I have been wanting to go to Vermont during the fall months for years. That year we went to Montreal, we were initially planning to go to Vermont, but instead drove through it on the way to Montreal, which turned out to be one of our best trips ever. But from what we saw during our drive through I knew we had to spend time in Vermont eventually. Before we left for our trip, I googled what kind of African American history we could learn about while in Vermont; something I plan to do whenever I visit other states. I honestly was not expecting much because Vermont’s population is only 1.1% black. But to my surprise I stumbled upon Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh, which is about an hour west of our destination, Stowe.Rokeby is on what used to be the Robinson estate and an Underground Railroad shelter for runaway slaves. We got a tour of the old Robinson house and saw where the runaway slaves slept.
The guide said that the saying “Sleep tight” comes from when people used rope beds like this one. The ropes had to be tightened to make the bed firmer.
Stepping into the house the smell of history just hits you. It’s not a bad smell. Just an old smell. Bearable though. And impressive.
These people saved everything. I mean they weren’t hoarders. The place is “well put away” as we say in Trinidad. Everything thing is in its place. The patriarch saved all the magazines his illustrations were in and they have hundreds of books, which don’t make me feel so bad about not wanting to sell my books. I no longer feel bad about saving anything. Artifacts are important to a family’s legacy. Anyway, even Frederick Douglass stayed in that house.
He sat at this table.
There is also an exhibit on right now called Free & Safe: The Underground Railroad In Vermont, which brings to life the stories of two fugitives of slavery, Jesse and Simon. They found shelter at Rokeby in the 1830s. I recommend this museum. It was worth the detour. Here are some photos of the grounds.
On our way to Stowe we stopped at Lake Champlain so Hildon can fly his drone. Lake Champlain is gorgeous and I was trying to remember where I know that name from. But of course! It was the name of a ship in the Navy. Three ships actually.
When we finally got to Stowe we only had a little over an hour to take the gondola ride up Mount Mansfield, because we had to get on line to go back down by 4pm. This ride is why we came to Stowe and we almost missed it. We booked tickets for that day and I was worried, but so many people showed up after we got in line. And who can blame them. The views were spectacular. Just look.
If you want to go on this ride, you will have to wait until June. The season ended October 20th. Just go to https://www.stowe.com/explore-the-resort/activities-and-events/gondola-skyride.aspx
When we got to the top, some 15 minutes later, we took pics for a few minutes and after seeing the line for the gondola decided to walk down the mountain. Yes, you read that correctly. We walked down a mountain. Because walking down a mountain has to be better than waiting in a line. Nothing is worse that waiting in a line. We are New Yorkers and we do not wait. And I know what you are thinking. Wow! Cool. They walked down a mountain. What a brave, read: stupid thing to do! Halfway down Mansfield my knees and toes were regretting that decision. Why? Why did I think I could do this? Little kids were rushing pass me. They were running down that steep ass hill. How? Gravity was working overtime on my ass. Then I saw this man climbing up. Talmbout he walks up and down that damn mountain three times a day. And he’s 54. First of all, sir, who asked you?
I fell on my ass twice. The first time Hildon didn’t even see. He was too busy flying his drone. Then he walked up to me and asked if I fell after he saw all that mud on the seat of my pants. I said no. I sat and dragged my ass down the hill on purpose. After the second fall, I just laid there and asked Hildon to roll me down the hill. “That would look ridiculous,” he said, as he walked down sideways like a crab. He wasn’t the only one trying all kinds of tricks to make the hike more bearable. This one couple passed us walking backward. As they got ahead of us, the lady looked me in the eyes and said this is the worse decision she had ever made in her life. Agreed! But we were already more than half way down and it’s not like we could hitch a ride. And what killed me is that empty gondolas were passing us down the hill. I could have been in one of those. With about a quarter mile left I told Hildon to save himself and send help when he reached civilization. I was prepared to pitch camp and build a tent with what branches and twigs I could find. Thankfully, Hildon found a track that would make the hike longer but easier on my toes. We got to the bottom at 5:15pm. An hour and a half that took. Never again! Although I did have this sense of pride that I just hiked down a freaking mountain. Hildon had to wipe me down with a bottle of water and a rag so I could look presentable for dinner, because I told him if we go to the room to freshen up before eating I would not come back out for the rest of the night. I made a promise to myself that I would start working out again, because it made no sense how much that hike kicked my ass. My legs were done. But on our way to the restaurant we saw Smugglers Notch State Park and guess what? We hiked to the waterfall. I figured, I’m already in pain. What’s one more 20 minute hike. But it was worth it.
For dinner we went to the vonTrapp Brewery and Bierhall. If you’re like me and don’t miss out on the airing of The Sound of Music every Christmas, then you would know that after fleeing Nazi occupation of Austria by going to Italy (in the movie they fled to Switzerland because it was more dramatic) and touring Europe as The von Trapp Family Singers, they toured through the US before settling in Vermont. This restaurant and their family lodge is owned by the youngest son Johannes. I had to eat here. The wait was more than an hour but we ordered beer and ate warm pretzels served with homemade spicy and sweet mustards. We had burgers and fries because we deserved it after that hike. Then we walked about and took in the decor and snuck into the brewery to take picks.
