A Dorset Day: Cutler Memorial Forest and the PEW Trail

August 22, 2019Hiking trailshiking trailskiminvt Leave a comment

This is the last week before school begins. This is a big deal because I’m a teacher and it will be another 10 months before I can enjoy the luxuries of the summer again – one such luxury is spending the morning in peaceful, natural areas with trees and rambling rivers, rather than in fluorescent lights with young students who happily have no concept of inside voices.

So when the fates aligned and a day happened to involve pleasant weather and also happened to be free of tasks this week, my husband accompanied me to explore one of the Shires of Vermont we had yet to really experience: Dorset. Upon driving in, we were both impressed by the beautiful residential homes (and their acreage) as well as the general charm of the main town center near the “Dorset Green”. We stopped for our first of of two hikes near Peace Street, and headed into the Cutler Memorial Forest.

Cutler Memorial Forest

The forest welcomed us with a clear, simple sign (pictured to the left) describing the history of this small trail, as well as exactly what the trail would entail. I appreciate when a trail provides useful information about timing and terrain ahead of time – surprises in the middle of hiking are certainly not always welcome ones. I also appreciate the thought that went into sharing the information regarding the history and geography, as well. After passing by the sign, the trail began with a bridge over the Mettawee River, as well as several pleasant views of its flowing waters. My husband pointed out a spot by the river with a grill and benches which seemed like a nice place for a small get-together during the warmer seasons here in southern Vermont.

After the bridge and the barbecue spot, the trail meandered into the woods. The first part of the trail, along the river, was marked by green diamonds on various trees and, once in the woods, the markers changed to red as the full loop began. The trail was thankfully well-marked throughout most of its simple mile of terrain. The scenery was pleasant with a few flowers, berries and mushrooms adding charm here and there, and the trail itself was smooth and easy for the most part. Butterflies were present and apparently growing up around here, as well – a caterpillar mysteriously landed on my hand when I stopped for water. Thankfully, it was a cute one.

Wooden boards had been placed on several parts of the trail, presumably to help hikers traverse muddy or icy areas, but many of the single boards were either loose or entirely broken in most of these sections. We were still able to hop over without much of an issue, but repairs would definitely improve the aesthetic as well as the safety of this trail. In general, this trail is short and sweet and I’d recommend it as a relaxing walk for all age groups and abilities with the caveat of extra care when walking on the wooden boards.

Freshly Vermont rating: four out of five stars. ★★★★☆

The PEW Trail

After our lovely little walk in the forest, we drove toward Manchester to visit the PEW Trail, which there was considerably less information about online. In fact, I still don’t know if it’s PEW or Pew or Pew Forest as I’ve seen all three mentioned. I suppose Pew Forest Trail makes the most sense, as that’s the name on the sign that welcomed us to the trail’s parking area. This area was nice, with a kiosk describing how volunteers help to maintain the trail and several walking sticks leaning against it – they were all child-sized walking sticks but the idea was nice. There were also several signs mentioning that dogs are not welcome on this trail, which made my heart hurt a little, knowing that we’d never be able to share our adventure with sweet Fiddle. However, it turned out that it was not really something worth sharing.

Information, walking sticks, and no dogs allowed. 🙁

The Pew Forest Trail started with some promise. While it did not have the scenery of the previous trail, it was exquisitely maintained at the start of the trail: volunteers had cut logs than had fallen across the path so visitors would not have to step over them (and these logs were not terribly tall to begin with) and the markers all specifically spelled out the word “trail” on them. Despite all of this care at the start of the trail, as we continued walking the level of maintenance steadily declined. We passed through a sunny field filled with wild flowers and after this point there were no more lovingly-cut logs and elaborate markers. Instead the trail started to become a bit overgrown so that plants grazed our ankles.

Eventually we ended up in what seemed to be a never-ending parade of stinging nettles which was not ideal as this is summer and we were both wearing shorts. It did reach an end eventually, but at least one fourth of these 1.5 miles were itchy and mildly painful. In addition to the nettles, I also managed to get several bug bites despite wearing two types of bug spray, but this can probably be attributed to the fact that I somehow taste like a world-class dessert to every mosquito on earth. The nettles would be one thing if there was something spectacular or unique about the trail itself, but it was a simple loop in the woods with no particular views and no particularly interesting features. Overall, I was impressed with the level of care devoted to a small portion of this trail, but it was generally a disappointment. It might have even put a damper on my day, if it were not immediately followed by cookies and cream ice cream with whipped cream at our local dairy bar. Thankfully any summer day can be saved by Vermont deliciousness.

