772 July 6, 2022 Woodford State Park

My morning walk first led me to Cutler Botanic Garden, a hidden gem in an area otherwise filled with hotels and gas stations.

When I walked in the other direction, I found a Starbucks. All around it was a great kickstart to the day!

We took 88E to Schenectady and Albany and there we made our way to 7 across the remainder of New York. It was my intention to work on the blog but the scenery was just too pretty! We crossed the Susquehanna River several times. The hills were rolling with lush vegetation. Cattails and wildflowers flanked the roadside. We rode through small towns and saw lots of red barns and silver silos. Church steeples were tucked in amid the towering trees. The clouds were dramatic with just bits of blue sky peaking through. We had a smattering of rain showers as well.

We crossed into Vermont on Route 9 and passed through quaint downtown Bennington with a compass painted on the road in the main intersection and an old time clock on the corner. Gorgeous old churches and hanging baskets dripping with colorful flowers added to the charm of the town.

The road contined to meander along a stream. We saw wild turkeys strutting along. We made a plan to camp at Woodford State Park in the Green Mountain National Forest.

We were in bear country. The rangers informed us that a bear had been rooting through coolers in the campground about 10 days before but that there had been no sightings in the past 4-5 days. Nonetheless, when we hiked around the lake later in the day, we played music as we walked. The trail had lots of root and rock obstacles and a couple of fallen trees that we had to climb over. It was good work!

We spent the evening enjoying a glass of wine by a campfire. We are back in our groove now; relaxed and loving this life!