Vermont: September-October 2014

Following up on a promise we made to good friends Fred, Mary Anne and Gibson Hoff, our next stop was to see the Fall colors in the beautiful State of Vermont.  Fred, Mary Anne and Gibson live in Bristol, VT.


You may recall that we met Fred, Mary Anne and Gibson in Arizona at Tombstone Territories RV, near Huachuca City AZ.  We had such a good time with them in Arizona, we couldn't wait to see their home in Vermont.  Fred (Bear Goes Over the Mountain) Hoff and Mary Anne did a great job in showing us the beauty of their State.

We were fortunate to be able to meet their family and even had a Mexican-themed dinner with the extended family!  Bonnie, Henri and I can't thank the Hoff's enough for making us a part of their family for this trip.

Mary Anne and Fred Hoff (Gibson and Henri stayed home on this trip)

Vermont is a beautiful State!  According to Wikipedia (the source of all things), Vermont is the 6th smallest in area, and the 2nd least populated of the 50 states, and is one of the 6 "New England" states.  The quaint, rural quality is one of the many things that Bonnie and I loved about Vermont.  Another plus in Vermont's favor is, like Texas, and two other states, Vermont was once a soverign State in it's past.  The Green Mountain Boys helped to create an independent state, the Vermont Republic, from 1777 to 1791.  Vermont joined the US as the 14th State in 1791, immediately after the original 13 colonies.

Bristol, VT, a town of approximately 4,000 in Addison County, was founded in 1762, even before the Republic, and is situated at the base of the Green Mountains.  Like many Vermont towns, the downtown is quaint, friendly, and has the ubiquitous, high-steepled white church.  During our stay, Bristol had a Fall Festival in the central square.  We were able to walk from the Hoff's to the square.  Small towns are so cool!

Here are some pictures of Bristol, and some of the small towns in the area.  One of the first sights to see was the "Lord's Prayer Rock" just outside Bristol.  In 1891, a local doctor, Joseph C Greene, apparently upset at the foul language and swearing of passing logging wagon drivers, commissioned the Lords Prayer to be engraved on a large rock, hopefully to make them think twice about taking the Lord's name in vain.

Mary Anne and Fred at the Lord's Prayer Rock

The Hoff's Home in Bristol

Quintessential Churches

Waybury Inn (Opening scene - "Stratford Inn" in the Newhart Show)

Fall Festival in Bristol

Bristol VT

Vergennes VT

Vergennes

Round meeting house in Richmond VT

Of course while we traveled to Vermont to see the Hoffs, we were also hoping to see some of the beautiful Fall color this state is known for.  We were not disappointed.

Fred and Mary Anne took us to see Fort Ticonderoga, a star fort originally built by the French at the narrows of Lake Champlain in northern New York, which was important in the American Revolutionary War.  This is a beautifully-restored piece of history that you should not miss, if in the area.

On our way back, we rode the cool Ft Ticonderoga Ferry.

Photo Courtesy: www.forttiferry.com 

And a trip to Vermont wouldn't be complete without a trip to Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.  Enjoyed the tour and the samples!

Graveyard of Retired Flavors

We also drove over into the Adirondaks in New York State while we were there.  Cool mountains and comfortable lawn furniture.

We also drove to Montpelier, Vermont's State Capitol.

What a wonderful time we had in Vermont.  Many many thanks to Fred, Mary Anne, Gibson and the entire Hoff clan for putting up with us homeless Texans.  We can't wait until our next visit to Vermont!