Freshly Vermont rating: two out of five stars. ★★☆☆☆

White Rocks: Beautiful Boulders

August 11, 2019Hiking trailsbennington, hiking trailskiminvt Leave a comment

Since moving to Vermont, I’ve had the pleasure of hiking on a frequent basis, both within my town of Bennington and beyond. The “White Rocks” trail is one of the trails I’ve spent the most time on, and I’ve had the chance to experience it in several seasons. Each time was a positive experience.

“White Rocks” is a section of the Bald Mountain Trail, located in Bennington, VT. Basically, you stop at the beautiful lookout (pictured above) and head back from there, rather than going for the summit. I’ve completed this section once, with my husband, though we’ve also gone for shorter bursts on this trail with our corgi puppy, Fiddle, as it is perfectly dog-friendly. Sometimes when I’m out for a run I stop at the beginning of this trail just to take in the sight of it.

The trail begins with going up some steps, passing a kiosk, and then heading over some small hills that may be covered with wildflowers, depending on the season. One of the neatest parts of the trail takes place before the first mile is even up, as one passes through the “free expression tunnel” underneath the nearby highway, with various graffiti of interest on the walls – not your usual hiking trail scenery, for sure! It’s strange to hear cars whizzing by during this portion of the trail, but it’s also neat in its own way.

Wildflowers in summer.
The “free expression” tunnel.
A simple path.

After the tunnel, the “White Rocks” trail turns more into your typical hiking trail, though it is a pleasant one. It’s all uphill, but it’s a moderate uphill at worst in this section. Much of the trail is heavily wooded, with a few small clearings throughout. There are a few streams to cross, but it’s nothing challenging (and I say this as someone who is not a fan of rock hopping) and, of course, these are appreciated by Fiddle, who needs to cool off after working his short little corgi legs to the max.

You can just step across, thank goodness.

Just before reaching the lookout, one will find out exactly what this “White Rocks” nickname is all about, as white rocks very literally cover the ground. From here, there’s a few steeper climbs as the paths become rockier, but it’s all worth it for that magnificent view of Bennington and its surrounding mountains at the end of this section. I have fond memories of eating sandwiches with my husband while taking in this view – nothing helps a peanut butter and jelly sandwich feel more exciting like awe-inspiring natural beauty! It’s all downhill from there, unless one were to go on and complete the full Bald Mountain Trail.

A rocky, yet lovely, path.
As advertised, some white rocks!

Overall, “White Rocks” is a good workout, with a decent variety of terrain and fantastic views. It takes a few hours to reach the lookout but it’s possible to complete the hike in a morning or an afternoon.

Freshly Vermont rating: five out of five stars. ★★★★★

The Good, the Bad, and the “It Depends”

July 28, 2019Miscellaneouskiminvt View all 2 comments

Tomorrow is my one-year anniversary of becoming a Vermont resident. (I won’t actually be here to post then – I’ll be doing what lots of legit Vermont residents do during the summer, camping in nearby Maine.) So I’ve been thinking about how much life has changed since one year (minus one day) ago. Some changes are great, some are not so great, and some involve a plethora of different feelings. For those who are thinking about making the jump from “big city” life to “small town” life, or for those who are just curious, these are the major changes I’ve noticed in my one year of Green Mountain State living:

The Good

Cost of living. It’s really not very hard for a state to beat my former home of New York City in the “cost of living” category but Vermont does it. Our current 2 bedroom rental (with two floors for just us, a little bit of lawn/yard space, driveway, etc.) costs us way less than our previous 1 bedroom apartment that also happened to be a 4th-floor walk-up. Bills in general appear to be cheaper, including everything from car insurance to electricity. The little things, such as going to the movies, tend to be less expensive in general – it only costs $5 to catch a show at Bennington Cinemas!
Planet appreciation. People (and lawmakers!) in this state are constantly thinking about sustainability. From the upcoming statewide single-use plastic ban to the fountain at my work that tells me how much I’m helping the earth each time I fill my reusable water bottle up, this is a big deal and it’s nice that it is.
Nature. This is kind of an obvious one, considering this is the “Green Mountain State” but I can assure you that’s no misnomer! I can currently walk to three hiking trails easily from my place, with a few others that I could reach by a “long walk”. Everywhere I look, the beauty of nature abounds, even when doing errands – the green mountains are in magnificent view outside of Price Chopper and a river flows right by Walgreens.

