Original subtitles

although just eight percent of the people of waitsfield

it's hard to imagine the perseverance it took

to farm here.

the valley averages ten feet of snow a year,

and has the shortest growing season in the state--

less than four months.

and yet, throughout history,

vermonters have made their living by farming.

today the major landmark in the small village of waitsfield

is the great eddy bridge, which spans the mad river.

the oldest operating covered bridge in the state.

over time the farms grew, raising grain, beef and sheep.

still work in farming,

the landscape is beautifully preserved...

especially along route 100,

ranked as one of the ten most scenic roads in america.

the road winds north for 200 miles,

along the rugged spine of the green mountains,

across some of the best scenery in the state.

and best of all there are no garish billboards

to spoil the view.

and the ground level was reserved for cows' manure,

one of the very few remaining round barns in vermont.

based on a shaker design, the barns epitomize

the shaker rule of craftsmanship.

"let it be plain and simple, of good and substantial quality,

unembellished by any superfluities

which add nothing to its goodness or durability."

round barns are the model of practicality.

hay was stored on the top floor,

horses and cows kept on the middle floor,

road signage has been banned here since 1963.

where it could be easily removed.

all in all, a most practical design

for a working farmer's barn.

this gently sloping land of the mad river valley

is the heart of vermont's historic farmland.

here, small towns and covered bridges

trace the path of vermont's earliest farmers.

european colonists first settled here in 1790.

then farms were small, yielding just enough to feed a family.

although set in india,

the long trail was also the inspiration

for the famed appalachian trail,

which links the mountains of the eastern united states

from maine to georgia.

west of the long trail lies the perfectly preserved home

of rudyard kipling.

he called it naulakha.

believe it or not, the jungle book

here in vermont.

and unfolds for 270 miles from one end of vermont to the other.

it was written in these green hills

where he and his wife lived happily for four years.

"naulakha" is a hindu word

loosely translated as "a jewel beyond price."

he described his green-shingled farmhouse

as "three miles from anywhere and wonderfully self-contained."

and its design, he wrote,

"is long and narrow to resemble a ship,

appears to be riding on a hillside

including the early homes of the abenaki tribe,

the green mountain range

is the most prominent natural feature of vermont.

and the green mountain national forest

covers more than 400,000 acres

and stretches almost the entire length of the state.

here the scenery ranges from rugged wilderness

to quiet villages.

within this land are thousands of historic sites

spanning the history of vermont,

is the great joslyn round barn--

the native americans who settled here 12,000 years ago.

the forest also travels through three alpine ski areas

and 900 miles of trails for cross country skiing and hiking.

hidden beneath the forest's brilliant fall canopy

lies the appropriately named "long trail,"

which travels the length of the green mountains.

also known as vermont's "footpath in the wilderness,"

it is the oldest long distance hiking trail

in the united states,

for over a century, granite was the rock

by the vermont poet robert tristam coffin.

vermont's a place "where barns come painted

red as a strong man's heart,

where stout carts and stout boys in freckles

are highest forms of art."

central vermont has long been defined

by its massive granite quarries,

source of a near flawless stone

used in gravestones and buildings all over the world.

a land best described

on which the fortunes of the nearby city of barre

rose and fell.

even today, barre is an industrial city

built by generations of immigrants.

barre's "rock of ages" quarry

runs a quarter mile long and 450 feet deep--

the largest in the world.

in the late 1800s, generations of european stonecutters

arrived to work in the quarries.

final resting place of its townsfolk for over 150 years.

peacham's rolling hills, red barns

and white-steepled church

have made it the setting ethan frome,

where the rivers flow north the spitfire grill.

first settled in 1776, peacham is still a small town,

complete with an old town store, built in 1842,

that still does a roaring trade.

it even offers rooms for rent.

close by is peacham cemetery,

in just one decade, granite brought so many people to barre

here, in the shade of red maples,

a gravestone tells the tragic story

of three generations of a vermont family.

one spring, in the 1800s,

a grandmother, her daughter and eight-year-old grandson

froze to death as they walked into town.

hard to imagine today

when stretching out on all sides of the village

are peaceful open valleys and endless farms.

goddard college is based on the "free school" concept--

to the gothic design of the episcopal church

made of vermont granite.

just north of the capital is the town of plainfield,

home to the progressive goddard college.

here, in the 1960s, the school was home

to some of the most vocal opposition to the vietnam war.

