Tag Archives: Vermont

A Treasure Trove Of Memories

The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont

As promised in a previous post, here is a selection of my photos from the Vermont Toy Museum in Quechee Gorge Village near Hartford, Vermont.  The museum’s website is down, possibly due to the recent AWS issues, but I got the following from Atlas Obscura:

Nestled above a charming general store near the Quechee Gorge, the Vermont Toy Museum’s vast collection of dolls, action figures, lunchboxes, yo-yos, and matchbox cars is a hidden treasure right off the White River Junction. Around 100,000 toys are housed inside the museum. 

The museum’s items largely came from members of the local community. They were collected and compiled decade-by-decade, which displays the evolution of toys and games from the 1950s to the present day. Though it’s unknown who operates and maintains the museum, it’s closely watched by the employees at the downstairs Cabot Cheese Store and the antique mall next door.

The museum also houses an intricate model train exhibit that takes visitors through the four seasons of the Green Mountain state for only a quarter. This museum’s tireless attention to detail, nostalgia, and cozy atmosphere make it a must-see for travelers on Route 4.

The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont

It was a fun visit.  A place we might have spent a lot more time, but just like the camera museum in Staunton, Virginia, there is only so much time…. 😉  As it was, we spent a lot of time saying things like, “I had that!” or “I remember those” or “the kids had these.”  Fun stuff!

Almost forgot!  I have completed processing my photos from our New England trip and have posted them on my Adobe Portfolio site.

The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont

No, We Didn’t See Bernie – But We Saw Vermont

Burlington, Vermont

There’s no question we didn’t spend enough time in Vermont.  Even if it hadn’t rained most of the time we were there, it would not have been enough.  But what a beautiful state!

The King Arthur Baking Company store in Norwich, Vermont
The King Arthur Baking Company store in Norwich, Vermont

Our first stop after crossing the VT-NH state line was the King Arthur Baking Company in Norwich.  We’re not bakers but know the name, and since it was on the way we thought we’d check it out.  I guess if you are into making breads and cakes from scratch, this would be your Mecca.  From what I could tell they have a little bit of everything in the store, including seemingly dozens of types of flour, pans, mixers, storage containers, you name it.  Like a camera store for bakers!  There is a cafe on site where they serve products that are made in-house, and there is a cooking school where you can learn to make lots of yummy things – after buying all of the proper equipment and ingredients, of course!

The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
The Vermont Toy Museum, located in Quechee Village, Vermont
Vermont Spirits Distillery at Quechee Gorge Village in Hartford, Vermont
Quechee Covered Bridge in Hartford, Vermont

Next we stopped at a place called Quechee Village, and visited the Vermont Toy Museum (what a place – I’ll do a separate post) and Vermont Spirits Distilling Company.  Of course we brought home  souvenirs.  Then it was on to Sugarbush Farm, a working maple syrup and cheese making farm near Woodstock, where we sampled and purchased some of their products.  After that we visited The New England Maple Museum in Pittsford.

Sugarbush Farm, a maple syrup and Vermont cheese producer in Woodstock, Vermont
Sugarbush Farm, a maple syrup and Vermont cheese producer in Woodstock, Vermont
Sugarbush Farm, a maple syrup and Vermont cheese producer in Woodstock, Vermont
Sugarbush Farm, a maple syrup and Vermont cheese producer in Woodstock, Vermont
Sugarbush Farm, a maple syrup and Vermont cheese producer in Woodstock, Vermont

We spent most of our time in Burlington, which was essentially only one day since we got there late and were only staying two nights.  But we crammed as much as possible into one day, visiting Ben & Jerry’s, taking a boat cruise on Lake Champlain, and exploring the town.  After a nice dinner at an Irish pub, we headed back to our motel to prepare for the drive to New York.

The New England Maple Museum in Pittsford, Vermont
The New England Maple Museum in Pittsford, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Cruise on Lake Champlain on the Spirit of Ethan Allen III out of Burlington, Vermont
Cruise on Lake Champlain on the Spirit of Ethan Allen III out of Burlington, Vermont
One of two lighthouses on the breakwater at the entrance to the harbor in Burlington, Vermont
Cruise on Lake Champlain on the Spirit of Ethan Allen III out of Burlington, Vermont
Cruise on Lake Champlain on the Spirit of Ethan Allen III out of Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont from aboard the Spirit of Ethan Allen III
One of two lighthouses on the breakwater at the entrance to the harbor in Burlington, Vermont
When In Vermont…Ben and Jerry’s
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont

Postcard From Burlington, Vermont

When In Vermont…Ben and Jerry’s

What better symbol of Vermont than a Ben & Jerry’s?  While this is not the original – it was torn down long ago – this one is the flagship store in downtown Burlington.  The factory is located a few miles east in Waterbury, but the store and visitor center are undergoing renovation and currently closed.  We made do with this one.  What flavor did we choose? New York Super Fudge Chunk – Chocolate Ice Cream with White & Dark Fudge Chunks, Pecans, Walnuts & Fudge-Covered Almonds!

Site of the original Ben & Jerry’s store in downtown Burlington, Vermont
When In Vermont…Ben and Jerry’s

Postcard From King Arthur Baking Company, Vermont

The King Arthur Baking Company store in Norwich, Vermont

Who knew there were so many kinds of flour?  I guess I did, but seeing so many varieties in one place was fascinating.  Kathy & I like bread, but like so many things, we like to eat it but are happy for others’ passion in baking it!  But it was the first stop after we crossed into Vermont, so we stopped in, wandered around, took a few pictures and left.  It was pretty busy, we didn’t have anything we wanted to take home, and knew that we would soon have other “souvenir” opportunities – in the afternoon we stopped and purchased at (a) a distillery, (b) a maple syrup and cheese farm, and (c) a maple syrup museum (who knew?).

The King Arthur Baking Company store in Norwich, Vermont