Other Sights

Plummer’s Sugar House

After a visit to the Grafton Village Cheese Company [1], Vermont’s other famous foodstuff can be found down the road apiece at Plummer’s Sugar House (Townshend Rd., Grafton, 802/843-2207, www.plummerssugarhouse.com [2]), where sugar from 10,000 trees is turned into maple syrup every February and March. The proprietors, John and Debe Plummer, are happy to give tours of the syrup-making process in exchange for a purchase.

Nature Museum

Grafton [3] is also home to a small Nature Museum (186 Townshend Rd., Grafton, 802/843-2111, www.nature-museum.org [4], 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sat.–Sun.), which is filled with dioramas and stuffed examples of the local fauna. While some of the exhibits are a bit mangy, the museum is worth a look for its impressive catamount, the name for now-extinct mountain lions in these parts.

Mary Meyer Museum of Stuffed Toys

Stuffed animals of a different sort can be viewed at Mary Meyer Museum of Stuffed Toys (Rte. 30, 2 mi. north of Rte. 25, Townshend, 802/365-4160 or 888/758-2327, www.bigblackbear.com [5], 10 a.m.–5 p.m.Mon. and Tues.; 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Wed.; 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Thurs.–Sat.; 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Sun., free), a fun and informative museum at the site of a toy company that dates back to the 1930s. Kids will enjoy learning how their stuffed animals are made; parents should be warned, however, that they are unlikely to escape without a new addition to the menagerie.

Covered Bridges

Also in the area is the Scott Covered Bridge (Rte. 30, west of Townshend), which at 166 feet is the longest in Vermont [6] (though not open to vehicle traffic). In all, seven covered bridges are scattered throughout Windham County region, including the oldest bridge in the state—the 118-foot-long Williamsburg Bridge (Dover Rd., South Newfane). The Virtual Vermont website [7] is an excellent resource for information on Vermont’s covered bridges.