Category Archives: architecture

Finally Teton Village Signs

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Teton ClubTeton Village and Resorts

 

Teton Village should be on this road somewhere. I’m just not sure how far. This is the west when, like Maine, everything is “down the road a-piece”. No one has ever been able to tell me how far ” a-piece” is. The nice thing is the speed limit is a leisurely 45 mph. (35 mph at night). As I drove along 390 I saw another moose by the side of the road. I began slowing down when I realized it was a silhouette. I counted 3 fake moose before the speed limit moved up to 55 mph. 

Teton Club

After passing a few more fields and pastures I finally spotted the sign for Teton Village. From there is was just a few more quick turns through the Village and I was pulling under the porte-cochère. A valet came right out to help with my luggage and park my car. Boy That’s service! Check in was a breeze too. The great room has a fire place and comfortable sofa and chairs. It also contains a bar and several rocking chairs in front of the fire.

Your Suite, Madam

Fire Place

Master bedroomMy rooms were really convenient. They were the first set of rooms after the front desk on the first floor. Room 109. And when I say Suite, I mean it. There are two bedrooms, the master bedroom and a 2nd bedroom with twin beds. There are two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a combination living room with gas fireplace and a dining room. There’s a little out door deck but its a bit chilly to be sitting outside. The washer and dryer are late models and tucked away in their own little closet.

2nd bedroom

Dining room

outside deckThe Meal Situation

The one drawback of the resort is that there is no restaurant on premises. They have an exercise room and spa but no place to eat. Other resorts in the Village do have restaurants but not all have convenient hours and they are expensive. Others are closed for the season. Clearly I will need to locate a grocery store.

 

Mystic Dunes Resort

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Mystic Dunes Resort and Golf Club

Mystic Dunes is a family resort in Orlando Fl. I’m creating this post for my sister. Sandy always wants to see what the resorts are like and where I stay when I travel. Since I am a Timeshare owner through Diamond Resorts International I’ve always found the resorts to be top notch.

Diamond Resort Logo

 

Mystic Dunes is no exception. Its located close to all the family attractions, Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld. If you try to squeeze everything in you’ll be singing “And I Had The Time of my Life”.

Mystic Dunes and Hurricane Irma

tree down

My scheduled trip coincided with Hurricane Irma’s visit to Florida. With the Orlando Airport closed it was clear my trip was on hold. A few phone calls later my new dates were 2 days after Irma. I had no idea what to expect. Was I headed to a disaster area? The Golf course was closed but not because of the hurricane. It was just getting a face lift.

Entrance

My home away from home at Mystic Dunes

No Phone, no Cable, no Internet

Livingroom & Dining room

Living area of the condo at Mystic Dunes

The first thing I noticed when I arrived was that reception had no air conditioning. The second was the large hole in the ceiling. But the resort personnel were intrepid. They sat at card tables with lap tops checking in the guests. My unit had A/C. in fact it was downright cold but the tables and chairs for the deck were in the corner of the living room. The phones, cable and internet were down but expected to be back on corner tubsometime before I left.

Amenities

I didn’t spend much time at the resort but I made a check of the grounds to see what damage there Grill areawas. A few trees were down. Grounds keepers were busy cutting them up and repairing the decorative fountains. The club house restaurant, Kenzie’s,  was open for business.

 

Pool

 

 

 

The pool was clean and waters flowing. Even the grill area was all set up and ready to go. By the time my brief vacation wrapped up, the hole in the ceiling at the reception area was repaired and the A/C was on for them. They were still on generators but it was business as usual. Kudos to the dedicated staff. They made sure the hardships of Hurricane Irma never touched their guests.Bedroom

Kitchen

The Road Less Traveled

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I picked the road less traveled

To paraphrase Robert Frost I took the road less traveled. Heading back home from New York I made a quick decision to take an alternate route. Traffic on the Mass Pike has been horrendous the last few trips so even if the route is longer I’ll probably make better time. At least it will be more interesting than the car bumper in front of me.

Sometimes Slow is Better

With no time deadline I headed toward Vermont on Route 4. I planned to stop at Quechee Gorge for lunch. There’s snack bar and a gift shop as well as the gorge. If you are in a hurry or just don’t want to walk far you can look down into the gorge from the bridge. But, if you feel ambitious, the view is better from the bottom. There is a well maintained trail that takes your down to the river. The gorge is 165 ft deep and the deepest gorge in Vermont.

Quechee Gorge

Woodstock Vt covered bridgeI found a covered Bridge

When you figure that there are over 100 authentic covered bridges in Vermont I shouldn’t be surprised that I found one. Actually I found 3 along my chosen path. The first was just outside Woodstock Vermont. No relation to the famous Woodstock Music festival of 1969. That was a farm in NY. I’ll call this covered bridge #1 because it didn’t have an ID name or number.

