White River Junction to Weston

Today had a lot packed into a short period of travel.  We left White River Junction on the Vermont/New Hampshire border and traveled four miles to Quechee Gorge.  We spent the next several hours in the gorge and the nearby  quaint little community.

At the bottom of the Quechee Gorge looking back toward the highway bridge which is 165' up

Looking down stream from the bridge.  The first photo was taken at the point where the water is last seen in the distance.  The river makes a turn to the left and this is where I was standing.

The Dewey hydro plant and dam just upstream from the bridge

We first hiked to the bottom of Quechee Gorge and then back out.  It was a short trail, but very steep on the way back up.  We were then back in the car for a 2 mile drive into the center of the community to the covered bridge, dam, and Simon Pearce restaurant and glass blowing industry.  His business is housed in the hydro-electric building and a generator is still running in the basement of the building.  We watched the craftsmen blow and shape magnificent works of art from glass.  We would have loved to have brought home on of the glass pumpkins, but the cost was prohibitive.  We started to leave and had gotten into the car when we decided to eat lunch in the restaurant.  We were afraid of not having enough time to do all the things we wanted, but the opportunity to eat in this beautiful venue will probably never come along again.  We were seated looking out over the dam with the water pouring over.  This area was devastated in August of 2011 by Hurricane Irene.  In fact the water level was only 3' under where we were sitting at the time of the flood.

The dam in Quechee.  You can see the restaurant from Simon Pearce extending out over the water on the right hand side of the photo.  The water was 3' under this projection in the flood of 2011.  This is where we had lunch today.  Best meal we have had since leaving the Kaltenbaughs in Nescopeck, PA.

Some of the glass pumpkins created in the glass blowing area in the basement.

The view of the dam from inside the restaurant

We left Quechee and traveled to the Taftsville covered bridge.  Again there is a dam producing hydro-electric power just above the bridge.  This was a beautiful bridge.  We took the road north to the Sugarbush Farm which makes maple syrup and sells cheese.  This was formerly a dairy and sells the cheese made by the company to whom they sold their milk.  There were four varieties of maple syrup and this depends on the stage in which the sap is collected.  There is a very short window of sap collection.  The day must be warm and have freezing temperature at night.  This allows the sap to come up part way, but not all the way to the leaves.  It takes 40 gallon of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup.  The process is similar to cooking off molasses and we talked with the family about the process.  This area may receive ten feet or more of snow during the winter and the sap is collected using horses pulling a sleigh with a collection barrel mounted.  It is a different way of life.  Super friendly folks on the farm.

The Taftsville covered bridge near Woodstock, VT

We left and took the back road into Woodstock, Vermont going by the Billings-Rockefeller farm and museum.  The museum was closed due to the government shutdown.  Another casualty.  We traveled into Woodstock and saw another covered bridge.  Beautiful old building and we tried some maple walnut ice cream.  Very good, but it doesn't surpass good ole strawberry.

Church in Woodstock, VT.  I am convinced this steeple is leaning.

The Woodstock Pharmacy.  This one has an ad for Kodak cameras and film.  Most of the building were built in the 1800's.

Nice little basement ice cream shop on Main Street in Woodstock.

From Woodstock we make a 20 mile drive to Plymouth Notch.  What a gorgeous drive!  We drove along a river which was flowing swiftly over rocks with the sun shinning and the maple trees strutting their glory.


Plymouth Notch was the home of Calvin Coolidge who was president of the United States in the late 1920's.  A Republican and a seemly down-to-earth individual.  The furniture is all authentic and the actual pieces from his home.  The bed upon which he was born is on display.  The Bible used for his swearing-in is on the table with the kerosene lamp which was used as the only light that night is on the parlor table.  Coolidge was the Vice-President for Warren Harding.  Harding took pneumonia and died.  Word reached Coolidge at 2am when he was in Plymouth for a short vacation.  There were no phones or electricity and Coolidge's father awakened him.  John Coolidge was a local justice of the peace or judge and he swore Calvin into office.  Calvin went back to bed, but got up the next day and returned to Washington.  The Supreme Court couldn't decide if the swearing in was legal so they did it again.  John Coolidge was asked why he thought he could perform the swearing-in and he replied, "Nobody told me I couldn't."  The state of Vermont recongnizes the John Coolidge swearing, but I'm not sure about others.  Plymouth Notch is a magnificent place.

The home of John Coolidge.  Calvin moved to this home when he was four.  He lived previously just across the street.  This is the home where he was sworn in as President of the United States.  When he became president, he had an addition built on with indoor plumbing and electricity.  His father did not want any part of this new stuff.

The Bible and lamp on the parlor table used in the swearing in by Calvin's father just after 2:30 in the morning.

Main street in Plymouth Notch.  The workshop and church are on the right.  The family home is on the left behind the maple tree.  In the distance just past the church is the small home where Calvin was born.

Inside the church.  The flag marks the second pew as the one used by Calvin Coolidge and his family.

While president, Calvin's 16 year old son wore a blister on his heel playing tennis at the White House.  This became infected and he died.  Calvin became despondent and he came back to Plymouth Notch to heal.  He established a "second White House" in the dance hall over the post office. Fourteen secret service agents were in town.  They slept in tents around the area.  The post office clerk was paid on commission and normally made $50 per month.  While Coolidge was in town her salary jumped to $1500 per month.  He did chores on the farm including using a pitch fork to move hay.  Can you imagine our president using a pitch fork to do chores?

We drove on down to Weston to stay at "The Inn at Weston" which is a bed and breakfast.  We have never stayed in B&B and it is a unique experience.  There is no cell service available.  The internet comes and goes and so I am writing at 11pm trying to write down my thoughts.  There is the promise of a great breakfast in the morning.  The only restaurant in town is the one at the Inn and so we were compelled to eat there tonight.  There was live music and white table clothes.  Connie kept wanting the piano player to play "Great Balls of Fire" and it might have livened up the folks a little.  No TV in the room and it is a little strange to sit in the parlor with people you don't know (and have trouble understanding) and watch the community TV.

It has been a nice day with beautiful weather, nice sights, interesting and friendly people, and continued safe travel.  We are now a little over 2,100 miles.

Tomorrow we plan to make our way on down through Vermont to Bennington and then turn west and travel through Albany, NY on our way to Cooperstown.