IN THE UPPER VALLEY, THE CONNECTICUT RIVER CONNECTS TWO STATES TO CREATE ONE REGION KINDRA CLINEFF

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THE UPPER CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY

ESTIMATED LENGTH: 73 miles

ESTIMATED TIME: 5 hours to 2 days

HIGHLIGHTS: This is an exceptionally beautiful stretch of the bistate Connecticut River National Scenic Byway. I-91, set high above the Vermont bank of the river, has turned the old highways—US 5 in Vermont and NH 10—into lightly trafficked backroads, alternately hugging the river and threading through farmland. Bridges link villages on opposite riverbanks. The Montshire Museum in Norwich, incorporating both states in its name, is a major science museum, but otherwise formal attractions are few. Instead there are farm stands, river landings, swim beaches, and unexpected discoveries like the Vermontasaurus dinosaur in a grassy airfield in Post Mills and Farm-Way, a vast and varied emporium hidden away near the river in Bradford. Local bicyclists loop back and forth across the bridges, and their well-known advice is, “Take 5 (north) and hang 10 (back south),” which is what this route does, following US 5 north and NH 10 along our favorite reaches of the river.

GETTING THERE: I-89 to I-91, Exit 13 to US 5 in Norwich.

ON THE ROAD

Especially along these 30 miles or so north of Norwich, Vermont, and Hanover, New Hampshire, the Connecticut River forms more of a bond than a border between the two states. Several towns on opposite sides of the river share school districts, and locals identify themselves as residents of the “Upper Valley” almost as often as New Hampshire or Vermont.

Off the I-91 exit ramp, turn right to find the Montshire Museum (802-649-2000) set in 110 trailside acres on the Vermont riverbank. This science center is fit for a city and geared to curious minds of all ages. A left off the I-91 exit ramp leads to the village of Norwich.

The historic district of this old river town is a showcase for graceful, early nineteenth-century Federal architecture. At its heart is Dan & Whit’s General Store (802-649-1602), a trove of hardware, stationery, and garden supplies as well as groceries, gas, and the area’s biggest community bulletin board. At the neighboring Victorian-style Norwich Inn (802-649-1143), Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse is a popular stop for lunch and dinner. Down the street, behind the Norwich Bookstore (802-649-1114), the Norwich Square Café (802-649-1500; open Mon.–Fri. 8 AM–3:30 PM) is a hidden gem, a source of freshly baked croissants, panini, and quiche. Norwich is nationally known to serious bakers as home to King Arthur Flour. Its landscaped headquarters, south of the village on US 5, includes The Baker’s Store and Café (802-649-6365; open 7:30 AM–6 PM) and a Baking School with programs that draw fans from around the country.

MONTSHIRE MUSEUM TOWER IMAGE COURTESY OF THE MONTSHIRE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE

We follow US 5 north as it hugs the river for the 10 miles to East Thetford, but then branch off up VT 113. It’s less than a mile to Thetford Hill, an aristocratic village set high enough to command a view of New Hampshire hills across the river. An elegant Congregational church, a library, and handsome early brick and clapboard homes surround the green. Thetford Academy, a short way down Academy Street, was founded in 1819 and enrolls international students as well those from towns on both sides of the river. Union Village Dam (802-649-1606), maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers, is less than a mile down Academy Street and through the vintage 1867 covered bridge across the Ompompanoosuc River. The recreation area offers a sandy swim beach and shaded picnic facilities.

A mile or so north of Thetford Hill, VT 113 dips down to Thetford Center, where there’s a general store, brick Methodist church, and the Sayers Covered Bridge (left on Tucker Hill Road). In several more miles the small village of Post Mills marks the junction with VT 244. Turn right here, then veer right again on Robinson Road by the graveyard across from the cupola-topped white church. Turn in at the sign for the Post Mills Airport.

The long, nondescript building and outbuildings here beside the field house one of the world’s largest collections of hot-air balloons, airships, and contraptions that were never meant to fly but do. Vermontasaurus, a 122-foot-long, 25-foot-high dinosaur, stands in the grassy airfield beyond. The sculpture has been cobbled together with wood from a collapsed barn roof, and several smaller dinosaur sculptures, born from a similar blow-down, are also on hand. Their creator (with the help of students and volunteers) is Brian Boland, who has also created many of the flying machines on view here.

