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Our Thanksgiving Holiday – The Last 3 Days

We spent Thanksgiving Day and two days afterward in New Hampshire. The activities of our first three days of our Thanksgiving holiday are provided here.

On Saturday (November 27th) the only plans we had for the day were to meet up with a blogging friend and her husband, to go shopping at the Merrimack Premium Outlets and to pack in preparation for our drive back home the next day.

We met Dorothy and Patrick at the 99 Restaurant, located on our hotel grounds, at 11:30 am. Dorothy and I are blogging friends. We have been blogging friends for at least 8 years. This was the first time we met in person. Dorothy’s blog is called “The Frog and PenguINN”. Our visit lasted about 2 hours. Our lunch choices were delicious. Conversation flowed naturally and pretty much non stop. I am happy that we met and hope that the opportunity presents itself to meet again.

After lunch we went our separate ways. Bob and I went to the Merrimack Premium Outlets.

Bob and I at the Merrimack Premium Outlets

This is the only moose we saw, while in NH.

Merrimack Premium Outlets was hopping; people everywhere! Most people carried at least one bag; many people carried several bags. It was a good shopping day for the outlet stores! We found what we were looking for, and we got some exercise. We have been doing way too much sitting since Wednesday morning.

[NOTE: When we returned home, we discovered that Bob’s purchases at Merrimack Premium Outlets turned out not to be what Bob thought he purchased. The PJ set was a woman’s PJ set, not a man’s set. The PJ set is too big for me. We offered the PJ set to someone in our local Facebook Helping Hands group, who is gathering Christmas items for those in need. The two Under Armour shirts are short sleeves, not long sleeves. Bob will keep the shirts. I helped Bob with both of these selections. I guess, after 20 months of avoiding shopping in stores, we are not good at in-store shopping any more!]

We returned to the hotel around 3:15 pm, where we stayed for rest of the afternoon / evening.

On Sunday we started our drive back home. We checked out of the hotel. Then, we ate a filling breakfast at a Denny’s Restaurant near our hotel.

This breakfast was the best since arriving in NH.

Shortly after 8:00 am we were on our way back home. When we left Nashua, the sky was partly sunny. It wasn’t long, though, until the sky became overcast. On our way to NH we didn’t see any snow. On our way home, we saw snow on the ground in NH (not far from Nashua); Wilmington, Woodford and Bennington VT; Hoosick NY to Albany NY (very little in Albany; snow flurries falling there but short lived). There was much more traffic on our way home than there was on way to NH!

As we did on our way to New Hampshire, we made a stop at the Hogback Mountain Overlook.

Hogback Mountain Overlook
(Marlboro, VT)

This building is located below the Hogback Mountain Overlook platform.

Here are a few snowy scenes, while driving on the Molly Stark Trail (Route 9).

and my favorite …

The snow returned in Duanesburg NY, where we turned onto I-88. Snow stayed with us from Duanesburg to Owego. Thankfully the roads were clear of snow for the most part.

We arrived at Best Western Oswego Inn around 2:40 pm and checked into room 108. This hotel used to be a Holiday Inn Express. I don’t know when it changed hands. Our hotel room is spacious. Its furnishings include two double beds, a chest of drawers with a tv sitting on top of it, desk and chair, two end tables and a kitchenette complete with refrigerator, microwave, two burner stove, Keurig Coffee Maker, a sink and cupboard/drawer storage. We paid for this room by using reward points.

On Monday we checked out of our hotel and ate breakfast at a nearby Dunkin’ Donuts. We were on our way home by 7:45 am. At that time the sky was overcast; the temperature was 31 degrees; and the trees were lightly frosted. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground. The road surface was wet, not icy.

We encountered occasional snow showers most of the way home. The ground was snow covered along I-86 in the Finger Lakes area (NY); tree branches were snow covered. The most snow we saw was in Jamestown NY, where there was easily a foot of snow on the ground.

Before returning home we stopped at Shults Auto in Jamestown to pick up spark plugs that Bob ordered online on Black Friday. He saved 20% on his purchase. Now, he needs an ”Indian Summer” type of day to install the spark plugs.

We returned home at 11:30 am. Much less snow was on the ground in Warren than in Jamestown. There might have been 3 inches of snow on the ground at our house.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. It is always good to be back home, though.

