Treated ourselves to a Sunday drive for Father's Day. Took Route 12 down to Windsor, we try avoid the main highways for short trips, although the Interstate scenery is still great.
Vermont became the 14th state with Windsor as the political capital.
Paradise Park is listed on Vermont E-bird as a hot spot location, but we didn't have any luck there. There's no parking space available near Lake Runnemede, but I did hear Canada Goose flying over.
My camera battery choose this occasion to die so no more conventional pictures.
A very congenial New Orleans native provided visitor information at the Welcome Center as the Amtrak stopped briefly at the railroad station. The Station has been closed for more than 10 years, but the train stops twice daily going to and from Washington DC.
The Precision Museum has free admission on Sunday and we took full advantage. A water powered machine shop that produced rifles during the Civil War and later manufactured the machines that revolutionized mass production of guns, sewing machines, and other products; an engineer's paradise.
The outdoor interpretive area is still closed awaiting repairs from the devastation from Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.
Treated Alvin to Father's Day breakfast for lunch at Windsor Diner, a vintage classic, my favorite dining choice. Only complaint, $2 for a glass of iced tea, no refill, and charged me $2 for a to go cup.
Traveled on south Route 5 to Mt Ascutney State Park. As Vermont volunteers we get free admittance to all state parks.
Mt Ascutney is classified as a monadnock, not related geologically to the surrounding hills, but sharing a geologic history with the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The name is an Abenaki word meaning "mountain of the rocky summit".
3.7 mile road to summit parking lot gained 2,300'. Weather was closing in quickly, but the view was spectacular. Green Mountains stretched forever westward. Don't know how to take SD card out of this new phone yet, so pictures coming later. Rain caught us about half way down.
Best bird yet, Golden-winged Warbler... also added Slate-colored Junco to Vermont list. Could hear Cedar Waxwing and Wood Thrush.
Oh yes, a premier site for hang-gliding... maybe next visit.
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