Few people were offering hot-air balloon rides in the 1970s, when Boland began making his own balloons and flying them. He is now known internationally as a hot-air balloon designer and locally as the Willy Wonka of the Upper Valley. Contact Boland Balloon (802-333-9254) to schedule an early morning or evening balloon ride; Silver Maple Lodge & Cottages (802-333-4326) in Fairlee offers ballooning packages.

Beyond the airfield, VT 244 winds along crystal clear Lake Fairlee, past long-established children’s camps. There’s a Vermont Fish & Wildlife boat ramp, great for launching that kayak on your car roof, but the better place to swim here is a bit farther along at Treasure Island Town Park (802-333-9615; open seasonally 9 AM–8 PM; $). There’s a sand beach with changing facilities, a picnic area, and playground. VT 244 ends too soon at US 5 in Ely.

The second large lake in Fairlee is less than 3 miles north, just west of Fairlee Village. Lake Morey (turn left at the sign for I-91) is named for Samuel Morey, a local inventor who is locally credited with inventing the country’s first steam-powered paddle-wheeler in 1793. Robert Fulton, whom history credits with inventing the steamboat, having encouraged Morey to talk freely with him and to demonstrate the invention, patented a boat clearly patterned on his in 1797. Legend has it that an embittered Morey sunk his vessel at the bottom of Lake Morey, where it remains. The lake is lined with vintage summer cottages and is home to family-owned Lake Morey Resort (802-333-4311), known for its 18-hole golf course. There’s boat access to both Lake Morey and this placid stretch of the Connecticut River; Fairlee Marine (802-383-9745) rents paddleboats, kayaks, and canoes as well as motorboats.

VERMONTASAURUS SCULPTURE IN POST MILLS

Fairlee Village, strung between the river and US 5, is a likely lunch stop, either at the Whippi Dip (802-333-3730), a take-out well known for BBQ, or the Fairlee Diner (802-333-3569; closed Tues., otherwise open 5:30 AM–2 PM), a 1930s classic with wooden booths and worn-shiny wooden stool tops. The area’s current dining sensation is Samurai Soul Food (802-331-1041; open Tues.–Sun. 3–9 PM), blending locally sourced ingredients into an unlikely but successful fusion of Asian, Tex-Mex, and basic comfort food.

Chapman’s Store (802-333-9709), opposite the bridge to Orford, New Hampshire, is a must-stop. Since 1924 members of the Chapman family have expanded the stock of this old pharmacy to include 10,000 hand-tied fishing flies, crawlers, Mexican and Indian jewelry, USGS maps, wine, toys, crafted furniture and pottery, paddleboards, and more. Behind the Fairlee Motel on the northern fringe of the village is the Fairlee Drive-In (802-333-91920; open seasonally). This ’50s classic has been upgraded to screen current blockbusters. Gates open at 7 PM, films begin at dusk, and the snack bar features burgers made with Angus beef from the motel owner’s farm.

North of the village, US 5 squeezes between the river and a steep cliff face known as “The Palisades,” but beyond this the valley opens wide, running between cornfields and the river for a half-dozen miles. A traffic light marks the junction with US 25; a left here takes you to I-91, and a right leads to Farm-Way (800-222-9316; open Mon.–Sat. 8:30 AM–5:30 PM, Fri. until 8 PM), Vermont’s answer to L. L. Bean. There’s no missing this rambling, barn-red store with a line of kayaks out front and annexes spread over 17 acres. It’s run by three generations of a family and bills itself as a Vermont “cultural experience.” Boots and shoes, more than 20,000 pairs, are a specialty, but there is also a wide selection of clothing, hunting gear, furniture, kayaks, a saddlery, and more.

BOAT LAUNCH ON LAKE FAIRLEE

CHAPMAN’S STORE IN FAIRLEE IS A MUST STOP

The village of Bradford is on US 5 north of the light. It’s built on terraces of land at the confluence of the Waits and Connecticut Rivers. A picturesque, old, stone gristmill is sited across from an impressive waterfall at the entrance to downtown. The mill now houses Alexander’s Restaurant (802-222-5505; open Tues.–Sat. 11:30 AM–9 PM), which offers seating along the mill raceway and Lebanese as well as standard dishes. In a neighboring mill building, Copeland Furniture (802-222-5300) showcases its contemporary furniture crafted from native hardwoods in a factory down the street (check out the seconds).

