Saturday, November 17, 2012

Best Western Albany Plus Franklin Square Inn Troy/Albany


We spent only 1 night at the The Best Western Plus in Troy, at Franklin Square.  Despite a torrential downpour that night, the staff was very friendly, helpful and in good spirits.  We used this hotel as just a quick stopover before a flight the next morning, and it was perfect for that.

The bed in the room was comfortable and the room was clean.  The room was a bit tight, especially once you bring luggage in, but otherwise everything about it was good.  There was free wi-fi, which is always nice and when we forgot some toiletries at a previous hotel, they happily provided replacements.

The location is about 10 minutes from the Albany airport, which made it easy to get to extremely early in the morning.  Also, across the street is an excellent barbeque place, Dinosaur BBQ, which we'd recommend to anyone staying at the hotel.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Residence Inn Hanover Lebanon



We only got to spend 1 night at the Residence Inn, in Lebanon, NH, but it definitely could have served for a longer stay.  The front desk staff we interacted with were friendly.  Our room was very clean and spacious.  The wi-fi signal was strong while we were there, and free.

In the morning, the free breakfast provided was ample and tasty, although finding a seat in the dining area can be difficult.  It looked like there was another dining area which was closed due to a business meeting the morning we were there though.

The hotel itself is about a 10-15 minute drive to the Dartmouth campus, so it is pretty close for anyone who needs it as a jumping off point to the college.  There's also a Mexican restaurant, Margarita's in the same parking lot, which is convenient and was good for dinner and drinks, albeit a little bit overpriced.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Bennington Museum


Right outside the main downtown drag of Bennington is The Bennington Museum.  This museum has an array of different type of exhibits ranging from fine art to historic furniture to historical pieces from around the country.  The photo above shows a piece of the first transatlantic cable that was used to connect Europe to America.  We spent a little under an hour at this museum and it definitely had some interesting material inside of it.  However, it isn't the type of museum you could really spend all day at, so definitely allow for only about an hour when visiting.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Covered Bridge Museum (The Bennington Center for the Arts)


When we planned on visiting The Covered Bridge Museum and Bennington Center for the Arts, in Bennington, VT, our aim was really just to see the Covered Bridge portion.  However, the side of the museum that was an art gallery was the highlight.  There were numerous paintings done by local artists in many different styles.  When going in, you're given a piece of paper to choose your favorite for a contest they are holding.  This made it a much more enjoyable experience as you got to almost act as a judge in an art contest.

The 2nd half of the museum walks you through the history of Covered Bridges in Vermont and the rest of the country.  There are numerous photographs from all over that show you how they vary.  If you're a fan of covered bridges, this is definitely a good place to visit.  However, any non-aficionados may opt to pass.

One really nice portion of this was also a "library" of books that show all the covered bridges in different states, broken down by counties.  This lets you determine where covered bridges are near your own home, to give you a fun little side trip to do at home.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Bennington Battle Monument


A 306 foot obelisk, The Bennington Battle Monument can be seen from the road a few miles away.  It definitely sticks out on your way to Bennington.  Once there, you'll find a nice park surrounding it, which is a good place for picnics or just relaxing.  There is a gift shop near it where you can purchase tickets to take the elevator to the top to get a nice scenic view of Vermont, as well as part of New York.  These views are gorgeous, and well worth the small ticket price of $3/person.  During the ride up, the elevator operator will also give you a brief history of the monument and explain what you'll see from the top.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Mount Equinox Skyline Drive


Mount Equniox, the highest point in Vermont, as accessible by car on the "Skyline Drive" for $15/car and $5 for any passenger.  It is a steep climb up, but pretty much any car should be able to handle it, although older cars may have some over-heating issue in the warm months.

During the drive there are many pullover spots to get out and take in the gorgeous scenery.  The real highlight though is at the very top where you get an amazing view of Vermont.  You definitely want to make sure you do this on a nice, clear day so that you can enjoy the views.  Rainy days will just obscure your view with fog.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Vermont Country Store


Towards the center of the state in Weston, VT is the "Vermont Country Store".  Everything Vermont related you can imagine is carried in this store, which is crowded at pretty much all times.  From kitschy knicknacks to Vermont maple syrup to Vermont cheese, you can find it here.  In addition, you can sample various types of Vermont Cheese, Vermont Cookies and Fudge (and it's all delicious!).  It'll be hard to leave without a few of these items in tow.