Bennington Museum

The museum explores the history and art of Bennington, Vermont and the surrounding states. Of special interest are the collection of Grandma Moses paintings and 1924 Martin Wasp Touring Car, the only car made in Vermont. Other exhibits cover Native Americans, the Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington, life in Vermont from 1761 to the early 1800s, the gilded age, Bennington pottery, and the works of local artists. The school house that Grandma Moses attended has been moved to the museum grounds and is connected to the museum. It houses books, old time toys, and other things for kids to enjoy.

 

The museum is accessible but the entrance is difficult. Pieces of metal make a steep bridge over the high threshold and the door opens outward making entering awkward.

 

The parking lot is large enough for RVs if pulled through the spaces or backed up over the grass. Museum  42.88295, -73.20945

 

Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home

Hildene was the home of Robert Todd Lincoln, the only child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln who lived past childhood. Robert was a successful lawyer representing corporate clients. He also held several political positions and in his later years became president and then chairman of the board for the Pullman Palace Car Company. It's ironic that, as the son of Abraham Lincoln, he held a position in this company for 25 years - a company that was known for its exploitation of the black workers who served as porters, cooks, waiters, and maids.

For  21 years the Lincolns spent the summer season in Hildene after which the house was passed down through the family. In 1975 when the last Lincoln family member to live in the house died, the property was willed to the Church of Christ, Scientist and then sold to the non-profit that manages it today. The property consists of the house, a gift shop, a goat farm and cheese making operation, an ecological- centered teaching farm, an 1832 schoolhouse, a Pullman Car, and 12 miles of trails.

Wheelchair access on the site is limited. The only parking area is at the admissions and gift shop building. Trails lead to all of the locations including the house which has a paved but steep trail. The small carts that are used as shuttles do not have ramps or lifts.

The house tour is self guided or guided for an additional fee. The wheelchair ramp is located on the southeast side of the house. The first floor and the garden are accessible.

 

The steep gravel trail to the observatory is not accessible.

The paved trail to the Pullman Car is short but downhill. The ramp to the car does not meet flush to the ground. The car door is too narrow for wheelchairs but the boardwalk along the side is high enough to allow peeks into the windows.

We did not go on the other trails because of a lack of time. Taking the shuttle or walking on the trails is the only way to access the rest of the site.

The designated RV section of the parking lot is steeply uphill. We parked in the regular lot, backed up over the grass. Hildene  43.14183, -73.0802

Otto Creek Fun Center

The couple who own and manage the Fun Center have put their all into making it a wonderful place for kids. There's an 18 hole miniature golf course, an arcade, ice cream, and pizza. There are many more items on the menu including beer for the adults. Future plans include batting cages.

We had a vegetable pizza, a soft-serve maple cone, and a super chocolatey milk shake. Everything is made from scratch and very good. There are tables inside but it's kind of noisy from the arcade so eating on the  patio, overlooking a meadow, is an option.

The Center is accessible but the loose gravel in the lot is difficult to push through. 

This is a Harvest Hosts site. RV parking is at the far north end of the lot, either pulled in or backed in towards the fence. Fun Center  43.38947, -72.99656

Mount Independence State Historic Site

On July 7, 1776, three days after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, plans were made for a defensive fort and batteries on a hill in Vermont that overlooked Fort Ticonderoga, the old French fort, now occupied by patriots. These two forts on opposites sides of Lake Champlain protected the United States from British troop coming south from Canada. The Americans held both forts for a year before being forced to withdraw after the British mounted cannons on high ground in New York threatening both forts which were short on troops. The forts didn't see much action for the rest of the war and were abandoned in 1781 after the British surrendered in Yorktown.

The site has a small museum, a short film, and six miles of trails.

Park close to the museum to avoid the steep path from the main parking lot to the entrance. The museum is accessible. The hard packed dirt and gravel Baldwin Trail is accessible with assistance. It's meant to be followed clockwise and starts with a steep uphill. It continues to go gradually uphill and then starts down with switch backs and one narrow section. The view from the first overlook is difficult to access due to roots. We did not go to the second overlook. The other trails are not accessible.

 

The parking lot is small but any RV will fit if parked along the grassy edge. Mount Independence  43.8179, -73.38485

D.A.R. State Park

D.A.R. sounds like a strange name for a state park but it's named after the Daughters of the American Revolution organization that bought the land in 1934 to preserve the house and property of  John Strong who served in the Revolutionary War and held political offices after the war. The house is open to tour on weekends in the summer. In 1955 the D.A.R. donated 95 acres to the state to be used for the state park.

The park has three loops with 51 sites. We wanted a site in the wooded loops for shade and privacy but found them to be too small or sloped so we chose a site in open grassy section. Most of these sites have trees for shade and are level but they lack privacy. This park does not fill during the week so reservations are not necessary. Even though it's on the shore of Lake Champlain a steep bluff makes lake access difficult and there isn't a beach or boat ramp. Park amenities include restrooms, pay showers, and a dump station.

The campground doesn't have any designated accessible sites but many are usable. The house wasn't opened when we visited. Campground  44.05586, -73.41342

Dead Creek WMA Trails

Much of the wildlife management area is closed to access because it's primarily a refuge for waterfowl. Hunting, fishing, trapping, and hiking are permitted on the portions that are opened. The closed sections are well marked but pay attention to the signs and don't accidentally stray into a closed area.

There's only one area open to hiking. Go south on the dirt road located off of Route 17, just west of the bridge that crosses the creek. There's a small lot about 3/4 of a mile in. The dirt road trail that branches off to the right starts after the gate. It's about two miles out and back. We did not take the road to the left but it appears to follow the lake shoreline for about a mile to the end of the WMA area. We didn't see much wildlife probably because of the time of year, the time of day, and the hot temperatures.

There's an opening on the left side of the gate for access. It's wide enough for most wheelchairs. The trail is a mixture of hard packed dirt and rough grass. Most wheelchair user will need assistance.

The road to the lot is in good condition but there are low hanging branches. The parking area is large enough for any RV,

We spent the night in the boat ramp parking lot on the Route 17 at the east side of the bridge. I found the spot on freecampsites and didn't  read the read the regulations until the next morning. It looks like we were camping illegally but nobody bothered us.  WMA  44.07574, -73.35136