 - Aug. 17, 2019
Sunday we visited The Fort at No. 4. It is a reconstructed example of a British outpost, pre-revolutionary times. This one was originally built 275 years ago and was the northwesternmost village within the British colonies. They had several docents including 2 members of the Abenaki Indian tribe to answer questions. They also had an exhibit on how flax is turned into linen cloth. It was definitely worth the trip.
The rest of the day was spent finding bridges. Two very tall covered railroad bridges were first and then 5 stone bridges. The stone bridges are all civil engineering landmarks. They were built in the 1800's with only dry stacked stones. We drove across three of them so they are still functional! We also saw a section of old water pipe made from wood. Some of it still in service. Yes, we were in nerd heaven! And on the way home, I MAY have seen the south end of a north bound moose! I looked up from my phone to see the rear end of something large and dark disappear into the woods on the side of the road. I got Elard to stop near where I thought it disappeared, but it was long gone.
Monday we did drive #90 Mohawk Trail, from "the book". It was the Northwest corner of Massachusetts. We started the day at Turner Falls near Greenfield, MA. It is a dam with a salmon ladder from back in the 1930's I think. It was an impressive site. In May each year they open up the fish ladder to the public so you can watch the salmon spawning. Next we found a service station to fill up and allow me to cash in my winning MA lottery ticket! Woo hoo, $4.
We drove on Shelburne Falls, another dam on the Deerfield River. Back in 1928 the local garden club took over the derelict bridge and turned it into a thing of beauty. It was originally a trolley bridge but after the trolley company went bankrupt the bridge became overgrown until the ladies transformed it. It is truly beautiful. We strolled on down the river, stopping at a couple antique shops, to the dam at the falls. The river bed has these perfectly round "potholes" created by glaciers millennia ago. Kind of cool.
Further down the trail is the small town of Charlemont and a very cool statue of a Mohawk brave named "Hail to Sunrise".
We visited Whitcomb Summit next and one of the entrances to the Hoosac Tunnel. It is a five mile long railroad tunnel that took 25 years to build and was finished back in 1887. It is still in use and I really, really wanted a train to come thru while we were there. Alas, that did not happen. Standing at the opening of the tunnel was like standing in front of an air conditioning vent.
Further along the Mohawk Trail is "the Hairpin Turn". It is a 180 degree turn that has a restaurant and fantastic views. The final stop along the way was at Karen's Quilt Corner. Okay, that isn't really part of the drive but it is in Williamstown which is the end of the drive. I've decided that I really need my Bernina sewing machine to complete the leather quilt I'm working on as a raffle item for the International Student Foundation Gala in October. Since I won't be near my Bernina until November...that's not gonna work. So change in plans, I'm making a Texas State Flag quilt and "Karen" saved the day.
One of the interesting things in our travels has been the traffic signage. Here in New Hampshire, apparently the liquor stores are state owned. They give you plenty of signage to make sure you know where the stores are. We even saw a few signs letting you know how far away the next store is. Very helpful when you need to re-stock. In Tallahassee, we saw a diamond caution sign that said "Traffic Calming", aka speed bump ahead. In front of a school here in Vermont we saw a sign that said "Traffic Table", again it was a speed bump. In Cape Cod and here in Vermont we've seen diamond caution signs that say "Thickly Settled"...
Tuesday and Wednesday were both spent preparing the fabric for the new quilt plan and starting the quilt. I managed to get everything washed so it won't fade later, cut into strips, and got the red section pieced.
Thursday was moving day. We are now at Lake George Escape Campground in Lake George, New York. This park is huge and bordered by the Schroon River.
Friday I did a grocery run early because it is supposed to rain. I spent the afternoon watching episodes of The Profit and chilling out. Saturday we went for a nice walk around the RV park. There were a lot of folks out enjoying the river; floating, canoeing, fishing, and swimming. Spent the rest of the day getting the blog post ready and chilling out.
Make Life an Adventure!