Day 2 Tuesday, September 24 Out and About

First stop today was Quechee Gorge and the Simon Pearce store and workshop.  Just love this store!  I have one piece that I bought another time we were here.  Would love more, but very pricey!  We watched the glassblowers at work this morning, and since there were no other people around, HT#2  had a chance to chat with them and hear their story.  They love what they do.  

Love their displays - simple!

There is a restaurant at the store also, and hopefully we will have a chance to eat lunch there sometime this week.  It sits right over the waterfall and is very picturesque!

Love the use of birch logs for displays!

On the way out, we noticed a restoration shop housed in an old brick building.  Decided to stop in and the craftsmen were busy restoring some old chairs.  He told us that they do work for people all over the country and were working today on reupholstering an old barrel chair.

Next stop today is Woodstock.  Great shops - started with the hardware store which is filled with all kinds of interesting stuff.  Have met some interesting people/shop owners - the owner of one of the art galleries showed us all around and showed us her portrait of her granddaughter.  Her husband is an artist too, and they live out in the country near town.

The Woodstock Inn

The Woodstock Inn is spectacular both inside and out.  Beautiful gardens, great gift shop too. The lobby has a huge stone fireplace with one giant birch log in it and a stack of birch logs on the side.  There was the most amazing display of pumpkins and gourds too.

Lobby of Woodstock Inn

Lobby of the Woodstock Inn

Lobby of Woodstock Inn

The infamous movie theater

Of course, we had to take a picture of the movie theater, a place that will forever be forged in Kristin and Amy's minds!  Stopped at the Mountain Creamery for mid-morning coffee and a banana walnut muffin, and it was here that I decided I never want to go on a bus tour!!!  Buses were converging on the town, but nothing compared to what it will be like in another week when the "leaf peepers" arrive.  Definitely doesn't look like fun to be herded around  and have a name tag on!!!

For dinner tonight we went to Hanover, NH (home of Dartmouth College) which turned out to be only 4 miles from our hotel in White River Junction.  Found the 3 Guys Basement BBQ and was a great choice.  Lots of charm and they were in the middle of their month long Baconfest!  Dartmouth is a beautiful school - typical New England small college feel.  We went into the library that evening which is patterned after Independence Hall (Incredible).

 Went up to the third floor into a study area surrounded by beautiful wood bookcases.  Students were sitting all around with just very low lighting at each table or chair.  They say it's "feng shui to have such little light in the room!  Was amazed that there wasn't any security at the library - we just walked up to the third floor with no one asking any questions!

The weather has been perfect for this trip.  Sunny and in the 60's.  Leaving Woodstock area for New Hampshire tomorrow.

Hmm... who's that student on the far right?

Forgot to mention that we stopped at Billings Farm in Woodstock late this afternoon - by that time we had run out of steam to do much there but walked around and will definitely try to go back there during the trip.  The cows were the cleanest, healthiest cows we had ever seen!