I don’t’ know how Zoom Zoom finds these places, but this one was BEAUTIFUL! The campground won all sorts of awards from the KOA and it deserved them. So well manicured and picturesque. Lots to do for families or just stuff for folks like us. They had a pool (too cold for me), little motorized John Deere tractors for kids to ride, a cute playground, hiking trails, a catch and release pond, several washers and dryers, and a very well-equipped camp store. It was at the camp store where I purchased my first bag of maple popcorn. This popcorn is as addictive as any other kind of sweet popcorn.
The village of Quechee (rhymes with “peachy”) Gorge looked like a movie set. Zoom Zoom and I headed to the Visitors Center for The Gorge. We wanted to hike it. It was supposed to be the “Grand Canyon” of the east. The little old lady there couldn’t have been more friendly. All we had to do is continue down the stairs, go outside and begin our journey. She told us the entire trail takes about 45 minutes to walk. WRONG! She doesn’t walk with the Holbrooks. I stop to smell the roses, look at the bugs, tree stumps, rock formations, clouds, people, and anything else that SQUIRREL! Yep, just a tad ADD! Got to LOVE Zoom Zoom for putting up with me for these 38 years!
Old tree 
Sunbathing fish 
Fish 
Cat-tails 
New growth 
Robin 
Pentagon Hole 
Boulder with the Pentagon Hole 
When we got to the bottom of the gorge it was pretty. Zoom Zoom climbed out as far as he dared into the rapids to take it all in. Then he did his best ballet moves to keep from falling in as he came back to shore! Of course, I was worried about his face, glasses, and phone-in that order. Then I thought, who would drive the rest of the trip if he really did break something (he really does like to drive.) That little dance didn’t keep him from going back out again. He came back for the “good” camera! I relinquished it. Now, I had something to really worry about – all the new photos we had taken would be ruined if he fell! I cautioned him to be extra careful – he was! He returned extra slow – like a turtle on a glacier slow, thank goodness! We continued hiking to the other end of the gorge all along saying, “Hey bear!” Jeff thought they didn’t have bears here – wrong! Black bears live here and little-known fact is their favorite food is tourists saying, “Hey bear!” One thing we kept finding amazing is how tall things get here. Zoom Zoom took the picture of me in front of the ferns. I did not know that these could also reach 4’ 16” like me! I think they get so tall to hide the Black Bears!
Where Zoom Zoom danced 
Tall ferns!
Somewhere along our hike we started discussing snakes. Probably because we were hiking along a pond and there were frogs and fish. Snakes like to eat frogs and fish. I pulled up the kinds of of snakes found in Vermont. Zoom Zoom thought they had cottonmouths – nope – too cold for them! That’s good news, so we thought! The bad news – Puff adders! No Bueno! Everywhere we walk is covered in dead leaves, dried pinecones, and pine tree needles, all prime places for these nasty snakes to hide! Zoom Zoom says they won’t be where we are hiking because people hike here all the time. Nope! Back home we had a baby rattlesnake right outside our front door once AND we had a king snake in our backyard before. We live in the house – those snakes didn’t care. Now we walk – eyes WIDE open!
After the hike we walked across the Gorge bridge. There was a 9’ curved, like a candy cane, green chain-linked fence added last summer along the outside edge of the bridge. I speculated to discourage bungee jumping. Sadly, no. The fence is to prevent suicides. Last year, before the fence was added there had been 4 suicides. Located at both ends of the bridge there is a call box to the suicide hotline and signs that say, “You Matter.” The town is having a more permanent solution built to go below the bridge and it won’t obstruct the view, this won’t be ready for 4 years.
Hiking over for the day, it was time to find the four covered bridges nearby. We found all four quickly and some other fun stuff along the way. There were some “kids being kids” swinging from a rope and dropping in the river. They allowed me to hang out with them for a bit take their pictures and ask questions. One asked me if I owned a horse. I think that is funny – it’s true – people around the country think we all have horses in Texas. Another one thought I was a professional photographer. These boys had just graduated high school last Friday! Schools around here don’t get out until the 17th of June. Driving on we found a Farmers Market. We purchased some homemade breads.
Bridge 1 
Bridge 2 
Bridge 3-all wood, even the pegs 
Last bridge, someone was too tall! 
Then it was pushing 4:30. I was starving. Zoom Zoom was starving. My Google-foo was NOT working! This small village didn’t have your typical restaurants to choose from. Each time I’d think I’d found one to eat at, it was either too expensive or it closed at 3:00. Zoom Zoom seemed as if he had the magical foo! He found a restaurant called the Worthy Kitchen. It was a 10/10. The staff was super friendly. The owner visited with us and gave us places we still needed to visit before we left the next day. One, we were able to squeeze in! My dinner, buffalo wings, was too much, and Zoom Zoom had steak and fries. Their soda was from a Maine root. We ordered 2 diet ones-yum!
So, far we have had nothing but fun days, long days, great food, friendly people, nice campsites and we haven’t killed each other – I think we are doing ok.
This is a fun ride. I’ll try to keep up.
Me too! I’ll try to keep up! 🙂