Travel New England - Woodstock, Vermont

Woodstock is a charming town along US 4 in Central Vermont. Less than an hour's drive from Lebanon, New Hampshire and Dartmouth College or the ski areas of Killington, the town is considered by some as "The Prettiest Small Town in America." Woodstock is a blend of small shops, fine dining, inns, art galleries, rolling farmlands, and centuries old homesteads.

The Woodstock 'Town Crier' Bulletin Board adds to the town's New England charm.

Woodstock's town square, known as "The Green", is the centerpiece of the town. From May through October, it is home to a weekly farmer's market. Also, other events occur on The Green including an annual lobster dinner. The Woodstock Village Green is also home to a New England legend of a vampire's heart being burned and ashes buried on the Green. This and other legends throughout New England date to the New England Vampire Panic of the early 19th century.

Adding to its idealistic New England setting, Woodstock is also home to a covered bridge. The Middle Covered Bridge which carries Mountain Avenue over the Ottaquechee River was built in 1969. This rare "modern" town lattice covered bridge actually replaced an iron bridge which had stood since 1877. The Middle Bridge has been a survivor of two damaging events. The first event occurred in 1974 when arsonists set the bridge ablaze. The damage took three years and a cost of $55,000 to repair. More recently, the rains of Hurricane Irene damaged the Middle and other nearby bridges.

One of the interesting features of the Middle Bridge is the incorporated covered sidewalk that allows for spectacular views of the Ottaquechee River. In addition, something I found interesting is that both portals of the bridge are in different stains. The north portal is painted white; while the south portal consists of a more natural stain.

The town of around 3,000 people dates back to prior to the Revolutionary War. Chartered in 1761, Woodstock has transitioned from rural farming community to an early manufacturing town to the tourist destination that it is today.

Further Reading:

The Vermonter - The Historic Town of Woodstock, Vermont

Getting There:

Comments

Bleriot Ferry - Alberta

Alberta operates six ferries scattered throughout the province. Roughly twenty to twenty-five kilometers up the Red Deer River from the town of Drumheller is one of the most scenic ferry crossings in all of Wild Rose Country, the Bleriot Ferry. Using the North Dinosaur Trail (Alberta Highway 838, or AB 838), the Bleriot Ferry provides a scenic river cruise of sorts in the Canadian Badlands. The Bleriot Ferry started operating in 1913 as the Munson Ferry when a few bridges crossed the Red Deer River. The ferry was started by Andre Bleriot, the brother of famed early aviator Louis Bleriot, who became famous for being the first person to fly over the English Channel. At the time, the Alberta provincial government commissioned local residents to run the ferries. There were several ferries along the Red Deer River, and not only did they serve as vital transportation links, but they also served as local social hubs, since everyone had to take the ferries to go places. Over time, as the...

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l...

I-73/I-74 and NC Future Interstates Year in Review 2024

Welcome to another annual review of progress in constructing North Carolina's New and Future Interstate routes. While 2024 was not too exciting, with no new segments of major routes opening, there was 1 new interstate signing, another proposed new interstate route, and the near opening of a new segment for 2 routes. As tradition, I will start off with a review of what happened with I-73 and I-74 and then move on to the major news of the year about the other new and future routes. Work continued on the I-73/I-74 Rockingham Bypass through the year. The last few months have been hoping for news of its opening before 2025, without luck. Signs of its near completion included the placement of new signs, many with interstate shields uncovered, along the Bypass and intersecting roadways. For example, these went up along US 74 East: Overhead signage at Business 74 exit which contains the future ramp to I-73 North/I-74 West. Signage was also updated heading west on US 74 approaching the unop...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog