Vermont
On our way to our site in Vermont, we saw a sculpture of two whale tails. It was strange to wonder why there would be whale tails in Vermont, but people driving between exits 12 and 13 on Interstate 89 just outside of Burlington can see the “Whales Tails”, and here is the story about them.
The sculpture named, “Reverence”, was created by Jim Sardonis in 1989. Carved from 36 tons of African black granite, the tails stand between 12 and 13 feet tall and are meant to symbolize the fragility of the planet.
The tails were carved in two pieces, the vertical part of the tail and the horizontal flukes.
The Whale Tails.
The tails were commissioned by a local developer in 1989, and in 1999 Technology Park Partners purchased them and placed them where they are seen today. The sculpture has been on the cover of two books and is even documented in the Smithsonian’s Save Outdoor Sculpture! database. The tails were voted Best Roadside Attraction in 2014.
The remains of a marine whale were unearthed in 1849 near the town of Charlotte by railroad workers. The bones, believed to be those of a Beluga whale, were ten feet beneath the ground in blue clay. "Whales do not sing because they have the answer, they sing because they have a song." Gregory Colbert.
Beluga Whale.
Our site in Vermont was the largest site that we have stayed in, it felt as though we really didn't have neighbors. Lots of grass, also paved roads instead of gravel.
Vermont site for one week.
The night we arrived they had a band playing and it was
also the "Christmas in July" weekend.
Also saw a hot air balloon.
So, would you like to go up up and away, I might.
Since we were here for only one week, we hit the ground last Sunday and took a nice drive out to a small town, Stowe, Vermont. It was a lovely day, and we had a great time. We first headed for lunch at the Von Trapp Family Lodge "Bierhall." After fleeing Austria in 1938, the von Trapp family toured the world as the Trapp Family Singers. They bought a farm in Vermont in 1942.
Family farm in the mountains of Stowe, Vermont in 1942.
Outside of the restaurant and brewery.
Inside the restaurant and brewery.
After lunch, we went downtown and walked around Stowe. We found a great parking space, which was amazing seeing how many people were in town.
Circa 1794.
Old Yard Center Cemetery, circa 1798.
Levi Hodge was born in 1783 and married Tabatha Towne in 1805.
They had at least eight sons and two daughters. Levi died at the age of 75,
November 2, 1857. Their family is all buried here.
Downtown Stowe chartered as a town in 1763.
Covered walking bridge.
West Branch Little River flows under the covered bridge.
Monday, we ran errands and Tuesday it rained. Wednesday was a wonderful day as after hubby was finished at work we headed to Burlington and went on a dinner cruise on board The Spirit of Ethan Allen on Lake Champlain. Fun fact: the lake is 12.2 miles wide, 120 miles long and 427 feet deep at its deepest point.
The ship.
At our table for dinner.
Before heading out, this boat was heading back to port.
"Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him
and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret."
Luke 5:1 (NASB).
Before we boarded.
After dinner.
"Keeping it real" on Thursday, not only did it rain, but we also figured out how we could go to a friend's wedding. Originally, we let them know that we couldn't make it, we would be driving from Ohio to Michigan. Well, Thursday we were asked again if there was any way we could make it. So, the morning was busy and felt fast as I called the Michigan RV park to see if could come two days early. Had to leave a message. They called back and said it was ok, so instead of staying in Ohio until Saturday, we will leave Thursday, head to Michigan, sort of set up the RV and then head to Grand Rapids, spend the night, fly out Friday for the Saturday wedding. We will then return back to Michigan and stay until Saturday and then head out to Nebraska. Hubby did a great job finding tickets, a rental car and a hotel. Feels good to have all of that done and to be there for the wedding.
Thursday night we went to a Road Food Book restaurant "Al's French Fries." It is a fast-food restaurant that was built in 1946 in the middle of farm land. It has more than just French fries, but that is what drives people to Al's.
In the beginning.
The original site.
Here are the fries.
I had a chicken club sandwich and hubby had a hamburger,
we shared a large fry.
Glad the rain stopped long enough for us to get out and eat.
What is looks like now.
Friday, we went out to dinner and stopped for diesel and a few items we will need since Saturday we spent the night at a Harvest Host site in New York. Today, we are diving to our site for the week, and it is close to Niagara Falls. Hoping to see the falls in Canada.
Harvest Host, Freight Yard Brewing, Clay, New York.
Our site for the night. Almost perfectly level.
*Vermont: Hermit Thrush (Bird), Sugar Maple (Tree), Red Clover (Flower), and "Freedom and Unity" (Motto). This motto was first adopted in 1788 for use on the Great Seal of the Vermont Republic.
Hermit Thrush.
Sugar Maple in the Fall.
Red Clover.
Well, I must say, we didn't drive to see the Inn in the TV series "Newhart", it was over an hour away and with hubby working until 4:00pm there just wasn't enough time to drive and look at the Inn and take a picture and drive back an hour. If we could have done in on a Saturday or Sunday, I would have done it for sure and then sightsee in the town of Middlebury, Vermont. It looks and sounds like a cute place to visit.
If there is something special you would like me to take a picture of, please let me know!
Drop a comment for me and let me know your thoughts on the blog.
God, the RV & me...
Drop a comment for me and let me know your thoughts on the blog.
God, the RV & me...
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