Oct 9, 2022
與波士頓結緣，始於2002年。彼時攜家帶小，遊訪哈佛、麻省理工等校園。四年前，再蒞劍橋(Cambridge)，吾家小子已於此地，定居執業。今次三訪，受邀拜會其準in-laws，共商婚禮儀典，相聚甚歡。
諸事順遂，胸臆燦然。昨日午後，乘興啟程，翻山越嶺，秋遊新英格蘭。自東向西，秋色橫貫。海拔漸高，霜彩愈重，從數樹深紅，到層林盡染。穿過綠甸(Greenfield)，次下麋甸(Deerfield)，又上天橋(Natural Bridge State Park)，直抵威廉姆斯鎮(Williamstown)。今日傍晚，漫步Williams College校園，借其學苑仙風，撣拂一路仆仆風塵。
去海向西山外山 金秋橫貫染層巒
驅車綠甸穿麋甸 錯過午餐就野餐
正嶺偏鋒卷詩畫 流溪靜水映霞丹
一重海拔一重彩 登上天橋入學壇
Oct 10，2022
1/ Bennington
It was raining early morning with overcast skies, which is not welcome for fall foliage peeping. When arrived at Battle Monument in Bennington VT, the rain turned into a downpour, preventing us from doing anything except giving up all the activities pre-planned for this location.
The reason why we were there was because we wanted to go a bit deeper into the history of America. It seemed that a whole lot of American history (the independence war against British, the establishment of the 13 colonies, the constitution and so forth, all of these legends told in American history books) was literally written nowhere else but in New England. The Battle Monument in Bennington VT is part of the memorandum of the independence war.
Bennington is also part of the South Corridor of Vermont which goes about 50+ miles latitudinally along Route 9 and connects Bennington in the west, Wilmington in the middle, and Brattleboro in the east.
The rest of the day, we focused on touring these three towns of Vermont. First, we started the journey from Main Street of Bennington. However, there was nothing worthy of mentioning, only a few shots of old-fashioned structures, plus some pictures of rainy-day scenery.
2/ Wilmington
Wilmington was second to stop by. It’s a small town with rugged streets, rusted buildings, and old-school-looking type of folks. You would’ve got a weird feeling as if you were wandering off somewhere that belongs to the third world, no kidding!
However, in its vicinities of less than 30 minutes drive, there're great scenic spots worth a go, like Raponda Pond, Molly Stark State Park, and Hogback Mountain.
You could certainly be shocked by the view of an ocean with waves after waves of gold or amber looking forests spreading out in all directions on top of the Hogback Mountain. Also, you might be amazed by a local snack, the maple syrup donut. It tasted really good and refreshing, injecting a warm and sweet feeling into and circling inside your body while exposed out in the cold.
3/a Brattleboro: Museum of Art
The third town, Brattleboro, is pretty rustic as well, but a little fresher and moderner overall, in terms of local lifestyle. Immediately after arrival, we went to the Brattleboro Museum of Art Center, and very much appreciated the exhibits of “Felt Experience”.
Every piece of the artwork is made of felts (毛氈), an ancient material with extraordinary sensorial connection between humans and animals on earth. Also, it's believed that the warmth and affection of the wool felts is able to awaken memories gained from childhood, and thus to help people make a better sense out of their interactions with the real world.
3/b Brattleboro: Main Street
After the “Felt Experience”, we then scouted the Main Street of Brattleboro all the way through, taking quite a few pictures of local churches, street arts and stuff.
In a food store, a special pack of beers caught my eyes. It's a mix of different brands brewed locally but in Austria style, “a little Austria, a lot of Vermont” as advertised outside of the pack surfaces.
A drink of beer, of course, concludes today's touristy log. Hopefully, a good sleep tonight, and a good day tomorrow!
