Covered Bridges of Vermont

In six days I drove hundreds of miles through nine different counties hunting for bridges. The pertinent road signs were often missing or blasted beyond recognition by local hunters. I relied as much on guess work as I did my handwritten directions, and on several occasions I arrived at the next bridge on my list by accident or coincidence.
I found and was able to document a total of twenty six bridges around the state. They seem to exist in pockets, and it was not uncommon to find three or four within a square mile. Many of them are still in active use after over a hundred years, a testament to the skill of their builders.
As the old adage goes, it is the journey and not the destination. Taking in the state on the back roads, never going faster than 55 miles per hour, was truly a revelation. The mythical Vermont of my childhood where everyone waves and smiles as you pass is not only alive and well, it is thriving. These bridges are a gateway to Vermont's past, and those that were so quickly restored after the destruction from tropical storm Irene are a link to our future. So whether you live here or are just visiting, you owe it to yourself to seek some of these bridges out. I can say with confidence you won't regret the effort.