Shelburne Museum Trip

We arrived in Vermont very late at night, so we really had no idea what the countryside looked like. When we checked into the hotel, I found this:




Yes, ma'm, that's an Apple Green bathroom if I ever saw one. That was the first hint of what was in store for us.

The museum is a wonderful place. If you haven't been, go. We logged 3,000 miles on this trip (spread out over a week) and it was worth every pizza. There is a huge number of museum buildings spread out over about 50 acres. Our first stop was the Round Barn for the contemporary quilt display. Absolutely wondrous work! I've already ordered a book from one of the contributing quilt artists.

Next up was the Circus building. Of all the displays, this was our favorite. There is a circus scene of 40,000 minature hand-carved pieces created through a period of 40+ years. There are people in the stands, animals, performers, clowns, you name it. This was a labor of love, created by a father for his children. And each piece was meticulously painted. This alone is worth the price of admission.

And if you like carousels, the same building houses carousel rides from 1904. You just don't see that kind of craftmanship anymore. I didn't spot a single piece of plastic in the entire building.

Here is a partial shot of the quilt garden outside one of the buildings. It was too big to capture the entire layout, but you get the idea. I would love to see this again when the plants mature a bit. If you go, take a picture of it for me and send me a link!



There's a covered bridge:



It crosses over a duck pond sheltered by a beautiful weeping willow:



There's a 19th century schoolhouse (I will not think about school, I will not think about school):



This is the garden outside the building housing the antique quilts and needlework. The antique quilts were fabulous. The contemporary quilts here are by Rosie Lee Tompkins and tell the story of her faith through needle and fabric. Just wonderful. The current display of needlework samplers focuses on memorial samplers, and there is a gorgeous display of antique hat boxes!



Here's more of the gardens:

Vermont has to be the most beautiful place on earth. Everything is green, green, green and lush beyond belief. It is amazing how CLEAN everything is--the roadways, the countryside, and even the women. I didn't see a single woman who looked to be wearing makeup, and they all had the most beautiful skin I've ever seen. No tanning bed babes here!

Another interesting thing we noticed was that we didn't see any extremely obese or extremely anorexic women, either. You see these everywhere in the South, and I wonder if it's due to the climate or just a difference in lifestyles. I've always said the heat makes us crazy down here.

Right now, it's 97 degrees, and rising. I can tell I'm back home.