Mark & Robyn's 251 Adventure

Date visited: July 8, 2017

Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawlet,_Vermont
Website: http://pawlet.vt.gov/

Robyn and I spent a few wonderful years living in Pawlet. The house we used to live in is gone now, a victim of flooding from Tropical Storm Irene. We lived across the river which was sometimes an adventure.

We were located in the heart of the Mettowee Valley along the Mettowee River. The Valley is Preservation Trust protected farmland from Dorset to Wells. It’s good to know that some things will never change much in our beloved home state. Of course being in the midst of so many farms the Spring brought a particular odor to the atmosphere. We used to call it Pawlet Perfume.

The folks in Pawlet were wonderful and welcoming. We always felt we were part of the community from Day 1. Sadly the downtown is not as prosperous as it used to be. The general store failed. The property owner hopes to turn it into a Pub & Brew but haven’t heard much about that in a while. A couple of really good restaurants and a pizza parlor have also closed leaving Judy Lake’s Lampshade store and a real estate office. I have hopes that these empty places will be revived someday.

Pawlet, thanks for the great memories.

Woodford

Date Visited: July 22, 2016

Wikipedia page

Ordinarily I wouldn’t consider Woodford to be a destination since it seems to be one of those towns you pass through on the way to somewhere else. However, today was different as we headed to the Woodford State Park. It was a very hot and humid day but when we set up our chairs and blanket in the park overlooking the Adams Reservoir, the air was cool and comfortable with a slight breeze blowing. We didn’t pack a lunch or anything but just enjoyed the peace and quiet and caught up on some summer reading. If you need to escape the summer heat, this is the place.

It should be mentioned that the reason lunch was unnecessary is that on the Woodford Road(Rte. 9 East) in Bennington we stopped at Papa Pete’s, home of the giant pancakes. After that brunch we were pretty much good until supper.

Searsburg

Date Visited: July 22, 2016

Wikipedia page

When I think of Searsburg I think of a steep and twisty road along Rte. 8 and of course, windmills. Searsburg is the site of the first large windmill farm in Vermont. We just had to ride down for a closer look. I can’t imagine having to drive this road in a bad winter.

Date Visited: July 22, 2016

Wikipedia page
Website

Continuing west on Rte. 9 we stopped in Wilmington. Walking along the main drag we saw many shops, hotels, and eateries. Wilmington is a favorite spot for apres ski activities due to its proximity to Mount Snow. Robyn also noted that Wilmington reminds us of a coastal town in much of its architecture.

By the time we finished walking around, we decided to have a snack at Dot’s Diner. Dot’s was nearly wiped out by Tropical Storm Irene, but friends and fans from far and wide pitched in and Dot’s was rebuilt. Looking at the stream flowing by the famous restaurant we could not imagine how the water could have risen that high.