Covered Bridge #2Taftsville Covered Bridge

I’ve passed the 2nd bridge many times. I just never stopped to look. This one has a marker identifying it as Taftsville Covered bridge. This is one of the oldest covered bridges in Vermont and the nation as a whole. It’s only one lane so you have to wait your turn to cross. It was a a busy place. Lots of people with cameras and lots of cars lined up.

 

The Covered Bridge in Quechee

Quechee Covered Bridge

The surprise bridge was one in Quechee just before you get to the Gorge. OnStar told me to leave Route 4. I thought it might be taking me to a different section of the gorge so I went along. Almost as soon as I made the turn I spotted the bridge. Kids (teens) were climbing on the railings to jump into the river. Ugh! Scary drop! Lots of rocks! I guess I’m getting old because I’d never try that jump.

Quechee Swimming Hole

 

I turned around and headed back out to Route 4. The Quechee Gorge Snack Bar was calling my name.

Lunch

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

The Wire Bridge in New Portland Maine

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The Wire Bridge in New Portland MaineThe Wire Bridge

The Wire bridge is worth visiting. This Maine bridge may be the last wire-supported bridge of its type in the world! If not the world at least in the United States. Crossing the Carrabassett River  is a unique experience one car at a time.

A Bit of History for this Bridge

Don’t you just love a mystery? The origins of this bridge go back before the Town of New Portland kept financial records. The only thing we can know for sure is that by 1866 there was a Wire Bridge in New Portland.

It was right around this time that 4 bridges were built  in Maine, with timber-on-granite tower structures at each end, a wooden plank roadbed in the middle, and cables (or “wires” – hence the name) holding everything up.The Scenic Wire Bridge in New Portland

The other three wire bridges have since been torn down and replaced, and bits of this one has been restored and preserved over the years. The planks of the roadbed have been replaced at least once, but it’s still the same wire holding everything together.

Wooden Planks and wire struts

The bridge spans 198 ft.  Between those 198 feet are timbers and towers that have carried 150 years of horses, carriages, Model T’s, pick-ups and minivans through the splendor of deep woods Maine.  And as far as anyone can tell, it’s the only one of its kind left and I drove over it! I watched a car pass over the bridge before I gave it a try. Bouncy, bouncy , bouncy. Oh yeah, had to give it a try. It actually felt much more stable driving over it than walking. You just don’t feel the bounce that you see when you watch a car drive over it.

walking across the wire bridge in New Portland MaineIf You Plan to Go

Follow the signs off Rte 146 in North New Portland, you will eventually come to Wire Bridge Rd.

New Portland is in the Maine woods, about half way between Bangor and the Canadian border. Only about 725 people live there, and every one of them could probably point you to their showpiece – the old Wire Bridge.

 

Credits

Many Thanks to the Atlas Obscura for the history of the Wire Bridge

Rangeley Resort, My Home away from Home

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Rangeley Resort, My Home away from Home

Well I finally got here. Rangeley Resort, my home away from home for the next 7 days. I must admit that the drive has me second guessing my decision to go to Boston on Thursday for class. But I can’t change plans now because I told my pet sitter I’d be home Friday morning to take care of Rocky. Good thing I like to drive.

sign post, cabin address, home away from home

Roaming, Roaming, Roaming!

I thought cell phones did away with roaming charges years ago? I guess not. T Mobile just sent me a text that I was using up my roaming limits. They are about to shut me off if I don’t upgrade. Guess I can live without cell service if I have to.

My little Cabin in the woods.

I’m impressed by my little home away from home. If I could build my own little place this would be perfect. There’s a lovely front porch with 2 Adirondack chairs. They are much more comfortable as an adult than when I was a kid. There’s also a picnic table for eating outside. The decorative touches are wonderful from moose coat hangers to a vintage rotary phone.

There’s even a Lincoln Log set. Talk about a trip down memory lane!

The First Floor

The first floor is where I live.

Living room, dining table and kitchen

There’s full kitchen with a dining room table. I love the dish rack.dish rack

I wish I’d thought of that when I did over my kitchen at home. The kitchen dining room and living room are on an open floor plan. The living room has lots of comfy seating, a fireplace and a TV that actually works!Fireplace in living room

 

 

The washer & dryer are in a closet in the hall. A full bathroom and two bedrooms round out the first floor.

bedroom on main floor

The upper floorUpstairs bedroom in cabin

The upstairs boasts another bedroom with a TV and a bath and shower. Its so cozy. I could really fall in love with this cabin.  Although the bedroom is under the eves, the room is built so the slanted ceiling isn’t a problem. It kind of reminded me of my bedroom growing up with its slanted ceilings.

Private but not isolated.

Log Cabin at Rangeley Lake ResortMy cabin is set back into a little bit of woods. It’s private but not isolated. There are other cabins nearby.

The Main lodge has a swimming pool, sauna and hot tubs as well as a seating area and fireplace.

There is a separate fitness center located on Dallas Hill. There’s a beautiful view of Rangeley Lake from the parking lot.

If you drive (or walk) down toward the lake, there’s an “old fashioned” swimming hole. How’s that for ambiance?