in time, the school's bohemian reputation

turned plainfield into a mecca for communes and hippies,

some of whom are still here.

ranging from a greek revival courthouse

what they describe as

"progressive education for creative minds."

actor william h. macy and playwright david mamet

are two of goddard's free-thinking alumni.

mamet--known for his edgy, rapid-fire dialogue--

is friends with macy,

who frequently acts in mamet's films.

moving south,

to the fertile farmlands of the mad river valley,

many of them carved by master stonecutters

that the town's population grew from 2,000 to nearly 7,000.

tons of granite and marble from across the state

was carried by rail to washington, d.c.,

for construction of the jefferson memorial

and the supreme court.

just outside barre is one

of the most fantastic displays of granite to be seen.

the hope cemetery covers 85 acres of monuments

that date back to 1895--

like a little boat on the flank of a wave."

early in the 20th century.

just west of barre is vermont's state capital, montpelier.

with a population of just 10,000,

it's the smallest in the nation.

the state house is known for its gold leaf dome,

bearing aloft a statue representing agriculture--

a monument to vermont's farming industry.

the area around the state house

is known for its varied architectural styles--

they bought the land in 1928,

dedicated to restoring grafton's historic buildings.

but the town is best known for its cheddar cheese business,

which began in 1892.

today the grafton village cheese company

makes one of the finest cheddars in the world.

fast forward from the 1800s to the roaring twenties

and look down at the bucolic home

of author sinclair lewis and journalist dorothy thompson.

these 300 acres combined the land of two farms

into a property the couple christened "twin farms."

he created the wyndam foundation,

a year after lewis's novel was published.

the couple fell in love with vermont

and invited their literary friends to visit.

one described the fall foliage as:

"wildly, insanely, cock-eyed lovely,

like a couple of million drunken rainbows in a brawl."

later, after the couple separated,

dorothy wrote lewis that twin farms was

"the best expression in life of both of us--

but many of grafton's historic buildings still stand.

today there are stunning views from the trestle bridge,

built in 1911,

and miles of hiking trails winding past waterfalls.

to the south is the historic village of grafton.

founded in 1763, grafton thrived through the 1800s

with sheep farms and mills.

in 1830, its population peaked at nearly 1,500 people--

and 10,000 sheep.

the days of sheep farming are gone,

beautiful, hospitable and unpretentious."

this classic four-story white clapboard inn,

known as "the old tavern," was first built in 1801.

today it's one of the oldest operating inns in america.

the old tavern that once served

stagecoach passengers and their horses

still hosts guests today.

a major part of the town's renaissance

was financed by investment banker dean mathey

who once summered in the area.

braved snow-covered mountains to settle its valleys,

he gave comfort to his fellow vermonters

with these simple yet eloquent words:

"it was here that i first saw the light of day;

here that i received my bride; here my dead lie."

"i love vermont because of her hills and valleys,

her scenery and invigorating climate,

but most of all because of her indomitable people."

aerial vermont tells the story of these indomitable people

who farmed its stony fields,

but after a devastating flood

and kept the land intact.

here conservation of america's earliest landscapes

began and prospered.

a state begun by the fierce independence

of its earliest heroes,

whose spirit inspired a president,

and a poet, who's words best describe vermont's gift:

"i chose the road less traveled and it made all the difference."

and a poet, who's words best describe vermont's gift:

today, the hillside farm is an historic site.

our final destination is the small hill town

of plymouth notch,

the birthplace of calvin coolidge.

here, in 1923, as vice president calvin coolidge

was helping his father harvest the hay,

he received word of the death of president warren harding.

coolidge was immediately sworn in

as the 30th president of the united states

by his father, a notary public.

was created some 13,000 years ago by glaciers.

the president is buried in the town cemetery

with seven generations of coolidges.

when asked why he wished to be buried

in such humble surroundings, he replied,

"we draw our presidents from the people,

i came from them.

i wish to be one of them again."

"silent cal," as coolidge was known,

had a reputation as a man of very few words.

"new hampshire," with the ironic words,

to watch his woods fill up with snow."

in 1920, 44-year-old robert frost

moved from new hampshire to vermont, as he put it,

"to seek a better place to farm and especially grow apples."

apparently he found it.

for the next four decades, frost lived mainly in vermont,

writing much of his verse in this log cabin near ripton,

a small town in the heart of the green mountain forest.

he ended his pulitzer prize-winning poem,

he will not see me stopping here.

