A ten-minute uphill walk to this tower that mental patients were ordered to build for physical…read moreactivity/to alleviate their illnesses. Sadly, when it was done, many started jumping off the top to their deaths, so of course I had to visit and see what this was like. Parked in the ski slope Farm Retreat parking lot and walked to the trailhead across the street. Worth seeing and hiking up to the tower as it's so quick, though you can't enter the tower/climb up it. Visitors put wildflowers at the base of the tower by the sealed door which was so nice. 5 stars!!!!

Since it was a beautiful day out we decided to take a little hike during lunch and thought that the…read moreRetreat Tower would be the best spot to go. This was the first time we have hiked up to the tower and we have to say that we were not disappointed. The walk itself was fairly low impact and didn't take very long. Once we got to the top we enjoyed sitting by the tower while taking in the serenity of the wood. Overall it was a great experience and we would totally hike here again.

Only about 5 miles up the Rock River from the Dummerston Covered Bridge…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz/dummerston-covered-bridge-dummerston?hrid=Kg44A34bxHOkM6Vf8sTv0Q but Dover Road is a bit windy. I would not suggest this in in a Class A motorhome for sure. The bridge was built in the 1870s by an unknown builder and it went through extensive reconstruction and updates in 2010. The nearby marker reads, "The reconstructed bridge standing today differs only slightly from what engineers and historians believe was the original truss design... the lattice planks of the trusses are identical in dimension to those used in the original design, fifteen-feet by ten-and-three-quarter-inches by three-inches." The second nearby marker points out that "... [the bridge] is on a busy Class II road used by heavy emergency vehicles and school buses, and no convenient alternative routs are located nearby." The bridge carries Dover Road across the Rock River and has a length of 118 feet. It is a single lane bridge and has a clearance of 11 feet. Yes, my van fit easily. However there is no parking on either side of the bridge. I was able to pull slightly off the road to take pictures and no other traffic came by during that time. [Review 18448 overall - 48 in Vermont - 1970 of 2022.]

Fantastic hidden gem of a hiking trail with dramatic castle ruins steeped in local history and…read moreHAUNTED legend! It's beautiful- and eerie and spooky - especially in the moody fall weather. I love it so much I've been back twice on my visits to New England! The ruins are of the former castle and home to Madame Sherri - a costume designer from Paris that made a name for herself on Broadway. But what she was most known for was her wildly scandalous parties at the castle during the prohibition era! Sadly she eventually lost her fortune, the castle fell to ruins, and she passed away as a ward of the state. The spooky local legend says that if you stand on (or near) the stairs at midnight, a ghost (Mme Sherri?!!) comes and pushes you off!! This was such a popular legend that so many people would come stand on the stairs which sadly caused the top to collapse a few years ago and now you can't climb them at all. I only found out about all this bc I met a lovely local woman at one of my hotels that told me all about it! A fan of the Madame's, Anne Stokes, bought and cared for the entire estate and eventually gifted it to the Forest Society and eventually became the property of the Nature Conservancy who still maintains it thankfully! It's such a wonderful place! The entire protected area encompasses 513 acres and includes numerous trails around the ruins, as well as several ponds, a small brook, and bog lands full of wildlife. Just getting to the trail is quite the adventure - you're taken down eerie, rural New Hampshire backroads - not always the best maintained so be careful, especially with low clearance cars - it's pretty remote and I've never seen anyone else on the trails when visiting lol! The trail to the ruins is very short with hardly any elevation gain, but if you want a longer hike, the ruins trail joins up with the Anne Stokes loop and eventually with the much larger Wantastiquet - Monadnock Trail. There's a large gravel parking lot and lots of info signs at the trailhead with trail maps and info on all the history. Entrance is free but they do have QR codes for suggested donations of $5 to help maintain the ruins and property. There aren't any bathrooms that I could find so plan ahead.

I'm not sure exactly what it is about this spot but it's an awesome ruin of a bygone era sitting in…read morethe middle of nowhere. Anything stone has appeal to me and thus didn't disappoint. I traveled a bit later in fall than I'd hoped but it was a beautiful day and well worth the daytrip from CT. Parking is easy though limited. We arrived early snd also hiked part of the loop so turnover in the lot isn't always quick. Unfortunately there is graffiti marring the stone and the support for the staircase looks to be deteriorating . It's still awesome with a great backstory.

Harrisville is a beautiful little town in Southern New Hampshire that is so original that the…read moreentire town is listed as a National Historic Landmark. The town was built in the 1870's in a picturesque setting surrounded by ten lakes. The buildings are mostly old brick. There is a lovely old mill that now houses several shops. The library is tiny and sits right on the water. A small beach park has a playground, but is only open to residents. The general store that serves breakfast and lunch is the hub of the town. We took a driving tour of the scenic town and surrounding area. The fall foliage around the lakes is breathtaking. Harrisville has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. There are no fast food places, big box stores or gas stations. There is limited parking at the mill and general store. Many of the roads are narrow or gravel covered. Internet is intermittent, so a map is handy. People are friendly.

I loved exploring Harrisville this past weekend. Quite an interesting place to visit! I was able…read moreto download the audio walking tour to my phone, which added even more value to the historic sites. Not only did it provide information about the buildings but it was a mini history lesson, walking you through the happenings when the buildings were built or in operation. All the buildings seemed to be in good shape but some could use a fresh coat of paint. There were not a lot of people there, so it was really quiet and enjoyable. The views of the lake were phenomenal!

The home is immaculate, so well manicured, cared for, and lovingly maintained. Absolutely beautiful…read moreand nostalgic in a good way. The farm is a must visit. We enjoyed the sheep, chickens, bunnies. The staff was wonderful and very informative. Highly recommend a visit here.

Cool museum, I did the one hour tour and really enjoyed the history; it was engaging and…read moreeducational. There's a lot to see on the property, one could easily spend 4 hours here.

Oodles of Colonial history here, plus (best of all) a Spartan/charming New England graveyard next…read moreto the old Congregationalist meeting house Please be sure to leave a donation to help preserve both the early Georgian edifice and the beautifully preserved grounds for posterity.

Old time New England religion…read more You can almost picture the congregation singing hymns and fuguing tunes by the likes of Billings. Old meeting house from the late 18th century with many original elements preserved. Very interesting and its spare decoration makes for some neat structural photography. Helpful volunteer was staffing during my visit. Free, but please give them a donation - they have much more work to do. Nice old churchyard to visit as well.

Beautiful town square and gorgeous Historical Society Museum, in an extremely involved community…read morethat puts effort, love, fun, and interest into every single one of it's events.

Visited during the Courier and Ives Cookie Tour in December. Nicely decorated for Christmas with…read morethe real Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus! Our host was very pleasant and we toured the upstairs and downstairs at our own leisure. There were quite nice displays in each room that told a nice story.

This marker points out this historic home in Wilmington. It reads, "The Norton House. circa late…read more1700's, one of the oldest houses left in town, was originally built on Lisle Hill in the first town of Wilmington. It was moved to its present site by ox cart in the 1830's." In 1967, The Norton House opened as "A Quilter's Paradise" to sell fabrics and related quilting supplies, and items used for wool applique projects. The store also sells a bunch of jigsaw puzzles. There does not seem to be much more recent or historical information. This stretch of Wilmington is focused on the tourist trade. There is limited parking along the way. [Review 18449 overall - 49 in Vermont - 1971 of 2022.]