Trip report -- Vermont: Bennington and Manchester
Jul 23rd, 2016, 12:56 PM
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Trip report -- Vermont: Bennington and Manchester
Back with another trip report after a hiatus. Recently spent a short while visiting Southwest Vermont, one of a few areas of New England I hadn't experienced.
Bennington
The attractions here can easily be seen in a day. Began at the Bennington Battle Monument, an imposingly tall obelisk a bit like the Washington Monument on a hill on the west side of town. It's not at the actual battle site, rather where US armed forces munitions were being stored -- and which the British wanted to capture. There's an elevator going up to the viewing area inside (about 3/4 of the way up); the stairs are no longer available for use. The view is quite good, about 20+ miles to the north, west, and south (including Mt. Greylock in Massachusetts). At the base is a small interpretive area describing the battle and the construction of the monument. Not a lengthy place to visit, but enjoyable. There are some really nice large homes on the hill going down from the monument, culminating in the First Congregational Church. The church itself is plain inside, but the adjoining graveyard has some nice old tombstones as well as the final resting place of Robert Frost and his family. The cemetery backs directly up on the town's best attraction, the Bennington Museum. Its collection holds a hodgepodge of items, highlights including a number of Grandma Moses paintings, a big cache of pottery by Bennington craftsmen, a 1925 Wasp auto (one of a few by this short-lived local car maker), and the Bennington flag (one of the earliest examples of the Stars and Stripes, now very faded). There are also plenty of everyday items like clocks, toys, kitchenware, furniture, parlor stoves, and musical instruments. The rest of its paintings are just okay, including a temporary exhibit of what I found to be ho-hum canvases by Milton Avery. Still, worth seeing overall. A little further down the hill from there is Hemmings Sunoco, a gas station with full service attendants and a store full of model cars and clothing. The reason to come here is for their small but choice vintage auto collection, featuring a number of unusual things, including a Brewster, a Hudson Terraplane with a wood paneled rear inside, and a vintage tow truck and popcorn wagon.
Manchester
A full day's worth of things to see here. Began at Hildene, the summer/fall home of Robert Todd Lincoln, the only child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln's to reach adulthood. There's a lot to see, too. The house itself is large, and inside tastefully ornate. You're greeted by a guide who activates the front hallway organ (used to be via piano-type roll, but since changed to floppy discs to save the old paper rolls from too much wear), then the rest is self-guided. One room is given over to a few artifacts such as one of the two of Abe's top hats still in existence. Furnishings are as tasteful as the filigree, and original to the family. Out back is a pleasant formal garden of moderate size with a further view of the surrounding mountains. There's also a vintage Franklin auto out front and a nearby observatory and gazebo. Further along is a vintage Pullman luxury train car lovingly restored (Robert was president of the Pullman Company for several years) and a small farm area given over to making goat cheese. Decided against exploring the extensive grounds since biting flies were about. It's a sturdy hike from here to one of the more eccentric museums I've seen, the American Fly Fishing Museum. It's not a big place, but if you want to know about this sport, you've come to the right spot. There's a timeline of the sport from 200 BC to the present, a good-sized collection of tied flies and reels and rods, and fishing tackle that belonged to famous people devoted to this pastime, such as Daniel Webster, Zane Grey, Glenn Miller, Bing Crosby, Herbert Hoover, John Quincy Adams, Jimmy Carter, Dwight Eisenhower, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams. Another solid walk leads to the Southern Vermont Arts Center. If they have a permanent collection, it was nowhere to be seen; the place was devoted to temporary exhibits of work by local artists. As if often the case in such situations, what was on display was hit or miss and not brand-name based. I most enjoyed the paintings by David Joel Pratt and Michael Strauss and photography by Jeffrey Braxton.
Public transportation: by and large spotty but not totally absent. Was staying with friends from the area who drove me to Hildene and picked me up at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester. Going between attractions requires a solid walk, or a car/taxi, but I managed it okay. There is a bus that runs from Manchester to downtown Bennington and back. Local bus service exists in Bennington but is useless for sightseeing. Fortunately, the attractions here aren't that far from each other -- just be prepared for a bit of a walk either to the Battle Monument to start (which I did) or back from it into town if you start at Hemmings Sunoco and work your way westward. If staying in Rutland to the north, there's a bus that goes into Manchester and hooks up with the one going to Bennington.
Nice to be traveling again, and glad to have a trip report to offer.
