forever grateful

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Truckin’ through Vermont The bucolic town of Highgate, Vermont is nestled among dairy farms and lush landscapes near the border of Canada. Each summer, the town hosts a large county agricultural fair in the same field where the Grateful Dead performed on July 13, 1994. Franklin County Field Days is a Highgate tradition, featuring live music, arts and crafts, livestock, food, and all the maple products you can possibly imagine. This year’s fair runs from July 29 through Aug. 1. But if you’re just passing through the area or you’re taking a long weekend visiting this gorgeous countryside, northern Vermont offers dozens of opportunities brimming with Green Mountain State character. Stop by Waterbury, Vermont and take a tour of the famed Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory. Only about an hour south of Highgate, this iconic frozen treat purveyor is a perfect way to spend an afternoon. While you’re there, be sure to sample Cherry Garcia, the company’s delightful flavor homage to the Grateful Dead’s beloved front man, Jerry Garcia. FOREVER AN AMERICAN ADVENTURE Sojourns coast-to-coast We were young, we wanted experiences, and we wanted to travel. And, we shared a love for the music of the Grateful Dead. What better way for friends to see parts of the country than through music? It was the early 90s and we had been out of college for only a short time. Most of us had jobs, although we weren’t exactly doing what we wanted. We were doing what we were supposed to do. So, we made a pact to save up and travel together when we could. HIGHGATE, VERMONT Our first stop was Highgate, Vermont in the summer of 1994. Three friends packed into one little Volkswagen Jetta and drove over 300 miles on the two-lane rural Connecticut highway known as Rte. 7. We heard the Dead would be playing in a Vermont airfield, but we didn’t know what to expect. It was a beautiful day in July, the sun was shining, and we felt free. This sleepy town seemed so out of character from the hustle of our busy Fairfield County, Connecticut lives. We welcomed the fresh air, blue skies, and pastoral scenery — actually, we craved it. Finding our way onto a neighborhood cul-de- sac, we parked in front of an owner’s raised ranch, hopped out of the car, and walked up to the venue like we were headed to a backyard barbeque. But that’s what people said it was like up here in the small town of 3,400 people. The show itself seemed to mimic the view of Highgate, with welcoming people everywhere dressed in their tie-dyes, walking around offering hellos to fellow “friends.” But that’s also the way it was at shows. A common love for the band made you an instant friend. And in a place like Highgate, it was easy to make them. Part of the storied “Northern Kingdom,” Highgate sits along the border of Quebec, Canada in northwestern Vermont. With more than 30 dairy farms, agriculture is its signature industry. In the village area of Highgate Falls sits a grouping of historic homes, the most noteworthy among them being Highgate Manor. (Grateful, continued on page 12) From Vermont’s Northern Kingdom to Georgia’s peachy capital, the experiences of travel, friends, and The Grateful Dead leave indelible memories. n Cue up that bootleg recording of the Grateful Dead performing “Green River” with John Fogerty, and head on down to the Green River Reservoir State Park Nature Preserve. This unique park (located about an hour away from Highgate in Hyde Park, Vermont) features remote campsites that can only be reached by canoe — some are up to a 2- mile paddle away from the launch site. Green River Reservoir also boasts nearly 19 miles of shoreline, just about the longest in the state. Parking is limited, so be sure to arrive early to claim your spot in this secluded wilderness. Photolibrary / Andre Jenny By Karen Pasacreta Jerry Garcia photo: CORBIS / Henry Diltz Lead art photography: Shutterstock / (clockwise from bottom right) Chris H. Galbraith, Scott Leman, Kenneth Summers, David Burrows Document Name: SJNS-Coast2Coast- Artist's Name: HMartin-InteliMac Colors: knj Document Name: SJNS-Coast2Coast- Artist's Name: HMartin-InteliMac Colors: knj •SJNS_2010_8-9_12-13 :SJNS-Rt66-400-a 5/11/10 9:21 AM Page 1

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A travel piece for niche Affinion Group publication, Sojourns.

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Page 1: Forever grateful

Truckin’ through Vermont The bucolic town of Highgate, Vermont is nestled among dairy farms and lushlandscapes near the border of Canada. Each summer, the town hosts a large countyagricultural fair in the same field where the Grateful Dead performed on July 13, 1994.

Franklin County Field Days is a Highgate tradition, featuring live music, arts andcrafts, livestock, food, and all the maple products you can possibly imagine. This year’s fair runs from July 29 through Aug. 1. But if you’re just passing throughthe area or you’re taking a long weekend visiting this gorgeous countryside, northern Vermont offers dozens of opportunities brimming with Green Mountain State character.

Stop by Waterbury, Vermont and take a tour of the famed Ben & Jerry’s Ice CreamFactory. Only about an hour south of Highgate, this iconic frozen treat purveyor isa perfect way to spend an afternoon.

While you’re there, be sure to sample Cherry Garcia, the company’s delightfulflavor homage to the Grateful Dead’s beloved front man, Jerry Garcia.

