Before starting, a disclaimer should be noted that I am not a member of the LDS church and my…read moreknowledge of most of their beliefs is limited. Despite that, I wanted to stop by the Joseph Smith birthplace memorial on my drive through Vermont. I am a fan of history, and this site is historical. Also, it is nestled in the small town of South Royalton. The site is not far off the main road. The first impression I had was the beautiful exterior. A nice sign marking the entrance was surrounded by a beautiful display of flowers. Looking ahead at the driveway, an impressive tree-lined road stood out amongst the trees displaying colorful signs of an early autumn afternoon. The drive way extends past two buildings and gives a nice distance view of the memorial. I parked in the lot behind the building and was greeted by the sounds of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir played softly through speakers hidden in the trees. A nice rock bench underneath the trees sat on one side of the drive way and a path behind the building took walkers to the memorial. The sounds of the choir could be heard throughout the grounds - and each view of the grounds was remarkable. Another wooden chair was placed under a low-lying tree bow with surrounding flowers. The path to the memorial was a short distance away. An impressive fact about the memorial is that it is a granite monument that is over 38 feet tall and was mined from a nearby quarry. It was built in 1905 on the 100th anniversary of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith's birth. The stone has held up well in the 100 years it has stood. The inscription can be seen in one of my photographs attached. On the way out I stopped by the visitor's center. They are not there to recruit you, feel free to enter and have a look around at some of the facts and items of Joseph Smith. There are pamphlets available if you want more information, but none of the people I spoke with pushed anything on me. They were very pleasant knowledgeable. I didn't spend time to take the entire tour that is provided, but I would like to do that sometime. If nothing else, walking on the beautiful grounds, especially with an autumn chill in the air and the changing of colors on the trees makes for a great stop in Vermont!

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 had seen the other sculpture on the interstate but I made it a point to stop at this one because…read moreI love how the tails are curved around. Makes for a great shot.

We stumbled on this beautiful landmark getting gas. I felt so lucky to see something so cool and…read morebeautiful out in a distance! If you're ever in Vermont Google directions to see this in person. I don't think anyone would be disappointed.

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.

It's perfect for driving over... it's great on a bike or in a car, works the same, I cross the…read moreriver without getting wet! It's a bridge.

The Ethan Allen Castle/Tower is located within the Ethan Allen Park. My visit took place the last…read moreweek of July. I met a local while eating lunch nearby who suggested checking out this historical landmark. I loved that there are placards right outside the entrance of the tower telling its story and dedication. Sturdy metal stairs allowed me to climb to the top where I got a 360 view of Burlington and Lake Champlain. Strong winds may blow your hat away! I encountered heavy winds, but the fluffy clouds moved along nicely. To locate this castle/tower, park in the Ethan Allen Park lot and follow the few marked signs. You can't miss it, especially if you just look up into the sky, it stands out, walk along the dirt trails. Free to check out this landmark! I spent about 20-30 minutes here because I wanted to soak everything in once I got to the top of the castle/tower. I'm sure a person can easily be in/out within 10 minutes. Hours of operation are usually 9am to sunset.

very hard hike to get to the hill do not try it if it's wet or you have bad knees, but the rest of…read morethe walking trail in the lower right is very nice and the furthest end of the park has a beautiful view

This is a pretty cool art installation that makes a fun stop on a road trip. I expected it to be…read moremuch bigger, so I was a little let down, but it's still pretty and fun to look at. It's in a downtown area with some other places you can check out nearby, but there is no parking specifically for this place.

"Unzipping The Earth" by Chris Miller, billed as the largest zipper in North America. It's 74'…read morelong, situated in an alley next to the Studio Arts Building. Lion and I went to check it out recently on a clear day. I am a lover of the oddball and kitschy. This meets the bill. It's made of granite, stretches down a narrow alleyway. It was pretty cool, really looks like a zipper. Simple but effective. Definitely worth a stop when visiting Barre.

What a great way to spend the afternoon! I went with my wife and Australian shepherd and we had a…read moreblast! This place is dog friendly which you rarely find in these types of places. The castle was so cool and has so many unique and rare antiques. The tour guides were so knowledgeable about the history, building techniques, and all of the antiques and art work in the castle. The castle has a beautiful marble deck outside over looking the green mountains and it was a perfect way to end out the tour. I would highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area!

Wilson's Castle is worth a visit. It's currently going through renovations which it needs. I will…read morehave to visit when the renovations are finished. Smaller than it looks. It is kinda spooky and is located in beautiful Vermont. I visited in October, went through a short tour and we were free to explore on our own. I would recommend

I'm a lover of the hard to find on my trips across the states, and this was something I'd read…read moreabout in my art history classes but never dreamed I'm stumble across on my journey up to Canada. It's quite a sight to see - two giant whale's tails emerging from the ground next to the interstate! I didn't get a chance to stop over and explore it up close unfortunately due to time, but there's directions on the artist's website if you want to get a closer look (and it's encouraged!). A real roadside treat for any driver. Plus I find it funny that it's now the cover of the book I used in art history class... full circle, full circle.

Along a boring stretch of State Road 14 that parallels the White River, this small historical…read moremonument remembers a darker time in colonial history. "The Royalton Raid, October 16, 1780. To terrorize the valley from Tunbridge to Royalton, nearly 300 Indians led by a British officer fell on these defenseless frontier settlements, killing 4, taking 26 prisoners and reducing Royalton to ashes. The captives were hauled back to Canada were sold for $8.00 a head. This was the most calamitous of Vermont's many Indian raids."

One of the well known spots to visit during the leaf peak in Vermont…read more Also known as as Emily Bridge, it gets the name from a popular legend of a young girl who heart broken hung her self after a her lover fail to appear during the intended marriage ceremony. Others said that Emily was thrown from that bridge by the said lover. It brings a lot of visitors every year. With the colors of the background is awesome to see.

If you are already in Stowe, you might as well make your way over to this bridge and take a photo…read more Luckily it wasn't raining when we went.