THURSDAY, JUNE 21 IN VERMONT

Like yesterday, I began my travels after breakfast.  I decided that I first wanted to go see Dartmouth University.  I'd never been there before, and like to wander college campuses.  Again the weather wasn't working for me - 95 degrees and humid - but I did get a bit of a stroll while the temperature was less than 90.  Here's a few photos.

Dartmouth is actually in New Hampshire.  For someone from a large-area state like California, hopping back and forth across the Connecticut River, in and out of Vermont, was really weird.  Terri had mentioned yesterday that the Vermonters often shop in New Hampshire to take advantage of no? low? taxes.  Still, the meandering between states, for me, was odd.  Especially, since I kept getting lost, it meant that I wandered out of Vermont several accidental times.

My Dartmouth trip was so successful, I decided to travel on up the 89 N and go on to the Vermont state capital, Montpelier.  Again, it was a wonderful stop.  Montpelier is very small, and easy to visit.  Hey!  I didn't even get lost!  Here's a few photos of Montpelier.

 The bridge above went over the Winooski river.  I'm not sure why that struck me as funny.

A government building along State Street.

I had a great lunch in a little cafe, Le Brioche, and felt my drive was so successful, that I'd keep going up the 89 N to Burlington.    The drive really is easy.  The highways in Vermont are well taken care of and there really aren't that many people, so traffic is easy.    Again, I had to use the bathroom as soon as I left Montpelier, so I pulled off the motorway at the next stop.  Middlesex was so small, I only saw 5 buildings - not a promising start for public bathrooms.  I went into a pottery store and asked for a public toilet.  The lady behind the counter told me to go ahead and use their facilities.  They were so nice, I bought a little ceramic jug.  It turned out, I fell in love with that little pitcher.  It's glazed to look like a hunk of birch.    I headed on my way to Burlington.  Once I got there I ran into my only real where-the-heck-am-I glitch.  My "goal" was to drive to the edge of Lake Champlain.  How could I lose a "great" lake.  Thanks to my cell phone, I found it.  When I got to the lake, I drove into a parking lot and was told that no matter how short my visit would be, it would cost me $10.  But the woman running the lot told me to go across the street to the Hilton.  That turned out to have free parking for 2 hours or less.  My half an hour along the lake was a freebie.  People have been nicer in Vermont in my two days of meandering around than I met in 5 years of "Happy Valley" - State College PA.  Here's a few photos of the lake and Burlington.

 A view of Burlington with Lake Champlain behind me.

 The photo above is of a ferry boat that toured around Lake Champlain.  I felt like I might have liked to go on the ferry until it pulled away from the dock.  They decided to blare a tinny version of Anchors Aweigh.  OK - never mind - I decided to skip the ferry tour.

I drove straight back to Quechee Inn.  Charlie's group broke up a little bit early.  I decided that since he'd been in Vermont, he hadn't seen anything!  I dragged him back to Quechee Gorge and Woodstock.  Ho ho ho, I managed to get us lost a bit again.  Since I've been lost on every road around here, all the roads look familiar.  Heavens!  We did get a walk about despite it all.  Here are some photos.

 Woodstock's village green.

 The outside of my favorite library.

Back at the inn, we had another feast.  Good grief!  This one was even better than last night.  The plane home will have to taxi an extra 12 feet along the runway to get me off the ground.  I'm rolling home