The Little Red Schoolhouse, built in 1817, was the boyhood school of Paul Harris, founder of…read moreRotary International. A small edifice made of red brick with a skyscraper of importance. It is a genesis and source of the 1.2 million organization of 35,000 clubs throughout 200 countries around the world. Paul Harris lived two doors down in a beautiful colonial home. But this was one of his homes, the other one being in Racine WI. The schoolhouse became the site of the Wallingford Rotary Club. Decades later, the building was transferred to the Rotary District. While the inside is a historical treasure, the memorial gardens outside are amazing. It is a beautiful historical site.

The Old Round Church is worth a side trip if you happen to be in the area. Richmond is a very nice…read moreold New England town. It is pretty lively for how small it is. We went in winter and it was beautiful with snow and ice everywhere, but I believe it would be equally pretty when it's warmer and one could wander about a bit more. There is a pretty library nearby as well and a nice truss bridge. It is closed in winter (after October?) so we'll have to back for a better look.

The Old Round Church in Richmond is a scenic spot for a wedding-- and everyone seems to know it…read more In the summer, if you drive through Richmond between 10am and 4pm you will nearly always see vestiges of wedding. Because the Church is not a practicing church (there are no weekly services) they do as many as three weddings there a day on Saturdays and Sundays May-October. The up side of this is that your date is unlikely to be fully blocked out. The down side to this is that you have little buffer on either side of the ceremony to decorate and un-decorate the building. The inside of the church is well-restored and if you're into a super-new-england-yankee aesthetic, you're in for a treat. It's unique inside and out and the views of the surrounding mountains outside add to the ambiance. Another tiny set-back (but not enough to knock a star off in my opinion, there are too many great things about the space) is that those Yankee Protestants of the early 1800s were by an large a lot smaller than we are today, so the pews can be a little tight for larger (or pregnant) guests. Also, it's BYO - officiant-- so you can have the scenic, yankee, vermonty setting in a church and you can have your ceremony be any denomination you want...or none. Fab.

Blow-Me-Down-Farms National Park for the Arts is a wonderful new initiative in the Upper…read moreConnecticut Valley, uniting the land and building infrastructure resources of the Saint Gaudens National Historic Park, with the artistic and immeasurable talent of Opera North, a non-profit performing arts organization in Lebanon, NH since 1984. If you're aware of the works and legacy of Augustus Saint Gauden, you may remember that it was Charles Beaman, a New York City lawyer and patron of the arts, whose friendship with Saint Gauden brought the artist to Cornish in 1885. The farm, dating to the 1770s, was bought by Beaman in 1882 and renamed Blow-Me-Down Farm after the nearby brook. Beaman immediately began building his "Blowmedown" cottage, a three story barn, and continually improved the farm adding several buildings and houses. He developed orchards and gardens and had considerable livestock. He also bought the land to the east that is now the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. Beaman leased this property to Augustus Saint-Gaudens and his family, who came to Cornish for the first time in 1885 at Beaman's invitation. Beaman's real estate investments and his work attracting artists to the area was key to the creation of the Cornish Art Colony. The Blow-Me-Down Farm property was eventually purchased by the Saint-Gaudens Memorial, a non-profit operating partner of the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. In 2010 the 42.6-acre Blow-Me-Down Farm was transferred to the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. A local farmer grows corn and hays the fields. The performing arts center has a large circus tent and ample grounds for both indoor and outdoor concerts. While the original farmstead and original auxiliary buildings are being totally renovated, the place serves as both a historic place and a concert venue. We went there for one of their concerts under their relationship with Opera North and the National Park Service. Havana Nights was a superb mix of orchestral music and both, variety skits and circus acts of immense quality. Musical works of Bizet, Lecuona, Bernstein. Valdés and Rodrigo were followed by stupendously performed parts of Man of La Mancha. It was an afternoon to remember. The New Hampshire/Vermont Upper Valley. Is no stranger to culture, with an Ivy League university, several colleges nearby, and one of the most educated populations in the nation. The addition of the Summerfest is just more icing on the cake for this beautiful area's cultural heritage

Amazing place for kids and adults alike. Kids can play with this from past generations while older…read morefolks can see stuff from their childhood and before. We appreciate everything the Ice House Museum does for the community.

