Vermont – Home of Freedom and Unity

After a wonderful weekend in Boston, we headed north by rental car toward Killington, Vermont, less than three hours away. I'm always surprised how close together everything seems in the east compared to the west, and how cities actually end and are surrounded by countryside. It didn’t take long for us to leave the bustle of Boston, and find ourselves surrounded by beautiful forests that became more and more colorful as we headed north.

Off-roading in Vermont

We traveled on Interstates 93 and 89, through the southwestern corner of New Hampshire (Live Free or Die), and then into Vermont (Freedom and Unity). The slightest enticement—cemeteries, charming towns, vistas, colorful leaves, a winding road—was all we needed to pull over and explore. Our destination was The Vermont Inn, located mid-state off Highway 4 between Killington and Rutland, at the southern end of the Green Mountains, running like a backbone through the state. Remember Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys?

Freshly cut field

The American illustrator, Norman Rockwell, had a studio in the area, and one of my grandfather’s younger brothers was born nearby. From this central location, we headed out on day trips to explore the state where my paternal grandfather grew up, and where he returned with my grandmother for three happy years on the farm.

Seed pod

Vermont is tiny, by western standards, so you really can go exploring all day at a relaxed pace, and make it back to the inn for a great meal and cozy evening. We spent a whole day driving north on the historic Highway 100 to Newport, close to the Canadian border. Another day we drove south on Highway 7 to visit Hildene House, the summer estate of Abraham Lincoln’s son, Robert Todd Lincoln. Another day we visited as many covered bridges as we could find, and spent time at the magnificent Quechee Gorge.

Covered bridge in Taftville, Vermont

The weather was perfect for most of the week – warm and temperate by day, with cool temperatures at night. We loved the farm-to-table cuisine, the rolling hills, the forests, and the people. To top it off, our leaf peeping was superb!

Quechee Gorge from the bridge