On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Captain C
Dame N and I stayed in Montpelier for 3 nights and had a grand time. One of the days, we drove out to the Northeast Kingdom to eat at the Miss Lyndonville Diner in Lyndonville, which is my all-time favorite diner, and also to visit a bookstore there and then the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, a wonderful combo library and art museum. I think that was also the day we went to the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier and looked around. The next day, we got a tour of the Vermont State Capitol from Dame N’s uncle, who works there (both it and he are really cool), and also checked out a couple bookstores. Yes, 3 bookstores in two full days.
Near our hotel is this tribute sign for Senator William Upham, a staunch abolitionist and generally righteous dude.
A cute statue outside Bear Pond Books, one of the ones we visited in Montpelier. If memory serves, I got a book on infrastructure and one of the MurderBot series there.
Some of the accolades &c. that the Miss Lyndonville Diner has received over the years. Unfortunately, I did not get a good outdoor shot this time, so this will have to do. I had all my favorites there: deep fried French toast with real Vermont maple syrup, hash browns, a coffee shake (which passed the straw test with flying colors), and a piece of chocolate cream pie to go.
The bookstore in Lyndonville that we visited. It has been there since I was a kid 40-odd years ago. The owner was very nice, and gave us a couple book recs. I got a couple sci fi titles and I think also a script for GoodFellas.
This is the interior of the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, which serves as both St. Johnsbury’s public library and also as an art museum. It was founded by Horace Fairbanks, who was a successful businessman and governor of Vermont. He thought that the public should get to experience great art, and since most St. Johnsbury residents in the late 1800s would never get a chance to travel to Europe to see such art, he brought some to Vermont. Unfortunately no photos allowed in the gallery, but there are some nice European pieces as well as some good examples of Hudson River School paintings.
This is the exterior of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier’s public library. When the Captain’s family was emptying out their Vermont house, we donated approximately 50 boxes of books for their book sale (over three visits). There were also 10 boxes of books in too poor condition to donate, and at last 3 or 4 that the Captain kept, so now you know at least part of why I’m a librarian.
A cute statue outside the library.
Inside, the library has numerous casts of the Parthenon friezes.
They also have some humorously named book carts.
Having legalized recreational cannabis, of course there is a dispensary in Vermont’s capital. One of the nice things about legalization is that you can get any number of products, from smokeables to edibles and infused sodas. I tried some of the Rosie’s infused chocolates (delicious!) and the sodas (good, and a bit belchy). Dame N, who does not partake, found this all terribly amusing.
L Boom
As someone who lives in Montpelier (well, just outside), I’d also add that the east wing of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library (which really is a great community library) was a gift from former Sen. Patrick Leahy, paid for from the proceeds of all his hilariously random Batman work over the years.
Trivia Man
when i lived in NJ i tried to explore the northeast, really enjoyed a few camping trips in Vermont. Drove through Montpelier as kind if a bucket list thing. Very casual attempt to see all the state capitals, this one is special because its the least populous capital. Wish id had time to spend in town instead of just driving through.
JeanneT
I’ve never thought about organizing trips around libraries and bookstores; I now want to make up for lost opportunities. Thanks for the inspiration!
Kayla Rudbek
Ooh, this looks like a fun visit. It might be dangerous for my wallet and my bookshelf space.
UncleEbeneezer
We visited Vermont in the Fall of 2016 and my wife absolutely fell in love with it. She had never been to New England (I grew up in MA) and it just blew her mind. We stayed at a farm-stay in Marshville run by a couple old hippies. Vermont has so much damn picturesque charm it is almost ridiculous.
Trivia Man
@JeanneT: look for a list of carnegie libraries
munira
I spent a lot of time in Vermont when I lived in Quebec because I had friends there. We went to the women’s march in 2016 in Montpelier. It was the only march in Vermont and many more people showed up than they expected. They tried to close the on ramp into the town and people started parking on the edge of the freeway and walking in. Good times. Lovely state.
StringOnAStick
One of my husband’s oldest friends lives in this town, a writer and birder. We need to visit, thanks for the nudge.
Captain C
@L Boom: I remember that from donating the books; did not know that was the source of the funds :^).
Captain C
@JeanneT: It’s a fun way to do it. When Dame N and I visited Arizona just before the pandemic, we went to a couple libraries and hit both libraries and bookstores in our Boston visit a couple years before that.
I’m glad we had a car to hold the books on this trip.
Captain C
@Kayla Rudbek: Just wait ’til you see the next bookstore we visited…
Captain C
@StringOnAStick: It’s a great spot, 2 or 3 days of good things to do in town plus some good restaurants, and is well-located for a lot of potential Vermont excursions.