2007 Oct 12 Lovely Woodstock

"Let them praise your great and awesome name - He is holy." - Psalm 99:3

Woodstock & Covered Bridges

Settled in 1767 and famous for its architecture of its houses and churches, Woodstock is the only town in America with 4 Paul Revere church bells. Originally known as Richardson's Tavern (openned in 1793), it was renamed Eagle Hotel after Moody Heath, a local cabinetmaker, carved a large golden eagle and mounted it above the Tavern's entrance. It was renamed Church Hotel in 1840 after a third story was added to it, and back to Eagle Hotel again in 1869 after the wealthy Frederick Billings came to Woodstock. Then on May 21, 1892, it was renamed The Woodstock Inn. This must be the most pricy stay we've had so far! It is very quaint and cosy, and we enjoyed our stay at The Woodstock Inn and Resort.

The next morning we had a lovely warm breakfast at a nearby "Yakun" cafe, enjoying freshly brewed coffee and hot chocolate, french toasts and eggs, etc. Its yummy!
After breakfast, we strolled this lovely little town. Touted the most beautiful town in America, the brilliant colors of the fall foliage and the numerous charming covered bridges made Woodstock even more romantic. We were told that some people can actually conduct their wedding ceremony on the covered bridge. How romantic!

We headed eastward along Route 4 toward Quechee Gorge. Here stood a bridge hanging over a deep gorge, meandered by a tributary of the Connecticut River, flanked by yellow, orange, and red foliage on both sides.

Departing Woodstock and Quechee Gorge, we drove along the countryside northward along I-91 and made our last stop in Vermont at Maple Grove Farm and Museum at St Johnsbury.

We were expecting to see a maple plantation and how maple syrup was being harvested. Instead, it was a factory tour and a small shop selling Vermont's maple products. We bought some bottles of maple syrup and other maple products before heading to New Hampshire's White Mountains.

2007 Oct 10 Vermont's Fall Foliage

"For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." - Psalm 100:5

Lake Champlain, Shelburne & Ben & Jerrry

Our trip in Vermont began at Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory Tour and Vermont Bear Factory Tour at Burlington, and a scenic drive at Lake Champlain before heading for ice-cream at Ben & Jerry, Waterbury.

We took Exit 10 along I-89 and went northward on Route 100, missed a turn somehow, but ended up at a spectacular lake (even nicer than Lake Champlain). The vibrant colors of the fall foliage and its reflection in the lake captivated us ... we stood there in awe for at least 15 minutes. And we heard some moose calls too!

The Ice-Cream Factory Tour was very educational. Besides learning the history of Ben & Jerry and how they make ice-cream, we had a fun time tasting various flavors of Ben & Jerry ice-cream. The best flavor must be Bananas On Rum! Yummy! An interesting part of Ben & Jerry is the "Flavor Graveyard", featuring tombstones of all the 'demised' (discontinued) flavors. All of us love Ben & Jerry. We bought some ice-cream and headed back to Shelburne for the night.

We started the next day with some sightseeing in Shelburne - Shelburne "Barn" Museum, Christmas Loft, and many lovely covered bridges - all against the backdrop of Adirondack Mountains in New York State.

Travelling southward along Route 7 through the glorious rolling countryside, carpeted with colorful autumnal forests, we were captivated by the a brilliant kaleidoscope of yellows, browns, oranges, and reds of the birch, oak, and maple leaves. We cut across the Green Mountains from Rutland to Woodstock along Route 4, where both sides were covered with gorgeous fall foliage.

2007 Oct 10-15 New England's Charm

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name." - Psalm 100:4

Fall Foliage In Vermont & New Hampshire

New England is most spectacular during fall because of the foliage of contrasting and vibrant colors! We have seen many of these beautiful pictures and postcards, but nothing beats being here in Vermont and New Hampshire during fall to marvel at the charm of the fall, the romantic covered bridges, and quaint towns. And of course ice-cream at Ben & Jerry, Waterbury.

Here are our marvelous 5 days experience in New England during our fall vacation ...