Back in Queechee, we made a run by the Queechee Covered Bridge, actually an iron bridge built in 1970 that provides a great view of the Queechee Gorge. Often referred to as Vermont's "Little Grand Canyon", the gorge is 168 feet deep and was created by the melting ice of a glacier about 13,000 years ago. The river within the gorge has long been used to power mills in the village of Queechee.
Our Queechee friends took us on a day trip back into New Hampshire to visit the town of Cornish, home of the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, dedicated to one of America's most famous sculptors, Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Not only did Saint-Gaudens create many bronze statues of historical American civil and military leaders, as well as some U.S. coins, he established an artist colony in Cornish that trained many of the next generation's most famous artists.
Other sights in Cornish include the world's longest covered bridge, built in 1866, which crosses back into Vermont.
The next day, we made our way to State Road 100, a scenic route to Montpelier, the state capital of Vermont. Along this highway, we enjoyed views of many farms, streams and waterfalls.
Montpelier was founded in 1781 and is the smallest state capital in the U.S. with a population just over 8000 residents. The population swells to some 21,000 each business day, due to the many government jobs.
Our final day in Vermont was spent in Bennington, famous for the Bennington Monument that memorializes the Revolutionary War battle that took place there. The second largest town in the state, Bennington has a population of more than 15,000. One of its historic churches is the burial place of poet Robert Frost.
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