Our Thanksgiving Holiday – First 3 Days

We spent Thanksgiving Day and two days afterward in New Hampshire.

We drove from our home in Warren PA to Bennington VT on Wednesday. We left Warren at 7:20 am. It was a gorgeous, but frigid, morning. The temperature was 18 degrees, when we left home.

After making a few stops (for fuel, breakfast, stretching and bathroom), we arrived in Bennington VT shortly before 3:00 pm. Our drive there was smooth sailing all the way. The weather continued to be gorgeous; the traffic wasn’t bad; and the temperature got warmer. When we arrived in Bennington, the temperature was 36 degrees.

We checked into the Best Western Bennington, room 172. Our hotel room was spacious, with access to an outside deck.

The room looks nice on the surface. If you look closely, though, you will notice a moderate amount of wear and tear. The room was clean and appeared to have been recently painted. The refrigerator was turned off, and wouldn’t turn on. We assumed it was plugged in, but there wasn’t a way to check this as the refrigerator was bolted in place. We didn’t have anything with us that had to be kept cold. We didn’t say anything about the refrigerator until the next day, when we checked out, only to alert the hotel to the fact that the refrigerator was not working.

At 4:00 pm we ate dinner at Bennington Pizza Plaza, located in a strip mall behind our hotel. I had baked ziti with meat; Bob had stuffed shells. Both meals came with garlic toast. Dinner was delicious. Bennington Pizza Plaza, with its attractive table and chairs for dining in and tasteful seasonal decorative touches, was a notch up from a regular pizza joint.

On Thanksgiving Day we drove from Bennington VT to Bob’s sister and our brother-in-law’s house in Amherst NH. We got up at 6:15 am and went to breakfast about an hour later. We enjoyed a hot breakfast, with all the selections (waffles, eggs, bacon or sausage, pastries, etc.) normally offered by Best Western hotels. We departed the hotel at 7:45 am, en route Cynthia and Larry’s house. Our route took us on the Molly Stark Trail (Route 9) through the Green Mountain National Forest.

We stopped for a photo opportunity at the Hogback Mountain Overlook,
a short distance east of Wilmington VT.

Leaving the Green Mountain National Forest, we stopped briefly for a photo opportunity in West Brattleboro at the Creamery Covered Bridge.

Cynthia and Larry were not expecting us until after 11:00 am. In order to kill some time we drove into Nashua. We parked below Water Street at the entrance to Le Parc De Notre Renaissance Franchise.

These art murals are located where we parked.

We walked a short way along the Nashua River, in Le Parc De Notre Renaissance Franchise. The first thing to catch my eye was a sculpture of a woman and a child.

This sculpture pays tribute to the women and children who worked in the textile mills during the first half of the 20th century.

Later in the week we would meet up with a blogging friend and her husband. My blogging friend and her husband live in what used to be a textile mill.

Clocktower Place, a former textile mill,
is where my blogging friend and her husband live.

From Nashua we drove to Cynthia and Larry’s house, arriving there shortly after noon. Lunch was served around 1:00 pm.

We enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast of roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, baked squash, green beans, Brussels Sprouts with walnuts baked in maple syrup, and cranberry salad. For dessert we had a variety of delectable cupcakes to choose from.

We left Cynthia and Larry’s house for our hotel sometime between 4:00 and 4:30 pm, with plans to meet up again at 1:00 pm the next day. We drove to the Clarion Inn located in Nashua NH. The hotel is about a 20-minute drive from Cynthia and Larry’s house. We checked into room 235, which would be our home for the next 3 nights. Our hotel room was spacious with a king-size bed and a couch that would fit three people comfortably. Our room would sleep four people, as the couch pulls out into a bed. The room is equipped with a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker.

We got up for the day on Friday around 6:30 am, after a good night’s sleep. The clerk who checked us in the prior night said that our room would be quiet, and it was. The rooms on our side of the hotel are used only as needed in late fall and winter. An hour after awakening we had showered, gotten dressed, had breakfast and were back in our hotel room. There were less offerings at breakfast here than there were in Vermont. We could make our own pancakes or waffles; there were cereal and packaged muffins selections; yogurt was available ; and there were juice, coffee and tea selections. We preferred the breakfast at Best Western Bennington.