Nature abounds! This is the view of the mountains and the Bennington Battle Monument from Willow Park.

The Bad

Health care issues. Aside from the fact that my general health insurance (as a public school teacher) is more expensive and less extensive than my previous health insurance in NYC, it’s been very difficult to make doctor appointments. For example, when I needed an eye exam, I called to make an appointment in mid-December and was only able to get an appointment at the end of March. Back in Brooklyn, all I’d have to do is hop on ZocDoc and I’d have dilated pupils within the week. I have been here almost a year and am still waiting to see my primary care doctor, as when I first called appointments were only being made “six months out”. The doctors I have managed to see here have all been absolutely wonderful, but the waiting game is certainly not ideal.

Four seasons are just not enough for us!

It Depends…

The seasons. Vermont’s seasons are undeniably beautiful and, as you can see, there are six of them! Summer and fall are absolutely glorious. The whole state turns green with summer and the heat is on, but it’s not overpowering or super humid. I’m sure you’ve heard of autumn in Vermont: crisp air and apple cider and a rainbow of leaves decorating the mountains. I personally like the quiet spring, though every a day is a bit of a gamble, weather-wise, and winter is as snowy as one might expect, but also lovely in its own way. The other two “seasons”, I feel, are not so great. Mud season (around March and April) makes many hiking trails nearly impossible to traverse and many unsuspecting sneakers end up filthy. Stick season (around November and December) is full of delightful holidays but everything looks so bleak; it’s depressing just to look out the window sometimes. 4/6 season are good times, at least.
The food. Obviously, the food in my former home of Brooklyn was a wonder; you could find any type of food imaginable and the halal carts were a staple for my husband and myself (delicious, $6 plates of chicken and rice with a “white sauce” that could keep you full for a whole day). Here, there are still many positive things to say about the food. It seems like every Vermont town has a farmers’ market and locally made foods and, especially drinks, are highly celebrated. This is the home of Ben & Jerry’s and Cabot Cheddar, and these amazing establishments known as dairy bars are open all over during the summer. I am definitely biased in favor of Vermont food, as cheese, ice cream, and ciders are all in the top ten of my mental favorite foods list. (Yes, cider is counting as a food in this list.) However, there are some less positive sides. You can’t get the variety of ethnic flavors you could in NYC. For example, if I were in the mood for Cuban food, I am not sure where to go, and there are sadly no food trucks in sight where we live (with the exception of the one day a year that there is a Food Truck Festival). You also can’t use Seamless or similar apps to order food, at least in our town. On the one hand, this cuts down on variety, but on the other, this does help us save money and stay healthy(ish) in comparison to previous eating habits.

Overall, I don’t regret moving and making this change. Since we moved, we are able to have a wonderful dog and home-ownership doesn’t seem too far in the future (in NYC, it seemed like a complete impossibility). I like that when I go out for a run, I could end up in the woods if I want to. I like that people care about the future of the planet here. I am impressed that our October holiday is now “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” instead of “Columbus Day”. I feel comforted seeing the Green Mountains surrounding my town, no matter where I am. And, of course, I love the dairy.

Jamaica State Park: Secluded and Serene

July 25, 2019Campgrounds, Vermont State Parkskiminvt Leave a comment

Jamaica State Park is one of the few places in this state that I’ve had the honor of experiencing in different years, during different seasons. It is actually the first place I ever visited in the state of Vermont! My husband (then boyfriend) and I went on a weekend trip here back in the fall of 2014, when we starting consider where we’d like to “settle down” in the future. We also returned this past spring for a quick weekend trip to celebrate our two-year anniversary of married life. Both times were highly enjoyable escapes from the pressures of daily life.

Fall 2014
Spring 2019

Both of our visits involved camping in tents. We slept in a tiny tent during the first visit, but we’ve upgraded to large tent for 2019, for comfort as well as for accommodating our puppy Fiddle, who adores adventures. Both visits also involved great luck with the weather, though to be fair early fall (before the snows of late fall) and late spring (after “mud season” has come to an end) are both goods bets for some ideal Vermont weather.

