Mt Greylock State Reservation MA
Mount Greylock State Reservation is public recreation and nature preservation area on and around Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts at 3,491 feet. The park was created in 1898 as Massachusetts' first public land for the purpose of forest preservation. We will drive on a scenic byway with several breathtaking viewpoints and possible also do a small hike.
We will also stop by the visitor center which has a small nature museum as well.
Bennington Battle Monument VT
We will visit the Bennington Battle Monument; this is a 306-foot-high stone monument that commemorates the Battle of Bennington during the American Revolutionary War. The monument's cornerstone was laid in 1887, and it was completed in November 1889. Today the Bennington Battle Monument is a Vermont State Historic Site.
We will take an elevator to its observatory level, which at 200 feet to experience the breathtaking views.
Natural Bridge State Park MA
Natural Bridge State Parkis a Massachusetts state park. Named for its natural bridge of white marble, unique in North America, the park also offers woodland walks with views of the only dam in North America made of white marble as well, and a picturesque old marble quarry. You will get some time to explore the beautiful natural surroundings.
Quechee Gorge State Park VT
The focal point of this park is Vermont’s deepest gorge, and Vermont’s most spectacular natural wonder, the Quechee Gorge. The Gorge was formed by glacial activity approximately 13,000 years ago. The park land is owned by the US Army Corps of Engineers and leased by the State of Vermont.
We will hike by the Gorge (2-3 miles) on a fairly flat trail and enjoy the amazing sceneries, including this waterfall pictured above. We will also walk to a bridge 165 feet above the Ottauquechee River to enjoy the amazing views. Next to the gorge you will find the Quechee Gorge Village, with many gift shops.
Vermont Maple Farm
Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the US. Vermont maple syrup producers made 2.55 million gallons of maple syrup in 2022. Vermont doesn’t just produce the most maple syrup, but also widely known as the best. One of the reasons is that Vermont has higher standards than the US government when it comes to the purity of its maple syrup.
We will visit a rural Maple farm in Vermont, where they both produce maple syrup and cheese. You will be able to walk in the woods and see how the trees are tapped and learn about the maple syrup process. You will also be able to sample both maple syrup and cheese and see a few farm animals.
Billings Farm & Museum VT
We will visit the Billings Farm & Museum. This is a working farm & museum dedicated to scientific-farming history, with interactive exhibits & demos. Explore the carefully restored 1890 Farmhouse and learn about the farm operation a century ago.
The museum features interactive programs and award-winning historical exhibits. The museum also showcases the progressive improvements advanced by Frederick Billings during the late 19th century. Frederick H. Billings was a gold rush lawyer, railroad baron, and conservationist. Born and educated in Vermont, he arrived in California with his law degree, and he was California's first Attorney General. Across the street is the Billings' family mansion which is the only National Historic Park in Vermont. (Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP).
You will also meet many farm animals such as prize-winning Jersey dairy cows, draft horses, sheep, and chickens.
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park VT
Opened in June 1998, Vermont's first national historic park preserves and interprets the historic Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller property.
The Park is named for George Perkins Marsh, one of the nation's first global environmental thinkers, who grew up on the property, and for Frederick Billings, a lawyer, railroad baron, and conservationist born and educated in Vermont. Frederick Billings's granddaughter, Mary French Rockefeller, and her husband, conservationist Laurance S. Rockefeller, sustained Billings's mindful practices in forestry and farming on the property over the latter half of the 20th century.
Walk through some of Vermont's most beautiful landscapes, under the shade of sugar maples and 400-year-old hemlocks surrounding the Queen Anne style mansion that was home to three conservationist families across nearly 200 years.
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, NH
Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish, New Hampshire, preserves the home, gardens, and studios of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America's foremost sculptors. This was his summer residence from 1885 to 1897, his permanent home from 1900 until his death in 1907, and the center of the Cornish Art Colony.
Experience the park grounds and a few buildings where you will find many of his original sculptures on exhibit, along with reproductions of his greatest masterpieces.
Southern Vermont Natural History Museum
The Southern Vermont Natural History Museum is a natural history museum, at the Hogback Mountain Scenic Overlook in West Marlboro, Vermont. The Museum's Natural History Collection is primarily the work of Luman Ranger Nelson, a noted naturalist and taxidermist of the early 1900's. The collection includes about 250 birds and mammal species found in the northeastern United States. This is the largest collection of its kind in Vermont.
At the Museum you will also experience a few live animal exhibits, these animals are in captivity for different reasons and would not survive in the wild. Most of the birds have physical handicaps and many of the reptiles are unwanted pets.
Vermont Country/Gift Shop
By the museum you will also find a Mountain Gift Shop, where you will find many local products including delicious Vermont maple syrup.
And there is also a wonderful observation deck and boardwalk that grants you access to amazing views of the Green Mountains and with views of three states.
New England Covered Bridges
No trip to New England would be complete without visiting a few covered bridges. At least 1,000 covered bridges were constructed in New England during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today the tally is down around 200. The reason that these bridges are covered are that uncovered wooden bridges typically have a lifespan of only 20 years because of the effects of rain and sun, but a covered bridge could last over 100 years. Today Vermont has the highest concentration of covered wooden bridges. We will visit at least 3-4 covered bridges, including the longest in the US.
New England Scenic Driving
During this three-day tour, we will spend most of our time in Vermont, with a few stops in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. You will experience breathtaking sceneries driving through New England especially during this time of the year; these are some typical sceneries that we will drive through.
New England Hiking
During this three-day tour, we indulge our self in a few hiking trails varying from 0.3 to 3 miles in length, these hikes are predominately rated as “easy” by most hiking organizations standards, but you can always opt out of some of these hikes if you prefer.
Some of these hikes will be to viewpoints, waterfalls, lakes, the Appalachian Trail and more.
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