Sunday, July 27, 2008
Day 5: We could live in Vermont
Until today I had not realized just how verdant the State of Vermont really is. The pictures I've seen do not do it justice. Vermonters, of course, have no interest in trumpeting these facts to the wider world, and inviting more settlers. Jake was especially impressed with the greenery, making me realize that he has no frame of reference other than the Tri Cities for comparison.
After making our provisioning stop at one of the more hideous Walmarts we could recall, we ventured north out of Massachusetts, into and through New Hampshire, and into Vermont. As the miles rolled by, the topography grew more varied, and the traffic lightened proportionally. At this point I should introduce our transportation - a new Chrysler Town and Country minivan rental from Thrifty car rental. We are doing a one-way rental from Boston to Washington DC.
Our single goal for the day was to visit the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial in the hills above Sharon, VT. We got there about 1:30 and were about the only visitors around. We took the guided tour, including the golf cart tour out to the remains of the original homesteads on the property, owned by the Mack family, Joseph Smith's mother's family.
I was surprised to learn that the "Old Turnpike Road" traversed the Mack property. This wagon route linked Canada with points south in the US during the 1800's, and remnants of the old stone walls on its borders are still visible. Also ruts cut into an original stone bridge are still visible today.
As with all the Church historical sites, volunteer missionaries staff the visitor centers, maintenance functions, and other visitor services such as tour guiding. I concluded that this site must be the best post at which to serve in the system of historical sites. The combination of peace and natural beauty is tough to beat. Because the area is so remote, it does not see the hoards of visitors that other more prominent sites receive.
Our plans to eat at Eaton's Sugarhouse fell through, as we were too late for lunch and they close after lunch on Saturdays. However, we did find another pizza gem, upon the recommendation of the tour guide. Village Pizza, in utter isolation north of Royalton, really makes a great pie. The place is run by a Greek family, so there are Greek dishes and deserts as well. We had a half sausage and olive, half Hawaiian, and were in pizza heaven. In the West, I've had nothing better.
From there we navigated through the Green Mountains, including Killington Village and the heart of Vermont's ski industry, all the way south to Albany, NY. We stayed at the Comfort Inn Airport Conference Center. Sounds impressive, but the place was about what you would expect from a budget motel - 1970's construction, formerly smoked in rooms, etc. It was a points bargain for me, but I would never stay there again.
Plans for tomorrow: Lots to do. First we will visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. With some luck, we hope to meet Dave Niehaus, voice of the Seattle Mariners, who will be inducted into the broadcasters wing of the Hall tomorrow - see earlier posts for background. From there we plan to visit the historical sites in the Palmyra area, including the Smith Farm, Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah, and the village of Palmyra. From there, its on to Niagara Falls, NY, for the night.
As always, picture highlights get uploaded nightly.
After making our provisioning stop at one of the more hideous Walmarts we could recall, we ventured north out of Massachusetts, into and through New Hampshire, and into Vermont. As the miles rolled by, the topography grew more varied, and the traffic lightened proportionally. At this point I should introduce our transportation - a new Chrysler Town and Country minivan rental from Thrifty car rental. We are doing a one-way rental from Boston to Washington DC.Our single goal for the day was to visit the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial in the hills above Sharon, VT. We got there about 1:30 and were about the only visitors around. We took the guided tour, including the golf cart tour out to the remains of the original homesteads on the property, owned by the Mack family, Joseph Smith's mother's family.I was surprised to learn that the "Old Turnpike Road" traversed the Mack property. This wagon route linked Canada with points south in the US during the 1800's, and remnants of the old stone walls on its borders are still visible. Also ruts cut into an original stone bridge are still visible today.As with all the Church historical sites, volunteer missionaries staff the visitor centers, maintenance functions, and other visitor services such as tour guiding. I concluded that this site must be the best post at which to serve in the system of historical sites. The combination of peace and natural beauty is tough to beat. Because the area is so remote, it does not see the hoards of visitors that other more prominent sites receive.
Our plans to eat at Eaton's Sugarhouse fell through, as we were too late for lunch and they close after lunch on Saturdays. However, we did find another pizza gem, upon the recommendation of the tour guide. Village Pizza, in utter isolation north of Royalton, really makes a great pie. The place is run by a Greek family, so there are Greek dishes and deserts as well. We had a half sausage and olive, half Hawaiian, and were in pizza heaven. In the West, I've had nothing better.
From there we navigated through the Green Mountains, including Killington Village and the heart of Vermont's ski industry, all the way south to Albany, NY. We stayed at the Comfort Inn Airport Conference Center. Sounds impressive, but the place was about what you would expect from a budget motel - 1970's construction, formerly smoked in rooms, etc. It was a points bargain for me, but I would never stay there again.
Plans for tomorrow: Lots to do. First we will visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. With some luck, we hope to meet Dave Niehaus, voice of the Seattle Mariners, who will be inducted into the broadcasters wing of the Hall tomorrow - see earlier posts for background. From there we plan to visit the historical sites in the Palmyra area, including the Smith Farm, Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah, and the village of Palmyra. From there, its on to Niagara Falls, NY, for the night.
As always, picture highlights get uploaded nightly.
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