We spent Friday afternoon and evening with Cynthia and Larry. We enjoyed a second Thanksgiving dinner that included open-faced turkey sandwiches with gravy and soup that Larry prepared using leftover turkey, rice and vegetables. Later in the day we left to go to an inaugural outdoor light show, located on The Links at LaBelle Winery golf course in Derry, NH. Unfortunately it was raining, so we didn’t see the display. We drove by a couple houses in Bedford that are usually lit up for Christmas. One house had decorations outside, but the lights were not turned on. The other house didn’t have any decorations on display. So, we didn’t get to see any Christmas lights. For dinner we had Chinese take-out that Bob and Larry picked up. After dinner we sat in the living room and chit-chatted for a while. We left for the hotel around 7:45 pm. Twenty minutes later we arrived at the hotel.

Thank you, Cynthia and Larry, for a wonderful Thanksgiving! We enjoyed our time with you and look forward to the next time we get together with each other.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

Maine Vacation: Peru VT to Edgecomb ME

We got up at 4:45 am this morning, which isn’t surprising as we were in bed by 9:30 pm last night. I had hoped to see the sunrise. We had a good vantage point from which to see the sunrise, but it was raining. We did enjoy sitting outside on our covered balcony, though, while it rained.

The Lodge at Bromley provided a complimentary hot breakfast beginning at 7:00 am. We were disappointed with breakfast. We expected scrambled eggs, hot potatoes, a breakfast meat, waffles and a variety of pastries (donuts, muffins, etc.). I guess Best Western and other chain hotels have spoiled us. The Lodge at Bromley provided hard boiled eggs, miniature waffles because the amount of batter was insufficient, plain bagels, breads, yogurt, cereal, juices and hot beverages. You would think that the hot water would be hot at 7:00 am. It was lukewarm. I had to request hot water, which the staff quickly took care of. With the exception of breakfast, our stay at The Lodge at Bromley was good.

We checked out of the hotel and was on our way to Edgecomb ME at 7:40 am. As we did the prior day, we instructed the GPS to avoid highways.

Our first stop was in Springfield VT, where we went for a short walk. The highlight of our walk was seeing a waterfall.

Black River Falls

Before reaching Springfield I read that the town had a waterfall and that it had been selected to host the premiere of The Simpsons Movie, which, like the Simpsons TV show, is set in a town called Springfield. I saw a photograph of the Springfield Movie Theater taken on July 21, 2007. The photo showed the marquee displaying the premiere for The Simpsons Movie as well as a giant pink donut. During our walk I looked for a place resembling the photograph. I found the movie theater but no marquee. As we were walking back to our car, I stopped a policeman who was walking towards us. I asked the policeman about the marquee. I learned that the marquee and any other memorabilia from the premiere of The Simpsons Movie was on display in the Chamber of Commerce, which was closed when we passed by it.

Sign seen when leaving Springfield … OH, there’s the Simpson marquee!

Our second stop was at the Goode Shoppe Lollipop in New Hampton NH, where I purchased a lawn ornament.

Goode Shoppe Lollipop

Oh my! So much to choose from!

Goode Shoppe Lollipop

The lawn ornament, though, that prompted a stop here was a lawn ornament that I had spotted in someone’s yard a ways back — a yellow cat on a bicycle spinner.

A new home for Kitty Bike Spinner

Our third stop was for lunch at Subway in Moultonboro NH. We saw a baby bear run across the road, in front of us, less than a mile from Subway!

Our fourth stop was in Standish ME, at the Sebago Lake Overlook.

Lower Bay of Sebago Lake

This is a fairly new overlook. In January 2018 the Standish Town Council voted unanimously to approve a lease agreement with the Portland Water District to allow the overlook to be built on district property and maintained by the town.

The mountains seen beyond the lake are New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

We checked into Pioneer Motel in Edgecomb, ME at 3:30 pm. We will spend the next 7 nights here, while we explore MidCoast Maine. Pioneer Motel is a work in progress. There are three single story buildings of rooms, two buildings in the front and one building in the back. The two buildings in front have been turned into rental apartments. The building in the back is the motel. The owner is actively cleaning up the grounds and renovating motel rooms.

Pioneer Motel
Our room is the first one on the left.

