Final days

We have not added to the blog in a few days so let me bring you up to date.  Sunday was a great day!  The weather was perfect (mid 70s) and the colors were still at their peak.  It was wonderful that Kathleen could see the trees and the mountains with us.  While she does have a very nice park near her apartment, I think this was better.   We were able to watch the Packer game in the campsite before making dinner on the camp stove.  We had a fire and made s'mores before going into the clam to watch a Hallmark movie, "An Autumn Kiss".  Spoiler alert: the young widower and the nanny, who the kids love, do get together in the end.

But alas, all good things must come to an end.  We drove Kathleen to Albany so she could catch the train back to NYC and made a brief stop at the Schuyler Mansion (Hamilton).  Cathy and I continued on our way.  We spent the night in Erie, PA and made it home the next day.

We are truly grateful.  The trip was wonderful.  The camper, the car and the new clam all performed better than expected.  We only had rain three times in 17 days.  We'll be setting up the camper and clam in GB to let them dry out.

So after 17 days, the creation of countless memories, almost 3500 miles, having survived the traffic in Newark and Chicago, we are home feeling blessed.  Thanks for letting us share this journey with you.

Ken and Cathy

Last evening in Vermont

                                  

   

 

 

Bennington

     BENNINGTON

Saturday was another sunny and warm day in Vermont.  Cathy and I "wandered" down to Albany, New York which is only 34 miles away and picked up Kathleen who took a 2.5 hour train ride so she could join us for the weekend. 

Our first stop after retuning to our current home was to an Octoberfest event in Bennington.  After some food and a hayride we made our way to our next stop, the Grave of Robert Frost.

Just down the street from the cemetery is the Bennington Museum.  The museum is the permanent home to a number of Grandma Moses paintings.  She grew up and lived most of her life in this area.  She died at the age of 101.

Just up the road a mile or two was the 306 feet tall obelisk, built by hand, commemorating the Battle of Bennington where the Americans, aided by the "Green Mountain Boys" turned away the British.

Also nearby are three wooden, covered bridges.  All three are still in use.  We toured all three and still had time to make it to 4:00 Mass at Sacred Heart / St. Francis DeSalles.  

It's great having Kathleen with us.  

   

 

 

  

Barre and Weston

 BARRE AND WESTON VERMONT

We continued our wandering about Vermont today with an unusual stop.  We went to Barre, VT to visit the "Rock of Ages" quarry and monument company.  This massive operation quarries granite and creates monuments (head stones) and huge park size monuments for various municipalities and states.  Rock of Ages even floated the idea of granite bowling alleys but the idea never caught on but it didn't stop Cathy from giving it a try on one of the last remaining alleys which is on the company's grounds.(photo below).

We took a side trip to Hope Cemetery in Barre to view the many unique monuments pictured below.

Our second and last stop of the day was in a small Vermont town named Weston.  It's pretty much in the middle of nowhere and offers tourists Vermont maple syrup, Christmas decorations, homemade candy, nuts and various gift items.  

The color here is spectacular.  The TV news said today that this area is now at it's peak. 

Outside Rock of Ages Company

Massive Granite Quarry

Cathy on a granite bowling lane


Below are some of the unique memorials at Hope Cemetery

Wandering Around Vermont

WANDERING AROUND VERMONT

Last night was a good test of our camper.  Temps went down to 39 degrees!  We had an electric heater and slept wonderfully!

We left the campsite today for a road trip.  We wandered up to Burlington.  Wandering is what you do on Vermont state highways.  Sure, they have speed limits but they aren't really necessary.  I believe they have a volunteer band of senior citizens that have all taken a pledge to drive 5 miles an hour UNDER the speed limit.  Most roads are one lane and swerve around the mountains.  It's a very effective tool.

Our first and most surprising stop of the day was at the tiny Norman Rockwell exhibit in Arlington, VT.  The exhibit of many of Rockwell's prints was in a room not much bigger than a large living room.  It was in this room that we met Donald Fischer.  If you don't recognize his name it's ok.  We didn't either.   Don is the young man who modeled for Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post's cover of the young man going off to college.  We purchased a copy of the print ($15) and Don signed it for us.  He was a wealth of knowledge of Norman Rockwell.  He knew all of the people that Rockwell drew during his years in Arlington.  "Well, sure I knew everybody.  It's a small town".  

Our new friend also told us how to find Rockwell's house which is pictured below.  The red wooden bridge leads right to his front door.  There is nothing in the tour books about it nor are there signs to lead you there.  Thanks Don!

The next stop on today's tour was at the Chocolatier, just a few miles away.  It features a one hundred pound hollow chocolate bear.  

We moved on to the Maple Syrup Museum.  We stayed just long enough to take our picture in front of this huge maple syrup jug.  This is what you do when you're on the road.    

Maple Syrup Is A BIG Thing
In Vermont!

Norman Rockwell's home

Wooden bridge leading to Rockwell's home

Don is on the right
Click to enlarge

Our new friend Donald Fisher

A 100 pound stocking stuffer

Vermont

                  VERMONT
Today was moving day.  We packed up our wet camper and wet clam and moved from Mount Pocono, PA to Woodford, Vermont.  Woodford is just outside of Bennington.  The camper and clam once again went up like a dream.  This has to be the prettiest campsite we have ever been to.  Judge for yourself.

Ken and Cathy.

The view from our camper in Vermont

Really?  This is how you
Grow Christmas Trees?

Vermont

Rain, Rain go away

We have been extremely fortunate with the weather here.....until today.  The heavens have opened up here in Eastern Pennsylvania but we tried to make the most of it.  We started the day by peeling the left over apples and putting them into the crockpot to make apple sauce.  The rain was too hard and the wind too strong to comfortably sit in the camper or the clam so we headed into town for lunch and a movie.  We had to be the oldest family at the new Lego movie, Saving Ninjago.  By the time the movie was over, the sun had come out.   Cathy had prepared Kathleen's favorite meal, roast with potatoes and carrots which we finished just in time for her to catch her 7:00 pm bus to NYC.

Tomorrow we head to Vermont.

Go Cubs!
Ken and Cathy

Stars of the new Lego movie

Ahh.. Roast!

Saying good bye to Kahtleen at the Mount
Pocono Bus Terminal

Sunday in the Poconos

It is great having Kathleen with us but the weather was overcast on Sunday so we took a short drive to the American Candle Factory.  We decided that this huge candle and gift shop was something we could ALL enjoy.  

Afterward we decided to go apple picking.  When was the last time you picked an apple?  We returned to the campsite in time to peel the apples and turn them into an apple crisp.  It made for a wonderful desert after our Chili John's that we ate during the Packer game.  The day was topped off by our last campfire in the Poconos.

Life is indeed good.

American Candle Factory

Kathleen's at the apple farm