Vermont is beautiful!

I spent 12 days in Vermont waiting for the leaves to turn color. I could see the yellows and oranges, but I wanted to see the vivid reds! People kept saying the colors will turn "any time" so I explored southwest Vermont while waiting.  First stop was Woodford State Park just east of Bennington. I had a great spot on the water. I could see the color coming! Great place to hike around the lake.

From Woodford I headed North on scenic highway 100 and enjoyed great views. I stopped at the Vermont country store.

I stopped at the birthplace and boyhood home of President Calvin Coolidge in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. He was born in a small house behind the general store. He became president following the death of President Warren G. Harding on August 2, 1923.

I camped at Coolidge State Park in the Green Mountains.

The next day I went to Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Park in Woodstock. This park focused on conservation and restoration of overused forest and farmland. After the American Revolution, settlers cut down most of the  trees in Vermont causing severe erosion. George Marsh was born on the land and wrote of methods to restore the land. Frederick Billings used his wealth to buy the property and put his ideas into practice. The conservation practices are evident in the green and lush forests of Vermont today.

I also went to the Billings Farm and museum across the road. This restored farm successfully put conservation and modern farming methods into practice. Vermont produces large crops of rocks and farming is difficult.

I also walked through the streets of charming Woodstock, Vermont with lots of other tourists.

I camped at Gifford Woods State Park in Killington. I hiked the nearby Kent Pond and observed a pair of rare loons.

The next day I toured the Vermont Marble Museum in Proctor. Marble has been quarried on the site since 1880. There were many examples of beautiful marble carvings and sculpture. Vermont Marble has been used in state buildings all over the world, including the US Supreme Court. Below are marble busts of some of the presidents.

Then I was on to a camping spot in Salisbury at Lake Dunmore rv park. The next day it was on to Button Bay State Park in Vergennes. I had been there with my sister and found camping on Lake Champlain wonderful. I had a site right on the water! I hiked to the point and in the woods. Button Bay was named for the many button shaped clay rocks that were found on the Point.

The next day I explored the Shelburne Museum. Electra Havemeyer Webb was a collector of Americana -- an eclectic collection of folk art, quilts, carriages, train memorabilia, waterfowl decoys, buildings, and my favorite, carved circus figures.

That night was the moon Eclipse and I watched it as it rose over Lake Champlain. Amazing! My camera can't do justice!

The next day I was up early and saw the sunrise.

Then I drove to Burlington, Vermont, and went on a bay cruise on Lake Champlain on The Spirit of Ethan Allen.

The next day I drove an hour to Fort Ticonderoga in New York. The Fort is a star shaped fort built by the French in 1755-58 during the French/Indian war. It was taken by the English, then by the Americans during the American Revolution, and the again by the English. It was an interesting afternoon. I camped at Champs RV park in Whitehall, New York. It rained heavily! It was a quiet, nearly empty campground at the end of the season.

The next day I drove in the rain to Bennington, Vermont. The colors were brighter there than farther north because they had more rain and I decided to return. I stopped at the Robert Frost stone house where he lived and wrote poetry in the 1920s.

I met some fellow campers at the laundromat who were staying at the Bennington Walmart. I joined them at Walmart and a group of us went to dinner at a brewery and had a great evening. 

The next morning I went to the Bennington Battle Monument which was built to commemorate a pivotal Revolutionary war battle in 1777. This is Vermont's tallest structure and the view from the top was fabulous!

Then it was on to Woodford state park, just 12 miles east of Bennington, but at a higher elevation. The colors had arrived! I had a great spot by the lake and hiked among the beauty!

Lake walk

It got cold -- down to 34! I got out an extra sleeping bag for warmth and layered up during the day!

Everywhere I looked I saw signs of people preparing for a cold winter! Wood stacks were big! 

The ranger said the caterpillars had an extra furry coat, which is an indication of a cold winter to come.

I'm getting eager to get home! Now that I've seen some Vermont color, I'm heading west! Tomorrow I'll be driving in New York