Pioneer Motel (expanded view)
Our room is the first room on the left.

Three rooms were renovated this Spring. Our room has a new door, new windows, a patio door, new flooring, new furnishings and is newly painted throughout. It was tastefully decorated with a white, gray and black theme.

Our Motel Room
Before (Bottom) and After (photos provided by Pioneer Motel)

Our Motel Room
Before (Bottom) and After (photos provided by Pioneer Motel)

This is the view from our room. The two buildings are rental apartments.

I took that previous photograph from the porch. The porch is really LONG!

The owner said that he plans to create a screened-in porch for each of the room, with individual stairs leading to each room.

The owner is in the process of installing decks on the back of each motel room.

The owner said that he plans to place a bistro set (table and two chairs) on each deck.

At a cost of $350.00+tax for the week our room is a real bargain.

We left in search of dinner around 5:00 PM. We drove the short distance to the town of Damariscotta. We ate dinner at Schooner Landing Restaurant.

Schooner Landing Restaurant

We sat outside, on the dock. Our view was the Damariscotta River. I had a classic fish fry; Bob had Cajun blackened fish. Schooner Landing Restaurant was a good choice for dinner.

We returned to Pioneer Motel at 6:00 pm, where we stayed for rest of the evening.

This blog post concludes Day 2 of our 10-day Maine vacation (June 28-July 7, 2019).

– TO BE CONTINUED –

Lincoln NH to Warren PA

We took two days for our trip back home from the White Mountains of New Hampshire. On the first day we drove from Lincoln, NH to Weedsport, NY. On the second day we drove from Weedsport, NY to our home in Warren, PA.

On Thursday, August 4, we awakened early, which enabled a departure an hour or two earlier than expected. We departed the Rodeway Inn (Lincoln, NH) at 6:00 am, leaving the room keys in our room because the hotel office was closed.

Our first photo stop was in Woodstock, Vermont, after driving for about 2-1/2 hours.

“Bob, stop! There’s a covered bridge!”
Taftsville Covered Bridge, seen as we were driving through the village of Taftsville

Taftsville Covered Bridge

Taftsville Bridge is a two span 189 foot long Multiple Kingpost Truss with an arch. Spans are 89 and 100 feet. This bridge was built in 1836 and is one of the oldest covered bridges in Vermont.

It carries River Road the over Ottaquechee River in Taftsville Vermont.

Taftsville Covered Bridge spans the Ottauquechee River.

About an hour later we stopped for breakfast at The Maple Diner in Bridgewater, Vermont.

The Maple Diner

Great breakfast! We highly recommend this small family restaurant, if you find yourself in Bridgewater, VT some day.

We passed through Killington, VT where we couldn’t miss the ski slopes of Pico Mountain. We stopped for gas in Rutland, VT. What a busy and congested city that is!

We stopped briefly at Moreau Lake State Park near Wilton, NY. Using our NY Empire Passport we gained admission into the park. We followed Lake Road from the entrance gate to the beach. There was a nature center located near the beach. The beach and picnic areas were in heavy use, and we were not able to find any nearby parking. We skipped the nature center and made our way back to the park entrance. We made a photo stop near the boat launch area.

Moreau Lake

We passed through LOTS of small towns on our way to Interstate 90! We avoided Albany, NY. We skirted around Saratoga Springs, NY. We finally reached Interstate 90 W at 2:33 pm, about 10 miles or so east of Utica, NY (near mile marker 222).

We checked into the Rodeway Inn in Weedsport, NY around 4:00 pm. This hotel used to be a Best Western, as it is still identified in the GPS and on Facebook.

The only meal we ate out was breakfast. We didn’t stop for lunch and opted to eat a picnic lunch, with food items brought from home, for dinner.

On Friday, August 5, we ate breakfast at our hotel, packed the car and left a little after 8:00 am en route home.

We made a few stops along the way.

Weedsport, NY
“Four Freedoms” mural

The four train cars on the mural are based on the four freedoms Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke of in his 1941 State of the Union Address.

The four freedoms are:
Freedom of speech, Freedom of religion, Freedom from want and Freedom from fear.

Also in Weedsport are the remains of the Centreport Aqueduct, which is the centerpiece of a small park located along NY Route 31.

