Moonlight in Vermont: 2
Puttering Around Putney
By: Charles Giuliano - Jul 31, 2007
http://www.yellowbarn.org
http://www.putney.net
http://www.putneyinn.com
http://www.basketville.com
http://putneyschool.org
http://www.curtisbbqvt.com
http://www.mapquest.com
Rebounding from Brattleboro we headed back North and a short drive up I 91 in Southern Vermont settled into the picture perfect New England village of Putney. The liberal town of 2,634, home to the progressive Putney School, and Landmark College which specializes in educating students with learning disabilities, was among the first in the nation to vote for the impeachment of President George W. Bush. That among other reasons makes this a very special community to check out.
Pulling in off Exit 4 we immediately came to the Putney Inn. We checked their rates and examined a room but decided to explore other options. After driving around town a bit and getting an overview we returned and overall were quite pleased with the accommodations, a lovely, well appointed room, and enjoyed the hearty country breakfast. The dining room looked inviting but we found Curtis BBQ just up the road, one of the most famous pits in New England. We reviewed it for BFA so you can read about all the tasty details.
Also for BFA our music writer, Michael Miller, has covered the Yellow Barn concerts. The music school promotes a summer festival and has performances both in Amherst, Mass. as well as Putney. There was a free event that night but we passed having been on the road for the past couple of days. But it would be enticing to come back and enjoy a concert at Yellow Barn.
While Putney is fairly small it proves to have just enough in terms of points of interest, a variety of shops, crafts, and dining options. I picked up a couple of bottles of local brew which were so non commercial that they had funky seemingly Xeroxed labels on non pasteurized live beers. Such beers have short shelf lives and don't travel far from their points of origin. It went down just fine with the ribs. Astrid took a sip and commented that it was the style that we enjoyed in a microbrewery in Cologne.
Not to be missed is the truly amazing Basketville which was founded in 1842. While they sell a huge number and variety of baskets, some of which are produced in Putney, they also import baskets from all over the world. There were a number of tempting "manager's specials." This is a fun place and you will want to spend considerable time checking out the many wares.
While shopping and dining are priorities it is great to just drive down country lanes and see what you encounter. The area around Putney is particularly pristine and beautiful. This is a green state in every sense and you understand why it attracts all those fire breathing liberals. We spotted the town pool and decided to take a swim the next morning.
When we returned we learned that the pool offers swimming lessons during the morning and is not open for a general swim until noon. That left us with time on our hands but a woman was enormously helpful in drawing a meticulous map to a great swimming spot a short drive away.
We packed up, put on our swim suits and checked out of the inn. A hop skip and a jump we arrived at the Covered Bridge on I 91. The directions would have sent up back to Brattleboro and then loop back north. But driving along Astrid noted a sign through a village our friend had mentioned and from there it was a short drive over a dirt road to find the Covered Bridge. This is surely the route that locals take.
Parking the car next to the Covered Bridge we found a convenient set of steps leading to the river. We had brought along folding chairs for just such an opportunity. We found several families and chose a nice shady spot. I wanted to plunge right in but discovered that the rocky river bed was tough on my feet. I noticed that a woman was wearing sneakers so I went back and put mine on. That was the ticket and once in the river I just never wanted to get out. Some kids were complaining that it was too cold but I found it just right. Swimming against a fairly strong current in the middle of the stream allowed for a good workout.
I told Astrid to wear her flip flops when she came out and enjoyed the mountain stream. We just stayed and relaxed and this was just what we were looking for. Thoroughly cooled and refreshed we hit the road to return home. But first took a quick visit to Jeff's Antiques just across the road. The prices were very attractive and there was a nice variety of items. We will surely come back.
We left town up Route 8 and decided to take Route 2, the Mohawk Trail, back home. Before the Mass Pike that was the primary road to the Berkshires. Along the way are a number of motels, kayaking spots, and large campsites. There are abandoned hotels and businesses. The scenery is spectacular, particularly the mountain views, but it is now the road less traveled. There is a plan to develop one of these mountain hotel sites as vacation condos including an upscale restaurant. But that's a story for another time.