Vermont county-collecting loop?

[hbelkins]

Taking suggestions on a loop route for collecting all of Vermont's counties, save Bennington and Windham, which I have already visited.

The loop would begin at either Bennington or Rutland and end at Bennington. I'm looking for the shortest, quickest and best route to accomplish this. It's pretty obvious that I'll take US 7 north, use US 2 to get Grand Isle County and back to US 7 to get Franklin. The least obvious routing is how to get east over to Essex in the shortest amount of time, then picking up Washington after getting Essex and Caledonia.

I presume this loop could be done during daylight hours in early to mid-November, or am I biting off more than I can chew?

[froggie]

If you have a full day to dedicate to it, yes it could be done during daylight hours.  But even starting in Rutland, plan on about 8 hours to do the loop.

From west to east, a general VT 104 to VT 15 to US 2 alignment is what you'll need.  Side trips off of this will enable Orleans and Washington Counties (and a stop at the Cabot Creamery if you have the time), and at last check VT 15 has been fully reopened, unlike VT 105 to the north.  You'll have to go about 10 miles east of St. J on US 2 in order to get Essex County, but after that it's pretty much a straight shot along I-91, VT 11, and US 7 to Bennington.  Still, it'll take you about 8 hours total...and 9 hours if you start in Bennington and not Rutland.  One rule-of-thumb about Vermont travel:  unless you're on the Interstates, don't plan on making good time.  And what you're trying to do involves *A LOT* of travel on narrow winding 2-lane roads with limited (or non-existant) passing opportunity.  Kinda like southeastern Kentucky if you took away US 23, KY 11, and KY 80.

[Duke87]

Note that Vermont only signs county lines with signs parallel to the road.
For Essex county via US 2, when you see a giant brown barn to the left that says "P&S Furniture", you've gone far enough.


I found US 7 to have plenty of passing opportunity.

[papaT10932]

Note that Vermont only signs county lines with signs parallel to the road.

I've always thought that to be very strange. What is the point of signing county/town lines in that manner? Driver's can't read them.

[froggie]

I found US 7 to have plenty of passing opportunity.

Exception, rather than the rule...

I've always thought that to be very strange. What is the point of signing county/town lines in that manner? Driver's can't read them.

Drivers are not the intended audience.

[hbelkins]

I've pretty much decided on this loop, beginning and ending at Rutland:

US 7 north (gets Rutland, Addison and Chittenden counties)

I-189 (a clinch!)

I-89 north to US 2

US 2 west (gets Grand Isle County)

Back to I-89, then north (gets Franklin County)

Exit at VT 104A, then VT 104 (gets Lamoille County to VT 100C to VT 100 to VT 105 through Newport (gets Orleans and Essex counties)

VT 114 south (gets Caledonia County) to the Lyndonville area

I-91 south to US 2

US 2 west to the Montpelier/Barre area (gets Washington County)

I-89 south (gets Orange and Windsor counties) to VT 107

VT 107 to VT 100 to US 4 back to Rutland.

Comments/suggestions/tips for improvement to complete the loop faster than this route? I'll be doing this on Friday, Nov. 11 if plans work out.

[shadyjay]

After I-189, take I-89 NB to US 2 West, head through the Champlain Islands, then return to I-89 via VT 78 in Alburgh.  Or before heading back south, go north for 6 miles to Highgate Springs and the northern terminus of I-89, then u-turn and head back south on I-89.

VT 107 is still closed due to storm damage from Irene and repairs may take a while - check 511vt.com before your trip to confirm its status.  Otherwise, you're gonna have to head down I-89 to Exit 1 to head west on US 4.  

[froggie]

Not just VT 107, but VT 100 between 107 and US 4 is also still closed.  This is why I suggested to take VT 15 across and do side trips off VT 15 to get the relevant counties.  Nevermind that it's about an hour shorter than his proposed route.

And taking I-91 south to WRJ would be faster than going through Montpelier, plus I-91 goes through Orange and Windsor Counties anyway.  An easy side trip off VT 15 would get Washington County.

[hbelkins]

I checked Froggie's route. It accomplishes the county-clinching goal but it would not allow me to see as much of the state. I'd like to take the longer loop but if there are some road closures still in effect in November, I'll probably use some variation of what Froggie suggested.

Now that the meet date has been announced, I'm going to stay two nights in Rutland (Thursday and Friday) and use it as the base for my loop, then drive down from Rutland to Bennington on Saturday morning. The return trip home from Vermont will also allow me to clinch I-88, which I was unable to do earlier this month due to the flooding.

I think this works well:

US 7 north (gets Rutland, Addison and Chittenden)

Clinch of I-189, then I-89 north to US 2

US 2 over to Grand Isle County and then back (sorry but I don't have time to go all the way up to near the border and then back down)

I-89 to VT 104A (gets Franklin)

VT 104A to VT 104 to VT 15 (gets Lamoille and Caledonia)

Side trip on VT 14 south (gets Washington) and VT 16 north (gets Orleans)

US 2 east through St. Johnsbury to Essex County, then back via VT 18 and I-93 to I-91 south

I-91 south (gets Orange and Windsor) with an opportunity to also cross the river and get Grafton County, NH.

US 4 (gives an opportunity to cross over into NH before heading back to Rutland, clinching that route in Vermont)