Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

The Londonderrys

Saturday June 22, 2013
Site 27, Winhall Brook COE Campground
South Londonderry, Vermont

 

 

The Winhall campground’s address is South Londonderry.

 

Vermont Country Store (48)

 

  This is a town with one store and a post office which is open regular hours unless the postmaster comes in late, leaves early or has errands to run.

The “big” town, using the term very loosely,  is Londonderry which has not only a post office but a very nice IGA supermarket, 2 gas stations and a fantastic Saturday Farmer’s market.  As you can see, it has a very large Chamber of Commerce.

 

Lowel Lake (73)

 

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This morning we drive through South Londonderry on our way to the Londonderry Farmer’s Market. 

 

It’s about 2.5 to South Londonderry and six miles in total.  We pull in and park next to this “motorcycle”. Well at least it has a motorcycle license plate.   Ruby doesn’t know what to think.

 

 

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I am very surprised and pleased to see so many vendors in such a small town’s farmer’s market.

 

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The produce is nearly all organic, gorgeous looking and reasonably priced.

 

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What a beautiful setting for the market.

 

The market is located on the beautiful West River which is also the one that flows through Winhall where we are staying. 

 

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First order of business is to check out the bakery goods of course.
Breakfast at the farmer’s market is a must.  Grandma Miller does not disappoint.

 

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I have been LONGING, seriously, for a pecan roll for what seems  like forever.  Every bakery has the cinnamon rolls buns whatever you call them but no one until Grandma Miller has the pecan roll. But they are going fast.   SOLD!

 

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They also have macaroons and as a coconut lover I cannot pass these up especially the ones with chocolate chips.  How great is that??

 

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David chooses a wonderbar and something else which I didn’t get a picture of.   He declares it to be totally WONDERful.   Actually everything in their booth was delicious looking and everything we bought was delicious tasting.  If only we were going to be here for a month or two of Saturdays.   SIGH………..

 

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The market has other food vendors as well and a great place to sit and enjoy your breakfast or lunch with fine music accompaniment

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We check out all the booths, probably 40 of them,  before making our vegetable selections. There are booths with home made soaps and lotions, with pottery, grass fed beef and pork, plants and herbs, just to mention a few.   Although I don’t buy anything from the Itsy Bitsy Farm I do love the name. 

 

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On our way home I spy this clever idea.

What a great setting for a fire hydrant.  Talk about Yankee Ingenuity, just put it right by the river and you’re set for water.

 

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After the market we stop by one of the local outfitters to get a trails and kayaking map. 

 

They have a lot of gear for summer and winter, this is a BIG ski area, but they seem to have even more clothing and furniture it seems to me.

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The most interesting thing I see is this kayak that can be stored in pieces and put together for single or tandem kayaking.  I like my Sea Eagle but prefer my hard sided kayak since it can go many more places and when I’m in a new area, I don’t always know what I may find especially in the rivers.  This one might be easier to cart around IF I had a totally empty basement.  It would be great for a solo RVer who mostly kayaks alone but wants the possibility of bringing a guest along.  Or for a couple where one is a big kayaker and one not so much.

 

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As we turn down the road to the park, I notice the wildflowers and the old cottage back from the road. 

What a lovely picture I think. It looks like something from a fairy tale.  We stop.  We seem to have  stumbled into wildflower season here in Vermont or perhaps they have lovely wildflowers all spring and summer long.  But I’m really enjoying these.

 

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In the afternoon we take the short 1/2 mile hike just a short distance down the park road from our site.

 

You can take it one way and walk back the road or just turn around and come back.  Bet you can guess what we did.  It took us over an hour to walk this mile and you’ll see why.

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The forests around here are just simply beautiful.  Tall old trees many of them conifers.  Fern covered floors with mountain streams, babbling and gurgling and yodeling or whatever it is they do.

 

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Yes this is one of those streams nearly covered by ferns but you can certainly hear it as you walk along.

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There are wildflowers here too.  I think the first one is some sort of wood sorrel based on its leaves but this is a different flower here from what I am used to seeing.   The second is a GIANT trillium and I am SO sorry I was too late to see its amazing red blossom.  I’ve included a picture from the internet so you can see what I missed.   Earlier next time!!

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purple trillium from internet

 

 

What a beautiful tranquil place just steps from our campsite.

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      And wildlife too.