Bennington
The attractions here can easily be seen in a day. Began at the Bennington Battle Monument, an imposingly tall obelisk a bit like the Washington Monument on a hill on the west side of town. It's not at the actual battle site, rather where US armed forces munitions were being stored -- and which the British wanted to capture. There's an elevator going up to the viewing area inside (about 3/4 of the way up); the stairs are no longer available for use. The view is quite good, about 20+ miles to the north, west, and south (including Mt. Greylock in Massachusetts). At the base is a small interpretive area describing the battle and the construction of the monument. Not a lengthy place to visit, but enjoyable. There are some really nice large homes on the hill going down from the monument, culminating in the First Congregational Church. The church itself is plain inside, but the adjoining graveyard has some nice old tombstones as well as the final resting place of Robert Frost and his family. The cemetery backs directly up on the town's best attraction, the Bennington Museum. Its collection holds a hodgepodge of items, highlights including a number of Grandma Moses paintings, a big cache of pottery by Bennington craftsmen, a 1925 Wasp auto (one of a few by this short-lived local car maker), and the Bennington flag (one of the earliest examples of the Stars and Stripes, now very faded). There are also plenty of everyday items like clocks, toys, kitchenware, furniture, parlor stoves, and musical instruments. The rest of its paintings are just okay, including a temporary exhibit of what I found to be ho-hum canvases by Milton Avery. Still, worth seeing overall. A little further down the hill from there is Hemmings Sunoco, a gas station with full service attendants and a store full of model cars and clothing. The reason to come here is for their small but choice vintage auto collection, featuring a number of unusual things, including a Brewster, a Hudson Terraplane with a wood paneled rear inside, and a vintage tow truck and popcorn wagon.
Manchester
A full day's worth of things to see here. Began at Hildene, the summer/fall home of Robert Todd Lincoln, the only child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln's to reach adulthood. There's a lot to see, too. The house itself is large, and inside tastefully ornate. You're greeted by a guide who activates the front hallway organ (used to be via piano-type roll, but since changed to floppy discs to save the old paper rolls from too much wear), then the rest is self-guided. One room is given over to a few artifacts such as one of the two of Abe's top hats still in existence. Furnishings are as tasteful as the filigree, and original to the family. Out back is a pleasant formal garden of moderate size with a further view of the surrounding mountains. There's also a vintage Franklin auto out front and a nearby observatory and gazebo. Further along is a vintage Pullman luxury train car lovingly restored (Robert was president of the Pullman Company for several years) and a small farm area given over to making goat cheese. Decided against exploring the extensive grounds since biting flies were about. It's a sturdy hike from here to one of the more eccentric museums I've seen, the American Fly Fishing Museum. It's not a big place, but if you want to know about this sport, you've come to the right spot. There's a timeline of the sport from 200 BC to the present, a good-sized collection of tied flies and reels and rods, and fishing tackle that belonged to famous people devoted to this pastime, such as Daniel Webster, Zane Grey, Glenn Miller, Bing Crosby, Herbert Hoover, John Quincy Adams, Jimmy Carter, Dwight Eisenhower, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams. Another solid walk leads to the Southern Vermont Arts Center. If they have a permanent collection, it was nowhere to be seen; the place was devoted to temporary exhibits of work by local artists. As if often the case in such situations, what was on display was hit or miss and not brand-name based. I most enjoyed the paintings by David Joel Pratt and Michael Strauss and photography by Jeffrey Braxton.
Public transportation: by and large spotty but not totally absent. Was staying with friends from the area who drove me to Hildene and picked me up at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester. Going between attractions requires a solid walk, or a car/taxi, but I managed it okay. There is a bus that runs from Manchester to downtown Bennington and back. Local bus service exists in Bennington but is useless for sightseeing. Fortunately, the attractions here aren't that far from each other -- just be prepared for a bit of a walk either to the Battle Monument to start (which I did) or back from it into town if you start at Hemmings Sunoco and work your way westward. If staying in Rutland to the north, there's a bus that goes into Manchester and hooks up with the one going to Bennington.
Nice to be traveling again, and glad to have a trip report to offer.
Jul 24th, 2016, 06:33 AM
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Hi bachslunch,
I'd noticed your absence since you're one of the few who travel like I do, seeking out public transportation options to get places, even when options (which can be the case especially in large swaths of the US and Canada) are very limited.
I'm glad you're still reporting and back to travelling as your reports are inspiring! I was glad to read about the Robert Todd Lincoln Manchester connection. I just visited Springfield Illinois (which is actually quite visitable without a car, very compact but with very worthwhile sights), so it would be interesting to see how his life continued after leaving Mary Todd & Abraham's home in the Illinois capital.
PS I was also in Mexico & Guatemala this summer which like Europe are great for public transport options.
I'd noticed your absence since you're one of the few who travel like I do, seeking out public transportation options to get places, even when options (which can be the case especially in large swaths of the US and Canada) are very limited.
I'm glad you're still reporting and back to travelling as your reports are inspiring! I was glad to read about the Robert Todd Lincoln Manchester connection. I just visited Springfield Illinois (which is actually quite visitable without a car, very compact but with very worthwhile sights), so it would be interesting to see how his life continued after leaving Mary Todd & Abraham's home in the Illinois capital.
PS I was also in Mexico & Guatemala this summer which like Europe are great for public transport options.