We walked the towpath (on the right) to the towpath bridge.

The towpath bridge was reconstructed to be nearly identical to the one built here in 1854.

Remains of Centreport Aqueduct, as seen from towpath bridge

We stopped briefly in Port Bryon. While Bob took our Nissan Xterra through a car wash, I photographed a colorful mural.

Port Bryon, NY
Erie Canal Mural

We rode through the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, in Monezuma, NY, where we saw a few species of waterfowl. The majority of the waterfowl that we saw at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge were Canada Geese.

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
I cannot identify these flowers, but aren’t they pretty!

We drove through Ovid, NY and along Seneca Lake. We drove through Watkins Glen. We had planned to hike the gorge but decided against doing so because of the heat and humidity but also dry conditions. When we passed by Hector Falls, just before reaching Watkins Glen, there was very little water falling. We had never seen Hector Falls so dry!

We stopped for a short time in downtown Corning.

Corning, NY

The clock tower was built in memory of Erastus Corning in 1883. The clock tower is located in the center of town, just north of Market Street in Center Square.

We thought we would eat lunch in Corning, but opted instead to eat lunch a little closer to home. All we did in Corning was photograph the clock tower, before continuing on our way home.

We stopped for lunch at Sprague’s Maple Farms in Portville, NY. I ordered a center cut pork chop dinner with baked potato, apple sauce, carrots and tossed salad. My dinner included two pork chops. I boxed one and brought it home. Bob ordered a Sugar Bush Club (a Triple-decker sandwich filled filled with turkey, country ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayonaisse) with maple baked beans. We picked up a piece of peanut butter fudge for later, as we paid the bill on our way out. Lunch was excellent.

We returned home at 4:00 pm. We unpacked the car, putting away what we had taken with us. I uploaded to my computer the pictures that I had taken, while on vacation. I entered in Quicken our expenditures during vacation. Bob mowed the grass. With the exception of doing laundry the next day, I took it easy. Bob took it easy as well. Being on vacation seems to be more tiring than being at home, as we are always on the go. I have heard people say “I need a vacation after vacation”. I agree!

This blog post concludes the account of our 7-day New Hampshire vacation. I hope that you enjoyed your armchair travel!

Bennington VT to Lincoln NH

On July 31 we were up, showered and dressed ready for breakfast by 6:30 am. Breakfast was included in our hotel accommodation. We had to wait, as breakfast didn’t begin until 7:00 am.

Breakfast was good, what we have come to expect when we stay at Best Western hotels…eggs, sausage, bagel and an assortment of pastries, waffles, fruit, yogurt,tea and coffee. I had an egg and sausage bagel sandwich and a banana for breakfast. Bob had eggs, sausage and a pastry for his breakfast. I brought a hot tea back to room with me. I sat outside our room on a chair on the covered corridor drinking my tea and listening to the rain drops fall. How very peaceful and relaxing!

We departed the Best Western Bennington at 8:00 am en route Cynthia (Bob’s sister) and Larry’s house. We followed VT 9 from Bennington VT to Brattleboro VT. The Molly Stark Trail, as VT 9 is called, winds its way through low-lying valleys, historic villages, busy towns, and the beautiful Green Mountains. This route passes through gorgeous scenery. It is the route I enjoy most when we travel between home and Bob’s sister’s house in New Hampshire. Had it been a sunny morning, we would have made a few photo stops along the way. It was a rainy morning, though, and the views were not very good or nonexistent. We did make one photo stop at a covered bridge. The covered bridge was located in Brattleboro, VT. It was raining, but I got out and photographed the covered bridge anyway. Bob walked with me, holding an umbrella over my head.

Brattleboro, VT
Creamery Covered Bridge

We walked through and around the bridge.

Creamery Covered Bridge

Creamery Covered Bridge is 80 feet long and 19 feet wide.
The bridge spans the Whetstone Brook.

We arrived at Cynthia and Larry’s house in Amherst, NH shortly before 11:00 am. We spent the next 4 hours eating lunch, conversing with each other and playing with their dog Weezie. Cynthia and Larry recently converted their screened porch into a sunroom and shed. We spent the majority of our time there in the sunroom. The sunroom was very comfortable and quite cozy.

