Montpelier VT – Random pictures

As you can tell by my many blog posts about Montpelier Vermont, I took lots of pictures. It is so easy to do with one’s cell phone, even for someone like me who usually ends up taking a picture of my shoes instead. 🙂

The Vermont History Museum is right next to the state capital. It is filled with interesting facts and artifacts about the history of Vermont. Two things stood out for me.

The catamount is the official state animal. Sadly, it became extinct in the 1800’s. The catamount is genetically identical to the American cougar, mountain lion, and puma.

It’s fun to think about how people communicated before cell phones. The telegraph was the way to go. Here is a posted fee structure for sending a telegraph. You got charged by the word. (Mmm, maybe a good way to encourage concise communications.)

Of course we brought the guys with us. And they got in on the hiking action too. Even though it was quite hot, it didn’t seem to bother them. They are always up for an adventure!

There were just so many interesting and unexpected sights to see when walking around Montpelier. I came across an old graveyard. I didn’t expect a graveyard so close to downtown.

We did take a day trip to Stowe Vermont. Stowe, Vermont is widely known as the “Ski Capital of the East,” but its story is a multi-layered journey from a rugged, isolated logging town to a world-renowned resort destination. Nestled between Mount Mansfield (Vermont’s highest peak) and the Worcester Range, the town evolved through unique historical shifts involving early wilderness survival, prohibition-era smuggling, pioneering winter sports, and even Hollywood inspiration.

My favorite sight was this handsome fellow.

So what interesting and unusual things have you seen on your travels?