Ethan Allen Homestead and Ethan Allen Park

Saturday, May 15th, Daughter and I packed up a picnic and visited the Ethan Allen Homestead in Burlington. Weather held out thankfully. The Vermont writer & preservationist, Ralph Nading Hill, was the man who discovered this home under layers of ells and dormers. He was able to trace the land records back to figure it out. What stands now is a 1-1/2 story red cape outfitted with the trappings of life in the late 18th century. The tour takes about 20 minutes, and parts of it are hands-on for those who like to touch.

In the visitor center, there are several activities for families centered around the archealogical digs on the farm. Ask if you "have" to sit through the 17-minute video though - kids would be hard pressed to not fidget (and some adults too).

The living history demonstration & camp was interesting for those that like that sort of thing. The group re-enacting was called Captain Morrill's Company and they had done their research well. Clothing, tents, cooking utensils, muskets, a small cannon, and some old fashioned games caught the attention of the younger visitors. The original Captain Morrill had been with Ethan Allen at his capture of Fort Ticonderoga.
Daughter took part in a children's militia parading around the field, stopping to load and fire their "arms." Daughter also learned how to make fire from striking flint against hardened steel and using the sparks to light flax (or dry grass, or a bird's nest), so had to warn Husband to hide his tools when we got home. I'm sure she'll try it somehow!
We spent about 2-1/2 hours there. If there had been more activities, we might have stayed longer. Ethan Allen Homestead does host a variety of special events, which you can look up on their website.

If you turn right as you head out of the Homestead site, and turn right again onto North Avenue, it's just a short distance to Ethan Allen Park (also on the right) which occupies land that used to belong to Ethan's farm. Daughter and I decided to walk up to the Ethan Allen Tower lookout, and then further on the path to the Pinnacle and the stone gazebo lookout. It's all on paved paths, although you do have to beware of bicyclists coming around the corners. No bugs, but an encounter with a racoon (who growled at us - yikes! - she didn't want her picture taken apparently).

Once back in the car, we turned left out of the park and drove down North Avenue to Battery Park looking out over the Burlington waterfront. Archealogical digs in the park and nearby have unearthed skeletons from the War of 1812 time period when over 1200 soldiers were encamped here *www.historiclakes.org/explore/burlington.htm*.

Supper at a Friendly's - grilled cheese & raw veggies AND a raspberry/mango sorbet. All-in-all, a great day!

Next weekend on Saturday the 22d, we may go to the Medieval Fair in Jericho, and on Sunday the 23rd, I anticipate hiking the Crown Point Trail as mentioned below.

Decisions and Thoughts

Saturday, May 15th, I will be going to the Ethan Allen Homestead to see the re-enactments with Daughter and possibly Son.

Sunday, May 23rd, Mom and I will be hiking the Crown Point Road from the Morgan Cemetery (marker 27) in Cavendish to marker 26 or 25 depending on "knee" status. The trail follows a road, so we can probably drive some of it, and leap into the woods at various markers. Mom owns the Crown Point Road Association guidebook, so we can read all about each spot.

Sunday, May 30th, I will be traveling in and near my hometown of Cambridge to see local artists during Vermont's Open Studio Weekend. On the itinerary are Nancy Hayden's Northwind Studio and Gallery on Rte 15 between Jeffersonville and Cambridge, Ralph Tursini's Woodturing and Bowl Works in the Cambridge Business Park on Rte 15 outside Cambridge, Karen Winslow's Art Studio on Bartlett Hill Rd in Cambridge, Eric Tobin's Fine Art on Plot Rd in Johnson, and Matt Seasholtz's Glass Design on E Main St in Hyde Park.

Saturday, June 12th (free VT historic site day) Daughter and I will go see President Calvin Coolidge's birthplace in Plymouth. *www.historicvermont.org/coolidge* Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as President by his father, a local notary public, here in his boyhood home on August 3, 1923, after hearing of President Harding's death. Pretty much the entire village is unchanged since that day, and most of it is owned & maintained by the State of Vermont - some 2 dozen buildings according to their website. It's open late May - mid October, daily, 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Don't know yet what I'm doing the weekend of June 5th. Maybe see the Old Stone House in Brownington, or hike to the Brunswick Springs site. More about those later...

Happy trails!