I never came across the entrance to the park, and it was raining and grey anyway, so I continued on to Brattleboro, and the Whetstone Station Brewery. The staff was very friendly (and all three bartenders were cute - bonus!), and the view of the Connecticut River from my seat at the bar was amazing. I had the Brewery Burger ("Fully Loaded": with maple bacon & sauteed mushrooms, hold the onions please!), which was awesome. And the fries were good too. They were out of their signature IPA, so I had a Brown Bear ale, which was good, but not spectacular. I'd go back with friends on a sunny day in a heartbeat. Also, I took a bunch of photos from inside and outside of the place.
Then it was off to downtown Brattleboro to get coffee and walk around for a bit. I popped into a building that looked like a museum, but was actually a high-end vintage furniture & art showplace. There were many cool chairs, cabinets, and carvings inside, which made it a great place to get out of the rain for a few minutes before heading off to Mocha Joe's.
I walked down the stairs into the basement coffee shop, and was warmly greeted by the cute brunette behind the counter. I ordered a large dark roast from Cameroon and a dried raspberry-encrusted chocolate bar (I snagged a logo sticker too), chatted with her for a minute (her dad is totally against fruit/chocolate pairings - "He's truly missing out!" she said, and I agreed), and then headed back out into the rain...
I stopped on the way back at the Connecticut River Paddlers Trail to walk around for a bit, took a few photos, and then headed back home. It was a great 4½ hour adventure, and I am glad I got out of the house on my day off.