We did not get to our airbnb in Waterbury till after 9pm and our host, who kept in contact with me throughout the day, was there to greet and welcome us into his beautiful townhome. The place was so quiet. Outside was pitch black. A far cry from Brooklyn. John’s place is immaculate. He has a beautiful shower with a jetted tub and quality body washes and lotions by Ursa Major, a Vermont brand. The bed was so comfy. I’ve left the link so you could look into booking it if you’re ever in Stowe.
A view from the bedroom window.
We awoke at 7am and as I struggled to lower myself on John’s toilet I made a promise to myself that I would start working out again, because it made no sense how much that hike kicked my ass. My legs were done. We left John’s at 8:30 the next morning and ate at Maxi’s Restaurant about 5 minutes away. I had the Belgian waffle. The waitress suggested I get the whipped cream and strawberries but they weren’t fresh. Still, a healthy serving of eggs and home fries made up for that.
It looked pretty though.
We then hit the road to Manchester two and a quarter hours away. We stopped a couple times for Hildon to fly his drone. The scenery was just out of this world. I don’t blame Hildon for wanting to stop and capture all those colors. And we weren’t the only ones. No one could resist pulling over and snapping a pic. Because in a few more weeks it would be gone.
Emerald Lake was one of those stops. I mean…..
I just sat there and gazed. It was so tranquilizing, even with screaming kids nearby. And the facilities are great. There are toilets and changing rooms. One of the commodes had shit on the seat, but that’s not the park’s fault. People are just gross.
We then took the Mount Equinox Skyline Drive. The longest privately owned paved toll road in the USA at 5.2 miles with an elevation that increases to 3,235 feet. You have to purchase a token at a toll house at the bottom of the mountain. The cashier gives you list of rules to follow, like don’t drive faster than 10 miles an hour and when coming back down DO NOT RIDE YOUR BRAKES. You think people listened? The air reeked of burned brakes and clutches. One girl’s zipcar was leaking. She pulled away from one of the rest stops and left a huge wet spot. I hope she and her friend made it home alright. That view though.
Driving into Manchesta was surreal. You know you hear about cities and you think New York, LA, Chicago. Manchester is not any of those. It’s quaint. No skyscrapers. Just refurbished old buildings. Many of them outlet stores. So if you’re ever in Manchester, you can do some real damage to your credit. The outlets are not all in one place, though. They are scattered all over so wear comfortable shoes. But you know as cute as the shops looked, they were still just outlets and we have those in NYC. What we dont have is a bookstore that used to be an inn over a hundred years ago. Northshire Bookstore used to be Colburn House but is now a 10,000 square foot bookstore.
I went there to get a copy of The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, but the minute we stepped into the store I realized there was no way I could just grab a book and get out. The place is amazing. I had to explore. And they encourage browsing. The store’s is layout fosters exploration so that’s what we did. Plus Water Dancer was $28, almost double what it goes for at Barnes & Noble. I had to find something to buy there and after a bit of roaming ended up getting these
I almost bought this book……
….but I would have probably used it for more evil than good so I decided not to go that route. This place is amazing and if you like books I recommend. After that we walked around town and took pics…
First Congregational Church
…and decided on what to eat for dinner before heading to the bed & breakfast. We stayed at Bromley Inn in Winhall, a 15 minute drive from downtown Manchester. The inn is right on highway 30 but the reviews were so good and the price was right so we could not resist. The woman at the front desk was welcoming and showed us to our room. Does this hallway remind you of a certain horror film?
I kept expecting twin girls to appear.The room was updated, though. The red wall gave it a little edge. I kept imagining that they painted it red to cover up blood splatter.
Fun times. (I watch too much horror movies)
We dropped our bags, relaxed for a bit and went out to dinner. We ate at Thai Basil. We did not make reservations so we sat at the bar and watched the Jets vs Patriots game while noshing on shrimp spring rolls, dumplings and drunken noodles. Everything was delicious and I do not have pics because I was too hungry to delay. The place was packed for a Sunday night. We sat next to a local who was yelling at the Patriots. When we returned from dinner, we had new neighbors and could hear everything they were saying through the walls of our rooms. I was worried because I have a sensitivity to noise, particularly at night. But the place was dead quiet after 10pm. After a good night’s rest, we enjoyed a complimentary breakfast at the inn, which made up for the creepy hallway.
These french toasts were so good. The chef, whom locals were calling Mike, came over and greeted us and asked how everything was. Everyone was so charming. I love the decor of the dining area. Just look.
So cute.
After breakfast we took pics of the inn….
Yes, that is a Christmas tree.
….and surrounding area.
Vermont just has spectacular views no matter where you are. It was breathtaking. We took it all in on our way back to NY. If you like leaf peeping as much as we do, I recommend Vermont for your next fall foliage destination. Just please take the gondola down.
Two Traveling Trinis 