Jamaica State Park can be enjoyed with a day pass for $4.00 per adult, and camping is reasonably priced, too – it’s an $18.00 per night base rate for tents and/or RVs, and the pet fee is a modest $1.00. It’s a truly serene place, and I felt like I was truly “off the grid” both times I went camping here, despite its proximity to towns such as Brattleboro and Manchester. There is plenty to do in nearby areas – during our first visit we went down the alpine slide at Bromley Mountain multiple times and happened upon the famed Peru Fair completely by accident – but there are things to do within the campground as well. There is a swimming hole, as well as an easy trail to walk along, following the West River. This trail eventually leads to Hamilton Falls, which is more of a challenging hike (when we hiked to the falls we kept seeing signs declaring how many people had died there, which was rather unexpected…).

Fiddle loved Jamaica State Park – it had many sticks for him to eat…
The West River.
Getting the fire going.

Though it is a beautiful park and feels like a great getaway even for a few days, the park is not perfect. The park’s website states that “there are two restrooms with flush toilets, hot and cold running water and coin-operated hot shower” yet the latter option did not appear to exist at all when I visited this past spring. I was quite frustrated to have thrown two quarters in the shower and receive exactly zero minutes of hot water, but ten full minutes of freezing cold discomfort. I don’t blame a campground if they don’t have hot water – it’s camping and it’s not about luxury – but I am not a fan of false claims. This would have been more of a big deal if we had stayed for longer than a weekend either time, so the brevity of our visits helped out in this regard.

Overlook at Jamaica State Park in the Autumn

In general, I think this park is absolutely worth a visit for its secluded feeling, reasonable prices, and the beautiful natural surroundings. It would make an excellent day trip for adults and families (and dogs!), and it’s a pretty sweet place to camp as long as you don’t go in expecting this “hot water” promise to deliver.

Freshly Vermont rating: four out of five stars. ★★★★☆

Hildene: Peaceful and Pristine

July 23, 2019Miscellaneouskiminvt Leave a comment

A summer Sunday in July was the perfect time to visit Hildene. The land where Abraham Lincoln’s son spent time with his children and grandchildren has a quiet magic to it; it was best enjoyed outside the stresses of the school year. Since pets are not permitted, I visited with my husband while young corgi Fiddle hung out in his designated area at home.

Admission to Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home is a bit heftier than nearby attractions in the Shires of Vermont, at $23.00 per adult, though tickets are much cheaper ($7.00) for children or for adult guests returning for a second consecutive day. However, the peaceful verdant beauty of this land’s 400+ acres combined with the historical context and the many, many adorable goats makes the experience more than worth it, in my opinion.

Upon our entrance to Hildene, we checked in at the Welcome Center, where we were given stickers which we foolishly stuck on our clothes. (They fell off within the hour, so we returned and kept the second set safe in my bag!) We were told it was a great time to visit the Goat Dairy and, since you never have to tell me the word “dairy” twice, we headed through sun-dappled and exquisitely-maintained wooded trails to this area. The Goat Dairy was everything we could ask for, with Nubian goats of all age groups ready for pets and brushes.

Peaceful path…
One cutie!
Cutie #2!

While we chose to walk everywhere, I should note that there is an option to have a tram to take you from various points of interest on the land to others – we witnessed many guests appreciating this service!

After our walk to the goats, we had many more places to check out within Hildene: we stopped for a picnic lunch (my husband had been helpfully carrying sandwiches and water around in a backpack for the morning), we visited the Dene Farm (one farm was just not enough!) to check out sheep and alpaca, we witnessed plants in growth at the greenhouse, and we walked along further trails, including a lovely wetlands trail that was set up with a boardwalk.

Everywhere I looked, all I saw involved gorgeous shades of green. I distinctly remember telling my husband, “A day like this is exactly what is so wonderful about Vermont.” I took about ten thousand photos and breathed in the clean air, feeling waves of gratitude for the opportunity to be there in that moment, among so much natural beauty. There was no trail we didn’t enjoy, but the most memorable were the wetlands trail and the “maple trail” where you could see maple syrup moving along through tubes attached to trees.

