Connecticut/NJ and the End of Our Trip

 

                                

Sep 26, 2024 - We had another quick drive day today, from Brattleboro, VT to a Harvest Host site at Norbrook Farm Brewery in Colebrook, CT.  It was another rainy day, but we didn't mind since it was just a travel day.  

Pretty, but rainy drive

more color

We checked in at the brewery around 2:00 and grabbed a few beers for the van while we had "movie afternoon."  Love the artwork on the Norbrook labels.

who doesn't love a cow bench?

brick oven pizza for dinner

and we're here for the Thursday night jam session

Sep 27, 2024 - We have a 2.5 hour drive to Lake Walkilll where we'll spend the afternoon visiting with Janet & Bob.  Janet had a wonderful lunch for us, and dessert by the lake.  Then we have 2 nights booked at Stokes State Forest, so we can drive down to Westfield on Saturday to visit with Meg & Maddy.

pretty view to wake up to, in the lower parking lot of Norbrook Brewery

Uncle Gene and Mirabelle are out for a walk

We also got a quick morning walk in

and we caught up with these two

Kev loves to chat with (bother) Aunt Gerry through the kitchen window each morning.

the road from our camping spot up to the brewery

the Norbrook windmills

The Alaska Crew is reunited!

The view at the Lake Walkill clubhouse doesn't ever get old.

dessert by the lake

Love the lure box, but not the shadow

Site 131 at Stokes.  And Kev and UG found some firewood that needs processed.  We got a lot of use out of AG's portable chainsaw.

Looks like we're going to have a fire tonight

Queen Mirabelle

Last campfire of the trip

Really nice grassy sites at Stokes

Sep 28, 2024 - Today we're meeting Meg & Maddy in Westfield.  It's an hour and 15 minute drive there.  We're looking forward to walking around town, seeing our old house and having a picnic in Tamaques Park.

Westfield is decorated for Fall

We love the Hershey's Trinidad sub, yum!

It was rainy but the Tamaques Park pavilion kept us dry for our picnic lunch and a quick game

little red riding hood

Lion's Roar Brewery in the Westfield circle had a cozy covered area out back.

I didn't get a good pic of the pallet bench, but isn't it clever?

We loved the "Maddy Bo" beer!

It's still raining out there.  The brewery is located on the Westfield circle.

Bye Meg!

Sep 29, 2024 - It's another day of rain.  Thank goodness we didn't have all this rain while we were in Nova Scotia!   It's a 6 hour drive to Mom's where we'll hang out for a week before heading home.

Shotwell Pond across from our campsite

Tiny looks lonely without Lep (UG & AG left early this morning for their sprint home)

One last morning walk before heading home

Sep 30 - Oct 5, 2024 - Mom's is right on the way home, so we stopped for a visit with her, before our last 5 hour drive home.

It's sunny!  We went for a walk on the Berlin Lake Trail

There are a few leaves on the trail

Before heading back to Indy we stopped at Heggy's, (Alliance's local chocolate store) and they have a new bench (sadly they didn't have any milk chocolate caramels...my favorite!)

Our sticker wall is looking good after our trip!   We drove 5,650 miles, spent 42 nights on the road, averaging $34/night (we didn't stay in many Walmarts/Cracker Barrels on this trip and the majority of our campsites had electric and water, so it was a bit more expensive compared to our previous trips).  What a great trip!

Brattleboro, VT

 

                                             

                                               

Sept 24, 2024 - It was only a 2 hour drive from our campground in New Hampshire to Fort Dummer State Park in Brattleboro, Vermont.  We have 2 nights reserved at Fort Dummer.  Fort Dummer was the first permanent European Settlement in Vermont.  The fort was built in 1742 and named for William Dummer who was the acting Governor of Massachusetts at the time it was built.

It was a beautiful drive through New Hampshire

and Vermont

Site 21

There were a few short hikes in the State Park.  After setting up camp we did the 1 mile Sunrise Loop.  This was the view from the top, that looks down on Connecticut River.  This view overlooks The original site of the fort which has been The original site of the fort was flooded beneath the Connecticut River when the Vernon Dam was built in 1908.  

It was a pretty walk through the woods.

pretty sunset through the trees

Sep 25, 2024 - Today we drove into Brattleboro for some exploring.  Our first stop was the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center.  The museum is in Vermont Union Station.  Next stop was the Retreat Farm, which is on the site of the original psychiatric hospital that was built there in 1834.  The farm has a country store that sells cheese and local items.  There are many hiking trails around the farm and the Retreat Tower trail goes to the tower that was built by the hospital patients as "therapy".  It was a rainy day, so we didn't get to hike to the tower, maybe on our next visit.

morning view

Kev and I did a morning hike on the Sunset Trail.

Sunset view

the campground has 50 sites and is pretty empty since it's the middle of the week.  I love the planted flowers all around the campground in random stumps.

The Fort Dummer sites are huge and very private.

Kev prepped some nachos for lunch

The "Wrench Bench" in front of the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center

coyote paintings

I love this painted silk

Pretty flowers at the Farm Retreat

We walked up the hill to see the goats

and the twin calves, Braeburn and Cortland

Next we visited the Creamery Covered Bridge

It had a separated pedestrian crossing

It's fall in Vermont

Campfire time

Breakfast for supper