Bradford’s business block has seen better days, but at its center is Colatina Exit (802-222-9008; open daily from 11 AM), an expansive trattoria. It specializes in wood-fired pizza but offers a full menu. Rear windows here and at tables in the back of the neighboring Bliss Village Store (802-222-4617) offer a view of the golf course below and across the floodplain and river to Mount Moosilauke, easternmost of New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

FOUR CORNERS FARMSTAND, SOUTH NEWBURY

Backroads in the hills west of Bradford link the photogenic villages of East Corinth, Topsham Four Corners, and Waits River, and are home to an unusual number of artists and craftspeople who welcome visitors during the Vermont Craft Council’s Memorial Day Open Studios Weekend (vermontcrafts.com) and the first weekend in October for Vermont North by Hand (vermontnorthbyhand.org). South Road Pottery (802-222-5798) is generally open May–Oct., daily 10 AM–5 PM, but it’s wise to call before heading up South Road (off VT 25 West). Bruce Murray’s nationally known pottery studio/showroom is a timber-framed eighteenth-century barn.

Bradford and the quiet end of the valley beyond is an area billed by the local chamber of commerce as “Cohase” (802-757-2549; cohase.org). Pronounced “co-hâs,” this is an Abenaki word for “wide valley,” and it aptly fits the lay of the land here: rich intervale farmland reaching seemingly to the New Hampshire mountains. Keep an eye peeled for the sign for Four Corners Farm (802-855-3342) on the left; it’s just up Doe Hill Road in South Newbury. The Grays maintain this 50-acre farm with its Jersey milk cows, Highland beef cows, greenhouses, and acres of vegetables and fruit, including sweet corn, raspberries, snap peas, and the best tomatoes we can remember.

On to Newbury, believed to be the site of a Native American village for many thousands of years. The current town was founded in 1761 by General Jacob Bayley, who is remembered for his role in constructing a military road during the Revolution. It was meant to be an invasion route to Canada, and while that never worked out, it later served as a settlement route from the Connecticut River Valley into the hills of northern Vermont.

The village of Newbury is a beauty, with several eighteenth-century homes along its long green and the hospitable Newbury Village Store (802-866-5681; open 6 AM–8 PM most days), with comfortable seating near the periodicals, daily baked muffins and cookies, and a café in back overlooking the river. Cross the bridge here to Haverhill to continue our stem route or consider a side trip a bit farther on up the river.

NEWBURY VILLAGE STORE

DETOUR

Continue north on US 5 North 6 miles to Wells River. The road shadows the river until it wanders off below and curves back on itself in a double bow. Wells River marked the head of navigation on the Connecticut for the flat-bottomed boats that formed the means of long-distance transport up this valley before the advent of railroads. By contrast, Woodsville, New Hampshire, across the river, boomed as a late nineteenth-century railroad hub, as evidenced by its Opera House block and a three-story rail station. Together the two villages form an up-country breaking point at the junction of East/West US 302—connecting the White Mountains and central Vermont—and North/South I-91. The P&H Truck Stop (802-429-2141; open 6 AM–10 PM for hot meals but 24 hours for to-go premade sandwiches, pies, and the like) is just off I-91 at Exit 17 in Wells River. It’s a classic truck stop with speedy service, friendly waitresses, homemade bread, an ATM, and a pay phone (cell service is spotty).

On US 5 in Wells River, the Happy Hour Restaurant (802-757-3466; open 11:30 AM–8 PM Sun. and Tues.–Thurs., 11:30 AM–9 PM Fri.–Sat.) is a dependable standby. In Woodsville the Saltwater Bar & Bistro (603-747-2365; open 11 AM–9 PM Tues.–Sat., 12–7 PM Sun.) features fresh fish, from lobster rolls to blackened swordfish, and The Little Grille’s Comida Mexicana (603-747-2777) can hit the spot with loaded tacos, nachos, and salads. The return to our stem route is south via NH 10.

South of the Newbury-Haverhill Bridge, NH 10 runs through a beautiful stretch of this seemingly remote, upper end of the valley. A mile or so south, turn at the sign for Bedell Bridge State Park. This is a big name for a quiet, grassy spot by a boat launch, but it’s a magical spot with a view of two massive stone piles in the river, all that remains of the two-span covered bridge, the fifth to stand here before it was blown down in 1979, having been rebuilt after a similar storm in the previous year.

