The Mary Badass

The leaves out here are gorgeous. I am bombarded with new brilliance at every bend in the road. Anyone who has seen Vermont in autumn knows what I am talking about. Every night when I begin to fall asleep I see reds, oranges, and yellows behind my closed eyelids. I was thinking the other day…

Woodford, Searsburg, Readsboro, Stamford, Somerset and Wilmington. (Only 40 towns to go!) Miles: 52 (5 on Saturday and 47 on Sunday). Total to Date: 211 towns and 1,369 miles. I spent last night in an apartment in an art gallery in North Bennington! It is a renovated old mill building that reminds me of a…

Winhall, Manchester, Sunderland, Arlington, Shaftsbury, Glastenbury, Bennington and Pownal Miles: 46 Totals to Date: 205 towns and 1,317 miles. I am writing this on Day 25, which was supposed to be rainy all day. I think the rain is more on and off, but based on the forecast, I decided to take the day mostly…

Dorset, Mount Tabor, Danby, Wallingford, Clarendon, Shrewsbury, Mount Holly, Weston, Londonderry, Landgrove, and Peru Miles: 53 Total to Date: 197 towns and 1,270 miles. Today has been a day of variations. It included some real ups and downs, both inside and out. I had some relatively flat riding along a river, but also a hill…

Sandgate, Rupert, Pawlet, Wells, Tinmouth, Middletown Springs, and Poultney Miles: 45, at least a quarter of them on dirt Total to Date: 186 towns and 1,217 miles. Last night the demons of old grief and pain sprang up and grabbed me by the throat. I had a hard time sleeping and spent the day trying…

Fair Haven and West Haven Miles: 12 Total to Date: 179 towns and 1,172 miles. Today’s geology was really different from yesterday’s. Rather than marble, I was now in slate country. Walls and buildings were constructed with it. I passed a large, now closed slate mine. These waste slate piles are some of the few…

Rutland City, West Rutland, Proctor, Ira, and Castleton Miles: 32 Totals to Date: 177 towns and 1,160 miles. My supposed day off netted me 32 miles and 5 towns! In between rainstorms, I squeaked through Rutland City, West Rutland, Proctor, Ira, and Castleton, where I am happily ensconced in the home of a good friend.…

Lincoln, Ripton, Goshen, Brandon, Chittenden, Pittsford, Rutland Town, Killington and Mendon Miles: 57, about three-quarters of them on dirt Total to Date: 172 towns and 1,128 miles. I have now visited over two-thirds of Vermont’s 251 towns and cities, and I‘ve toured the northern half of the state. It feels like a milestone. With a…

Cornwall, Salisbury, Middlebury, Weybridge, Waltham, New Haven, Bristol and Starksboro Miles: 46 (about 16 of them on dirt) Total to Date: 163 towns and 1,071 miles. Today was what we call in Vermont a bluebird day. The sky was a deep clear blue, dotted with clouds that ranged from white to a purple gray. The…

Shoreham, Orwell, Benson, Hubbardton, Sudbury, Whiting and Leicester. (I am now over the three-fifths mark and have fewer than 100 towns to go!) Miles: 56. (About 16 of those miles were on dirt.) Total to Date: 155 towns and 971 miles. Today was a glorious day weatherwise, though I had a strong headwind and crosswind…