Sunday Driver: Unplugged up US-5
Hey folks. So I had to do some grocery shopping today. The lady of the house and I need to eat. It can not be back roads, high revs and tire smoke all of the time. Today, no pics, no cams and no videos. Today, I am driving for the pure utilitarian aspect of it. The question is where is the most convenient place to shop on a Sunday morning in the Boston area. I had the perfect place in mind to accomplish this necessary evil, the Brattleboro Food Co-op in Vermont. So, I got in the ST and made a break for RT-2, a road that I have an unhealthy lust for, towards Greenfield.
When I arrived in Greenfield instead of my usual dash up I-91N, I took US-5N. Well, this was infinitely the better choice and I need a slap for not using this route in the first place. This section of US-5 takes you right into downtown Brattleboro and through country that is a true microcosm of all that is New England in terms of scenery. Also, the roads are piece of work. There are straights, sweepers, esses, elevation changes, blind crests that are all generally smooth. There are a sufficient number of pass zones and the speed limits are very reasonable which make traveling this stretch rather enjoyable even at cruising pace...in a utilitarian way of course. There are a couple of centers where you need to take care in, but otherwise you are pretty much unimpeded.
This stretch of road seems lightly traveled even for a Sunday morning. I engaged a single car going in the same direction. Today that was about 36 miles round trip in that section alone. Engaging that one car was fine because it happened to be a bad-ass custom coupe. I did not catch the make, but I believe it was a 30's era Chevy. Sweet. He must have been doing errands too.
Oh yeah, the grocery shopping. When I got to Brattleboro around 7:30am the Co-op was still closed. I became anxious wondering how I was going to get the finest Vermont Maple Syrup. In a panic, I did what any self respecting human being 100+ miles from home would do...I drove around "looking" for open grocery stores. This meant taking a lap of the "Green Hell" circuit (HERE) in the opposite direction.
I found that this direction is better and for one reason. The uphill sections (formerly downhill) are a lot more enjoyable, in the most utilitarian way possible, as you don't need to be as mindful of the braking in many parts because, well, you are going uphill. However, there is a problem. There is a 10 mile section under construction/being repaved and the road is basically gravel and who knows when that will be finished. To some this will be all the reason to go there, but with the ST, I prefer to be on the black stuff. Other than that little surprise and no other grocery stores in sight, the drive was just as expected with the benefit of experiencing variable weather conditions in the sun battling storm.
After this brisk, relaxing, I mean business-like, drive through the Vermont countryside seeing now familiar sites, I hurried back into town just in time for the opening of the Co-op and the all important mission for the day: Get food. I suppose if you make this grocery run, you will find the drive "to and fro" to be a very efficient use of your time. If you do this run for the sheer driving experience, you will find it rather pleasurable.
When I arrived in Greenfield instead of my usual dash up I-91N, I took US-5N. Well, this was infinitely the better choice and I need a slap for not using this route in the first place. This section of US-5 takes you right into downtown Brattleboro and through country that is a true microcosm of all that is New England in terms of scenery. Also, the roads are piece of work. There are straights, sweepers, esses, elevation changes, blind crests that are all generally smooth. There are a sufficient number of pass zones and the speed limits are very reasonable which make traveling this stretch rather enjoyable even at cruising pace...in a utilitarian way of course. There are a couple of centers where you need to take care in, but otherwise you are pretty much unimpeded.
This stretch of road seems lightly traveled even for a Sunday morning. I engaged a single car going in the same direction. Today that was about 36 miles round trip in that section alone. Engaging that one car was fine because it happened to be a bad-ass custom coupe. I did not catch the make, but I believe it was a 30's era Chevy. Sweet. He must have been doing errands too.
Oh yeah, the grocery shopping. When I got to Brattleboro around 7:30am the Co-op was still closed. I became anxious wondering how I was going to get the finest Vermont Maple Syrup. In a panic, I did what any self respecting human being 100+ miles from home would do...I drove around "looking" for open grocery stores. This meant taking a lap of the "Green Hell" circuit (HERE) in the opposite direction.
I found that this direction is better and for one reason. The uphill sections (formerly downhill) are a lot more enjoyable, in the most utilitarian way possible, as you don't need to be as mindful of the braking in many parts because, well, you are going uphill. However, there is a problem. There is a 10 mile section under construction/being repaved and the road is basically gravel and who knows when that will be finished. To some this will be all the reason to go there, but with the ST, I prefer to be on the black stuff. Other than that little surprise and no other grocery stores in sight, the drive was just as expected with the benefit of experiencing variable weather conditions in the sun battling storm.
After this brisk, relaxing, I mean business-like, drive through the Vermont countryside seeing now familiar sites, I hurried back into town just in time for the opening of the Co-op and the all important mission for the day: Get food. I suppose if you make this grocery run, you will find the drive "to and fro" to be a very efficient use of your time. If you do this run for the sheer driving experience, you will find it rather pleasurable.
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