Day 5 - Stowe and Mystic

Today was a full time train day - we got up to a beautiful breakfast in the dining hall at the Stowehof Inn, then boarded the bus to the train station a very short drive down the road.  


This was an Amtrak train, being used every day as public transportation.  We rode from Stowe, Vermont, thru the bottom tip of New Hampshire and back into Vermont -- a very full day of train travel.  The sights were rather sad in many of the areas we passed through today - the recent Hurricane Irene did some terrible damage here.  The train we were on actually was out of commission for several weeks after the hurricane, many of the tracks were covered in debris and bridges were out for a brief period.  The states did some Herculean work in getting them back into operating order in a couple of weeks, but the total job will take many, many more months. The train station we went to was actually closed because of damage there, but they were offering coffee on a fold out table on the station porch (free for a donation to the repairs) and a local business had opened up their bathrooms to train riders.  Very generous.

The ride took about 5 hours - they served us a box lunch on board, and we were able to get up and walk around some if we needed to.  
After the ride finished in Brattleboro, Vermont, we again boarded the dreaded buses to ride through Massachusetts and into Connecticut.  We stopped briefly at the Yankee Candle Company when we were going through Massachusetts, and badly needed walk around stop.  What a neat place - they have so many candles there, including all of their various scents, even the ones that have been discontinued anywhere else. There was a Halloween shop, several Christmas stops, a home store, a candy shop, several art shops, and even a German Christmas forest where the snow actually falls.  Wish this was closer so that I could come back some day to experience the entire thing - with only 1 hour, we didn't get to see much!  
Tonight we are in Mystic, Connecticut.  Because of delays in the train, we will be visiting Mystic seaport tomorrow morning, which is fine because I'm exhausted!!
Time to take my shoes off!!
Tomorrow after the shore, we are taking a tour of Newport Rhode Island fancy mansions and then over to Cape Code for a New England Lobster Bake in the evening.
Night all!