Outstanding collection of antique cars, paraphernalia, and kitschy retro toys and promotional items…read morehaving to do with various modes of transportation and industry through the ages. Meticulously arranged compound of vintage vehicles, machinery, accessories, signage, appliances, and so much more. This is an ideal place whether you tinker or just appreciate the ingenuity of how things used to work. So many of these old utilitarian items are also works of art unto themselves. Eager volunteers will tell you more about everything on display. A charming and truly impressive garage gallery with interesting and quirky things to admire for all ages. Hidden gem.

Easy little hike to the tower and the payoff is nice and peaceful. Great for kids and dogs.read more

Cool little park with an easy walk/hike up to the historic Ethan Allen Tower. It's pretty easy to…read moreget up to the top of the tower and has a great view once you're there!

Vermont's most peaceful spot: stunning grounds, drive into forest for more history. Friendly staff…read moreshared Joseph Smith's upbringing story. Ideal for history, quiet reflection, nature's beauty.

I'm not an LDS member and I don't know a whole lot about their Church, but I was passing through…read moreand decided that I'd like to see the largest polished granite shaft in the world. So here it is, a total of 50 feet tall with the stone obelisk itself at 38.5 feet (one for each year of Smith's life). It is a beautiful facility and the stone itself is impressive. The center is quiet and peaceful and a lovely tribute to the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There is also a full visitors' center here and a meeting house. Admission to the center and tours of the memorial site are free.

I've had a love affair with the State of Vermont since the 1980's when I lived in New England for a…read morefew years. Aside from the magnificent beauty of the entire state, is has the covered bridges, which are so much fun to track down and photograph. I left New England in 1985 and didn't return till 2025 but took myself (and my husband) back to VT, and yes, went covered bridge hunting. What amazed me is that even WITH the added technology of GPS, I still had trouble finding some of the bridges. GPS only works when we have cell service, and many places still do NOT... duh. Anyway, we easily found the Taftsville Bridge, and it did not disappoint. It was one of the larger bridges we rode over, and it definitely was the oldest one that we saw, having been built in 1836. It's one of the oldest in the entire country, too !

This beautiful covered bridge is hard to miss when passing by. The bridge is operational with one…read moretraveling lane at a time. This landmark makes a perfect spot for pictures. Built in 1836, covering the Ottauquechee River, the Taftsville Covered Bridge is a 189ft multiple kingpost truss bridge with multiple support arches.

The Sugar Hill scenic overlook affords fine views of Mt. Tremont, Owl Cliff, Bear Mountain, and…read moreSugar Hill itself. This overlook is breathtaking during foliage season. The color was really soothing to the eyes and varied with red, orange, and yellow mixed in with a little green for good contrast. There is a gazebo with some seating and some rock walls to sit on. There is also a nice viewing gazebo that makes for pretty photo ops. We took many photos here. There is a paved parking lot and easily available.

A definite stop on the Kanc is the Sugar Hill Scenic Vista. There's parking, a little pavilion with…read moresome information about the land (and which mountain is which when you're looking at the horizon), and sweeping views of said mountain, which include Mt. Tremont, Owl Cliff, Bear Mountain, and Sugar Hill itself. Absolutely beautiful in the summer, sure; but even more stunning during foliage season when the colors here range from red wine to gold! Whether you're leaf peeping, picnicking, escaping city life, writing the next Walden Pond, or looking for any sort of life or artistic inspiration, be sure to take a few minutes walking around this area! CARRY IN, CARRY OUT PLEASE.

We just returned from the 7-day Tour of New England. Everything was great! Mel made the driving…read moreinteresting with his knowledge of the history and geography. He went out of his way to find out what we wanted to see and to include those sites in our travels. His choices for meals were outstanding. We hope to take more of Mel's tours.

I don't think I can put into words how pleased I was with Tye Tours, but I will try…read more I brought 10 college students to Manchester to witness firsthand the campaign atmosphere leading up to the New Hampshire. We hoped to attend campaign events throughout the state. And we could not have done it without Mel and Tye Tours! Mel was willing to drive our group to all corners of the state at odd times of the day, sometimes adjusting his personal schedule. He always kept the drives interesting with fascinating trivia about New Hampshire and New England in general. He was a sweet man who got to know the students and offered them candy along the ride. On one instance, Mel went above and beyond anything I could have expected. A student became ill at an event and had to be transported to the hospital. Mel drove the rest of the group from Concord back to Manchester, then returned to Concord to wait with me in the ER while my student was treated. He then drove us all back to Manchester, accepting no additional money for the extra 4 hours of work. Mel is not just good at his job; more importantly, he is a good man. I would highly, highly recommend him and Tye Tours.