We enjoyed a selection of appetizers before lunch which included crackers, meat, cheese, smoked trout, shrimp cocktail, an assortment of vegetables and a few other things I can’t recall.

Yummy, smoked trout!

Our lunch entree was lobster rolls, accompanied by pasta salad.

Table set for lunch
How elegant!

For dessert we split large peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes.

Lunch was exceptionally good.

The four of us and Weezie

To take this picture I used my selfie stick, which had been sitting in my camera bag unused for quite a while. My selfie stick came in handy, as I forgot my tripod at home.

Thanks for everything Cynthia and Larry.
We enjoyed our visit with you very much.

We left Cynthia and Larry’s house at 3:15 pm en route Lincoln, NH. We arrived at the Rodeway Inn a couple hours later.

Rodeway Inn – our home for 4 nights

Our hotel room was on the ground floor, Room 104, and faced Route 3. Our room was simply furnished with two double beds, a nightstand, a table and two chairs, refrigerator, dresser and flat screen TV. There was plenty of outdoor seating, under cover. Our room was small, nothing fancy. It was clean; the air conditioning worked; and it was quiet. We spent 4 nights at this hotel and had only one complaint. We were told not to use the toaster that we brought with us in our room. We were allowed to use our electric teakettle, but not the toaster. There was a toaster in the breakfast room that we could use. However, the toaster was on a timer. We were out and about in the morning before the toaster became available for use.

At dinner time we drove into North Woodstock, located about 3 miles south of our hotel.

We were welcomed in North Woodstock by the “mayor”.

We ate dinner at the Landmark II Greek Restaurant. Bob ordered a chef salad; I ordered a meatloaf dinner accompanied with mashed potatoes and a tossed salad. Our meals were excellent. Our waiter was personal and attentive. We met the owner, who was personable as well. We didn’t meet the chef but learned his name is Andre. He is a very good chef.

After dinner we returned to our hotel and went for a walk along Route 3.

During our walk, we stopped for a look at the Pemigewasset River.
The river is located on the opposite side of the road from the Rodeway Inn.
(Photo by Bob)

A very rocky Pemigewasset River!

Each evening and each morning I sat outside our door, admiring the view.

This mountain range is to the north, toward the east.
According to our brother-in-law, this is the Franconia Ridge.

This blog post concludes Day 2 of our 7-day New Hampshire vacation.

Warren PA to Bennington VT

Bob and I had planned to attend a Vulcan Riders and Owners Club (VROC) motorcycle rally in Interlochen MI from August 4 through August 7. We were notified on July 23 that the cabin we reserved in Michigan was not habitable. It was filled with smoke and water, when another cabin, attached to ours, was consumed by fire. I took the fire as an omen…do not go to Michigan. So, we made plans to vacation in New Hampshire instead. We visited Bob’s sister and explored the White Mountains region.

Our New Hampshire vacation began on July 30. We departed our home in Warren en route Bennington, VT a little after 6:30 am.

Around 9:00 am we made a bathroom stop at a rest area just before Corning, NY. Free coffee / tea / hot chocolate and various snacks were available under a canopy set up by a local high school senior class. I saw hot dogs, chips and soft drinks, too, so it appeared that the kiosk would be there through lunch. We picked up coffee and tea and Grandma’s oatmeal raisin cookies, which we shared. Donations were accepted. We contributed to their donation jar.

We stopped for lunch at the Worcester Rest Area (NY). It was a bit chilly sitting at picnic table. My hoodie would have felt good, but I forgot to bring it.

Lunch Stop at Worcester Rest Area (NY)

Our picnic lunch included Bumble Bee tuna and chicken snacks to go that included crackers, a fruit cup and a chocolate chip cookie, Cajun Trail Mix and beverage of choice. I saw what I considered an odd sign at the rest area.

Does anyone else consider a “no hunting” sign odd at a rest area?

We encountered the most traffic on Rt. 7E in Troy, NY. It was slow going for several miles. We arrived at the Best Western Bennington in Bennington, VT around 1:50 pm.

Our hotel room was on the second floor, poolside, Room 169.

Best Western Bennington
View from our second floor room

Our hotel room was spacious. As you entered our room from the outside, you walked into an entry of sorts. The bathroom was straight ahead; our bedroom was to the left. Furnishings included two queen beds, separated by a nightstand; a love seat, coffee table; a desk and chair; dresser with flat screen TV; refrigerator and microwave.

