Paul Therou

City Hall building, downtown Northampton (home of Smith College)

We discovered quite by accident that Bennington had a Moosefest Sculpture painting contest & auction in 2005 and in 2009.  So we set out to find most of them with the help of a map, finding many of the 2005 moose as well.  What a treasure hunt!

Here are photos of the unpainted moose being delivered to Bennington for the artists to paint.  Photo credit to the Northside Diner where the Snow Drifter moose is found:

"Jackson Splattermoose"

Sunflower field moose

A beautiful bronze colored moose called "We Are One" because it is one of three moose in a cluster setting.  Below is the baby, and the Papa

and a mini moose painted by kids also as a Van Gogh

 "I Brake for Sunflowers" sign on the back, a license plate on its butt, more LED lights on his tail; the handlebars and footrest, rear view mirror.

One mean dude of a moose!  Notice the tire base and diamond patterned aluminum hooves and flames.  It is in front of the Tuscan Sunflower store

Papa moose with a colorful sunset on his sides, and campfire on his head called "Chief Wandering Bull Moose"

Mother "Inuit-Yupik-A Moose" wearing a deerskin painted coat and a flower garden flank on one side, Arctic Sea with ice & polar bears on the other flank, seals underneath (Eskimo theme).  

and calf is "C. Wobigo Megeso Moose" with an intricately beaded necklace and other beading on head and knees

Note the beautifully restored car hauler truck & car here also:

Lest we forget the age of the settling of this part of the country, note the date on this cemetery across the street:

Inside the Covered Bridge Museum, a Native  American themed moose, named "The Abenaki Moose"

GRANDMA MOSES SCHOOLHOUSE MUSEUM

(the largest public collection of Grandma Moses paintings in the world; she lived in Bennington for two years during her long & productive life)

A gold bronze eagle inside the main entrance

Bottles

The COVERED BRIDGE MUSEUM

Vermont has more covered bridges per square mile than anywhere else in the world, with 107 authentic covered bridges located throughout the state.

And a Fire Department entirely made of the white marble, what a monument to the marble quarried here

The largest marble museum in the WORLD!

Link to view the Virtual Tour on:

Rocks Page 10

 Proctor VT.  Known for 19 "proscenium arches", 84 stained glass windows, 13 fireplaces, Far Eastern and European furnishings, housed on 115 acres (including across the street, a 2nd building).  We did not take the tour but what an impressive architecture.

South of the Marble Museum, we found access to the river and Mead Falls and a Vermont Marble Power station made of marble overhanging the river.  An impressive marble block wall buttressed a parking lot above (Old Falls Road).  

A restaurant called Starry Night Cafe near Ferrisburgh VT (unfortunately closed when we came by). Once a cider press, it features a hand carved wooden bar and twinkling starlights and unique artwork inside, and multi- colored hand blown glasses.  We will try to visit another time!  Great iron & wood statues of a man, a tree and deer outside.  And another covered bridge.  

Terrific brick buildings all over downtown Burlington VT

Abenaki legend holds that Odzihozo, creator of the Champlain Valley, turned himself into a rock island which can be seen nearby.  One of 50 statues (1 in each state) by Peter Wolf Toth in honor of its Native-American citizens.

A street musician (also downtown Burlington) played numerous instruments at once.  Stuffed animals and trolls dangled everywhere.  What fun!

Hartland, VT

We had actually gone hungry several times on our week in Vermont, We depended on finding good food in small towns (one of a kind restaurants rather than franchises), only to find some were closed until winter (Ski tourism areas) or closed/on vacation or signs with No Public Restrooms.   So to find Stella's Restaurant with plenty of GOOD, WHOLESOME fresh foods and friendly smiles made this restaurant an oasis.  Strangely, it was not shown on the GPS but certainly deserves to be.  This restaurant earns our Best Breakfast in Vermont award.

(Outside of Windsor VT)

They specialize in HIGH QUALITY clear functional heavy glass items that are beautiful to use and display, intended for a lifetime of use.  You can watch them being hand blown and finished.  Glenn bought a beautiful bud flower vase that will be an heirloom piece we will enjoy for many years.

Founded in 1971, it originated as a small glass workshop in Kilkenny, Ireland.  They moved to Vermont, several locations here.

www.simonpearce.com 

More information on their history:

Beginning to shape it in the mold into the four-sided bowl it will be

The partner now attaches the cross imprint glass to the glass bowl and takes it from the original glassblower

Then trims away the edge to make it smooth.  The trimming are re-kilned to use again

These are the 2 designs they have been working on today, a glass and a bowl

Some of the glassware on display

and the surprise full 2nd floor store, amazingly displayed as a gallery

On the same property.  A 2nd floor catwalk overlooks the entire pottery operation.  Once again, a beautifully made building

Called the "Birthplace of Vermont", the restored Old Constitution House looks as it did more than 200 years ago. 