Be sure to stop a bit farther south on NH 10 at the Haverhill Corner Historic District. This is a time-frozen village, sited at the junction of river route and NH 25, the old Coos Turnpike through the mountains. It was the seat of New Hampshire’s Grafton Country from 1791 to 1891, and its former nineteenth-century courthouse is now Court Street Arts (603-989-5500), a performance center with frequent programs and exhibits. Take a moment to stroll by the fine late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century buildings around the common and breathe in the peace of the place. Across the road, Susie Klein and Marty Cohen welcome guests to Gibson House (603-989-3125; open June–Oct.), built in 1850 and commanding a view of its gardens below and across the river to Vermont. There are eight imaginatively decorated rooms, and the couple takes pride in tuning guests into this special place; they also host weddings and artist workshops. $$.

NH 10 runs south to Piermont through cornfields that seem to roll back to the Vermont hills, by farmhouses and barns, including one of New England’s rare round barns. Stop by the Robie Farm (603-272-4872) for raw milk, ice cream, the farm’s own aged cheese, eggs, and meat. This 140-year-old dairy farm, which has been in the family for six generations, also offers hiking trails (the Appalachian Trail passes through) and access to the river.

South of the Orford line, Bunten Farm is a strikingly handsome 1835 house, built with bricks made on the property. If it’s fall, Chris Bunten Balch is probably out front selling pumpkins. Ariana’s Restaurant (603-353-4405; open Mon., Wed., Thurs.–Sat. 5–9:30 PM; Sun. brunch 10 AM–1 PM), housed in the adjacent barn, is a dining destination for much of the valley and neighboring hills. (See Best Places to Eat.)

THIS WELL-PRESERVED 16-SIDED ROUND BARN IS ON NH 10 IN PIERMONT

DETOUR

Alternatively, NH 10 runs south through the inviting village of Lyme and on back to Hanover. South of the village but still in Orford, Peyton Place (see Best Places to Eat) is housed in a 1773 tavern. It’s named for its owners, Jim and Heidi Peyton.

Continuing south, NH 10 keeps its distance from the Connecticut, but River Road angles off, dipping beneath a covered bridge and Federal-era farmsteads along the way to Lyme. The village of Lyme is another beauty, with an elegant white 1812 Congregational church and the four-story Lyme Inn (603-795-4824) at its head. Below the general store and the post office, Stella’s Italian Kitchen & Market (603-795-4302; open 10 AM–10 PM; $$) is a popular stop.

Hanover, 10 miles south, is home of prestigious Dartmouth College and a cultural hub of the Upper Valley. The Dartmouth Green doubles as the town common, and the village’s people-watching place is a rocker on the porch of the college-owned, 108-room Hanover Inn (603-643-4300; $$–$$$). The neighboring Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts (603-646-2422) stages frequent concerts, theater, and film, and the neighboring Hood Museum of Art (603-646-2808; temporarily closed for renovation as of this writing). South of the Green, a scant few blocks are filled with shops and restaurants, more than in the rest of this stretch of the Upper Valley combined.

Continue south to Orford Village, with a lineup above NH 10 of seven handsome homes built between 1773 and 1839 and known as the Ridge Houses. Long credited erroneously to architect Charles Bulfinch, they were built instead by local craftsmen using designs from a do-it-yourself guide to Federal styles, The Country Builder’s Apprentice by Connecticut Valley architect Asher Benjamin. The most elaborate was owned by inventor Samuel Morey, who heated and lighted his house with gas and in 1826 patented a gas-powered internal combustion engine.

This ends the stem of our driving route. We cross the iron Samuel Morey Bridge back to Fairlee and I-91 Exit 15.

Montshire Museum of Science (802-649-2200; montshire.org), Exit 13, I-91, Montshire Road, Norwich. Open daily 10 AM–5 PM except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Few cities have a science museum of this quality. This award-winning, hands-on science center with more than 140 exhibits is sited on 110 trail-webbed acres beside the Connecticut River. The focus is on demystifying scientific phenomena, engaging your senses, and learning about the world around you. The elaborate 3-acre Science Park features water bubbling from a 7-foot Barre granite boulder, and from this “headwater” a 250-foot “rill” flows downhill, snaking over a series of terraces, inviting you to manipulate dams and sluices to change its flow and direction (visitors are advised to bring bathing suits and towels). You can also shape fountains, cast shadows to tell time, and push a button to identify the call of birds and insects. Note Ed Kahn’s Wind Wall, an outdoor sculpture attached to the museum’s tower and composed of thousands of silver discs that shimmer in the breeze, resembling patterns on a pond riffled by wind. In the Hughes Pavilion overlooking Science Park, visitors may enjoy their picnic lunch or purchase lunch and snacks at the outdoor café (summer only).

