"The sun has riz,
The sun has set.
And here we iz,
In Texas yet."
Living in Texas, you get used to the idea that you have to drive most of a day, if not longer, to get to a state boundary.But things aren't like that in New England, and that's one of the things that makes driving there so exotic and charming. Every hour or so (and sometimes more frequently) you get to see new colors of highway signs and the mile markers start over. Another little joy of traveling!
We spent July 4th making a scenic loop from New Hampshire to Vermont and back, and enjoyed not only crossing the state lines, but also a variety of sights and enjoyments. From history to scenery to some of the best chocolate ice cream this side of Florence's gelato. [At the Mountain Creamery in Woodstock, VT. If you're anywhere in that tiny state, it's not far away!]
Our first stop was a great recommendation from our NH hosts, the kind of out-of-the-way and unexpected jewel that definitely argues in favor of not-too-precise trip planning. The Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. Never heard of it? Neither had we, but it's a great place to visit.
Especially when you get in free with your brand-spanking-new Senior Parks Pass! (See mine on the left. Just obtained in Acadia. All you youngsters not quite 62 yet can eat your hearts out! 
)The site, home of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, is off a minor state road (the complexity of the "getting there" directions on the website are a tip-off that it's not going to be overrun with tourists) just on the New Hampshire side of the Connecticut River. [some small-state confusion: this river marks the boundary between VT and NH before finding the sea in CT.]
We didn't know about the site, but we had heard about the sculptor. Although none of us realized just how many famous works he was responsible for. And the site is a beautiful place even without the historical interest.There's a lovely garden along one side of his major studio that includes the gorgeous hollyhock on the right and well as many other impressive specimens. (See pictures of a few more in this Flickr set.)
But the whole grounds are quite nice and well cared-for (and don't worry, we did leave donations for upkeep to offset our free entrance!). Here's a glimpse of the lawn (perfect size for a soccer field!) with Mt. Ascutney, across the border in Vermont, in the distance:
Of course, though, the sculptures are the big attractions of the site. What's on display at in New Hampshire are various casts and preliminary versions of most of his work, the more famous iterations being on display around the country. (If you're interested in exploring the amazing breadth of his work, from coins to reliefs to massive monuments, this index, provided by the Friends of Saint-Gaudens, has them all.)Here's a photo of the interior of his main studio, furnished with drawings and portions of larger works:
All in all, a very interesting place. And all the more so for being totally serendipitous! (Many photos of the sculpture on display are themselves on display in my Flickr set.)Our loop drive next took us into Vermont, another bastion of New England scenery and charm. [And, fortunately, where we weren't liable to run into campaigning Republican Presidential candidates—we barely missed a few in the small NH towns we drove through. What close calls!]
After enjoying the roadside scenery for a while, we wanted to sample Vermont small-town charm close-up. And what better place to do this than Woodstock. On a trip through the region several years ago, Henry and I were somewhat unimpressed with the village, but for the life of me I can't remember why. At any rate, my opinion has turned 180 degrees. What a neat little town! I mean, when this gorgeous building is your public library, how can you go wrong!...
Running through the town is a pleasant little stream with a very long name, the Ottauquechee. We were see more of it, in a more dramatic setting, shortly. But while in Woodstock, it just makes a very picturesque backdrop for flowers and charming buildings...
Not too far east of Woodstock (since you can't go too far east of anywhere in Vermont and still be in the state...ha! ha!) the river makes the incredibly scenic Quechee Gorge. Here's a shot from the bridge that spans it:
Looks like pretty exciting paddling, doesn't it?! Especially to someone from parched south Texas.The gorge was made when the last ice age retreated, and you can see here that the ancestral Ottauquechee didn't wiggle around but made a clear straight shot when it was digging it. I thought the straightness of the riverbed makes it look almost unnatural, and I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like it.
(I took a lot more pictures here; you can see many of them in the Flickr set.)Fun as our drive was, there always comes a time when home beckons. In this case, the lovely house of our hosts back in New Hampshire. We were very sad to realize that our New England adventure was almost at an end.
But we were rewarded on our last night in the region with this lovely sunset from their hilltop. Looking west over the rest of tiny New Hampshire and all of Vermont, and on toward our permanent homes, out on the frontier.
New England feels like a different country sometimes, but we were glad to be celebrating the 4th of July in such a wonderful little corner of the land of E Pluribus Unum.Photos from the whole trip (including many not used in the blog posts) are in this Flickr collection.
