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 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.

A very impressive location with panoramic views of the countryside. It's a very befitting place.read more

The Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery, located in Randolph Center, is a State run and operated…read morecemetery. This cemetery is an eternal resting place for veterans, their spouses, and some dependents. When you first drive into the cemetery, you are greeted with a beautiful monument area with the US Flag. The cemetery is broken up in sections and each section has a beautiful view of the scenery of Vermont. At the top of the hill is a beautiful view of the cemetery, picture included. Here you will find a chapel with a dedication sign (also included here), that can be used for services. Veterans interred at the cemetery receive perpetual care for their lot, including a marker and funeral honors free of charge. This is typical for most veteran cemeteries. However, at the VT Veterans Memorial Cemetery, spouses and dependents interred receive the same perpetual care and a marker for a small fee. Not common at other veteran cemeteries is the option to have your own stone. This cemetery allows for that option and also has a section for commercial purchased monuments and these purchases are made by the veteran or their family. Space is available for either casketed and cremated remains. Also located on the grounds is a beautiful memorial garden that provides a memorial stone for those veterans who are buried at sea or scattered. The cemetery provides simply a beautiful resting place with the beautiful scenery of Vermont in all directions. Certainly a recommendation of mine for any veteran.

No longer used for vehicular traffic, the Hammon Covered Bridge was caught up by a flood in 1927…read morewhich sent the bridge about 1.5 miles downstream but miraculously left the structure intact. Since it was still functional, it was returned to its original location. Since then, the bridge was bypassed by a (BORING!) steel and concrete bridge and this has been turned into a tourist attraction and small park. The bridge is a is a Town lattice design and spans Otter Creek. It was built in 1842 by Asa Nourse and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. [Review 18483 overall - 82 in Vermont - 2005 of 2022.]

I mean, there's not a whole lot unique to check out in Burlington, and since it's right downtown…read moreand it takes only 5 minutes to look at, snap a pic with, and leave, there's no harm in stopping by. It seems that at some point it was moved here to the parking lot of a business from a shorter concrete slab in the woods. It's not really the tallest filing cabinet. It's a stack of regular-height filing cabinets attached to one another into a column, so it's less impressive or creative. Structurally, it is a vertical stack of separate cabinets turned into a sculpture, not a purpose-built giant cabinet with 38 drawers. It's covered by vandals' stickers and markings. It hasn't been treated and since they aren't meant to be outdoors, rust and weather damage has taken severe effect. Each drawer represents a year of bureaucratic delays related to a proposed highway project in Burlington called the Southern Connector, first proposed in 1965. Some of the drawers contain catalogued fragments of a shredded red Volkswagen Beetle. Of course, you can't see it though.

Like the biggest ball of twine,this is one of those things that you cant miss while in Vermont…read more It is a tower of welder together filing cabinet and totally visit worthy.

Their lack of support for debit/credit cards at the window drops the review score a point. I use…read moreMoviePass, so that makes it hard to choose this theater now.

Chris M. wrote a great review of The Playhouse Theater and I have no argument with him. However,…read moremy experiences with this place date back a very long space of time. I was two, I was later told, when I saw my first movie there. Somewhat unsure of how I might react at that age, my parents watched me closely for the first twenty minutes or so. They need not have worried. I was enthralled! Who would not be ... at any age ... as the film was DUMBO and the year was 1942 (film was released the year before). In those days, Jack and Gertie Champlain owned and ran the place; the films changed three times a week (usually Thursday was the "dark day") and our family seldom missed seeing a film there. Flash forward an eon or two. I have now lived non-stop in Manhattan (that's not the one in Kansas, Dorothy!) since 1963. Thanks to Chandler Music Hall (my temple and refuge for nearly all of my growing up years) and to Jack and Gertie with their movies, I've now toiled in the fields of theatre, film and television since February 20, 1968! I have a small agency since that date where I've represented actors, writers of almost every stripe, photojournalists (in the first fifteen years or so), directors, a scenic designer, stage managers ... the whole shebang. Truthfully, there have been days when you could have bought the agency from me for $1.29 ... but, over-all the memories are terrific -- and for a kid from Randolph, the experiences I've had are enviable. People learning of my true age express some dismay. "You could have retired years ago! When will you finally do that?" My response is genuine, I assure you. "The day they throw dirt in my face!" Best to all! L.R.C. PS: Like truly GOOD movies? Here are three to consider (in my book): JASON BOURNE (damned if Matt Damon hasn't done it again, against heavy odds, be assured.) ANTHROPOID -- absolutely brilliant film about the early Nazi era right after they rolled over the Czechs. Disturbing and riveting. If light-hearted fare is your only preferred dish, don't eat here! FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS -- a true story about a real lady. Another Oscar for Meryl Streep may very well be in the offing. Good to great cast in support of her awesome performance. Take those damned recyclable bottles back and scrape together the coin to buy a ticket ... and GO! PPS: I did NOT put that absurd comment after my five star rating, readers. I've tried to delete it, but ... "they" have to muck it up somehow! Whatever "hip editor" who did this may die of "terminal cuteness" ... please!

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.

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'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.

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