Bennington, Vermont: Big Monuments, Poets & Bad Wine
Here is the final installment of our vacation to New England that Roberto and I took in October. Amazing how time flies!
One of our other stops during our New England trip was in Bennington Vermont, visiting our friends Nicki and Lisa (you will remember them from our Ft. Lauderdale trip although we all had slightly different hair at that point….). When in Bennington you must go to The Bennington Battle Monument. The monument was built in the 1880’s at the same location in 1777 during the war of independence, that the American colonists maintained a store of weapons and food, which the British knew was critical to capture in order to restock their own troops.
Besides the history the Bennington Monument is a great place to look out over Bennington and see the landscape which at this time of year which included many beautifully colored trees. You get to the top of the monument by going up in an elevator. It is cold up there so be sure to bring a jacket.
Another must see outdoor monuments of sorts is the great poet, Robert Frost’s grave at The Old Bennington Cemetary. It lies in a small cemetary that houses many old and ornate tombstones and also those that are fairly plain. The cemetary goes back to the American Revolution. In 1920 Roberto Frost came to Shaftsbury, VT (one town over from Bennington) to live. His wife died suddenly 13 years later and he went to their old farm in Derry NH to scatter her ashes per her wishes, but the place was run down. He kept her ashes until he bought 2 burial plots at the Old Bennington Cemetery behind the Old First Congregational Church.
We were a little chilly after our trip to the monument and cemetary, so we decided to look for some indoor activities. There is a local winery in Southern Vermont called The North River Winery. All of us (Me, Roberto, Nicki & Lisa) having been residents of Vermont at some point and had all been to this winery in the past and had vowed to never go back. But it is just a thing you do when you are in VT – it is like a weird kind of pride for the state thing – local wine. North River Winery makes all their wines from fruits grown in Vermont – apples, raspberries, blueberries, rhubarb, etc. Sounds good right?
Well not so much…all of us really liked the IDEA of these kinds of wine, but the taste leaves something to be desired. I think it would make nice salad dressing, but drinking wine? Um no. I wish it weren’t so. As I love the idea of using local ingredients to make everything! But if you are ever in the area, do take the tasting and make up your own mind. They do stay in business so someone is buying the wines!
Anyway, Bennington is a wonderful place for a fall getaway full of beautiful leaves, historic monuments and local products! Go Vermont!
núria - December 11, 2007 at 11:40 am
Qué Beautiful!!! I love fall trees, what a wonderful view! And what a wonderful trip!
Concerning the wine… if your next trip is to Spain consider yourself (and Roberto, of course) invited to have some Rioja or Priorat or Ribera del Duero!!! And I MEAN IT!
Maryann - December 11, 2007 at 6:34 pm
The photo of you tasting the wine is priceless! haha
Windy - December 11, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Unfortunately for me, I would love to try those fruit wine. When I went to Cornwall Summer this year and tried a few different fruit wine and love them a lot. We bought some elderflower wine to remember the trip by.
Trotter - December 11, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Beautiful series! I’ve to get to Vermont one of my next visits to the US…
I’ll be out from Wednesday through Sunday, but meanwhile leave you in Amsterdam!
Enjoy and have a great week!
Janet - December 12, 2007 at 12:44 am
Girl, you do get around! These are great photos of what had to be a wonderful trip! Hey, have you ever been to Catfish Country?
The Leftover Queen - December 12, 2007 at 7:48 am
Hi Nuria! I would love to come to Spain, hopefully I will get there someday! it would be truely wonderful!
Thanks Maryann! I had no idea I had that face when Roberto was shooting the photo! LOL!
Hi Windy – Oh you must try them! It is an experience and like I said, people do like them because they have been in business for a long time. I have had elderberry ale before and it is delicious.
Hi Trotter, thank you! I love New England. It is where I spent most of my adult life thus far, so I guess I feel like one at heart. Have a great time in Amsterdam!
Hi Janet! Well, it may seem like I get around, but, it is an illusion! I have never been to catfish country, although I was in Alabama once, at a big stud farm, but I can’t remember where – I was about 12 years old at the time.
Padmaja - December 12, 2007 at 8:19 am
Fantastic pictures!! I heard a lot about this place from my colleague as her daughter lives there!!
Looks like you had a smashing time
Suzana - December 12, 2007 at 11:48 am
Those are lovely photos – it must have been a great trip! I’m afraid I never had blueberry “wine”… I dare to say that if you’re coming to Spain, you also have to stop in Portugal and try our wines. 😉 I love the fist photo!
Cynthia - December 12, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Those are really beautiful pics, Jenn.
The Leftover Queen - December 13, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Hi Padmaja! Thank you! It really was a great time visiting with friends and being in a place that you know so well.
Hi Suzana! Thank you! I would love to try some wine in Portugal, because if I make it to Spain, I am certainly stopping in Portugal as well!
Thanks Cynthia!
sunita - December 13, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Hi Jen, lovely pictures…especially the wine tasting one :-D…but you do look happy…btw, I’m a great fan of Robert Frost.
Sylvia - December 13, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Nice trip, Jenn and wonderful photos. After your serie I wold to like know Vermont, it seems a lovely place
Emiline - December 14, 2007 at 5:33 am
Ha ha. Your face in the last picture is priceless. I’m not so big on the local wine, either. We have local blackberry wine, but it’s so sweet, I can’t drink it. It would be great to reduce down, and drizzle over ice cream.
I like the first picture; it’s really cool.
I also like Robert Frost.
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
Eh?
The Leftover Queen - December 14, 2007 at 10:12 am
Hi Sunita, Thanks! 🙂 I had a great time and was very happy.
Hi Sylvia! yay! You should definately go to VT. If you do let me know and I’ll met you there to show you around!
Emiline! Hi! Surviving up there in the cold and storms? Yeah, I hear you on the blackberry wine. But it is such a great idea. Robert Frost is cool.
sandi@ the whistlestop cafe - December 14, 2007 at 12:33 pm
I’m glad you made your trip to Vermont in the fall~ and not now! You would be needing some wine to warm you up.
The Leftover Queen - December 14, 2007 at 1:13 pm
You said it Sandi! But to look at me in that heavy coat you would have thought it was snowing! Guess my blood has thinned out since becoming a Floridian.
Meg Wolff - December 15, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Hi Jenn,
I just returned to the deep freeze(Maine) from Orlando, got into Boston and donned on the parka, headband, gloves… I hope you are back in FL now as we’re in for a big one tomorrow.
I liked your photo in front of Robert Frost’s grave. An interesting little story too. I remember about 30 years (I’m lying 40 years) ago my Dad bought my Mom a book of Robert Frost poems as a gift. They quickly became some of my favorites.