The Greenest Summer

Mainstreet, Brattleboro/Photo: Urjasi

“What you feel about an issue is irrelevant. Do something about it." I was listening to activist and Nobel Laureate Jody Williams speak at a tiny community church in Guilford, Vermont, ten minutes from the artsy town of Brattleboro, where I was spending the summer. There were about 100 or more people in attendance, including Jody’s family. Jody was referring to the brewing movement to resist transportation of tar sands oil through New England's rivers and towns.

Several months ago, when I was feeling blue, I had realized that the one thing that never failed to pick me up was the promise of traveling. I had a three-month break from work coming up and enough savings to live cheaply. A friend had blogged about her experience while interning in an organic farm, which invoked idyllic visions of rural life. Those visions were busted, faster than I could say busted, when I spent a weekend in a working farm in Charleston, South Carolina. I named the nameless baby pig Rosalyn and was dead on my feet by the end of day one... and it wasn’t even summer yet.

Judy in her garden/Photo: Urjasi

The idea, however, stayed with me, as some crazy but wonderful ideas do. I wanted to travel, live cheap and do something environmentally sound. So I found myself a part-time internship with a couple of women farmers in the Green Mountain State. I hadn’t imagined running into Jody Williams there and hear her talk about oil pipelines… But that’s Brattleboro, Vermont for you – a confluence of art, food, progressive politics, interesting people, green mountains and deep woods. It was the oldest Anglo-Saxon settlement in the state of Vermont, sitting on the banks of the Connecticut River and along the border of New Hampshire, with the Wantastiquet Mountain rising behind a vibrant Main Street.

I spent my greenest summer ever, learning about subsistence and biodynamic organic farming, and hiking in the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont. I ate fresh vegetables, local cheese, yogurt made from fresh milk, and discovered that I loved painting with my fingers. “Work” entailed helping with weeding, making plant beds, adding soil supplements, watering the plants and such. On rainy days we would cook, read or make art. On really hot afternoons I would take the dogs to hike in the woods where we could soak in ponds and swimming holes.

Here are 12 things that you don’t want to miss when visiting Brattleboro.

Climb Wantastiquet

Wantastiquet has a 4.5-mile switch-back trail to its 13,335 foot summit, offering great views on a clear day. If you are coming from Brattleboro, drive or walk across the bridge over the Connecticut River, going towards New Hampshire. After passing the second bridge, take the immediate left turn, on to a gravel road that ends at the trailhead. Feeling thirsty after that hike? Head over to Whetstone for a wide selection of local beer and catch a slow sunset on the Connecticut River from its rooftop Bier Garten.

Peony from Judy's garden/ Photo: Urjasi

Visit Judy’s garden

No visit to Brattleboro would be complete without stopping by Judy Zemel’s magical organic garden at 44 Cherry Street. Judy, a 73-year old artist-gardener, encourages people to stop by and enjoy her garden, which has been a labor of love for her. She grows fruits and vegetables for herself and makes the best cold asparagus soup I've ever tasted. When I was leaving she was thinking of turning the garden into a community project.

Brattleboro Farmers Market/Photo: Urjasi

Get some local fare at Brattleboro Co-Op and Brattleboro Farmer’s Market

Brattleboro co-op has a great collection of local cheese, microbrews and wine that you would want to get your hands on. But if you'd rather shop outdoors, hit the Brattleboro Farmers Market on a Wednesday or Saturday to grab local produce and crafts while noshing on Thai, Malian, or Indian food, locally made cheese, maple candies and more.

Hike in Pisgah         

With 13,300 acres of forest, a complete watershed and seven ponds, Pisgah State Park is a hiker’s dream. The main trail to the summit is a little more than 8 miles roundtrip, and the half a mile Kilburn Pond loop from the main trailhead is a detour you’d want to take. It’s a great spot to have your after-hike snack and swim. To get to Pisgah from Brattleboro, drive 6 miles east to the junction with Rte 63. Continue on Rte 63 South through Chesterfield and turn into the parking lot marking the trailhead. For more information visit http://www.nhstateparks.org/explore/state-parks/pisgah-state-park.aspx

Drive the scenic Molly Stark Byway

Woodford State Park/Photo: Urjasi

Follow the 48-mile Molly Stark Scenic Byway – Rt 9 – between Brattleboro and Bennington past covered bridges, farmlands and mountains, through historic villages and the three-state overlook at Hogback Mountain. Stop at Woodford State Park, less than 30 miles from Brattleboro, for a hike around the 2.7-mile trail that surrounds the Adams Reservoir.  Dogs aren't allowed on the beach, but there's a grassy bank where you and Fido can swim and hang out.

Take an art class

Founded by local artist, teacher and author, Ric Campman, River Gallery School located on the Main Street offers art classes for all ages. The school believes that everyone has unique artistic capabilities and encourages individual expression. Through its outreach program, the River Gallery School offers weekly classes at the senior center for a nominal fee. I took the oil painting class and was introduced to “sequencing” – a technique developed by Ric Campman, where you start off painting with your fingers in a sequence of two or three. If you think you can’t paint for your life – as I did – think again. Or better still, stop thinking, take the class, and let your fingers play.

Get some Mayan mole

Three Stones is a Mexican Mayan Cocina with no frills, decent sangria, and awesome food. I couldn’t get enough of their tamales and chicken mole, and it was the closest to authentic Mayan fare I’ve tasted outside of Guatemala or Mexico. It's is usually open from Thursdays through Saturdays in summer, but it's a popular spot, so call ahead and make a reservation.

