Phillipston, Massachusetts
Apparently Columbus Day weekend is a big deal on the east coast. Although I haven't been making advance reservations for awhile now, it became an issue when trying to find a spot for these three days.
Lamb City Campground had a place for us in their overflow with water and electric only. What they didn't tell me on the phone is that six sites share one 30 amp breaker. I expect issues and am not happy when we're setting up, but even when the area is full we do just fine for our entire stay.
Everyone in our area is camping together so they are all set up at one end, leaving us with a large space to ourselves. We're level, have decent water pressure, satellite connects, cell phone has coverage. This works.
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| Lamb City Campground, Phillipston, MA |
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| Several small ponds add more color to the drive. |
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| Crossing the Connecticut River over the French King Bridge. A small parking lot makes it safe to park and walk across the lovely 1932 cantilever arch expanse. |
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| Standing in Massachusetts looking at Vermont |
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| and New Hampshire |
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| Pile O' Pumpkins |
The only falls in Shelburne Falls run over a small dike, but it's a cute little town with a Bridge of Flowers and funky street art. We've laughed that every town in New England has ten pizza places, but never stop at one. Today we eat at Buckland Pizza, but we opt for pasta and sandwiches instead of pie. Good food.
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| The Bridge of Flowers is covered with a garden. |
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| Love the small town movie theatres. |
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| Artsy Doorway |
Deerfield sounds familiar and when we go to check it out I'm delighted to find a good size historic village. There is a visitors center where tickets are sold, but we choose to walk the street and just enjoy the beauty of the homes, public buildings, and gardens. The Deerfield Academy is also here - a private high school known for preparing attendees for ivy league colleges. How amazing to attend school among all this history!
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| Handsome boy, Tessa's first horse. She was very impressed. |
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| Some homes are part of the guided tour, while others are private homes. |
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| This massive beauty is one of the places un-identified without the guide that comes with the ticket. There's even more of it on the other side. |
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| My favorite home - a private dwelling still occupied today. |
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| In front are these massive real pumpkins. The green one is twice the size of a basketball! |
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| Their pretty neighbor has major pumpkin envy. |
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| Fluffy Dog along the colorful path. |
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| Beautiful speckled grasses. |
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| The old trees are as wonderful as the structures. |
Until Bill takes Tessa out and suddenly everyone comes out to play. With her. It's so funny to see them through the window. I remember my camera after most have moved back to their site :-)
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| Fluffy dog love. |
Canal Street and Hill Street, the old brick police station, the Putney Miracle Mile - all look just like in the books. This is really fun!
We stop at The Retreat, founded in 1834 by a $10,000 bequest from Anna Hunt Marsh as attested to in her will. It was the first hospital built for the mentally ill in Vermont, and is still a cutting edge psychiatric facility. In the books we learn that the founder was appalled by the "treatment" of a man by submerging him in ice water to cure his mental breakdown.
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| Original retreat, now surrounded by acres of hospital buildings. |
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| This guy moved around outside our window while we enjoyed our meal. |
Another gem of a post Jodee...love the picture of Tessa on the sidewalk! The old trees remind me of home in Georgia...such magnificent beauties! It's so cool to be reading about the history of a town and then go see it.
ReplyDeleteThanks! It really does make the books even better :-)
DeleteLOVE all those fall themed photos! Can you imagine the effort it took to get those giant pumpkins arranged?! The leaves everywhere are lovely...so glad you finally got your dose of fall color!
ReplyDeleteThere had to have been heavy equipment involved! They were so massive I couldn't believe they were real. I'm in color heaven :-)
DeleteI am so envious of your being in New England for the beautiful leaves your pictures capture so perfectly. I always look in small towns for the theater. So often they are shut down which makes me sad so your picture today brought a smile to my face as did the wonderful pictures of Deerfield which looks lovely. I try to plan, if I can, to read books about the area I'm going to or in. Not just touristy books but fiction set there. I'll have to look up this author. Hope you'll recommend more.
ReplyDeleteWe read books set in Wyoming when we were there, I'll have to go back and see what they were. Old theaters with the big marques are the best - I can feel the old velvet on the seats just by looking at the front :-)
DeleteWhat beautiful fall colors. They're great now and I'm guessing they're going to get even more vibrant.
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting transition as some have already fallen and others are just coming to their color.
DeleteThe year we were on the east coast we traveled south so slowly we managed to stay in peak color most of the way down. You could do that.
ReplyDeleteIt's sort of working out that way although it wasn't planned. I don't think I'd ever get tired of it so the longer we're "in it" the happier I'll be.
DeleteLove Archer Mayer's books, one VT's finest. What a fall foliage year, have seen lots of beautiful pictures from VT and the color this year is superb. Shelburne Falls is a great little town that we've enjoyed visiting a few times.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear he's appreciated by locals! The yellows are going crazy here in the park, gives a golden glow to everything.
DeleteSome day I hope to do experience fall in New England. Thanks for the blog as to what we are missing!
ReplyDeleteIt's not to be missed if you get the chance to see it. Glad to have you along for the ride!
DeleteThe northeast is a great place to be in the fall (well, except where there are stink bugs). The big, old trees and their falling leaves fit so well with the pumpkins, cornstalks, apples, and squash. Sure looks like you are seeing the New England area in its finest:) Isn't it fun to read books about places you are visiting! Love that Tessa was able to entertain on a rainy day.
ReplyDeleteWe're hearing that the colors are especially vivid this year so we're feeling blessed after our hotter than usual summer in the midwest and NY! Not looking forward to being where the stink bugs are though!!! She's such a ham :-))))
DeleteThe colors of fall in the East surpass all others. No surprise that cutie Tessa gets attention everywhere she takes you. Hope it doesn't much colder.
ReplyDeleteThe heat wave this week has been a real surprise and the next couple weeks look to be very nice although back to cooler :-) I'm amazed as the colors get more MORE everyday!
DeleteI love those old movie theaters, too—we have one in our hometown of Ashland that's still going strong (although thankfully, they've replaced the old rump sprung seats. :-)) Those enormous pumpkins are beautiful! And so is Tessa among the fall colors.
ReplyDeleteWill have to check out your little theater when we're there next May! Most of the leaves are on the ground now, and still soooo pretty :-)
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