Taking a moment to photograph a Queen Anne's Lace beside the road

A collection of machinery and tools that changed the world.

Housed in the building that was the birthplace of this country's modern system of industrial design & production - a large brick armory Robbins & Lawrence built in 1846 to manufacture guns & machinery.  The zoom on Glenn's camera picked up the eagle atop the cupola I could barely see.

For instance, a gunsmith used to take 8 days to make a gun by cutting the wood stock, forging the metal arts, shaping & trimming them to work correctly.  He would then fit all the parts together and adjust each so the gun would fire properly.

In the 1840's, Robbins, Kendall & Lawrence, gun makers from Windsor, VT, developed machines that could do the repetitive tasks required of the gun maker, and produce each part of the gun to identical measured specifications.  Gun parts could now be interchanged for quick repair in battle.  They could now make 8 guns in a single day.  This became known as the "American System" of precision manufacturing.  They took their ideas to London for the Great Exposition in 1851 and were instant celebrities.  The British Army ordered 25,000 rifles and 138 gun making machines to make guns at the Enfield Armory in England.  A quantum leap for the Industrial Revolution.

After the war, the "American System" was adapted to make typewriters, sewing machines, and our modern machinery as we know it!

Our favorite part was the two MECHANIZED MINIATURE TOOLS DISPLAY 

made by John Aschauer, a German immigrant from Michigan.  He spent 40,000 hours making these working, moving mechanized miniatures.

Shown left to right, with the schematic showing what they are below it

The 2nd display, the machines at the top to bottom are the right-to-left schematic:

UPDATE 7/27/10  Hi, Heidi - Just want to say thanks for putting some pictures of John Aschauer’s machines on your site.  He’s my grandfather and I haven’t seen those machines in awhile.  I grew up playing in his workshop while he worked on them so it’s great to see people still enjoying them.  I Googled his name just out of the blue and it led me to your site.  I’m thinking I need to plan a trip to Vermont based on your travels!   Thanks much!

And we found white marble with grey veins right there beside the road and the waterfall.  

And lovely flowers cultivated there as part of their landscaping:

Putney, Vermont

http://www.basketville.com/retail.html 

We had an outlet in Myrtle Beach SC for many years, they have hundeds if not thousands of basket styles for sale.  Now this is their only (and original) retail outlet here in Vermont.  We'd always wanted to buy their basket SHARK which has never been for sale.  We never dreamed they  had SO MANY BASKET CRITTERS hanging in their large, impressive store!  (none of these are for sale).  We had a blast photographing all of them.  We also appreciated the happy daisies out front.

The inviting foyer, showcase and Tiger in showcase

Giraffe

Spotted giraffe

Historic Inn and Country Lodge, built in 1771

STURBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

Recommended by our hotel (within walking distance of the Hampton Inn), we ate a lovely dinner and breakfast here before flying home.  Heidi's Mom used to refinish primitive antiques as a career.  Seeing all the primitives in this lovely restaurant & hotel was like a visit home for her.

View from the front, and from the back with the Bakery entrance:

www.publickhouse.com 

Breakfast the next morning to top off a wonderful trip:

A view of the gigantic original fireplace in the main dining room

Copper Stallion Restaurant, full of ivy.  We'll have to dine there next time!

Blackington Building, Sturbridge MA, circa 1880

CSS NEUSE, IRONCLAD Gunboat Replica

"Wings over the Neuse" in honor of Ted Sampley

The only  Civil War ship rebuilt to actual size.  Help build the CSS Neuse II .  

In Kinston, North Carolina

www.cssneusefoundation.org 

LINK to view the Virtual tour to the 

WHALING MUSEUM in New Bedford Mass. (July '09):  Opals Page 6

Link to view the Private Museum of Sharks & Fossils 

FOURTH OF JULY

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Where else but at the edge of the Charles River to watch the fireworks!

Even the plane had American flags painted on its wingtips

What a cool hat!

Alphabet letters, a floppy hat and pipe

A sanity trip to our kind neighbor's rental 

'ALMOST PARADISE'

Mountain Cabin in the Smoky Mountains outside Sevierville / Pigeon Forge.

http://www.almostparadisemountaincabin.com

A real castle WAY in the distance on a mountainside

SWIM with the MANATEES

Crystal River, FL

Glenn and I decided to go "outside the box" and swim with the manatees.  I (Heidi) have never put on a wetsuit or used a snorkel.  Really.  We chose the American Pro Diving Center 

They are a professional service with well trained divers and instructors.  We saw an instructional video, plenty of stern talk about being near an endangered animal and what is and is not acceptable behavior on our part.  We appreciated the honesty and it made us very careful and respectful.  