THE END

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19 comments:

  1. Now I want a pecan sticky bun! The farmer's market reminds me of the one in our little burg back home in NY.

    Cool kayak! Did it come with a cool price tag?

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  2. What a beautiful walk in the woods and I never got off the couch! I think it's great that you stay in places long enough to feel the local flavor. It always amazes me that no matter how much we travel, we couldn't see everything there is to see in one of our beautiful states much less our whole beautiful country.

    Thanks for taking me along with you and David.

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  3. A Morgan car with it's exposed V twin engine, a super cool Kayak and beautiful flower pictures! You won the best post lottery!

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  4. What I wouldn't give for a pecan roll! The pictures of the forest remind me of the 50 miles of Appalachian Trail I backpacked in Vermont. So green and peaceful.

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  5. Farmer's Markets are among my favorite places to visit and this looks like a great one. The wildflowers are also gorgeous--clearly a special highlight of your day. Lastly, I had to laugh at seeing the tandem kayak with a separate snap-on section for the rear passenger. I can envision a funny sayonara scenario!

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  6. All those organic vegies have me drooling. And that forest must provide homes for some little people. Looks so lush and inviting.

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  7. Farmers markets are great, but organic ones are even better.

    That kayak was interesting, but it looks like to me it would take up almost as much room apart as it would put together. We do sometimes miss our hard kayaks, but when we think about changing back to them, we remember how comfy our FastTracks are.

    Vermont looks beautiful and I love all the wild flowers. Everything looks so lush and green and reminds me a lot of north Georgia.

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  8. loved visiting the markets in the northeast...

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  9. That farmers market looks terrific!! And, what beautiful flowers, trees, ferns and stream!! If winters weren't notoriously hard, I think I'd want to be a Northeasterner ;)

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  10. Gosh, my mouth is watering for that pecan roll. Yummmo! One of my daughters got married in Conneticutt in August and used wild flowers for all the decorations and bouquets. I was worried but we found lots of beautiful wild flowers... It was beautiful.

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  11. Great spot and wonderful photos - the pecan bun is making my mouth water this morning while I'm sitting here drinking my coffee.

    BTW, your blog showed up on my blogroll just fine this morning!

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  12. I will have some of the macaroons please..... The farmers market looks wonderful! My favorite place to shop- that and the thrift/consignment stores. Who would have thought it? I used to be a snob about used clothing (eeewwwwww) but I got nice pair of capris for $8.00 at Twice is Nice last week. Then I don't feel terrible if I mess them up at work. The trail is really pretty- love the daisies and the iris. And hello little toadie- so cute! Have fun!
    Love
    Pam

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  13. We just love farmer's markets. Sometimes you can find the best homemade stuff there !

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  14. I just loved reading your take on this part of Vermont. I have a close friend who lived out west for many years and relocated back to her home in Vermont last year. Your story reminded me exactly of what she tells me that she loves about being back home. The forest, the farmer's markets, the winding roads and small towns, the focus on great organic food everywhere. Lovely. I hope to visit Jeanne sometime and hope to get the MoHo there eventually. Thanks for a beautiful post, Sherry.

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  15. How rude! Posting a picture of those pecan sticky buns! Now you've put the need to find and eat one in my mind... ;c)

    I guess that Chamber of Commerce was staffed by Munchkins?

    Loved the pictures of your hike, the moss covered log, the mushrooms, the ferns. All things I've enjoyed seeing on my hikes as a kid in the NE.

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  16. Wonderful flowers! What a sight. That walk must have been fabulous. I am catching up on posts and loved all of the pictures of the Vermont Country Store. I used to get that catalogue, too. After seeing your pictures, I do believe that you could get anything there. It's amazing.

    I was surprised to see those rectangular hay bales. I haven't seen any of those around here in ages. There's something wholesome about a field full of those hay bales on a summer morning. I don't get the same feeling about those huge round ones. Of course, I don't want to have anything to do with getting those rectangular ones up on a truck, so I'd better keep my wholesome dreams to myself and let the farmers get that hay up the easiest way they can!

    Hope that all is well. Take care, Pam

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  17. I guess it makes sense that there would be so many vendors with so few stores.

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  18. Still not receiving an email when you post, but I've put the URL in an "auto open" folder, so am seeing it now. I'm waaaaay behind, though, so have no idea how/why you are in Vermont! I have a cousin there that I will visit one of these days! She loves Vermont.

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