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!!!!

Since it was a beautiful day out we decided to take a little hike during lunch and thought that the…read moreRetreat Tower would be the best spot to go. This was the first time we have hiked up to the tower and we have to say that we were not disappointed. The walk itself was fairly low impact and didn't take very long. Once we got to the top we enjoyed sitting by the tower while taking in the serenity of the wood. Overall it was a great experience and we would totally hike here again.

The Dummerston Covered Bridge was built in 1872 and is the longest covered bridge in Vermont*. It…read morewas added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and it's beautiful. The bridge has two spans, each supported by Town lattice trusses with a total length of 280 feet. The bridge is open to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic with an 11' clearance. There are diamond-shaped openings throughout the length of the bridge so it's nicely lit. My van would fit but there was no maximum weight posted so I opted not to try. I walked across and while there isn't a dedicated pedestrian lane, ther are spaces on the side where you can wait while vehicles pass. This is an easy bridge to visit if you're passing through New England. It's just five miles up the West River from I-91. There is parking. And if the weather's nice, there is swimming in the lazy river below the bridge down a steep incline where you can get a great picture of the bridge. *Entirely in Vermont - the longest is the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge over the Connecticut River into New Hampshire. [Review 18447 overall - 47 in Vermont - 1969 of 2022.]

Really beautiful covered bridge. Lots of tourists stopped to take photos alongside it.read more

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.

This marker points out this historic home in Wilmington. It reads, "The Norton House. circa late…read more1700's, one of the oldest houses left in town, was originally built on Lisle Hill in the first town of Wilmington. It was moved to its present site by ox cart in the 1830's." In 1967, The Norton House opened as "A Quilter's Paradise" to sell fabrics and related quilting supplies, and items used for wool applique projects. The store also sells a bunch of jigsaw puzzles. There does not seem to be much more recent or historical information. This stretch of Wilmington is focused on the tourist trade. There is limited parking along the way. [Review 18449 overall - 49 in Vermont - 1971 of 2022.]

Closed to traffic but open for pedestrians, the Creamery Covered Bridge was built in 1879 and is a…read moreTown lattice truss design. It does have a vehicle lane (closed to traffic in 2010) as well as a pedestrian lane that was added 40 years later - you can walk both easily. The bright red bridge crosses Whetstone Brook and is a very short distance from the Interstate. You really have no excuse for not stopping to check out this fabulous piece of architecture, Brattleboro's last surviving 19th-century covered bridge. The bridge is the centerpiece of a small park where there is parking and there are some benches. It's a nice stop in any weather. [Review 1674 of 2024 - 160 in Vermont - 22697 overall]

I love covered bridges and this one in Brattleboro VT, built in 1879, didn't disappoint! I love the…read morespruce red wood and the lattice work inside! A nice feature of this bridge is the pedestrian covered walkway along the side of the main bridge which was added in 1920. The bridge is closed to traffic, and had cement blocks at the end, but it is a popular tourist attraction in this cool town of Brattleboro. After we walked and shopped along the downtown area, we spent quite a bit of time exploring this bridge and its history! What a treasure!

"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -Rudyard Kipling…read more This marker is along side the main commercial strip by the Interstate in Brattleboro. As the sign points out, it is two miles from the actual site. The marker reads, "'Naulahka'. Rudyard Kipling's Home near Brattleboro for 4 Years. After marriage to the American, Caroline Balestier, and after visiting her home, famed British writer built isolated "Naulahka". Here he wrote the "Jungle Books" and other stories, and two daughters were born. In 1896 the Kiplings returned to England." If you'd like to viist the site, take Black Mountain Road from the intersection right here and follow the signs. [Review 18440 overall - 40 in Vermont - 1962 of 2022.]

The original monument was installed in 1887 and honors those from Brattleboro who fought in the…read moreCivil War. The monument is about 25 feet tall and pictures a Union soldier in cap and cloak leaning on an upturned rifle. And like another I have seen recently, the butt of the rifle extends beyond the edge of the monument. The statue and the plaque are copper and quite corroded. The plaque on the front reads: This Monument Commemorates The Loyalty and Patriotism Of the Men of Brattleboro, Who Fought for Liberty and the Union In the Great Rebellion of 1861 - 1865 Enlisted 385. Died in Service 31. Erected by a Grateful Town A.D. 1887. On the back, it lists the different battlefields where the Brattleboro soldiers engaged. On the west plaque, a Union Soldier and a Confederate soldier are shaking hands while a kneeling African-American is between them receiving emancipation papers. The monument includes an updated "context" plaque that was added in 2022 that seeks to include those who were initially excluded and add corrective recognition. Interesting that their Civil War Monument has a QR code. It takes you to https://www.brattleboro.org/index.asp?SEC=610715D0-45F2-412D-9162-D3AFE987DD7E&Type=B_BASIC. [Review 18441 overall - 41 in Vermont - 1963 of 2022.]