We hadn’t really explored much of Grafton so on our last full day we walked to the village and took a hike through the woods, with the local cheese-monger as our destination. The weather was crisp if not a little warm but we made it at least five miles, high five! I have a love hate relationship with nature, I enjoy it until I see it. Always worried about snakes and other critters, thankfully all we saw along our hike was an eastern newt the size of an AirPod and a tribe of goats. Sadly the cheese-monger was closed, Grafton was celebrating its Memorial Day a few days late with a parade through the town. Resident attendance mandatory, apparently.
Read MoreRoad Trip: Vermont
West Dummerston Covered Bridge
We started our first full day in Vermont with coffee and a warm scone from the convenience store in Grafton, we had a couple of places on our agenda, such as Brattleboro and Woodstock (I’m convinced every New England state has a Woodstock) but beyond that it was open roads ahead of us. On route to Brattleboro we passed the West Dummerston covered bridge, spanning the West River, built in 1872 and the longest wholly covered bridge in Vermont. It’s an easy climb down to the water’s edge, with rocks that jut out just enough we were able to climb on and take in the view, it created one of those why don’t we live here moments. We were looking for the nearest kayak.
Read MoreRoad Trip: Watkins Glen, NY
Watkins Glen
An early night meant an early start, after a stop at Dunkin’ we set off for a hike through Watkins Glen State Park’s gorge trail. The recent spell of rain caused the waterfalls to roar, the light rain bouncing off the rocks made for an unforgettable site. I imagine it’s how GoT’s Iron Islands would look, maybe. It’s about a 4 mile trek, passing a dozen or so waterfalls, with stone bridges crisscrossing over the stream, there’s even a lover’s lane should you be so inclined. We got there early and it was reasonably quiet, but tourists started to build up on our way out so an early day hike might be the way to go. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.
Read MoreRoad Trip: Fallingwater & Seneca Lake
Seneca Lake
We circled back slightly on day two, we had tickets to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, it’s a must-see if you’re anywhere near Pittsburgh, about an hour drive from the city. The house is one of Wright’s most famous buildings, now a living museum built into the surrounding rocks overlooking the waterfall and woodlands. You don’t have to appreciate architecture to appreciate Fallingwater, and just this month it was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Tickets should be purchased ahead of time, from $30 per person.
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