As we have driven through Bennington on past trips to visit with Bob’s sister, we were aware that the Bennington Battle Monument is one of Bennington’s attractions. I thought the monument might be visible from our hotel. So I went for a walk around the hotel and through the shopping center located behind the hotel.

Found it!
Bennington Battle Monument visible in the background

Later in the afternoon we drove to the Bennington Battle Monument. We have visited the monument at least two times before during earlier trips to New Hampshire.

Bennington Battle Monument

This 306-foot stone monument is dedicated to the Battle of Bennington that took place during the Revolutionary War in 1777. Visitors may ride an elevator to the top of the Bennington Battle Monument for panoramic views of the valleys and rolling hills of Vermont, Massachusetts and New York. In past visits the monument was closed for the season, and we were not able to go inside the monument. For the first time we were able to ride the monument elevator to the observation deck, which is located 200 feet from the ground. See those narrow vertical openings about 3/4 up from the monument base? That is the location of the observation deck. There were views to the south, north, east and west. Poster size photographs on the wall opposite the view highlighted points of interest.

Looking south from Bennington Battle Monument Observation Deck

Points of interest looking south included the Old First Church, the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and Mount Greylock-Taconic Range. Mount Greylock (3,491 feet) is the highest point in Massachusetts.

Looking east from Bennington Battle Monument Observation Deck

Points of interest looking east included Bald Mountain and Willow Park.

Looking north from Bennington Battle Monument Observation Deck

Looking west from Bennington Battle Monument Observation Deck

I was disappointed by the view, as you could only see through four narrow openings at each compass point. Only two of the four openings were unhindered by glass. I am glad that it cost only $5.00 each for the elevator ride.

Returning to ground level we walked around the monument grounds.

Bennington Battle Monument
and
Seth Warner Monument

Seth Warner Monument

Seth Warner was the commander of the Green Mountain Boys who helped defeat the British forces in the Second Engagement of the Battle of Bennington.

Bennington Battle Monument
and
General John Stark Statue

General John Stark Statue

General John Stark and 1,400 New Hampshire men were involved in the Battle of Bennington. This large granite boulder with its bronze tablet honors those men. The bronze state portrays General Stark in a heroic pose, stepping forward with an outstretched arm pointing towards the approaching British.

We saw our first moose, while at the Bennington Battle Monument.

This is Bennington Benny, the Covered Bridge Moose.

Benny was the first of several painted moose that we saw, while in Bennington.

Leaving the Bennington Battle Monument, we drove to Madison Brewing Company Pub & Restaurant for dinner. Bob’s sister recommended the restaurant as a comment on one of my Facebook posts. Bob ordered a blackened chicken salad; I ordered fish & chips. Both meals were excellent, as was the ambiance and service.

From the restaurant we returned to our hotel, stopping briefly at the Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce.

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce

There were more painted moose on the grounds of the Chamber of Commerce.

Upon returning to our hotel, we walked across the street to the Dairy Bar for dessert.

We found yet another painted moose at the Dairy Bar.

The moose statues first began to appear in 2005, during Bennington’s Moosefest. In addition to Moosefest 2005, I found references on the Internet to a Moosefest 2009.

This blog post concludes Day 1 of our 7-day New Hampshire vacation.

Returning Home from New Hampshire

We returned home from New Hampshire late Saturday afternoon. We departed our hotel at 6:30AM. Other than strong winds, our ride home was uneventful. We did see up to 6 inches of snow while at the higher elevations of Route 9 in Vermont. None of the snow was in the roadway. Here are a few photographs of scenery on our way back home.

We had been driving for just a little over an hour when we caught our first glimpse of snow.

Dublin, NH
Dublin Lake and Mt. Monadnock

There is a scenic overlook located on Rt. 9 in Vermont between West Brattleboro and Wilmington that offers a 100-mile view of the surrounding countryside.

Hogback Mountain Scenic Overlook
Wilmington, VT

We were at snow level while at the Hogback Mountain Scenic Overlook.
(Wilmington, VT)

Wilmington, VT
snow-capped mountain in background

We were about an hour’s drive from home when we were blessed with a beautiful sunset.