Our pontoon motored through the main canal and a few coves before the guide found a mother and young manatee feeding in about 3 feet of water that were docile and not moving fast.

Here we are touching & photographing the manatee but not interfering with its feeding

FLORIDA WILDLIFE viewing by BOAT

(near Gulf Hammock or Otter Creek, FL)

WESTERN TRIP

The "egg" is probably the most perfectly formed natural amethyst geode of its size ever found, formed in Uruguay and formed by a bubble of gas trapped in volcanic lava 130 million years ago.  Fine calcite crystals are also within the amethyst.  Weight:  4.3 tons.  Auctioned off that night.

Another  huge amethyst geode inside at the J.O.G.S. gem show

Other crystal and citrine geodes at the Day's Inn gem show:

A terrific bug suitcase at another show in Tucson:

Picacho Peak, Arizona

GOURD FEST, February 6-8, 2009

PINAL COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS,

At the Wuertz farm where the gourds are grown, we saw a baby burro and couldn't resist petting it before heading down to the show at the Fairgrounds, especially since Glenn used to raise this Sicilian breed and has a special place in his heart for them:

On the border of Arizona & California, in California

RIP, Wyatt Earp, a Legend in his own Time; 

Mute Moe - he was silent but deadly; and 

One-eyed Jake, got his eye poked out with a cue when caught cheating at pool

BLUE WATER RESORT & CASINO

Casino / Indoor Water Park

A spectacular atrium with 4 pools at 4 levels, a spa, and 15 waterfalls as an indoor water park, overlooking the Colorado River and marina and much more.  All 200 rooms overlook the river.  Wonderful place.

And a local species of bird feeding near the edge of the river:

Sempra Generation said the project, called Copper Mountain, will be built adjacent to Sempra's existing 10-megawatt El Dorado solar farm near Boulder City, Nevada

Will run parallel to the Hoover Dam, and no traffic will be allowed over the bridge once it's done.  Views are first of incredibly blue Lake Mead, going from Nevada over to the Arizona side, then back over to Nevada.  A massive operation, we have eagerly watched its development since we left Vegas in 2002 and came back once before this (see other Latest Travels pages for earlier views)

Creeping closer inch by inch 900ft above the mighty Colorado River the two sides of a $160 million bridge at the Hoover Dam in  America slowly take shape.

The bridge will carry a new section of US Route 93 past the bottleneck of the old road which can be seen twisting and winding around and across the dam itself.  When complete, it will provide a new link between the states of Nevada and Arizona . In an incredible feat of engineering, the road will be supported on the two massive concrete arches which jut out of the rock face.

 The arches are made up of 53 individual sections each 24ft long which have been cast on-site and are being lifted into place using an improvised high-wire crane strung between temporary steel pylons.

=================

This one photo is a June 11, 2009 update, thanks to our friend Doug in Boulder City; 2nd overview photo from the Bridge website:

===============

Heidi, on the Arizona side

Heading back to the Nevada side, always a different view:

photo credits to our friend Doug in Boulder City

You can see how they graze right next to the tennis courts in Hemingway Park, on the other side is a picturesque view of Lake Mead and the mountains leading to the Hoover Dam

Link below to see the tour of the WHOLE STORE

Virtual Tour Alien Fresh Jerky Store

A wonderfully colorful place, saturated with Greek Pride.  Lists of Famous Greek People, distances of cities from Greece.   A welcome change from the desert scenery.  Just a block from the Alien Fresh Jerky store.  Good strong Greek coffee too!

How hot does it get in Baker, California?  

Hot enough to MELT GLASS.  This is in the Alien Fresh Jerky Store

5 & Dime  Store, and Diner-Saur Park

I-15 Freeway and Ghost Town Road

Yermo, California

www.peggysuesdiner.com

Plenty of huge dinosaurs to enjoy, even a giant tortoise.  The edging of the path are round stones that resemble dinosaur eggs.  A kid's wonderland.

Virtual Tour 

Page Museum La Brea Tar Pit, 

Los Angeles California

February '09

Here we are!

h    

Surfers having fun, the Los Angeles skyline

Look closely above the blue car next to this hotel, there is an oil rig there, the close-up photo is beside it:

A block away from the hotel, note the oil rig in the back yard of the gas station:

with DALE CHIHULY GLASS SCULPTURE EXHIBIT

Phoenix, Arizona

(February 2009)

My favorite Dale Chihuly "Mardi Gras glass" piece

Orange bulbs

Graceful orange stalks of glass

Intricate stone work in a terraced area

Octopus glass

Glass like a giant cluster of grapes

They're getting away!

Balls

Boojum Tree (Fouquieria columnaris), Ocotillo Family, from Baja CA and N. Mexico

These would make good cactus flower jelly!