Cumulative Official Towns | Unofficial Towns |
71 | 30 |
Most of my first VT 251 forays (in 2021!) took place in southern Vermont, and this edition covers visits to the towns of GUILFORD, VERNON, BRATTLEBORO (AND WEST BRATTLEBORO), MARLBORO, DOVER, AND WARDSBORO. These towns were visited on beautiful days in September and October. Should you want to get a taste of Vermont but don't want to travel too far afield from NY or MA, these are some towns to consider visiting!
GUILFORD
Guilford, VT is a picturesque town of roughly 2,000 (in 2020) near the south eastern corner of the state. It has a small library and historical society, as well as quintessential dirt roads and an impressive country store. Plus, its proximity to Brattleboro gives its residents access to the amenities the town may not possess itself. Aside from the Green River Covered Bridge, it has a dam which harkens back to the town's more industrial times using hydro power.
VERNON
Vernon, VT is a town of almost 2,200 (as of 2020) on the Connecticut River in southeastern Vermont. At one time, the town was thriving with three distinct town centers; today there is none. That said, there is an impressive hydroelectric dam. The non-descript post office is located next to a charming former water mill (seen in the third picture above).
BRATTLEBORO
Brattleboro, VT, is a large bustling town (pop. 12,184 in 2020), about 10 miles north of the Massachusetts state line, where the West River and Connecticut rivers converge. It is a good destination for local art, food, and shopping. Dubbed "one of the best small towns in America," and won "The Strongest Town Contest" in 2023. [According to strongesttown.com, a “strong town” is any town, big or small, that prioritizes making progress in transportation, housing, and fiscal resiliency for the long-term benefit of its people. It is not a “perfect” town, nor does every strong town look the same. This is because strong towns incrementally adapt to the conditions and challenges of their specific place from the bottom up."] The two things I enjoy most about Brattleboro are visiting the Creamery Covered Bridge and the Saxton's River Distillery where Sapling (a maple bourbon) is produced. Most non-bourbon people I know LOVE that product, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. (Seriously). Should you be in town on a Saturday, check out the farmer's market.
MARLBORO
Marlboro, VT is a small town (pop. 1,722 in 2020). The town is home to both the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum and the now defunct Marlboro College. The town is extremely rural, but intensely scenic. Molly Stark State Park is adjacent to Hogback Mountain, which offers sweeping vistas. The small town also happens to be home to the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum, Vermont Distillers (who also make a maple bourbon, but we don't happen to enjoy it as much as Sapling), and Beer Naked Brewery, which I have yet to sample (but intend to someday).
DOVER
Dover, VT is a small town best known as the home of Mount Snow ski area. The population in 2020 was 1,798 in 2020. I have been there more than once and as you can see, the scenery in the Fall is pretty nice. The town hall is pretty classic in that it looks like it used to be a church but is clearly not one any more, and has the honor roll of fallen veterans just out front. There are numerous Inns and restaurants, as well as yet another craft brewery, this one run by veterans, called Snow Republic Brewery, which I will add to the list of places to try. While Dover flourishes (it is a resort town, after all, and one of the closest ski areas to the NY metro area), East Dover has definitely seen better days...
WARDSBORO
Wardsboro, VT is just over the mountain from the town of Stratton (which is not where the ski area is). It is very small (pop. 869 in 2020) and rural, and has one intersection in town. It used to have dining establishment, as well, but it is now closed. The town is home to the Gilfeather turnip festival in October, which I am hoping to attend just because it sounds fun (I'm not a huge turnip fan, but I'm willing to try!).
OK, that's all for this episode. I'm still about 100 towns behind, so expect more to come! Thanks for exploring with me.
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