Bristol environs

Because I had to pass back through NH, and will have to pass back through upstate NY, Vermont is getting a bit of a short shrift. I felt I had not yet experienced iconic Vermont. Kate, one of the proprietors of The Tillerman, helped me plan an itinerary today that would hopefully make up that lack.

I started with a stop in the town of Vergennes. Most of the shops on the small Main Street were still closed when I arrived, but the Vergennes Laundry coffee shop was open, so I stopped for coffee, a snack and some conversation with the locals who frequent this appealing cafe.

Then I continued North to Mt. Philo State Park . I drove to the top parking lot. I would have hiked the last half mile to the top, but it had started raining, and I was not convinced the time would be worthwhile as the views were obscured. I settled from some images of the surrounding landscape from the overlooks.

I then continued North to my main destination, the Shelbourne Museum . Like many of the museums I have visited in the Eastern U.S., this is actually a campus, not just one building. It contains a number of historic structures that have been moved or reconstructed, as well as several galleries featuring various art exhibitions.

I first stopped at Built from the Earth , an exhibition featuring Pueblo pottery. Of course I had seen some of this Pottery in New Mexico. It was beautifully curated and displayed. The most unusual piece was one featuring Stars of David. The explanation was that the artist might have been inspired or commissioned by one of the prominent Jewish families in the SouthWest. Apparently the Bibo family traders intermarried with several Pueblo communities and advocated for indigenous political causes throughout the twentieth century. I was unaware of this piece of history.

Next, I visited the Pet Friendly exhibition by Stephen Huneck. I was familiar with some of his paintings; the exhibit also included woodcuts and sculptures.

Finally, I stopped into the Webb Gallery of American Paintings. The featured painting is Soaring , by Andrew Wyeth , an incredible painting of turkey vultures soaring above a landscape, from their perspective. I had never seen this piece before and it is a bit different than some of the more iconic work of Andrew Wyeth.

I then headed up to Burlington. I’m not sure how worthwhile this stop was, especially give the traffic and parking challenges. The two recommended areas, the Church Street marketplace pedestrian all, and the waterfront, were OK, but unimpressive.

I drove back to Bristol for another wonderful dinner at The Tillerman . I met Julie and Alison. Eventually Julie’s wife Uli showed up as well. Julie and Uli live in Vergennes and invited me to stop for breakfast on my way out of Vermont tomorrow morning. An offer I could not refuse.

Tomorrow I drive back through upstate NY. I’ll stop in Buffalo and make the requisite side trip up to Niagara Falls.