"at present i am living in vermont."

today, ripton, with a population of just 550,

is still a very small town, dominated by middlebury college,

which owns the land and the log cabin where frost worked.

from 1921, when he first spoke at the school,

frost returned every summer for 42 years

in support of the writers program.

another artist found his voice in southwestern vermont.

this little town of arlington was, for 14 years,

a restored lodge originally built by loggers in 1813.

it has been restored by the british landmark trust,

a foundation that restores historic british properties--

not as museums but as unconventional guest homes.

naulakha.

the perfect literary getaway.

here is the moosalamoo region of the green forest,

covering 22,000 acres of wilderness.

perched in the midst of the forest

is the blueberry hill inn,

home to the famed american artist norman rockwell.

45 miles of trails stretch out from the inn into the forest.

but the favorite is the robert frost interpretive trail.

the path is a perfect monument to the poet,

surrounded by the woods,

which inspired so much of his work.

as visitors hike or ski the route

they can stop to read his poems, posted along the trail.

among them: "whose woods these are i think i know.

his house is in the village though.

he and his wife built

a large part of the credit for that title

is due to the efforts

of laurance rockefeller and his wife mary french.

there are no phone or power lines

to spoil the village landscape,

since rockefeller saw to it that the lines were buried.

for 60 years the couple worked to preserve the town--

due in large part to the work

of mary's grandfather, frederick billings.

as the prettiest small town in america.

the town's centerpiece woodstock inn and resort

in 1969.

as well as deep pockets, the rockefellers were known

for their commitment to conservation,

an interest that first took place in vermont.

just down the river from woodstock

is one of vermont's stunning natural wonders--

the quechee gorge.

this dramatic 165-foot-high and mile-long gorge

many visitors are drawn to hildene,

after leaving new york city,

rockwell described moving to vermont

as having "fallen into utopia."

here in small town vermont,

rockwell created some of his best work--

portraits which captured both the heroic and humble

in human nature.

nestled in the hills north of arlington

is the charming town of manchester center.

in new england.

the home built by robert todd lincoln--

son of president abraham lincoln.

in the mid 1800s,

the mineral water of manchester village

became a draw for wealthy travelers

who came to "take the waters"

which were thought to have healing properties.

moving west to the connecticut river valley

is woodstock, considered by many

instead the green mountain boys fought off the yorkers.

between new york and new hampshire,

who both claimed the land

of vermont's fertile champlain valley.

to protect their land from the hated "yorkers,"

two fiercely independent new hampshire landowners--

ira and ethan allen--

formed a militia called "the green mountain boys."

"the boys" defied new york's threat

to drive vermont settlers off the fields

and into the green mountains to the east.

but the notoriously vague borders led to bitter disputes

but in the end neither new hampshire nor new york

was able to control the land,

and "the boys" helped establish the republic of vermont.

perched on the edge of the lake lies burlington--

no, not the coat factory, but vermont's largest city--

with a population of just 40,000.

despite its small size, it's a cosmopolitan town.

in its heyday, as a port city in the steamship era,

it attracted some famous visitors,

particularly the green mountains,

brothers who helped to found vermont.

in 1779, vermont gave these islands

in tribute to the allens and their associates,

popularly known as "the green mountain boys."

how the boys earned their name, and became so beloved,

is also the story of how an early colony

became known as vermont.

one of the smallest states in america,

vermont is a land rich in lakes, rivers and mountains,

including the author charles dickens.

which dominate the state.

early french explorers named the land "vert," meaning green,

and "mont," meaning mountain--

thus "vermont," or vermont.

today, ethan allen's homestead lies east of lake champlain

amid the spectacular vermont scenery he fought to defend.

in the 1700s,

colonial boundaries were determined

by royal land grants made in england.

today it operates as a non-profit working farm

she made her last voyage over land, mooring here in 1955.

today she offers visitors a glimpse

into the elegant life of travel aboard a 19th-century steamship.

nearby is shelburne farms,

an estate of nearly 400 acres with several buildings.

one of the most impressive is the breeding barn.

the farm was created in 1886

by lila vanderbilt and william seward webb

as a model agricultural estate.

from the golden age of steamship travel.

teaching conservation.

for over 100 centuries,

native americans called the abenaki

traveled vermont's waterways in birch bark canoes.

the winooski, from an abenaki word meaning "wild onion land,"

is one of vermont's most important rivers,

running 90 miles from the green mountains

west to lake champlain.

