Gribblenation

Sitting quietly along Vermont 100 within the White River Valley is the Windsor County town of Rochester.  Proudly calling itself "The Heart of the Green Mountains," Rochester is home to about 1100 residents. Many old homes are well kept in Rochester (Doug Kerr - May 2012) Settled and incorporated in 1781, Rochester is surrounded by mountains and nestled in the White River Valley.  Rochester hosts several events throughout the year, including Harvestfest on the first Saturday after Labor Day, a Summer Concert Series, and a weekly farmers' market on Fridays from late May through early October. The Civil War Soldiers Memorial is the centerpiece of Rochester's village green. Rochester is an oddly shaped town - it has many different angles as it annexed land from four adjacent towns in the early 1800s.  It consists of nearly 36,000 acres, making it the largest community in Windsor County. For over 30 years, the Rochester Cafe & Country Store has been a popular spot f...

Walking around the Coolidge Homestead in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, you'll begin to connect the humble beginnings of our 30th President with the quiet humility of the man known as "Silent Cal."   Plymouth is a small community in central Vermont with over 600 residents.  Coolidge was born here on July 4, 1872.  And it was here in a parlor of his home that Coolidge took the Oath of Office early in the morning of August 3, 1923, upon the death of Warren G. Harding.  Coolidge suddenly became the 30th President of the United States. The modest home where Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872.  The home was attached to the general store (Cilley's Store) that the Coolidge's then owned and operated. Coolidge would attend Amherst College in Massachusetts.  He would start a law office in Northampton, Mass., where he would later serve as mayor and a representative in the state legislature and Senate. Coolidge would later serve as Lieutenant Governor and later Governor ...

The town of Jamaica is located along Route 100 in the Green Mountains of Southern Vermont. It has just over 1,000 residents and consists of the villages of Jamaica Center, East Jamaica, and Rawsonville. Jamaica Memorial Library The community is not named after the Caribbean Island but the Natick/Algonquian for "beaver."  Both the West River and the Ball Mountain Brook run through Jamaica. One of the many historic homes in Jamaica. (Doug Kerr - May 2012) Since its charter in 1780, Jamaica has transitioned from a colonial timber industry community to an industrial wool industry in the mid-19th century, to a community driven by outdoor recreation (skiing, fishing, golf, etc.)  Nearby Jamaica State Park is a popular fishing, hiking, camping, and mountain biking destination. Jamaica Town Hall - In addition to the annual town meeting - Jamaica Town Hall hosts community activities and events. Jamaica continues the New England tradition of an annual town meeting.  Held the first...

  While every road tells a story, sometimes the journey to that story works in mysterious ways. Every so often, that story finds you. Such is the story behind the rebirth of the Pine Tree Trail in Maine. The Pine Tree Trail is a scenic tourism route that stretches some five hundred miles between Portland, Maine, and Kittery, Maine, and has its roots in the 1930s. Along the way, the Pine Tree Trail passes through towns and cities including Auburn, Lewiston, Augusta, Waterville, Bangor, Houlton, and Presque Isle. In the modern day, they are connected by US 1, US 2, ME 11, and ME 100 as well. You can come across picturesque towns both large and small, enchanting farmland, forests as far as the eye can see, and more along the Pine Tree Trail. To promote tourism to more inland portions of the state during the Great Depression, the Pine Tree Trail was created in March 1937 by an act of the  Maine State Legislature . The thought was that the Pine Tree Trail could rival some of the po...

  The Robyville Covered Bridge is located to the northwest of Bangor, Maine, near Kenduskeag Village and Corinth in the settlement of Robyville. Spanning 97 feet across Kenduskeag Stream, this Howe truss designed covered bridge was built during the 1870s and happens to be the only completely shingled covered bridge in Maine, and may be one of the few covered bridges in the country with shingles all around. The shingles are not only at each portal, but also on the siding as well. The covered bridge was built by Royal A. Sweet at the cost of $1,375.06. Royal Sweet was a skilled carpenter and tradesman in the area, having manufactured barns and sleds along with the Robyville Covered Bridge. There is some contesting as to when the covered bridge was built, as the sign on the bridge states the bridge was built in 1876, but town records seem to indicate that the Robyville Bridge was built a few years earlier, in 1870 or 1871. The abutments and piers of this covered bridge ...

  In a world where every road tells a story, there are plenty of signs that can talk about interesting stories as well. During one's travels through the State of Maine, one may have come across a group of iconic signs showing distances to different countries or cities throughout the world. Or they may have come across pictures of a sign in Maine showing directions to places such as Norway, Paris, or China. However, the places listed are all towns that are located in Maine and not on another continent. I can assure you that there are a few of these world traveler signposts that can be found scattered around Maine and they are yours to discover as you travel around the world without ever leaving the Pine Tree State. Possibly the most famous of the World Traveler Signposts is found at the corner of ME Routes 5 and 35 in Lynchville, south of Bethel on ME 5. The signpost was originally installed during the 1930s as a way to promote Maine tourism in a fun, quirky way. The sign features p...

The 2,848-foot-high Quill Hill is located off Oddy's Road on ME 16 between Rangeley and Stratton, Maine. Boasting some of the best views of the mountains and landscape around northwestern Maine, there is a four-mile-long dirt road that leads from ME 16 to the summit. The drive is expected to take 12 minutes to get to the top. Once at the summit, you can encounter breathtaking views, hike, or even have a picnic. In fact, this may be the only scenic overlook that I know of that includes a wood-fired grill for your use. At the summit of Quill Hill, you can spot area landmarks such as the Rangeley Lakes, Saddleback Mountain, West and East Kennebago Mountains, Flagstaff Lake, and Mount Bigelow. Interpretive signs are in place to tell you the story of Quill Hill and what you can see in the surrounding landscape. On a clear day, you can even see into the border mountains of Canada. Quill Hill is the only mountain in Maine with a 360-degree view accessible by foot, automobile, bicycle, OHV...

  US Route 1 begins quietly alongside the St. John River in Fort Kent, Maine, next to the Clair-Fort Kent Bridge, an international bridge that crosses the river into Clair, New Brunswick, Canada. US 1 passes through some of the largest and most important cities in the United States from Mile 0 at its southern end in  Key West, Florida , following the Fall Line as it makes its way up the Atlantic Seaboard during its journey of 2,369 miles. Once US 1 reaches this remote corner of Aroostook County in northern Maine, there is just a small park that honors Fort Kent's role in the greater scheme of the highway system in the United States. Fort Kent is known for a few things outside of being America's First Mile of US 1, with a strong Acadian heritage where many area residents are bilingual in French and English, and being a popular venue for biathlon competitions. However, it is US 1 that ties Fort Kent in with the rest of the country. Flanked by the American, Canadian, Maine, and A...

One of the great drives in the northwestern mountains of Maine is the Maine High Peaks Scenic Byway, which follows ME 27 for roughly 50 miles from Kingfield to Coburn Gore at the border with the Canadian province of Quebec. Those who travel the High Peaks Scenic Byway will be awarded with enchanting views of various rivers, lakes and mountains, passing by Bigelow Range, Appalachian Trail and High Peaks along the way. As you travel the scenic byway, there are interpretive signs at different stops along that help you make sense of what you are seeing, and its place in local history and lore. In the town of Kingfield, which gained prominence during the 19th Century as a mill town, the byway winds alongside the Carrabassett River with views of Mount Abraham and the Bigelow Range. Between Kingfield and Stratton, the byway passes near Sugarloaf Mountain , which is one of Maine's highest mountains and one of New England's premier destinations for skiers and riders. Just past Stratton,...