A few years ago, Rider my publication Articles about going to Vermont Route 100 south to north, ending at the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, which straddles the US/Canada border. Someone wrote a letter to the editor asking me how to get it back. US 5th Street runs along the east side of Vermont, and it happens to be one of my favorite rides. It has all the elements of a great motorcycle trail: beautiful scenery, good curves, light traffic, and interesting stops along the way. For this trip, I started again at the Massachusetts border and headed north, but it could also run in reverse.
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I crossed Massachusetts to Vermont just south of Guilford, and the road almost immediately plunged into the woods, winding back and forth around the trees, to see what was to come. First, I went through Brattleboro. With 12,000 inhabitants, it is the largest town I will encounter today. The city center consists of about three blocks of centuries-old brick houses. There was a bit of congestion, but as soon as I crossed the roundabout at the intersection with Highway 9, things calmed down and I headed to rural Vermont in search of coffee.
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The Putney General Store claims to be Vermont’s oldest general store. It has rickety floors, good food and – most importantly – good coffee. Properly caffeinated, I’m on my way and US 5 reveals its true character: rising, falling, and winding through the landscape. I lost myself in its rhythm.
In Bellows Falls, the falls don’t flow anymore. The river was built in 1802 to support upstream traffic. Down near the river, a row of mysterious faces were carved into the rock. The petroglyphs are said to have been carved by Abenaki hundreds of years ago. Oddly enough, some of the faces seem to have beards. Proof of an extraterrestrial visit? I pondered the question as I walked out of town.
US 5 continues to swoop, zigzag and turn as it passes through the trees. Nothing too tight or unexpected, just a great ride, and I drink it all up. Have a game of zig and zag in Springfield before the enjoyment continues to the American Precision Museum in Windsor. It was housed in the Robbins and Lawrence Armory, where they developed the concept of interchangeable parts in the 1840s. One museum display is a belt-driven machine that spins gun stock. . As the clearance for the warehouse rotates, the cutters move in and out gracefully. The accompanying video is mesmerizing. In addition to many machine tools, they also have the Bridgeport milling machine serial number 001 – if you are a lover of gearbox design, you will understand how important it is.
Through Windsor, the road returns to the rhythm of running around a golf course. Along the way, I passed small farms with their quintessential red barns. Some had stalls selling fresh vegetables, and I picked some tomatoes and sweet corn.
White River Junction, where the White River joins Connecticut, has long been a transportation hub. The arrival of the railroad in the 19th century solidified its position. Today, it is located at the junction of Interstates 89 and 91 as well as US routes 4 and 5. All amenities are located near the highway interchange, and it is easy to miss the center. downtown, but with several restaurants to choose from, this is a great place to have lunch.
A sign on the window at the Dan & Whit General Store in Norwich declares, “If we don’t have it, you don’t need it!” Whether you’re looking for alarm clocks or beer pong supplies, they’ve got it all. Paint department? It was in a room behind the snack shop. Go ahead and you’ll find a huge piece of hardware. The variety of things crammed into the space is remarkable, and it’s easy to get lost among the hawkers, hammers, and hammocks.
Leaving Norwich, there was a change. The rush was gone, and I glided smoothly around bends, past farmlands in the narrow valley and past the villages of Thetford, Fairlee, Bradford, Newbury and Wells River. In Barnet, another noticeable change is that the United States joins the Connecticut River and begins to follow the smaller Passumpsic River. The bends are narrower, the hills are closer, and at one point, US 5 slipped between the lanes heading north and slightly south of I-91.
In St. Johnsbury, State Highway 5A splits as it passes through St. Johnsbury Athenaeum and Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium. Both 19th-century mansions were built by the Fairbanks family. Their company Fairbanks Scales changed the way commerce was done, and families spent most of their wealth locally. Exquisite Victorian architectural lines flank the road here.
After Lyndonville, US 5 cuts across the landscape to West Burke, where I take Highway 5A towards Lake Willoughby. The lake is the jewel of this trip. Nestled between Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor, it resembles a Norwegian fjord. The road ran to the east, lying precariously between the lake and the cliff.
Lake Willoughby is over, there’s a “North Country” feel. The rivers flow north in the direction of the St. Lawrence, the landscape is more open, and the trees seem to shorten. Road 5A reconnects with US 5 at Derby Central and goes to the Canadian border at Derby Road. There, within sight of the Haskell Free Library and the Opera House, not far from the border, was a sign proclaiming “Five End”. Beyond is Quebec and a large sign that says “Bonjour”. It’s time to go back. Maybe I’ll go 100.
