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Writer's pictureDeborah Chadsey

Leaf Peeping Trip, Day 6



Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historic Park

Vermont has one national park, and this is it. This national park offers over 20 miles of trails to explore; some of these were carriage roads (and make for a nice leisurely walk).


At the entrance to the visitor center, this sign catches my attention.


It also piques my curiosity: what is the BARK pledge? It's very specific to this park, but the concepts are universal.

  • B: Bag my waste

There are trash bins in the Billings Farm & Museum parking lot.

  • A: Always stay on leash

I am a very good dog, but I must respect other dogs, humans and the ecosystem.

  • R: Respect wildlife

This is their home. They are protected. I will not chase or bark at them.

  • K: Know where you can go

I will stay on the trail. I will not swim in the Pogue. I will not tramp in the garden. I will not go in the park buildings (unless I have a special job).


As we explore the trails, I notice that some of the trail signs have an indicator that reminds me of downhill ski slope markers: blue square for intermediate, black diamond for advanced. In this context, I assume these refer to cross-country skiing, as the black diamond trail is not steep enough to be an advanced downhill ski slope.


This is the mansion that was originally built in 1805 by Charles Marsh, Sr., and owned by George Perkins Marsh, Frederick Billings and the Billings women who followed, and Laurance Rockefeller (who married Mary Billings French, granddaughter of Frederick Billings). All of these people played a key role in active land stewardship.


The Belvedere complex was a recreational complex for the Billings and Rockefeller families. Designed in 1870s by Detlef Lienau (best known for introducing the mansard roof in the US), the complex consists of the Belvedere (the white building), the Bowling Alley, the Garden Workshop, the Greenhouse, the outdoor swimming pool. The beautiful exterior detailing is reminiscent of a Swiss cottage.


We walk along one of the carriage roads, and it has a decent steady incline.


If we lived here, we'd come here often to enjoy the beautiful, peaceful walks.


We meet a dog that blends in perfectly with the fallen leaves. Introducing Kiwi:


As we approach the end of our walk, we come across the Woodbarn, built between 1875-1876 to accomodate the Billings' forestry operations. It currently features an exhibit: The Mount Tom Forest: A Legacy of Stewardship.


Inside the Woodbarn is a carriage museum that would rival the Parks-Janeway Carriage House back home in Santa Ynez.


The exhibit also shows leaf shapes and wood grain of different local trees.



Finally, another Robert Frost poem: The Pasture.



As we continue on our exploration of Vermont, you come too.


The Town of Woodstock

We wander the town of Woodstock a bit on foot.


Teagle's Landing is named after Frank H Teagle, Jr. - a Woodstock resident from 1945-1997 who "saw the overlooked and worked to make things better".


The Norman Williams Public Library is a pink sandstone building from 1883-1884.


This building is Windsor County's 4th Woodstock Courthouse! The original one was located on the other side of The Green, and burned down in 1791. The second one was built in 1793 on the site of the now-existing courthouse, and was then updated in 1836 by architect Ammi B. Young, who added a fluted Doric temple front and a circular ionic temple-shaped belfry above it. In 1854, this third courthouse burned down (attributed to a misdirected firecracker), and a 28-year-old architect Thomas W. Silloway was selected for the fourth courthouse iteration. Along with Dr. Thomas E Powers, local superintendent of construction, this fourth courthouse was completed within a year and on budget.



We head to the Woodstock Inn & Resort for lunch. Its beautiful grounds make it a very popular spot for lingering and photographing.


After lunch, we stroll around the town a bit more, and I cannot resist capturing this funny view of a service dog up on its hind legs to get food - "self service dog", Mike calls it.


Middle Covered Bridge

I try hard to control my urge to photograph every single covered bridge that we see. But this one is right in town and we're already on foot, and steps are good for us, right?


Silver Lake Syrups

I need to taste some local maple syrup, and try a creemee (maple soft-serve ice cream). Silver Lake Syrups is not far from where we're staying, and to get there, we mostly take the same dirt road we took to get to Fable Farms - so I'm comfortable with the route. It's a small operation whose owners are very entrepreneurial and have expanded into other syrups as well as creemee machine rentals. Their website is created and maintained by one of the daughters. The wife makes delicious looking pies - Wow, can I get a maple bourbon pecan pie shipped to California for Thanksgiving?


And I actually know how to get home from here, and make sure I take in the beauty along the way.



The day ends with Padres losing to the Dodgers in the final Division series game and getting eliminated from World Series contention.





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