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 bridge gets the award for the prettiest approach to a covered bridge. It's down a dirt road…read morethrough the woods. Gorgeous! This bridge was built in 1870. And doesn't look like it has been changed much since then. It looks authentic. It looks like what a beautiful old covered bridge should look like.

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 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 fascinating collection of old cars and equipment. Worth a visit. Pay what you willread more

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.

This place was not at all on my radar when I planned our trip. We had driven up to Windsor to see…read moreanother museum, and the lady who sold the tickets there talked to us about our plans and recommended this place as very worthwhile. So, after lunch, we crossed a semi-narrow wooden bridge and drove a mile or two to this site. You park in a small lot (there was a sign for overflow parking too) and either pay there (if a ranger is on duty) or proceed to the visitors' center (where you can also pay). Augustus Saint-Gaudens was an American sculptor in the late 1800s and into the very early 1900s. I was not specifically familiar with him, but his work and that of those who trained with him was featured on a lot of U.S. coins at the time. It seems like a lot of the older coinage (before the models used now) was related to him. He also designed the Shaw Memorial on Boston Commons (related to the 54th Massacusetts regiment of black troops - see the film 'Glory' for background). From the visitors' center, there are several other areas to see. The ground slopes down towards the Connecticut River in the distance. Facing that, there is a small gallery and courtyard featuring some sculptures to your right. There is also a large sculpture of Lincoln. As you proceed towards the river, there are some works housed in spaces bordered by high hedges (including a copy of the Shaw Memorial). These end at the border to Saint-Gauden's original house, which is sometimes open for tours. When we visited, the sign just said 'wait for docent to open the door'. We later learned that this only happens between 2 - 4 p.m., which would be helpful to add to the sign. A bit below that is the studio building, which has examples of the sculptor's work and exhibits on the process of creating some. Maybe 300 yards further down is a memorial (sort of a small Greek temple) where the Saint-Gaudens' ashes (and those of several family members) are buried. It was a pretty site especially if the weather is nice. The sculptures, especially those which are outdoors, make for good photos. They also offer periodic ranger-led tours. We tagged along for part of one, but had already seen some of the areas, so we broke off and continued on our own. If you are in this area and have any interest in sculpture, this is very worthwhile.

This was a pleasant visit that I took on my way back down from visiting the White Mountains. This…read morehistorical home was the home of and don't laugh at my explanation, a French guy who grew up in NYC. Augustus Saint-Gaudens died in 1907 and lived here for 7 years til he died. He was a sculpter and he created the gold coin called the Saint-Gaudens double eagle, a twenty-dollar gold coin, or double eagle. This is the only way I knew who he was because I have seen this coin referenced in books and online when I was young. The house is a nice pleasant stroll in the late 1800s early 1900!

What a lovely location! Considering this was not the original spot for the house, brought here from…read moretown, there are plenty of parking spots for visitors. The grounds are kept nice. There is a short video to watch before the guided tour. A little gift shop is also available. It was an enjoyable tour, and I learned lots about our past President and the items in the home. Don't forget to visit the gravesite about 1 mile away in the Old Cemetery.

I grew up in New Hampshire but never visited the Manse until a decade and a half after leaving. I…read moreemailed the Manse's Pierce Brigade (their volunteer group) to see if they could offer a tour for the day after Thanksgiving. They put it together and brought our group of four on a very in-depth tour. You will learn so much about NH's only president, about society at the time of Pierce's life and presidency, and what local homes were like in that era. Our volunteer was able to answer every question that we lobbed her way, even on things not directly related to the Pierces. Bonus: you can see the dress that Pierce wore as a child. My one quibble was that our tour guide seemed to dismiss our personal anecdotes that we offered that connected with what we were seeing, which was disappointing as I used to be a docent at a presidential library, and learned the most from people on my tours. She also was very short with me when she saw me taking some photos (non-flash!), but she hadn't told me that it was not allowed. Apparently there was a sign in the lobby but I hadn't seen it. Overall, totally worth spending an hour while you're in New Hampshire to learn some history!

Amazing place, having been the home of our 30th President, the place where he was born, established…read morehis business, the place where he took the Oath of Office, and the place where he and several generations of his family have found their resting place. Perhaps it is a view of a time when our people looked at the Presidency with respect. And with the incumbent of the Oval Office viewing his office as a Public service and not as a personal source of enrichment at the expense of our people. No gilded bathrooms, no creepy ballrooms, no disrespect to our nation. Coolidge was perhaps not our greatest president but very much a a part of our history The estate is more a village than a presidential residence, considering the Coolidge family both lived and worked in the hamlet. Excellent and friendly visitor center.

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.

As one of our (currently) 433 National Park sites, this one tells the story about why we have…read moreconservation and the story behind the families who have contributed to our conservation efforts. Located just on the edge of town, this park is huge and I would have loved to hike in the back country. Unfortunately we arrived late in the day and only had enough time for a mansion tour and to take a short hike on the 'Jr Ranger Loop'. The house itself is beautiful and I highly recommend stopping in for a tour. Loved chatting with the rangers here.

Last weekend, my wife and I were thrilled to discover that Vermont is home to its very own National…read morePark and it's located right here in Woodstock! As longtime supporters of National Parks, we couldn't wait to experience it for ourselves. Entry to the park is free, though ranger-led tours of the mansion run about $9 per adult. The park's history is absolutely fascinating. It preserves the boyhood home of George Perkins Marsh, a pioneering environmental thinker whose book Man and Nature laid the foundation for conservation in the U.S. Another interesting fact: the park includes the oldest continuously managed scientific forest in the country, originally reforested by Frederick Billings as a model of sustainable forestry. We opted for a ranger-led mansion tour (worth every penny), which brought the estate's legacy of stewardship to life through beautifully preserved furnishings, art, and stories of the Marsh, Billings, and Rockefeller families. After the tour, our ranger highly recommended a scenic trail hike. It was an easy, peaceful walk that led us to a lovely lake loop - perfect for stretching our legs and soaking in nature. The trail meandered beneath shady trees and felt like a serene escape from the world. All in all, if you're curious about conservation history or just looking for a peaceful, enriching outing in woodland surroundings, this park is a gem. The blend of free admission, affordable ranger tours, compelling legacy, and gentle trails make it a memorable and meaningful stop in Woodstock.

I was concerned about the mobility of the people we were leaf peeping with, so I wanted to choose a…read morereasonably easy and short hike. Sabbaday Falls met this criteria! This is about a 0.3 mi walk through the forest by Sabbaday brook. The path is fairly developed and fairly flat with some slight but minimal elevation gain. You have gorgeous views of the brook and fall foliage while you walk. You can continue walking if you want to just continue walking along the brook, or turn and check out Sabbaday Falls. At the falls there is a nice platform / stair which allows you to climb up and take a closer look at the falls. There is a small parking lot and it seems like when it's full, people just park on the shoulder. In addition there is also an outhouse, but no running water. Great little hike along the Kanc!

A great little nature walk. Didn't have to time to go all the way to the glacier and caves…read moresection, but the falls are amazing, and the walk is so peaceful and pretty with all the foliage. A popular destination this time of the year, you likely will have to park on the street and walk to the trail, which you're going to be doing anyway, so it's not that big a deal.