After a few miles of trail loveliness and filling up on food, we went to see the big attraction itself: the “home” part of the “Lincoln Family Home”. When we arrived, a staff member gave us some background information on the car out front (it was used by Robert Todd Lincoln’s daughter Jessie when she visited) as well as the home itself. We learned about how Robert purchased this home as more of a “vacation cottage” (it was small compared to what he was used to) and how much time his children and grandchildren enjoyed there. Though we experienced the self-guided tour, we still managed to learn quite a lot through reading the information on display in each and every room.

The Lincoln Family Home, featuring Jessie’s car.

After exploring the interior of the home, we also got to take in the delightfully-designed gardens, with the formal and kitchen gardens being equally lovely. I easily took another ten thousand photos while exploring both floral landscapes. I also took note that a plethora of bees and butterflies were present – Hildene is truly a pollination haven.

Bees were plentiful at the estate.
The formal gardens had fancy hedges.
The kitchen gardens contained sweet and simple paths.

After so many adventures, it was about time to head home. I could not leave without one more visit to the welcome center, though – all sorts of things I love were for sale, including artisanal cheese, candles, and candy. Despite all the wondrous items, I managed to control myself by only purchasing a few goat milk caramels for $5. One of those chewy blocks of sweetness was the perfect treat for the ride home after an idyllic, truly Vermont-ish day.

Hildene has a wide variety of things to see and do and is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to in Vermont.

Freshly Vermont rating: five out of five stars! ★★★★★

The Marina: Dog-Friendly and Delicious!

July 16, 2019Restaurantskiminvt Leave a comment

One of the best restaurant experiences I’ve had so far in my short time as a Vermont resident was at a place I discovered completely by accident. I had to go to Brattleboro to pick up some materials for the girls on my Girls on the Run team. Since it takes a whole hour or more to drive there from our place, I brought my husband and puppy along in the hopes of having a day full of adventures and hikes in a beautiful area. My hopes came to fruition, which was unusually lucky, as this was the beginning of April and a snowstorm was just as likely as the gorgeous, sunny day we had to enjoy.

When our morning hiking was done, all three of us were ravenous. We checked out a few establishments that we had seen listed as “dog-friendly” online – nope! Eventually, the situation became dire enough that we were asking random people on the street for suggestions about where we could eat with our darling corgi Fiddle. The Marina had our back.

Even though it was not technically the “season” (Vermont is pretty sleepy from November through April), they allowed us to sit in the corner of their outdoor section with our handsome little boy on his leash by us. (This was Fiddle’s first restaurant experience and he loved basking in the glory of all the fans his cuteness drew to him, including the waitstaff.) The outdoor seating had a lovely view of the water and felt so relaxing after we had been hiking and exhausting our muscles for hours. The restaurant was reasonably full and many other couples and families were enjoying their food out on the deck during the first genuinely warm day of the year.

Aside from the delightful ambiance, the food was amazing! I started with a glass of Prosecco, which was the perfect amount of refreshing – it tasted like spring was truly arriving after my first full Vermont winter! My husband ordered a swordfish sandwich and was quite excited about its freshness. As a seafood fan, I decided to try something completely new in this genre of food and ordered the “lobster and scallop pie”. It was divine – in fact, I am pretty sure I was literally exclaiming “this is divine!” while tasting it. The Marina did not skimp on the amount of shellfish included in the least, and it was so indulgent and buttery in the best of ways. Speaking of indulgence, since everything was so amazing, my husband and I didn’t hesitate for a moment in our decision to split blueberry pie (a la mode) for dessert. (I’m pretty sure Fiddle got a fair taste of that whipped cream, too.) Another truly divine choice! We left with delighted palates and full bellies.

Overall, the whole experience at the Marina – including service, environment, value, and taste – was fantastic.

Freshly Vermont rating: five out of five stars! ★★★★★

New State, New Adventures

July 10, 2019Introductionkiminvt Leave a comment

Welcome to Adventures in the Green Mountains! This is a blog dedicated to chronicling my experiences as a new resident of a small town in southern Vermont. As someone who grew up in a large city, I’ve been amazed at how different life has become since moving here (in a good way, mostly).

On this site, I will be reviewing various various Vermont experiences, from hiking trails to restaurants to museums. This state has so much to offer and I’m looking forward to sharing it all with you!