this was the waterway used by generations of abenaki

over the hump, and down into the valley,

today, the "pretty little town" of burlington--

as dickens described it--

still captivates visitors.

the town center at the church street marketplace

is a bustling mix of cafes and shops.

and the lake attracts swimmers,

and most of all sailors who love champlain's gusty winds.

moving inland lie camel's hump and mount mansfield--

the two highest mountains in vermont.

were once named "two heroes" in honor of ethan and ira allen,

just three miles away,

is the 45-acre shelburne museum--

a village of historic buildings

that hold the finest collection of americana in the country.

known as "the smithsonian of new england,"

the village holds over 100,000 artifacts,

from cigar store indians to a full-sized carousel.

one of the town's stranger sights

is the 220-foot ticonderoga-- a graceful relic

lake champlain.

this northern state of stony fields,

red painted barns and sugar maples

is still a place where mad rivers run

beneath covered bridges.

vermont shows us an america

young, green and full of promise.

from the time the glaciers melted over 10,000 years ago,

this vast body of water

has defined the land and life around it.

as "the road less traveled."

120 miles long and in some places 12 miles wide.

it lies deep in a valley carved by glaciers,

with the adirondack mountains to the west

and the green mountains to the east.

today the skeletal remains of beluga whales

are evidence that the lake was once a part

of a salty inland arm of the atlantic ocean.

the lake takes its name

from the great french explorer samuel de champlain,

the state whose lakes and land

is as fiercely independent as vermont.

the green mountain state,

founded by an unruly bunch of yankees

known as the green mountain boys.

no other state is as "green"--

in its trees, mountains, and quest for conservation.

it was the first state in the union to abolish slavery.

but also the state whose native indian population

would all but disappear.

known as the father of new france.

were first explored by the french,

but settled by the english.

today its great lake still harbors a monster

older than "nessie" of loch ness.

its land is home to some of the most pristine farmland

in the nation.

its woods the inspiration

for the great american poet robert frost,

who perhaps best described vermont

the loch ness monster-- 50 years after champ's debut.

it's no surprise that mystery lurks deep within these waters.

they are home to an elusive creature known as "champ"--

america's very own loch ness monster.

the first sighting of champ took place in 1609,

when a member of the champlain expedition

noted "a 20-foot serpent,

with a horse-shaped head and body as thick as a keg."

there were dozens more champ sightings

before the first appearance of nessie--

given the great age of the lake,

but perhaps it's not surprising to find strange creatures

in places like this.

lake champlain and loch ness are quite similar.

both are deep freshwater lakes created 10,000 years ago--

perfect hideouts for shy monsters.

while champ's existence is yet to be proven,

his legend has been a boost for tourism.

the next two islands of lake champlain--

north and south hero--

until the 20th century,

in 1609, he headed south on the lake from canada,

and was likely the first european

to set foot on isle la motte.

under these waters lies the chazy reef.

scientists claim it's the world's oldest reef,

where corals first appeared.

formed half a billion years ago,

it was part of an ancient ocean which covered

most of the eastern north american continent.

to reach their largest settlement--mississquoi.

the only clues to the reef's scientific importance

were the odd markings in the beautiful black limestone

from the island's quarries.

this stone was used in the construction

of radio city music hall, the brooklyn bridge,

and the national gallery of art.

early quarry workers never knew

that the strange marks on the rock

were marine fossils half a billion years old.

lasting maybe 15 years.

explains why vermont is invaded

by thousands of visitors every fall.

in the green mountains lies the town of montgomery--

covered bridge capital of vermont.

for many, the bridges invoke nostalgia for a simpler time.

but in the 19th century

they were a remarkable engineering achievement

that helped facilitate the growth of a young nation.

battered by winter ice and snow,

wooden bridges deteriorated quickly,

surely one of nature's most extravagant displays of color--

but building a cover to protect the massive structural beams

could extend the life of a bridge by over 100 years.

in the 1870s,

10,000 covered bridges spanned the american landscape.

today just 750 remain--

with over 100 of them in vermont.

six covered bridges still stand in montgomery--

most of them still in use.

east of the green mountains

and the notch is closed.

between politics and business during the war of 1812.

despite america's ban against trade with canada,

vermonters defied the law and smuggled beef through the notch

to sell in british canada,

while other vermonters fought to keep the british troops at bay.

for both sides it must have been tough.

in summer, the steep road

forges a winding path through the mountains.

but in winter, snow makes it impassable,

lies the splendid isolation of the "northeast kingdom."