April and Zopa in Salmon Hole/Photo: Urjasi

Swim among the “dumplings”

Jamaica State Park, around 26 miles from downtown Brattleboro, has one of the best hikes in the area. Take the West River Trail for 2 miles and turn on to the Hamilton Falls Trail just before reaching Cobb Brook. A little more than a mile, the trail climbs up to view the 125 ft high falls. Sit on a rock and soak your feet in the cool blue pool, but  don't go swimming here. Instead, head back along the West River Trail towards the Salmon Hole area near the parking lot, to find the large glacial boulders that are called “dumplings.” The water is warmer here and great for swimming. 

Cake and more at Amy’s Bakery Arts Café

On a rainy day, we baked:
Chocolate cake with chocolate-cardamom
buttercream frosting

Amy’s Bakery Arts Café on Main Street is a local favorite for breakfast, lunch, or baked goodies. You can grab a table outside on a sunny day and people watch, or sit inside, overlooking the river. Amy’s also hosts local events, and is often featured as a destination for the “Gallery Walk” – a first-Friday art stroll in downtown Brattleboro from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. When I was in Brattleboro, Amy’s had just started hosting Vermont’s first “death cafe” organized by the Brattleboro Hospice on Thursday evenings. I know how this sounds, but stick with me for a second. Death Café is a growing movement that started in Europe (U.K. I believe), to start talking about one of the most uncomfortable topics for the living – death – not to indulge in morbidity, but to help people make the most out of life. So if you find yourself in Brattleboro’s death cafe on a Thursday evening, go with an open mind.     

Watch some rising stars

Hairspray at NEYT/Photo: Urjasi

Watch a play performed by the rising stars of New England Youth Theatre. Check for ongoing plays at http://www.neyt.org or musical performance and more at NextStage, in Putney. But if you’re in the mood for big screen fun, head over to Latchis. Built in 1938, in art deco meets Greek revival style, Latchis is a historic building with a boutique hotel and theatre. I skipped the adjoining bar, had an early dinner at Fireworks, and took generously buttered popcorn and coca cola with my movie.

Reach the pinnacle and stop by at Sowing Peace Farm

The Pinnacle was one of my favorite places to hike in Westminster West. It’s the highest peak in Westminster, Vermont, with views of Mount Snow and Stratton Mountain. Managed by the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association that was formed to conserve the land around Pinnacle, it has more than 1,800 acres of protected land for public use and 14 miles of hiking, with plenty of options for easy to moderate hikes. The Holden Trailhead at 1026 Windmill Hill Rd North is a great place start, and there’s a lean-to available for overnight camping at the summit, as well as an outhouse.  Having spent many quiet afternoons at the summit, I can imagine how beautiful it would be under starlight. 

Growing seedlings at Sowing Peace Farm/Photo: Urjasi

On your way back from Pinnacle, stop by Tatiana Schreiber's "Sowing Peace Farm" at 3532 Westminster West Road. Don't be fooled by the sliver of a garden that you see behind the quaint old house. There are at least six vegetable gardens in the lower and upper levels, and one of them even has a rice paddy! Try to call ahead to make sure Tatiana is available, or if the farm stand is open, ring the bell. An environmentalist, farmer, teacher, and a beautiful person, Tatiana loves to share her knowledge about bio dynamic farming and sustainable agriculture. She sells seedlings in spring/summer, as well as a wide variety of canned products, exotic herbs and hot peppers. Variety is a big thing for her -- the summer I worked with Tatiana, she had planted 35 different types of tomatoes. "Many of the varieties are prized for distinct flavors that are associated with distinct cultural preferences... and underlying all this is an interest in conserving the genetic diversity of plants," she explains.  

Learn about 350 Vermont’s work to keep Vermont tar sands free

So what’s the deal with pipelines through Vermont? Have you heard about the Keystone XL Pipeline? It’s all part of that big hot mess. The first and second phase of the Keystone Pipeline System are operational, carrying Canadian tar sands oil – a form of petroleum – to the Mid-West in the United States. It has crappy pipes and has spilled more oil in its first year than any other pipeline in the U.S. within the first year of operation. “Keystone XL” is the proposed extension of this pipeline to connect Canada’s tar sands to refineries along the Gulf of Mexico. The oil would then be exported to Chinese and Latin American markets.

The proposal has met with bitter opposition from the get go, and with good reason. Tar sands oil is the most “viscous, sulfurous and acidic form of oil produced today.” Spills are more than likely, and costlier to clean up than conventional oil because it sinks, instead of floating. There's a formidable environmental cost of allowing the Pipeline to go through six U.S. states, across major rivers, and the Ogallala Aquifer that supplies water for drinking and irrigating America’s breadbasket. Contrary to what the promoters of the pipeline claim, the XL pipeline may even increase gasoline prices for Americans, and the profits and jobs it would create would not come close to off setting the environmental risk. President Obama has yet to make a final decision about the Keystone XL Pipeline. Currently, that decision is stalled as the State Department awaits the Inspector General’s investigation into conflict of interest complaints.

In the meantime, oil companies are trying to get tar sands oil to the ports and oil refineries in the east through the Portland-Montreal Pipeline. If allowed, the dirtiest oil in the planet will flow from Montreal through land, rivers and lakes of Quebec, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. The Montreal Pipe Line and Port-land Pipe Line are both owned in large part by Imperial Oil, a Canadian subsidiary of Exxon-Mobil. The pipeline has recorded spillage in the past and is unlikely to be able to handle something as corrosive as tar sands.

Learn more and take action to keep New England tar sands free at http://world.350.org/vermont/current-campaigns/tar-sands-free-vermont/.

There’s so much more to do in Brattleboro that I could go on forever. Leave a comment if you want more information, or post some of your favorite Vermont jaunts.