Traveling up the Connecticut River Valley

I Lovermont.

-bumper sticker

Northamptom, MA
Several friends will be happy to know that we stopped at this old haunt. Mission: Get a tasty cup of coffee.


Vermont Welcome Center
Please bare with my enthusiasm for a rest stop. Vermont does a brilliant job of promoting its arts and crafts economy in this cool, barn-esque center. Think about it: rural artists are connected with their buyers. Everybody's happy. Steve loves this place, too.


Handcrafted goods and original art hang on display throughout the spacious center.



Steve overlooks a snowy field from one of the world's most comfortable handcrafted (Vermont-made, of course) rocking chairs.


Brattleboro, Vermont
We ate lunch in Brattleboro and wandered a bit, shopping for Vermont bumper stickers for our Colorado cars. We saw Eat More Kale bumper stickers - which we already have - on two cars and eventually found our Vermont bumper stickers.




Historic preservation efforts in Vermont have been strong for decades as this steeple-saving effort demonstrates. One of our favorite brew pubs, The Alchemist, in Waterbury, Vermont, offered a brew to support preservation of a local train station. There's something to say for getting the public involved, even if all it requires is to drink a beer.


Grafton Village Cheese Company
Our last stop before heading back was the Grafton Village Cheese Company. This is the factory where they make the best cheddar cheese in the world. Hands down. Critics agree and have honored them with the highest awards. To those who have been following my blog since the beginning, the hunt for Stinking Bishop does continue, but for now we are more than content to work our way through the mini-wheel of smoked maple cheddar that we purchased at the factory store.
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