RonnieAdventure #0122 - Vermont, 2014 Part II

Burlington is the largest City in Vermont and the Burlington Metropolitan Area has an estimated population of 213,701, which includes approximately one-third of Vermont’s total population. When first settled, the Burlington's location on Lake Champlain helped it become a major center for trade and by 1869 Burlington was the third largest lumber port in the United States. Although the port suffered some severe environmental damage in its early years, over the past few years the port has been cleaned up and the waterfront has been converted into a park and promenade. In 2010, Forbes magazine ranking Burlington as one of the “prettiest towns in America.”

Ice cream lovers are probably aware that Burlington is the location of the original Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop that opened in an abandoned gas station in 1978. Ben & Jerry's now has ice cream shops around the world. A few years later (1983) John Sortino started The Vermont Teddy Bear Company by selling hand-crafted teddy bears from an open-air market. The Vermont Teddy Bear Company now ships hand-crafted teddy bears world-wide. However, according to an article on the internet, Burlington's claim-to-fame is that it is the location of the shortest "tallest building" in the United States - Decker Towers at 124 feet.   

The Grand Isle area of Vermont was first explored by Samuel de Champlain in 1609, who claimed the lands for the King of France. The area remained essentially unsettled for a number of years and then in the 1783 the Hyde Family built a log cabin on one of the islands and the lands eventually became part of Vermont. The Hyde Log Cabin is believed to be the oldest still-standing log cabin in the U.S.

The Highgate Falls Bridge spans the Missisquoi River at the original location of Highgate Falls. However, the river was dammed in about 1804 or 1805 to provide water power for a gristmill, which reduced the water flow over the falls. The area below the dam still has some falls when water is being released from the dam, but the day we visited the site there was only a small amount of water in the stream. 

The Highgate Falls Bridge was constructed in 1887 using wrought iron and a combination of pins and bolts. This is a well-preserved example of a two-span lenticular truss bridge.

Although we were not able to tour the Enosburg Falls Opera House, it appeared to be a beautifully restored historic structure.

The Longley Covered Bridge was an interesting photo stop and the trees in the area were turning beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow.  

We had planned to ride the Jay Peak Aerial Tram to the top of the ski area, but due to a shortage of time we settled for lunch at the Jay Peak Golf Course Clubhouse.

The Northeast Kingdom Tasting Center was established in Newport to feature and promote products from local Vermont farmers and producers in the area. The facility is operated as a market where you can do your grocery shopping, or you can drop by and sample the various local products.

Island Pond was once the major rail centers in northern Vermont with 13 sets of tracks passing through town. A mere two tracks remain today, but the area is still famous for being the site of the first international railroad junction in the United States. 

Today, people come to Island Pond and Brighton State Park because of its remoteness. The area contains an abundance of fast-running streams, clear lakes, wooded forest, and a wide variety of plants, animals, and birds. Wild turkeys are so plentiful that you see them along most of the roads.

There is a sign along the road that explains Guildhall is the “only town in the world so named.” The library building is painted a bright yellow and also serves as the local Masonic Lodge. Guildhall is also the location of the first wing dam built on the Connecticut River, but most of the dam has been washed away or destroyed over the years.

The Maple Museum in St. Johnsbury is an original "sugar shack" that contains an interesting display of historic equipment used to make maple syrup. The main visitors center is adjacent to the "sugar shack" and contains a wide display of products produced by Maple Grove Farms of Vermont. They also show an interesting video about making maple syrup and other maple products. According to their advertising, Maple Grove Farms is the largest packer of Pure Maple Syrup in the United States, the largest manufacturer of Maple Candies in the World, and the manufacturer of some of the best sellling Specialty Dressings in the USA.