On the recommendation of my friend (John P), I spent a few hours walking around in the historic town of Bellows Falls (VT) today. As has happened several times this month, I woke up to rather dreary weather in Hanover. Since it didn't seem like a good idea to hurry outside, I took care of some chores around my condo and then packed up my car (1000). I headed south on I-89 (into Vermont) and used I-91 until I reached the exit for VT-103; I followed that to US-5. The 40+ mile drive to the south took me into some beautiful Fall weather - sunny and high 60s. The water in the eponymous falls wasn’t running very high, unfortunately, but I later saw pictures (at the visitor center) of the rough rapids at their peak (in the Spring) and it was clear the area would be usually impassible for most boats. As a result, one of the first canals and lock system in the US was built here in the 1790s to bypass the rocky gorge through which the Connecticut River normally travels. With the advent of the railroad, the canal was converted to generate hydro power - it still does today. Speaking of trains, “The Vermonter” came through (1235) while I was walking nearby and, as it departed, went through a huge tunnel under the town! Nearby, parked on a spur, I saw several train cars full of limestone slurry. I later learned that this material is used for a process called “wet limestone scrubbing” at factories that generate sulphur dioxide as a byproduct of their operations. Having seen the huge amount of limestone generated in the Danby quarry, it makes sense that Vermont contributes to pollution reduction efforts with such a product. Most of the rest of my visit included walking around on the streets in town - they have lots of old industrial buildings with lots of potential for redevelopment. Sadly, there were a lot of off-limits areas and a general lack of development of tourist infrastructure near the Falls, so I was unable to access everything I wanted, including: the petroglyphs left by the Native Peoples, fish ladder around the dam and better views of the Gorge. It was clear that I’d need to cross the river for this latter item - I’m going to save that for a visit in the Spring. Overall, an interesting place! At 1325, I drove north again on US-5 and stopped for lunch at Joy Wah on the edge of town. The meal was delicious! I was finished at 1410 and got back on US-5 again so I could do some more exploring. Had seen a place called Hoyt's Landing that looked like a good kayak launch spot. It took a while to find it - I got turned around without my Google Maps and ended up in Charlestown (NH) on the wrong side of the River. Eventually, though, I located it at the intersection of VT-11 and US-5. After confirming my thoughts on the viability for paddling, I drove east (back into New Hampshire) to check out The Fort at No. 4 in Charlestown. The place had been conducting a Colonial History weekend but I got there too late. Undaunted, I picked up information for a future visit and then backtracked across the River into Vermont. I then resumed my drive north on US-5 in search of Wilgus State Park. When I found it, I talked to the Ranger about camping (hoping to find something good for Katie and John) and then explored the grounds for about 30 minutes. The park was very pleasant and had lots of interesting lodging choices (tent sites, lean-tos, cabins) and boat launches. The weather was still nice but I decided it was time to head home. I used US-5 to reach VT-131 and then (while talking to Mollie) took I-91 and I-89 to reach home (arrived by 1600). What a great day!
