Just about the beginning of May, I had a friend from Japan visit me, Atsuko. She and I went to UVM together back in the mid-90’s. She runs the philanthropy branch (more like a twig) of a large forest products firm in Japan. They sponsor some preservation and some art and education programs in Tokyo.
We decided to visit some friends in Burlington. So, back into the little red rocket I went, having just toured the great plains. Now, a weekend in the Green Mountains.
Below are some of the delightful photos from this trip.
Crossing the Connecticut River on I-89 into the Green Mountain State!
The first of many bucolic views. As soon as you enter the state, one senses something different about the place. One reason is that the mountains and landscape here is 200 million years older than the more recent geology of New Hampshire. Both states are uplands caused by volcanic and tectonic activity of long ago, and the Connecticut River is where water has found the lowest passage between the two uplands. So it really does divide two different lands.
At the rest stop in Sharon, a living machine, where human waste is processed by plants and aquatic biological communities to become safe – it turns into water vapor, carbon dioxide, and plant material which can be harvested and composted. It’s a little more complicated than that, so check this out.
The green hills along the White River.
Heading down from the ridge, toward Montpelier, that’s Mt. Mansfield in the distance.
Downtown, Burlington, along Church St across from City Hall. The street is one of many successfully pedestrianized downtown retail districts in the US. It was designed in the 1970s and implemented in the 80’s. It really serves as a public focal point for the city, anyone who’s visited Burlington is sure to have enjoyed a stroll down Church St. Back when I was a student, I would always bump into someone I knew, not so much anymore, alas…
Lunch was a Red Onion Sandwich – a classic.
This is “The Train Ball” – a very cool sculpture.
I got in and tried to figure out how to get it to go – seems I’m not enough of a steampunk for a real adventure.
The up to the main campus – this is the Old Mill, the oldest main building of the campus, now the Geography Dept. and a couple of other things.
In the new Davis Student Center it was the tail end of the exam period and the African Drumming and Dance class had their final presentation, quite cool. This facility, LEED certified and full of great features, is an amazing gathering place and crossroads for the entire campus. When I was Student Government President, we had a committee to review what we needed as the then student center was really the basement of the old Billings Library. Many can recall that I practically lived there my senior year, and I enjoyed that – between time in my office and time at the radio station – but UVMers needed better. Though the cost was high, the value is even more, and I’m glad to see the place fit in and support a vibrant community so well.
Back down the hill to the waterfront – great view of the Adirondak Mountains on the New York side of Lake Champlain. Shelburne Point is on the left side of the horizon.
Now heading east, along Rt. 15, through Jericho. This is another view of Mt. Mansfield.
Now along the Lamoille River, just one of many delightful old farms. Possibly one of the 1000 dairy farms in Vermont where milk prices have declined by 50% since 2008. Farms with fewer than 100 cows lose $10,000 on average every month because of collusion on pricing in the industrialized milk industry.
Looking back at Mt. Mansfield, also known as “Moze-o-de-be-Wadso” by the Abenaki people of this area.
We found this neat old covered railroad bridge.
I liked the interior load-bearing latticework.
The Lamoille River, further north now, you can see how the leaves are just budding out on the hardwoods.
Now right on the way into the Northeast Kingdom of the state, with more gorgeous grazing land on either side of the state road.
Here we are just on the highland between the Lamoille and Connecticut valleys. Ahead in the distance: the White Mountains.
Here, looking out over a really dense stand of dandelions, in the distance, you can see the snow-capped peaks of the Presidential Range – the highest mountains of New Hampshire. The best of both lands, you might say.
It was a great weekend in the countryside of a special place.
I got in and tried to figure out how to get it to go
The Travels of Grey 