DOING THINGS THE OLD
FASHIONED WAY
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When traveling in Central Vermont, be sure to take the time to visit the
East Barre Antique Mall at Routes 2 and 302, which are the main highways through Vermont to the coast of Maine. Route 302 will take you through the
White Mountain National Forest on the scenic
Kangamangus
Highway, but while you’re still in Central Vermont, treat yourself to a 12,000 square foot local attraction, the East Barre Antique Mall. |
Here you will find three floors of merchandise displayed in a well lit, neatly kept shop whose reputation is built on having the cleanest shop in Central Vermont.
The East Barre Antiques Mall opened its doors on August 9th, 1993, in an old furniture store that was originally built to house the East Barre Opera House.
The mall has a lot of space devoted to furniture, where you will find refinished and rustic pieces. Every day is a new experience at the East Barre Antique Mall. Stop by for a visit.
History of the Hero Islands
Near the end of Route 2 in the northwest corner of Vermont, you will find yourself in Hero Islands on Lake Champlain. Named during the Revolutionary War for the famed and heroic Green Mountain Boys, these tranquil isles are today connected by bridges and ferries, but during the struggle for independence, travel was not so easy. In the summer, settlers traversed by boat. In winter months, they rode on horseback or trekked across bitterly cold ice.
Between North Hero Island and Grand Isle, there is a drawbridge spanning a stomach-shaped bay, known as the Gut. Here you will see sailboats and cottages basking in fair breezes, but had you arrived on a windy October night in 1776, a far different sight would have stretched before your eyes. With bad luck, you might even have lost your scalp!
Lying at anchor were more than 200 ships of war. Pulled up on shore were four-hundred Indian war canoes in front of blazing campfires, the flying sparks illuminating war dancers. Nine thousand soldiers were preparing for battle. America was about to be invaded for the first time.
Seeking to quash the upstart rebels, the British had carefully prepared a massive invasion fleet, studded with the finest Grenadier Guards, crack Hessian mercenaries, cannon, howitzers, bows, arrows and tomahawks. The plan was to sail from Montreal, down Lake Champlain and into the Hudson River, there to link up with another British force. On this night, only the second day out, no battles had been fought, and the soldiers, writing in their journals, were confident of victory.
By morning light, and with the wind from the North, the armada sailed west out into the broad lake, and south in search of a motley rebel fleet. In just three hours, a ferocious battle commenced behind Valcour Island against Benedict Arnold’s tiny American force of fifteen ships and 500 “half-naked” men. Some historians believe, because of the far-reaching consequences, that this was the most significant naval battle ever fought. Though tremendously out-gunned, the Americans so weakened the resolve of the invaders that the British turned back, giving a crucial year of time to the struggling defenders.
Never again has so much man and sea power gathered in the Gut for a night’s rest. The best spot to view the Gut is from Knight’s Point State Park, just off the bridge on the North Hero side.
Central Vermont Farmers’
Markets
A sure sign of warm weather is the
arrival of Vermont products and produce at the weekly
farmers’ market. Far more than simply an outdoor
exchange of goods, the market is a social forum for both
buyers and sellers. They contribute their special flavor
to the community.
If you want home grown vegetables and
homemade crafts, like new or used items and antiques at
bargain prices, you need to check out the area’s
Farmers’ Markets. Each one is unique and full of
bargains you don’t want to miss. Central Vermont has
weekly markets in Montpelier, Barre, Waterbury and
Waitsfield as well as nearby Hardwick. Most are open
mid-May thru mid-Oct.
No matter what you’re looking for,
you’re sure to find it at one of Central Vermont’s
Farmers’ Markets!
Barre City Farmers’ Market,
open Thursdays, from 2-6 p.m., located at the Aldrich
Public Library on Washington Street in Barre, VT;
Contact: Barbara Tonnissen,
(802) 223-2456 or email
woolshed@sover.net
mid-May–mid-October.
Capitol City Farmers’
Market, open Saturdays from 9 a.m.–1 p.m., State Street
lot across from Elm Street Montpelier, VT ; Contact:
Jessie Schmidt, (802) 685-4360, May–October email
montpelierfarmers@yahoo.com
Mad River Green Farmers’
Market, open Saturdays 9 a.m.– 1:30 p.m., Route 100
Waitsfield, VT 05673; Contact: Burgi von Trapp, (802)
496-5856/4274, mid May – mid-October
Plainfield Village Farmers’
Market, open Sundays noon –
4 p.m., Mill Street Park,
Plainfield, VT. Contact: Laura Zeisel (802) 454-1418;
June – September
Waterbury Farmers’ Market,
open Thursdays 3:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Rusty Parker Park,
Route 2, Waterbury, VT 05676. Contact: Nicole Tarnay
(802) 888-7279 or email
nicoletarnay@hotmail.com;
mid-May–mid-October.
Hardwick Farmers’ Market,
open Fridays 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Located at Granite
Junction between Aubuchon’s and the Greensboro Garage on
Rte 15 West in Hardwick, VT; Contact: Caitlin Irwin
(802) 274-0203, early May – mid-October
For more information on
Vermont’s Farmers’ Markets, please contact the State
Farmers’ Market Representative: Lindsey Ketchel, Vermont
Dept. of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, 116 State
Street, Drawer 20, Montpelier, VT 05620; Phone: (802)
828-3833, Fax: (802) 828-3831, Visit
www.cvchamber.com/visit/tourmap/index.html,
or
E-mail:
lindsey@agr.state.vt.us.
For other Central Vermont
attractions and information, go to
www.cvchamber.com
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