It was raining this morning, so we put off leaving the hotel as long as we could, but eventually we had to get moving.
Trip high point number 5: Mount Greylock, Massachusetts, 3,491 feet, located in Mount Greylock State Reservation in the Taconic Mountains, a sub-range of the Appalachians. You can drive up a scenic byway and park at the summit for $20 (for out-of-state cars) or hike from below for free.
Mount Greylock State Reservation, Massachusetts
Partway up the mountain
We'd planned to hike the last mile, but with the intermittent rain, we decided to suck it up and pay the 20 bucks to park as close as possible. Then on reaching the top, a sign declared that parking was free today, and by then it had stopped raining, so lucky us!
High point of Massachusetts
The Veterans War Memorial Tower at the mountain's peak was built in 1933 to honor the state's fallen soldiers. Usually, you can climb up the tower's circular staircase for free – but not today because it was closed, probably because the visibility was poor, which was also probably why parking was free, so it was a trade-off.
Veterans War Memorial Tower
A proper mountain
A park ranger took our photo with the high-point sign and then pointed out the location of the geodetic survey marker. And with that, our work here was done. Sure, the views could have been clearer, but from lower spots on the mountain, it looked very dramatic with the clouds.
Jana and Tom bag another peak
Jana with the geodetic marker
Tom at the top
From lower on Mount Greylock
Leaving Massachusetts, we then made our way north through western Vermont. Midday, we stopped at the Bob Brugmann Suspension Bridge at the Clarendon Gorge. It was just someplace we saw on the map and thought would be a good place to break up the drive. This is an Appalachian Trail trailhead and yet another good place for a picnic.
Bob Brugmann Suspension Bridge, Shrewsbury, Vermont
Jana on the trail
Roadside America, Vermont style
Lodging: First Floor of Raised Ranch airbnb in Williston, Vermont. We had the entire lower level of a split-level home. The homeowner lives on the floor above. Lots of room to spread out and great coffee. We're here for two nights.
Dinner: Tom's oldest nephew, Alex, lives in Williston, along with his girlfriend Sarah. We met up with them, and they took us to dinner at Citizen Cider in Burlington, where Alex works. The food was great, especially the poutine – a northern delicacy – and the cider here is delicious!
The Pub at Citizen Cider
Brewery: After dinner, we moved on to Burlington Beer Company. They have a pretty extensive variety of beers. We tried all we could until closing the place down. It was easy to do since they close at 9:00 on Sundays, but I was still proud. Fun night!
Alex and Sarah
Burlington Beer Company