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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**

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.

Thanksgiving Day Part 1

We continued our drive to New Hampshire on Thanksgiving Day. We checked out of our hotel, filled up with gas and were on the road by 6:30AM. Except for the first couple hours when we drove through fog, we had good driving conditions. We made a couple photo stops along the way. Our first stop was in Bennington, Vermont, where we saw the 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 Monument for panoramic views of the valleys and rolling hills of Vermont, Massachusetts and New York. Unfortunately, we were not able to do this as the monument was closed for the season.

Our first view of Bennington Battle Monument

Bennington Battle Monument with
Colonel Seth Warner statue

We stopped briefly in Wilmington, Vermont, where I took a picture of one of the village’s most prominent landmarks — the Molly Stark statue. Molly Stark was the wife of American Revolutionary general John Stark, who was involved in the Battle of Bennington.

Molly Stark statue