Brandon is for the Birds,
Rattlesnake Cliffs, and Falls of Lana
by
Elizabeth Bassett

If you've flown through Brandon enroute to Killington, cursing at
dog-leg turns in the road, apologize now. The entire village of
Brandon, all 243 buildings of it, is listed on the National Register
of Historic Places. Two village greens, pocket-sized parks over
waterfalls, and wide tree-lined streets make it a place to slow down.
Now Chef Robert Barral, of WCAX fame, has cooked up a reason to stop.
Wearing his toque at three-month-old Cafe Provence, the TV chef cooks
up breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner every day. Delicieux!
Furthermore, Brandon has gone to the birds.
In 2003, Brandon artists, aged 8 to 80, captured hearts and
pocketbooks by personalizing a platoon of pigs to benefit community
arts programs. Via eBay and silent and live auctions, the Brandon
Artists Guild's "Really, Really Pig Show" brought home the bacon. The
porkers, led by folk artist Warren Kimble's Pig T. Barnum, grossed
$180,000. More than $20,000 was contributed to the area's eight
schools. This year the Birdbrain Committee chose to nurture its
feathered friends with 50 birdhouses. A silent auction of 30 of these
outsized confections is underway and on October 9, Charlotte's Jim
Dickerson will auction the remaining 20. Meanwhile, quilted, shingled,
copper, brass, marbled, and yes, feathered nests enliven shop windows,
sidewalks, terraces, and the Brandon Artists Guild (BAG) showroom at 7
Center Street (Route 7).
Once a prosperous mill and rail center, Brandon derived its fortunes
from saw and grist mills, iron products from local ore, the
manufacture of railroad cars, and marble quarrying. Grand old homes
with deep front lawns line Park and Pearl Streets, wide thoroughfares
laid out for militia training. Like its northerly role model
Vergennes, Brandon is experiencing a revival. Its renovated brick
buildings have attracted new businesses including Vergennes-based
Everywear for Everyone and Cafe Provence. Locally-owned Briggs
Carriage Bookstore welcomes booklovers with lattes, smoothies, and
Saturday evening music. Warren Kimble exhibits his artistry in a
converted mill whose terrace overhangs the falls.
Here's the plan:
Late morning grab a camera, the Day Hiker's Guide to Vermont, and a
pack with hiking essentials and lunch. Don sturdy shoes and a few
layers. Bring a change of clothes for dinner in case you get muddy or
sit on a damp log. Fancy isn't necessary.
Head down Route 7, through Middlebury to Route 53. Drive along the
east shore of Lake Dunmore, passing Branbury State Park and a small
gravel parking area on the left (across from Kelsey Lane). Park in the
paved lot on the left.
The Falls of Lana Trail scrambles up a gravely slope to a dirt road.
The falls, a crashing spillway of Sucker Brook, perches less than a
mile up the trail, a gain of 200 feet. Rock outcroppings overlook the
falls and Lake Dunmore- but better views lie ahead. Continuing up the
dirt road, you'll come shortly to restrooms and several trailheads.
Rattlesnake Cliffs Trail begins on the far side of the wooden bridge
across Sucker Brook. The trail climbs steadily beside a stream before
leveling off as it wraps around Mt. Moosalamoo. From the Falls of Lana
it climbs 870 feet to the cliffs, a distance of 1.6 miles. The area is
closed to hikers from March 15 to August 1 as peregrine falcons nest
in this spectacular real estate. Several outcrops- some a safer
distance from the sheer drop than others, look nearly straight down at
Lake Dunmore and to Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks beyond.
Tourists pay big bucks to savor moments like this.
For those disinclined to climb or afraid of heights there's another
option. From the Falls of Lana the Silver Lake Trail follows the
abandoned dirt road another 1.1 miles with an elevation gain of only
52 feet. An optional 2.5 mile circuit around Silver Lake, nestled
below the ridges of Moosalamoo, includes the Silver Lake Loop and
Leicester Hollow Trails. Tools from local quartzite attest to lakeside
hunting and fishing by Native Americans before the days of European
settlers. In the late nineteenth century Frank Chandler, inspired by a
divine revelation, established a religious camp meeting at Silver
Lake. His seminary later became the Silver Lake Hotel, perched on the
shore near the present picnic area. The three-story, 86-foot-long
edifice boasted a chapel, a ten-holer, and a bathtub on wheels that
rolled from room to room. The hotel burned down about 1940.
Now that you've earned dinner, continue south on Route 53 south until
it ends at Route 73 in Forest Dale. Drive west into Brandon.
After many years as New England Culinary Institute's (NECI) executive
chef, Robert Barral designed the light-filled space at Cafe Provence
during the brick building's recent restoration. A member of the
Vermont Fresh Network, the Cafe serves generous and
attractively-presented portions of local products including Blue Ledge
Farm goat cheese, Vermont lamb, and Misty Knoll free-range chicken.
Lavender sprigs perfume the tables and wall posters bring the hot
Provence sunshine in through the big windows. Good wines by the glass
are fairly priced.
Some things to keep in mind: The brochure and map for a self-guided
walking tour of historic Brandon village is available at the
Information Center at the corner of Route 7 and Park Street. Warren
Kimble's gallery closes at 4 PM on Saturdays. Brandon Artists Guild
showcases several magnificent birdhouses along with juried work of
local artists. The doors close at 5 PM. At that moment hymns begin to
float over the village from an automated carillon (it fooled me) in
the steeple of the Congregational Church. Cafe Provence (247-9997)
begins dinner service at 5:30 PM and takes reservations only for
parties of five or more. Don't show up after six and expect to find a
table.
In 2005, thirty rocking chairs will be the canvas for Rockin Brandon.
Get ready to rock!