It’s that time of year where the cold and the gray seem to go on forever. I’m also just recovering from the flu as I write this, which only contributes to a general feeling of bleakness. So, there’s no time like the present to look back on sunnier times and reminisce over the joys of endless hours outdoors in greener pastures. Today I’m thinking about about my two adventures at the park in Manchester, both times accompanied my usual party of a husband and a corgi.

Our first visit was back in June 2019, very shortly after my school year was over, a time when the possibility for adventure feels delightfully, deliriously, endless. I had a very specific plan in mind for the day, which involved getting donuts from the famed Mrs. Murphy’s Donuts and letting my puppy Fiddle experience a dog park for the first time. The donuts were exactly as advertised: freshly made and calorie-laden in the best of ways. I had no regrets about the piles of coconut shavings left on my shorts after the morning of devouring that took place in our car. The dog park didn’t fit my expectations so well; it was a weekday morning and the Manchester Dog Park, located within the Dana L. Thompson Memorial Park, was totally empty. Fiddle, however, was not deterred. He took advantage of the large, enclosed grassy space and ran in circles over and over, until he could barely contain his unbelievably adorable, floppy. tongue-out corgi smile. Even though he made no dog friends, we were impressed by the amount of space available, the ability to separate small and large dogs, and the abundance of doggy bags available for any pup’s #2-related needs.

After my husband and I myself were getting dizzy from Fiddle’s seemingly endless revolutions around the dog park, we decided to explore the rest of the area. We walked across a large meadow where we came across a sign that said “Manchester Rail Trail” and we started walking along with it (apparently later the trail will open for bikes, but for now it is available for a nice walk). The sign also fairly warned us that this trail was in its earlier stages and not yet complete. Despite this warning, we were suitably impressed by how the trail passed through a a charming pine forest and by the Riley Rink, which we miraculously came upon at the exact moment I was in need of its public restrooms. Since it was a cloudy day with rain on the forecast, we didn’t run into too many other people, and the mist in the air gave the area a slightly fantastical feeling. We walked along until it was unclear as to whether we were on this supposed “rail trail” or not, and then we headed out for further adventures on the Branch Pond trail (there’s no energy like “summer just began” energy for a teacher), a tale for another day.

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This sprawling Manchester Park was visited by us again, in late September. Due to the difference in energy level (beginning of the school year is a whole other feeling), this time it was the only event of the day. Also, this time, Fiddle made a friend! This was our third attempt to let Fiddle have a “dog park experience”, after also trying it out at the Arlington Rec Center, and it was the first time we saw another dog. Fiddle loved running around with an energetic and friendly mutt even more than had enjoyed doing so solo, which was great to see.

My husband and I were curious to go further on the “rail trail” after several months had passed, but our journey proved that it was still not completed. We did go a bit further than before, and ended up walking by someone’s property, where we witnessed horses calmly grazing and some signs protesting the trail’s very existence. I took the time to read, photograph, and consider the sentiments.

I read a bit further on the issue here. I will admit that it’s difficult for me to sympathize with a person’s concern that people are walking by and it feels like they are in this person’s yard (they are not). As someone who lived in New York City for over thirty years and currently lives on a main road, “people walking by” has been a fact of life for me since I was born and it’s mostly been fine. As long as these people walking by are law-abiding and peaceful, I don’t see the harm. That being said, I do understand arguments related to the needs of the horses on the trail as well as the costs being undertaken by the town. Still, I think taking something old and decaying like this old railroad bed and transforming it into something that can be enjoyed by all, for no cost, is an admirable goal. I don’t see a reason the quiet beauty of this area should not be shared, just as the general park surrounding it is is. Having beautiful trails to traverse, and parks for our dogs to run around in, is such a big part of what makes Vermont what it is and this trail-in-progress shouldn’t be an exception.

Freshy Vermont ratings:

Dana L. Thompson Memorial Park (and dog park): five out of five stars. ★★★★★

Manchester Rail Trail: four out of five stars for now, perhaps more to come. ★★★★☆