Some of our favorite exhibits inside the museum include the fog machine up in the tower, the see-through beehive, leaf-cutter ants, the physics of bubbles, the planet walk, and the giant moose. There’s also a Solve It exhibit with 20 puzzles and games. Most exhibits are hands-on, and there’s a corner for toddlers and many demonstrations geared to youngsters. The Museum Store alone is worth a stop. Check the website for events, programs, and special exhibits. Mid-June–Labor Day, admission: $14 for children, $17 for adults, under 2 are free).

Best Places to Sleep

Listed as they appear along the route

THE NORWICH INN (802-649-1143; norwichinn.com), 325 Main Street, Norwich. The present three-story, tower-topped inn dates from 1889. Joe and Jill Lavin are hands-on owners with the right touch. The 38 guest rooms are divided among the main inn and two clapboard annexes in the rear. The 17 rooms in the inn retain the antiques and charm of an old inn. Those in the annexes are individually, tastefully, and traditionally decorated but with gas fireplaces, spacious baths, and central air. Walker House, with 18 rooms, has an elevator to access the second floor. In Ivy Lodge, two of the four luxurious suites are pet friendly. $$.

LAKE MOREY INN (802-333-4311), Club House Road, Fairlee. On the shore of Lake Morey, this sprawling landmark is a destination for ice skaters as well as golfers. The 130 rooms and suites vary from cozy and old-fashioned in the original building to spacious and balconied in the newest wing. The lake view remains key, along with a player-friendly 18-hole golf course. Facilities include an indoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, fitness center, and tennis courts. All three meals are served, and in summer the per-person rates include a children’s program as well as breakfast and dinner. $$–$$$.

THE GIBSON HOUSE (603-989-3125; open June–Oct.), 341 Dartmouth College Highway (NH 10), Haverhill, NH. This Greek Revival home, built in 1850 on the green in Haverhill Corner, is a great spot from which to explore the quiet upper end of the valley. Innkeepers Susie Klein and Marty Cohen delight in directing guests to its special places. The eight guest rooms, especially the four big second-floor rooms, are artistic creations, each very different from the next. While the house fronts on NH 10, the 50-foot-long sunny back porch with wicker seats and swing takes full advantage of the splendid view west across the terraced garden and the Connecticut River. A full breakfast is included in the reasonable rates. $$.

Best Places to Eat

CARPENTER AND MAIN (802-649-2922), 326 Main Street, Norwich. Open for dinner Wed.–Sun. Reservations suggested. An 1820s building at the heart of this village is the venue for chef-owner Bruce MacLeod’s long-celebrated, locally sourced fare. $$.

JASPER MURDOCK’S ALEHOUSE AT THE NORWICH INN (802-649-1143), 225 Main Street, Norwich. Open for dinner nightly; breakfast Wed.–Sun.; lunch Fri.; brunch Sat.–Sun. The same menu is available in the inn’s formal dining room, bright terrace room, and green-walled, comfortable pub, with seating that expands seasonally onto the flowery patio. The dinner ranges from burgers and wings to substantial entrées incorporating the house brews. Long before the current craft brewery craze, this was a source of stouts and ales available nowhere else. $–$$.

ARIANA’S RESTAURANT AT BUNTEN FARM (603-353-4405; arianasrestaurant.com), 1322 NH 10, Orford, NH. Reservations suggested, a must on weekends, but chef-owner Martin Murphy tries to keep a table and sit-up bar at the open kitchen open for walk-ins. This is a small restaurant in the barn attached to one of the early brick farmhouses you see spaced along the Connecticut. The menu might range from shepherd’s pie (with local veal and cheddar), vegan curried rice, and a choice of pastas to veal cassoulet (local veal osso buco and sausage), roasted dry sea scallops, and sirloin steak. $–$$.

PEYTON PLACE RESTAURANT (603-353-9100), 454 Main Street (NH 10), Orford. Open Wed.–Sun. 5:30–10:30; closed Sun. in the off-season. Reservations a must. Destination dining, this restaurant (named for owners Jim and Heidi Peyton) is housed in a 1773 tavern with a genuine old pub room as well as more formal dining rooms. Dinner entrées might range from house-made vegetarian ravioli to rack of lamb with wild mushrooms. Ice creams and sorbets are handmade in house. Inquire about cooking classes. $–$$.