VERMONT

VERMONT - The Green Mountain State, September 26

Wednesday morning, we left Lebanon, New Hampshire bound for for Rutland, Vermont.  On the way, we had a chance to stop at the Quechee Gorge, known as the "Grand Canyon" of Vermont.  This glacier carved gorge was quite deep and many of the trees had started to change color.  We then drove on through Killington, Vermont where the color increased significantly.

When we arrived at Rutland Elks Lodge #345, we were met by the State President, Lori Pinsenneault and her husband, Greg.  We were also welcomed by the Exalted Ruler of the Rutland Lodge, Leslie Johnson.  We had an excellent lunch featuring lobster bisque and the biggest turkey sandwiches we've ever seen.  We both made it through about half our sandwich and then gave up.  We thanked the Rutland Lodge profusely for their hospitality and then headed out for Bennington.

In Bennington, we went to the Bennington History Museum to see the Bennington Flag.  This flag has a mysterious history, but its fibers have been documented back to the 1820s.  It was passed down through the Fillmore family and is one of the oldest flags in existence.  The museum also had a gallery devoted to the work of Grandma Moses as well as her original schoolhouse.  After leaving the museum, we took a tour of The First Church as well as a visit to the grave of Robert Frost.

By coincidence of timing, the museum also had on exhibit the Stickle Sampler quilt.  This quilt was completed in 1863 by Jane Stickle and is only on exhibit for a few weeks every year.  Venita was fascinated and the curator told her that they will be offering a special two-day seminar next year in honor of the 150th anniversary of the quilt.  Can you say quilting road trip?

In the late afternoon, we checked into the beautiful South Shire Bed & Breakfast.  This lovely victorian home was right across from the Bennington Elks Lodge #567.  Our room was a beautiful suite with a king size four-poster bed.  After settling in, we joined Amos, Barbara, Peter and Sharon in the "parlor" for refreshments prior to leaving for the lodge.

At the Bennington Lodge, we had a great time visiting with Elks who had come from all over Vermont for the evening.  We were humbled when we found out that some of the folks had come from the far reaches of the state and would have at least a two hour drive to get home after the dinner. One of the fun events of the evening was the 50-50 duck drawing.  State President Lori has been raising money all year to purchase some special swings for their major project camp by ordering and then selling special "theme" ducks on all of her visitations.  In our honor, she had purchased "biker ducks" and we, of course, had to buy several.  While we did not win, we have gained a great new idea for fundraising that we will share with folks on our travels.

After dinner, the Vermont Elks presented both of us with the President's Volunteer Service Award, along with some special gifts to remind us of our time in Vermont.  Tom received a beautiful clock made out of a slab of granite and engraved with his name and the Elks logo.  We also received a number of children's books that we can read to our grandchildren when they come to visit.

The next morning, we took time to visit the Bennington Battle Monument, taking the elevator to the top to get a bird's eye view of the beautiful fall foliage.  Then we bid farewell to Vermont as we headed for Massachusetts and our final stop on this most excellent New England tour.

We can't thank everyone enough for our wonderful visit to Vermont.  Having Amos and Barbara, Peter and Sharon and Lori and Greg share their beautiful state with us was a special experience.  It is definitely on our "motorcycle vacation" itinerary for our next trip to this part of the country.  Thank you all for your gracious hospitality.