Our Vermont Travelblog

Trip 18 - Highgate

Finally, a day with normal temps in the 70s instead of the 90s, with blue sky rather than haze.  Perfect for a 251 Club trip.

I'll be dropping the Dogz off at The Resort on Wednesday morning, so it seemed like the surrounding town was a good choice to explore today.

My god, we were spittin' distance from The Socialist Republic of Canadaria!  Somehow we survived Highgate despite the looming threat of universal healthcare (history, demographics):

A totally fanciful story about the town's name says there was once a toll road closed by a very high gate, and that people began saying they were "going to High Gate" when traveling to the area. Not even acceptable as folklore, for the area had no roads at all when Benning Wentworth named the town.

Wentworth probably had the well-known London suburb of Highgate in mind. That area did take its name from an old gatehouse which had been an important part of London's defenses, but dismantled by Wentworth's time. There are but two other Highgates in the world, both known to have been named for the London suburb: Ontario, Canada and St. Mary's Parish, Jamaica.

John Godrey Saxe was born here: lawyer, educator, newspaper editor, state's attorney, collector of customs, gubernatorial candidate, lecturer. It was, however, as a poet that he gained his greatest fame. His poems are still included in anthologies of American verse, and his story "Four Blind Men and an Elephant", the classic treatise on differing viewpoints, is one of the most successful children's picture books.

On the outskirts of town, this bridge over the Missisquoi by the Swanton Generating Station caught my eye. 

I like dams.  Never been close enough to a spillway to see that the apron controlling flow over the dam was canvas-reinforced rubber. 

You gotta fight!  For your right!  To parrrrrr...SHIT, THE COPS! 

C'mon, everybody back on the bus! 

Gulls hang out on the roof of the Highgate Sports Arena. 

Another exciting adventure comes to an end...

ntodd

Trip 15 - Berkshire

It was just a smidge over a year ago that Kayla got to enjoy her first 251 Club trip.  As it turns out, that was the last trip I'd been able to manage until today--I decided it was a lovely day and we needed to go explore the state for just a little bit.

Looking back at that trip last July, I'm amazed by just how scrawny Kayla, having been with us for not even two weeks, really was compared to Mex:

And now she dwarfs Mex in all dimensions!

Anyway, once again we hit Rt 105, then took a promising little road toward Berkshire (history, demographics):

Berkshire was one of six towns (the others being Enosburgh, Montgomery, Richford, Wyllis [now Jay] and Westfield) authorized by the legislature in the spring of 1780. Vermont was desperately looking for ways to raise money to supply her troops (the Continental Congress was disinclined to help) and the grant fees paid by those seeking land was a simple source of funds.

The petition requesting the charter flowed with admiration: "Whereas we have long been Spectators of the Struggles you have had in establishing and defending a New State on our Frontiers and being convinced of the Justice of your Cause as well as captivated with your Magnanimity and Heroism..."

How could the legislature refuse? The first man named in both the petition and the subsequent charter was William Goodrich of Stockbridge, Berkshire County, Massachussetts, a Captain in the militia which had marched to Lexington in 1775. Commissioned as a Major in 1777, his brigade was part of the Berkshire Company which helped win the Battle of Bennington. Many of the other grantees were his neighbors and most fought under him at Bennington. It is for their Massachusetts home that Berkshire is named.

Mex loves to do the Dog-in-a-Car-Window thing.  Kayla just makes herself comfy and stays out of the wind.

Katano farm, just south of Berkshire on Water Tower Road.

It's not easy controlling 2 dogz and a camera--this shot took three takes.

The church in the center of town, across the road from the clerk's office.

And this little shop rounds out "downtown."

We'll try to fit a few more trips in this summer.  Certainly won't let it go on hiatus for another year...

ntodd

Trip 14 - Enosburg

This morning was sunny and lovely, so Mex, Kayla and I decided do take our first short 251 Club trip together before the thunderstorms came back.

Stymied in Fletcher at the beginning of our trip!

All the cows had crossed in a few minutes, so we didn't have long to wait.

An account of our journey to Enosburg below.

Trip 13 - Sheldon And Fairfield

It was a lovely day for biking, but I was more in the mood to hang out with the dog and take a little jaunt--he's been such a good boy since coming home, and between my being busy and the incessant rainfall, he hasn't gotten as much attention as he deserves.  So...

Dude, look at the camera or it doesn't count!

First stop was Sheldon (history, demographics):

About 1789 Colonel Sheldon and his sons, Elisha Jr., George and Samuel, moved to Vermont. Other settlers soon followed and the town's name was changed from Hungerford to Sheldon in 1792. Colonel Sheldon and Elisha Jr. were elected selectmen at the first town meeting, and Samuel was elected town clerk. Later Samuel was to become the town's first justice of the peace and first representative to the Vermont legislature.
...
A railroad stop named Olmstead Falls became known for the recuperative powers of "the waters" of what were known as the Missisquoi Springs in that part of town. In 1884, Olmstead Falls became Sheldon Springs in a move probably designed to draw attention to the town as a resort area. After the largest hotel in town was destroyed by fire (set by a disgruntled employee) the village declined as a tourist spot, but the name remains.

We parked here by a little quasi-park thing next to the river.