and just like the old yankee yarn,

when a visitor asks the way to the ski area at the notch,

the locals' answer may be, "you can't get there from here."

in fall, the sugar maple, vermont's state tree,

turns the hills a fiery red,

setting the hills ablaze with color.

in spring, when the maples produce their sap,

vermont's sugaring season begins.

one glance at the foliage--

a yankee tradition from colonial times.

are warned to beware of moose,

the most dangerous animals in the northern woods.

moose don't just dent cars-- they total them.

further south is the quintessential vermont town

of craftsbury.

it was founded in 1788 by ebenezer crafts,

a revolutionary war veteran.

like many new england towns,

craftsbury retains its historic town common--

in the kingdom, back-road travelers

back then a common space in the village center

was set aside for grazing sheep and cattle.

while the days of free ranging livestock are gone,

the tidy green commons remain.

in the crisp light of autumn,

the skies in the northeast kingdom seem bluer,

the fields greener, and the trees exquisite.

each fall, the foliage surrounding the town of peacham

becomes one of the most photographed scenes

the largest, lake willoughby, is shaped like a nordic fjord.

it was named when a senator from vermont

was struck by the area's natural splendor and said,

"this is such beautiful country up here

that it should be called the northeast kingdom."

in fall, when the trees are ablaze

in every shade of yellow and red,

this could be the most beautiful place in america.

here, forested hills open

into one-church villages and gorgeous lakes.

it became the scene of an historic clash

formed by glaciers

that carved out u-shaped valleys and spectacular cliffs,

the lake covers nearly 1,700 acres.

the northeastern frontier

was settled later than other places in vermont,

and most towns have populations in three figures.

but the land sustains a way of life

that has long since disappeared from most parts of the country.

and yet, there are downsides.

after taking a five-dollar correspondence course

at one point henry ford tried to buy the church

and move it to michigan.

but the town's answer was a very firm "no!"

just off the interstate heading north is waterbury,

a town that holds a special place

in the hearts of ice cream fans.

this is the home of ben & jerry's ice cream factory,

the culmination of an amazing american success story.

back in 1978,

were held for 160 years.

in ice cream manufacturing,

ben cohen and jerry greenfield

opened ben & jerry's first ice cream store in burlington.

today, from this building,

thousands of gallons of cherry garcia and chunky monkey

make their way to fans across the state

and all over the world.

for over 30 years, ben & jerry's has been known

as a phenomenally successful business

stands as a testament

here they lived as farmers and hunters

until the arrival of europeans,

whose diseases and wars would bring an end

to the abenaki way of life.

today, the area is preserved as a wildlife refuge.

and, while 2,500 abenaki still live here around the lake,

much of their heritage is lost.

moving east to richmond,

here one of the most unusual buildings in the state

with one of the best corporate reputations in america.

to vermont's credo of religious freedom.

it's known as the "old round church."

although it appears round, it's actually 16-sided.

as the story goes, 16 men built the church

and the 17th built the belfry.

one theory for its shape is that if the church has no corners

there's nowhere for the devil to hide.

in time, the round church became the town hall.

here annual town meetings-- a vermont tradition--

here the family began

made from staves from a barrel.

but skiing really took off with the creation

of the country's first rope tow in 1934.

today, stowe is one of the best ski mountains in new england.

and although these hills aren't alive

with the voice of julie andrews,

they are home to the famous von trapp family.

their story of a daring escape from nazi-occupied austria

inspired the movie "the sound of music."

in 1900, the first "skier" slid down the mountain on "skis"

the country's first cross country ski center--

the 2,400-acre trapp family lodge.

the location, overlooking meadows,

a valley and the green mountains

has a distinctly austrian air.

six miles north of stowe,

travelers arrive at a dense, dark forest

and a gorge, known as smugglers' notch.

although this narrow pass had long been known for smuggling,

"snowflake bentley," as he became known,

winter in vermont is a time of deep snows...

and wilson bentley.

the most famous son of the little town of jericho

was a man born very much

in the right place at the right time.

in 1885,

bentley combined the new technology of photography

with a microscope

to study the snowflake.

perhaps no other state

was the first person to discover

that no two snowflakes are alike.

today much of what we know about snow is based on his research.

in the 20th century, snow became a goldmine

for the 200-year-old town of stowe,

located on mount mansfield.

at over 4,000 feet, it's the tallest mountain in vermont.

and the views from the summit

are well worth the four-hour hike to the top.