AUTUMN IN NEW ENGLAND

Vermont

After leaving Moosehead Lake in Maine, we traveled through New Hampshire and into a campground near Woodstock, Vermont.  We were about a week early for seeing the best leaf peeping but we did see some change and also some very quaint and neat villages. 

Vermont is charming, rural and the people were very friendly.  We both agreed we could live there if it were not so humid!

The Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller Estate in Woodstock, Vermont and now a National Landmark.  This home dates back to the early 1800's.

Woodstock, Vermont....very charming village.

Many of the older homes in the Northeast are very large.

This covered bridge is near Woodstock and a common sight in Vermont.

   

The Constitution House....birthplace of Vermont.

A beaver is going to have this tree pretty soon.

Adirondack State Park in New York

Driving through the Adirondack State Park in New York was a beautiful trip.  It is the largest state park in the nation with over two million acres.  Lake Placid is a small quaint village but still a major training center for the winter olympic events. They hosted the Winter Olympics in 1932 and again in 1980.

We were still about a week ahead of the full "popping" of the fall colors but it was still very beautiful.

The ski jumps at Lake Placid, NY

Ausable Gorge

The Finger Lakes Region of New York

We really enjoyed this region of New York. There were numerous wineries on the shores of the lakes.   We were also surprised to find many Amish farms in the area which only added to the charm.

Beautiful vineyards blanket the hillsides overlooking the lakes.

This explains the above picture.  The Louvre is a famous museum of art in Paris, France.  These falls are just outside of Watkins Glen, NY.

  Pennsylvania and Virginia

The "grand canyon" of Pennsylvania one foggy morning.

Near Shanksville, PA

A very moving tribute to the lives and courage of those extraordinary Americans on 9/11.

35,000 Amish live and work in Lancaster County Pennsylvania.  They live lives devoted to their faith, family and friends.  One can only admire their resolve to stay true to their values in the very midst of a world so different from their own.

  

Notice this farmer's resources in contrast to the machinery being sold in the background.

Gettysburg

Our trip to Gettysburg was very interesting as the National Battlefields and Museums have documented in great detail those three days of fighting which turned the tide of the Civil War.  Thousands of lives were lost on both sides. To be present on those very fields was almost eerie.  We were also able to visit the site of the first battle in Manassas, Virginia as well as Appomattox, Virginia where Generals Lee and Grant met to sign the terms for ending this long and devastating war.  It was hoped that this would be the beginning of a united America.

Looking over a battlefield where over 5000 men died in one day.

Notice the cannonball hole in the brick wall of this barn.

This is the exact location of Pickett's Charge.

The McLean House where the final surrender agreement was signed.

Appomattox Courthouse

General Grant sat in that very chair and penned the surrender terms.

A Special Visit

We were pleased to have the opportunity to visit with John's brother, Waldo, in Frederick, Maryland.  He was a gracious host and excellent cook.  His daughter, Jennifer and her family joined us for a very nice evening together.

Sawyer, Jennifer, Peyton, Eli and Marc

Moving Southward

We are continuing our journey south as we are trying to stay one step ahead of the pending colder weather. We are reminded each day how truly blessed we are to live in this beautiful and diverse country. 

We will check in with you again in about a month. Until then.........Happy Trails.

John, Cathryn, Dexter and Annie.