The towns north and west of Stowe, Vermont (including Johnson) have some of the best scenery in the state, partly because they are located in a low valley that runs far below Mount Mansfield and some of the other high peaks in the area. The low elevation and relatively flat geography make for some truly stunning rural farmland scenes as well, including the scene shown here, which was taken in October of 2007. I took several black and white photos at this spot, as the scene (which was just west of town) had a timeless, frontier-like quality to it.For a larger version of this photo, go to the Johnson, VT photo on the Travel Guide of America site.
Although they are separated only by a narrow mountain pass (or "notch," as it is called here), Stowe and Jeffersonville are vastly different places. While Stowe is a bustling resort with endless options for shopping, lodging, and dining, Jeffersonville is a rather remote place with charming inns, general stores, working farms, and winding roads. The photo shown here, which was taken off Route 108 in October, 2007, shows a stark view of the landscape coming out of town on the way to Mount Mansfield and Smuggler's Notch. I took the shot in black and white to emphasize the haunting feel of this part of Vermont, especially when there are low clouds and fog.
If this scene looks familiar, that is probably because you have seen it on a calendar somewhere. Or in a photo book. Or a travel guide. Or so many other places. This is because Waits River is one of the most photographed villages in all of New England, if not the entire country. It is a tiny community located between Barre and the New Hampshire border, and probably attracts more professional photographers than tourists. This photo, which was taken in the late summer of 2002, seems to have a timeless quality, and for good reason; the village simply hasn't changed much in the last hundred-plus years.
Newfane, VT, is known in part for its exquisite village green that can be seen in all kinds of calendars and travel books. But the areas outside of Newfane aren't too bad, either, with scenic winding roads cutting through hilly, wooded landscapes and placid rural places. Some of the most beautiful parts of the Newfane area can be found in South Newfane, which is where I took this photo while bike riding on a fall day in the mid-1990s.
Vermont has some attractive villages, but few are as nice as Grafton, VT. The entire village looks like a museum piece, but it's a real, working town. Its riverside location in a deeply wooded valley seemingly in the middle of nowhere just adds to the mystique of the place. The photo here, which was taken in the late 1980s, gives just a taste of the charm of this stunningly beautiful village.
Route 100 is one of the most scenic roads in Vermont, if not all of New England, and the section that runs from Stowe to Warren in the North-Central region is one of the nicest parts of the road. Waterbury Center, which is a small village south of Stowe on the way to Warren, has some spectacular rural scenes that are absolutely stunning in the fall. This photo was taken behind Waterbury Center near the Cold Hollow Cider Mill just before the peak of foliage season in 2007.
The landscapes around Woodstock, VT (one of the most charming towns in New England) are classic Vermont, with endless farmland and fields, low mountains that come ablaze with color in the fall, roaring streams and rivers, serene ponds, and quiet hamlets with village greens. Barnard, which sits high on a hill a few minutes north of Woodstock, has about all of these features, including a town center that consists of a church, a general store, and a pond that comes right up to the main street. This picture, which was taken in October, 2007, gives just a small taste of the beauty of this tiny village.
Taken in October, 2007, from near Route 108 just outside of Jeffersonville, Vermont, this photo shows what Mount Mansfield (Vermont's highest peak) often looks like from north of Smugglers' Notch in the early morning hours. Because Jeffersonville is in such a deep valley, fog often forms in the morning, sometimes giving the rugged Mount Mansfield an eerie, haunting profile. The use of the black and white setting for this photo seemed to add to the moodiness of the shot.