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.

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.

The Scott Farm is one of my favorite places in Vermont. Lovely grounds, including beautiful stone…read morewalls and walking trails. But you can't beat the fall apples of many varieties. I pick up something different every year to try. I live locally, but it's one of my favorite places when I need a boost.

One of the most beautiful farms I've ever been to! They have a wide variety of rare apples and…read moredifferent fruits. Take a day trip out to pick apples and check out their stone masonry area which is very interesting. It's so beautiful, there are garnets in the stone!

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.

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!!!!

This is a really cool landmark to see in person, while it was locked up it was still amazing to see…read moreand we even made the small hike to see the cemetery as well.

It is very evocative of 19th century life on a rural farm; I wouldn't last a week as a yeoman. I…read moreespecially enjoyed the "indoor outhouse" that our prior president used. Wonder how he would feel about the gold plated ones our current occupant of the White House uses. Admission is cheap cheap cheap by NY standards and there is one weekend at the beginning of the season that is free in all VT state parks and most attractions.

I had to come out of my way to get here, and yes it is out of the way. It's amazing that a 20th…read morecentury president came out of such a humble place. On Google maps, I saw it was a small town, but basically the entire town is Calvin Coolidge Town. Yes it's only like 8 buildings and the church functions on its own and the cheese shop rents, but still. As a presidential house connoisseur, this is really a top experience because of the extent of the buildings and the authenticity and preservation of the objects. And unlike any other presidential house, this also doubles as the site a president was sworn into office. There is a thorough exhibit hall where you buy tickets, watch a movie, and see all about Coolidge's presidency with some interesting artifacts and interactive audio elements. They also have the lamp which lit the inauguration in here, and it's a pretty sweet lamp. The video introduction to Coolidge was really engaging and well-made, and one of the top videos I've seen at a historic site as well. Tours start at the general store (which is also cool, take a look before), go through the 2 barns that house antique cars and farming equipment, next to his birth house, to across the street to his later boyhood home. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and really painted Coolidge as a hard worker from a young age and how his dad, a hater of the telephone, was a public notary and personally swore him in at 2:47 am one fateful night. Coolidge should get more attention. Painting his story from the death of his mother to the death of his sister, to the death of his son really painted a picture of a figure outside of politics, and having all the buildings as they were at the time, on a quiet forested part of Vermont, was a really interesting way to spend the day. Definitely a 5/5 and worth a few hours on site. Keep cool and keep Coolidge.

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

This site is in the cute little town of Concord, and the site itself has a beautiful visitor center…read more(former Buttrick family residence) which contains a small informational exhibit. What's really nice is the outdoors. There's a garden space where you have a good lookout of the North Bridge, a significant location where the Minute Man faced the British Army. The path to the bridge is not too far of a walk, and you can see a beautiful memorial quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem "the shot heard round the world." I also liked the plaque honoring the graves of the British soldiers since a lot of lives were lost on both sides for American Independence. The bridge is a great scenic walk and great to do for both history and nature lovers.

Apart from being an important part of American History, this park is GORGEOUS! The North Bridge…read moreoverlooks a steady stream with trees along the banks. Plaques and monuments are erected over the places where one of the first battles of the American revolution was held. Plenty of space for walking as well

The French King Bridge is an interesting place to stop on The Mohawk Trail/Route 2/2A. There are…read moreparking areas at either end of the bridge. The bridge offers some nice views of the Connecticut River. This part of the river is heavily forested.

I love this bridge. When you're driving for hours along Rt 2, you can't really get a feel for the…read morebeautiful countryside you're in: you're surrounded by trees and hills. But then suddenly, you hit the French King bridge, and BAM: you can see for miles! It's gorgeous - not only for the view, but for the bridge itself, which was made back when aesthetics and function were more closely related to public works. Definitely stop and get out of your car and take a look. There are a few places to park your car on either side of the bridge.