... sometimes you're already there...
We met up with my high school friend and her husband for dinner. They live in NW Mass, and we hadn't seen them in forever... but it was like we'd just seen them last month. That alone was worth the drive over.
The concert was at Mass MoCA, outdoors between buildings. We didn't get there in time to view the museum, but we will need to go back to do so. The stage is set up on tar, so it's not as comfortable as Thompson's Point or the Shelburne Museum, but it also feels more intimate because you're surrounded by buildings.
The Mountain Goats were awesome, and Guster is one of my favorites to see live. On The Ocean wasn't in the cards this year, but this will do quite nicely. We had a really great time dancing around an singing and just generally being free. I highly recommend communal enjoyment as a coping strategy.
As a nod to our age, we got a hotel room. 15 years ago we'd have gone over and back but... that was 15 years ago. Besides, I wanted to swing into the King Arthur Bakery on our way up 91. I have some real Vermont loves: Long Trail Brewing, King Arthur, Cabot cheese, and Ben and Jerry's. Some trip I'm going to combine all 4 stops and just live my best 802 life. This wasn't the day for it though-- I actually think we need to start in Burlington and head south to make the timing right, but that's another post for another day.
... sometimes you can't go home...
We headed out from Bennington (fun fact: the 1950s hotel we stayed at had an old HoJo's orange roofed building used as storage) towards King Arthur. VT has quite a few roads closed these days; 91S was shut down for an exit yesterday, and we got detoured on 5E today. We got to the bakery at 11:45 AM-- not a recommended time on a Sunday, as everyone else was also there-- and decided adding 4 hours of driving to get to Cabot and Ben and Jerry's wasn't a wise move at this juncture. But, we could head to Danville and have lunch at the Red Barn Brewery. And, Dave thinks, we might be able to follow the Bayley Hazen Road...
... And I look at you, I'm there...
We've been driving across VT since 2015 when we took Ben to visit Clarkson, and then to attend... Ben also raced up and down the state, and we made it to as many of those races as we could. Driving in VT feels safe. It often means we're going to see him... or it means we're remembering those past trips. We have our standard stop at the bridge (VT side, because NE > NY), favorite convenience stores, and favorite restaurants. We watched The Red Barn get built... and open in early 2020 (IYKYK). The beer is good, the food made from fresh local ingredients and spent grains, and the vibe quiet and honest. As Dave said today, it's our spot.
But this tale is also about finding the Old Road. If you don't know, I am fascinated by old roads. I watch houses to see if they're facing the "right" way, and look for old road beds and misplaced electric poles. This old road has major history to it. The Bayley-Hazen is a Military Rd built during the Revolutionary War as part of the plans to get into/out of Canada. Dave found it after researching Hazen's Notch that the GPS wanted us to take on that first trip over and the locals had told us "Your GPS is lying to you. Turn around" which, begrudgingly we did, and went over that way when there wasn't any snow on the ground. We found a section off of Rt 15, and have kept looking since.
... when I look at you, I'm there...
Today, we found it. Dave accurately surmised that if we got off 91 in Barnet and headed for Peacham we might find it. Myrtle kept nudging us back towards 91, and we kept making her reroute us... until we landed on the North Bayley Hazen, a dirt road that wound through the back woods and rolling hills, eventually putting us on Rt 2 at the light in Danville. We swung into Marty's for a Long Trail pack and some Cabot cheese, got some lunch...
...and headed home.
