Insiders: Windham County at its heart
‘Southern Vermont is like a matryoshka doll: there was always more to appreciate beneath the surface.’
Lose yourself amid the shelves at Antidote Books. (Photos: Shanta Lee Gander)
By Shanta Lee Gander
I am a Hartford, Connecticut native, so during my first visit to Southern Vermont I did not know what to think. This isn’t a love at first sight story. As a resident, I can’t deny the obvious—Vermont is a very white state. However, there are many of us within the community who continue to work to address this reality. As a former president of the Arts Council of Windham County and as a former member of the Brattleboro Select Board, I very much welcome more visitors who don’t often see themselves a part of this landscape.
As a result of my focus on Lucy Terry Prince—a free, landowning black woman in colonial Guilford, who is considered the first known African American poet in English literature—I have started to see ways in which rural landscapes are a part of my legacy as an individual of color. What I share are some special places and things within Vermont that are a part of what brings me joy here. Southern Vermont is like a matryoshka doll: there is always more to appreciate beneath the surface.
On Saturdays in spring and summer, I look forward to going to the weekend Brattleboro Area Farmers’ Market. My first time at this market, I was introduced to Shital’s Indian Vegetarian Food. I learned that you have to secure a place in line for Anon’s Thai Cuisine food truck if you want one of the lunch specials. Beyond the food and fresh produce, Deer Ridge Farm is never in short supply of gorgeous fresh flowers.
Everyone’s Books is a full progressive bookstore — inside and out.
Throughout the week there are other treats too. Walker Farm has some of the best in-season of everything, from heirloom tomatoes, string beans, and fresh okra to house plants. You’ll see what I mean if you decide to stop by their stand on Route 5 in Dummerston, especially if you are a fan of making your own tomato sauce, a fresh tomato-basil soup, or canning. Within the same area, you must also visit High Meadows Farm. It is one of Vermont’s oldest certified organic farms.
If you find yourself in Guilford, bring your bike and ride River Road (close to Green River village). It is one of my favorite scenic rides along the river. If you choose to do the big loop, as we call it, you’ll see one of the many historic covered bridges in Vermont. One of my other favorite hiking–biking trails is in Jamaica State Park in Jamaica. What is unique about this trail is that it is one of the few rail beds—of the former West River Railroad— in the region that has been converted as a trail.
Southern Vermont is where Gander uncovered her love of abandoned places through her photography — like this photo, taken at Santa’s Land in Putney (which has since reopened and is no longer abandoned).
Beyond the charm of the places around Windham County—an old abandoned cemetery in Halifax along a path filled with cellar holes, an abundance of swimming spots along Route 30—there is a lot to discover just walking around in some of the downtown areas.
Within in Brattleboro, a quick walk to Whetstone Brewery will give you an amazing view of the Connecticut River. Arrive on a certain night and you can catch a live band. Just outside of downtown, The Marina is legendary for its view of the Retreat Meadow topped with a gorgeous sunset. If you find yourself at The Marina, you can rent a canoe or kayak close by and take a ride in the calm waters.
If I’m in the mood for something to satisfy my sweet tooth, I go to Amy’s Bakery Arts Café. Be prepared to have a challenge in choosing from their range of gourmet treats, sandwiches, and salads. You can also purchase a fresh loaf of bread. My favorite is their loaf of sourdough. Depending on the day, The Works Café has a lot to offer and is one of my favorite spots to check my email while grabbing a meal. For the best Korean and Japanese cuisine in the area, Shin La is a must, especially for my favorite dish, their hot noodle soup. If you need coffee, tea, or want to make a drink of your own—I usually like to order something I call man in a cup with is a vanilla and white chocolate drink made with Half & Half—you can’t go wrong with Mocha Joe’s Roasting Co.
On a hot day, I can’t resist a hard ice cream cone from Blueberry Haus, which has two locations—one nestled within Downtown Brattleboro and the other on the way to my refuge in Guilford along the roadside. Another great spot for ice cream and a kind of summer nostalgia that awakes my inner child is Chelsea Royal Diner along Route 9. Also, if you are a sucker for eggs Benedict, theirs is amazing and their Royal Breakfast Feast is food for a lumberjack. It’s the best food value in town.
Downtown Brattleboro has a lot of venues. You can check out a performance or a movie within the gorgeous Art Deco Latchis Theater, and their hotel is a great place if you want to be downtown. My other favorite spots include 118 Elliot (which features a range of cultural events), the Hooker-Dunham Theater, Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Gallery in the Woods, Dianich Gallery, Mitchell-Giddings Fine Arts (newly expanded), and Vermont Center for Photography.
As a writer, one of my favorite pastimes is to hang out in the local bookstores You must visit Brattleboro Books if you are like me and love the smell of old books. You can’t go wrong. Everyone’s Books, across the street, is a full progressive bookstore with a selection of books that you won’t see in your average bookstore.
If you want to explore more of the region, I could go on forever, but will leave you with images of the picturesque town of Putney. If we are still talking bookstores, you must visit Antidote Books, where you can easily slowly sip a cup of their specialty coffee while spending hours browsing their shelves full of everything from poetry, rare book selections, to a great art book collection. If you time your trip right, Antidote is where you can attend a poetry reading that features a range of local, national, and international poets. Depending on the week, you could grab a bite at The Gleanery and then walk to Next Stage Arts Project to see any range of live performances, films, music, and more. The region is filled with much to fill your stomach, soul, and well of experience.
You’ll noticed that I left out shopping—the music stores, the endless antiquing possibilities, and all my favorite spots for jewelry and unique gifts— but I am sure you will discover those treasures all on your own.
What’s your story?
Of course, this wasn’t a love at first sight story in terms of place. What I shared are insights about how fondness flowers over time.I hope you can discover your version of this if you decide to make several trips or move here. I relocated for a previous relationship and Vermont was the first place that put me in contact with my passions—like uncovering my love of abandoned places through my photography. It was the first place I ever performed on a stage. I stayed because this region encouraged me to create space for the exploration of myself while forcing me to try things out—like new professional partnerships—in ways that don’t always feel so nimble in other environments. Here, one can live the cliché of trying new things while also bumping into the quirky. I decided to stay because of the way that this region feels like one of those adventure books from childhood.
With little effort, you can create and discover any adventure you’d like to have here.
Shanta Lee Gander is an artist and multi-faceted professional. Her endeavors include writing prose, poetry, investigative journalism, and photography. Shanta Lee is the co-author of “Ghosts of Cuba: An Interracial Couple’s Exploration of Cuba in the Age of Trump—Told in Images & Words” (in manuscript). She gives lectures on the life of Lucy Terry Prince as a member of the Vermont Humanities Council Speakers Bureau. Shanta Lee’s art and writing can be viewed at http://www.shantaleegander.com.
