Route 9 in VT

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Hi, I am wondering how the Route 9 in Vermont is. We will be coming from NH off of the I 91. We are looking at booking a the Greenwood Lodge and Campsites. We are hauling a 38' 5th wheel. We see in our guide that there are some steep grades 6 miles east of Bennington, but we are not sure if this RV park is before that part. We would go back out the way we went in. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you very much. Liz

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Can't find a gator!?! It rains gators in Florida. Just find any body of water and there will be a gator in it. Every golf course has gators. Manatees are a little tougher. Best bet is crystal River area in during the winter months. Just scan the waters for their "footprints." But alas, we all need to have something to strive to find in the future to keep us going.

[Thomas_NH]

Ya, I know the feeling... Every year I bring my Kayaks down to FL in hopes to see a Manatee or even a real live Gater. But, the story is always the same, "You just missed them, they were here just yesterday". Actually, I don't think they exist, just a myth to get the tourist to come down. The only Gater I've ever seen is made of cement laying in the garden. (of course. I seen plenty of "Road Gators"). And Manatees, they're just inflated black blobs behind the glass walls... They can't fool me, I'm from Vermont...

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Yeah I don't know what I am doing wrong. We have been on the roads insanely early, about 5 am, later at night, taken a Moose Tour at Baxter State Park, gone up to the Aroostook Nature Preserve at the now defunct AFB...and NOTHING. We have hiked the trails to all the "hot spots." What they have been telling me, is that it has been so warm this year, and water is warm that the Moose have moved further back into the forest. But, I am not giving up hope yet because we still have NH, VT, and NY and hopefully the weather will be cooling off. I don't think I will try the "drive like a nut case at night" tactic though as I am not desperate enough. I don't want to tag them, just photograph them from a distance. 🙂

[Thomas_NH]

No Mooses... You're just not looking in the right places. The best place to see a Moose is driving on a back country road late at night, driving like furry. They hate people who drive like that and jump right out in front of them to scare them. That why you see the signs along the roads that say "Hundreds of Collision". In Maine the Mooses just stand at "Attention" or so the sign says.

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That is all some great information. I went ahead and booked us into the KOA for 5 nights. Unfortunately they are all booked up for Labor Day weekend, so I had to find somewhere else to go. No problem though, as from there we will be heading to the Catskills for a week and then the Adirondacks for a week, and this is all after a week in NH and the 5 nights in Vermont. Very excited about the next part of our trip. We have been visiting Maine for the last 6 weeks and have been loving the Northeast. I haven't found any Moose yet, but I haven't given up hope. Still a lot of time left. 🙂

[Thomas_NH]

Bennington VT, has some interesting sites too. The Bennington Battle Monument (306' tall) Bennington museum, Home to the largest collection of Grandma Moses paintings in the world (kinda reminds me of my mother's paintings). Then there's the Seven Covered Bridges (great fun to find them all). After you're done hunting them up, you can track down the famous Catamounts of Bennington (now that's a Cat of a different color). To finish it off you can visit the Battle of Bennington battle field (where you and imagine General John Stark saying "Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils." Did I mention he was from Manchester NH? Don't be to disappointed when you find out that the Battle of Bennington battle field is actually in NY.

I see that phrase Live free or die every day, it's on our license plates.

[Thomas_NH]

Well, since you put it that way... The Quechee/Pine Valley KOA just took the top honors in KOA. If you've never been in that area before you need to check out Quechee gorge, Historic Woodstock VT. Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site (the world famous sculptor), The Fort at #4 ( Authentic re-creation of fortified Charlestown, NH 1740), The Cornish covered bridge the longest wooden covered bridge in the US.

As they say... "This area is just chock-a-block full of interesting things to see and do", but I don't speak that way, I'm from western VT.

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Thank you both for your responses. I am surprised that my Mountain East guide did not mention this pass, so I am extremely thankful to find out about it. My husband and I are evaluating, and might just book at the KOA off of the 91. Although we have a good truck and have no problems hauling through the mountains out west, it is 6 years old so when we can avoid hauling through steep grades and hopefully extend the life of our truck we like to do so. Thanks again. Liz

[We_Cant_Wait]

Hauled a 53' semi trailer over that route a number of times. Hes it's a little rough getting over Hogback, but just take your time, you're camping what's the rush?

[Thomas_NH]

I hope you have a lot of power... The road over Hogback Mt. is brutal, lot of switchbacks (curves before a steep grade). No way to get a run before the grade, you just have to power up it. But then, it's a major east/west road and the trucks traverse it everyday.

If you a little underpowered with your rig, it will be a struggle. I just blast right up it, but then have to wait on the top for my traveling companions (I won't say the brand of his truck...)

Let us know what you think about Greenwood Lodge and Campsites... Write up sounds good, I may want to go there sometime.