Day 48. Brattleboro, VT. 79 miles. 5,050 ft climb

Up and over the Green Mountains and into quirky Brattleboro, Vermont.   Tomorrow, both Terry and I head to New Hampshire!

It was a tough day, with long climbs---some riders report it was more like 6,000 ft rather than the 5,050 on the route sheet.  It began with a   a 10 mile climb coming out of Bennington, Vt and had another 2 mile climb at 60 miles. The last 10 miles into Brattleboro was all downhill which was a nice treat after all the climbing.  Equally problematic was the busy roads, heavy car and truck traffic, road construction, and lousy shoulders.   At one point, the shoulder was very narrow and trucks would pass so close that riders had to actually go over to the guard rail and wait for the truck to pass.   This happened on a major hill, and anyone who rides a bike knows that if you stop on a steep hill, it's next to impossible to start up again.   But that's what they had to do.

On the plus side, however, Vermont provided them with beautiful, green, lush scenery, charming small towns, and considerate drivers, who waived and smiled at the cyclists for a welcome change from New York.

2-Camera-Bob, Terry, Mary & Russell Welcome Vermont
 

AHHH, Vermont

Getting Through Town

 Why quirky, you ask?   I can't say it better myself, so I'm copying directly from Travis' blog:
"Brattleboro not only permits nudity but it’s also one of the few certified free trade towns in the United States.  Brattleboro also indicted George Bush and Dick Cheney for “crimes against the Constitution”. Apparently there’s still a warrant out for their arrest.  I wonder if they would be arrested if they showed up naked.
Brattleboro is also the oldest town in Vermont, which has a few quirks of its own.  Among other things, it was the home of Ida May Fuller.  Don’t remember her?  She received the first Social Security check ever.  Vermont also has the only state capital — Montpelier — in the Union that does not have a McDonald’s.  It does have a lot of Ben & Jerry’s though. Where does all of Ben & Jerry’s cream come from?  Well, Vermont has the highest ratio of cows to people of any state in the country.  Vermont’s a little weird which is why I’m looking for the t-shirt that says: U.S. Out of Vermont."

I'm afraid the quirkiness has gotten to Zippy, because Travis concludes with:  

"Ooops, I’ve gotta go.  Tucson Terry has organized a nude fun run for us and I don’t want to miss it."

Terry Dressed

Terry Undressed--No Helmet!!