FOREVER AN AMERICAN ADVENTURE

Sojourns coast-to-coast

We were young, we wanted experiences, and we wanted to travel. And, we shared a love for the music of the Grateful Dead.What better way for friends to see parts of the country than through music?

It was the early 90s and we had been out of college for only a short time. Most of us had jobs, although we weren’t exactly doingwhat we wanted. We were doing what we weresupposed to do. So, we made a pact to save upand travel together when we could.

HIGHGATE, VERMONT

Our first stop was Highgate, Vermont in thesummer of 1994. Three friends packed into one little Volkswagen Jetta and drove over 300 mileson the two-lane rural Connecticut highwayknown as Rte. 7.

We heard the Dead would be playing in aVermont airfield, but we didn’t know what toexpect. It was a beautiful day in July, the sun was shining, and we felt free. This sleepy townseemed so out of character from the hustle ofour busy Fairfield County, Connecticut lives. We welcomed the fresh air, blue skies, andpastoral scenery — actually, we craved it.

Finding our way onto a neighborhood cul-de-sac, we parked in front of an owner’s raisedranch, hopped out of the car, and walked up to the venue like we were headed to a backyard

barbeque. But that’s what people said it was like up here in the smalltown of 3,400 people.

The show itself seemed to mimic the view of Highgate, with welcomingpeople everywhere dressed in their tie-dyes, walking around offeringhellos to fellow “friends.” But that’s also the way it was at shows. Acommon love for the band made you an instant friend. And in a placelike Highgate, it was easy to make them.

Part of the storied “Northern Kingdom,” Highgate sits along the borderof Quebec, Canada in northwestern Vermont. With more than 30 dairyfarms, agriculture is its signature industry. In the village area ofHighgate Falls sits a grouping of historic homes, the most noteworthyamong them being Highgate Manor.

(Grateful, continued on page 12)

From Vermont’s Northern Kingdom to Georgia’s peachy capital, the experiences

of travel, friends, and The Grateful Dead leave indelible memories.

n Cue up that bootleg recording of the Grateful Dead performing “Green River” with JohnFogerty, and head on down to the Green River Reservoir State Park Nature Preserve.This unique park (located about an hour away from Highgate in Hyde Park, Vermont)features remote campsites that can only be reached by canoe — some are up to a 2-mile paddle away from the launch site. Green River Reservoir also boasts nearly 19miles of shoreline, just about the longest in the state. Parking is limited, so be sure toarrive early to claim your spot in this secluded wilderness. Photolibrary / Andre Jenny

By Karen Pasacreta

Jerry Garcia photo: CORBIS / Henry Diltz

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(Grateful, continued from page 9)

Through the years (and many owners), this beautiful, Second Empire-style house had been home to an exclusive vacation resort, and duringthe Civil War, it served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Manyfamous people are reputed to have been patrons: Al Capone, duringthe era of prohibition and bootlegging; and Benny Goodman, duringthe Big Band Era. There are also rumors that it is haunted by theghosts of children who once lived under its roof in the late 1800s. Itsbeauty was certainly a site to behold. Recently, the manor has becomea popular destination for weddings and banquets, and is currentlybetween owners. For more information on Vermont’s haunted inns,go to vermonter.com.

Since we were in Vermont, we weren’t able to leave without havingour share of maple sugar candy. And since the Dead had played oneof our favorite tunes, “Sugar Magnolia,” we were reminded to stop ata local store to cure our sweet tooths.

Maple, the official flavor of Vermont is actually celebrated each springin Highgate’s bordering town of St. Albans. For three days, peoplegather to celebrate, taste, and indulge at the Annual Vermont MapleFestival. Food, fun, and all sorts of down-home entertainment is to behad with parades, exhibits, and of course, maple galore! For moreinformation on next year’s celebration, go to vtmaplefestival.org.

It was hard to leave Vermont and the quaint bed and breakfast wefound on our journey home. I don’t think I’ve ever had better

pancakes. But, we were still young enough toretain our youthful quest for the extraordinary,and we made a pact to do it all again.

Next stop: the capital of the Peach State, Atlanta.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

I think Little Feat, a contemporary of TheGrateful Dead, is my next-favorite band.Although the band’s founding member, LowellGeorge, had died in 1979, I had seen the re-formed band open for the Dead many times.Though I’m too young to remember Lowell’sdeath, we nonetheless played Little Feat’ssouthern anthem, “Oh Atlanta,” all the waydown to Georgia.

At the time, Atlanta was gearing up for the1996 Summer Olympics. Construction waseverywhere. Our transplanted Connecticutfriends became our expert tour guides. Therewas a kind of youthful Atlanta migrationhappening from all over the country, and ourfriends’ excitement for a new beginning wascontagious. And for us, there were so manynew things to see!

n A favorite gathering of Dead fans during the days of the Omni concerts, this mountain boasts the largest bas relief sculpture in the world. The Confederate Memorial Carving depicts three Confederate leaders of the Civil War: President Jefferson Davis, and Generals Robert E. Lee andThomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and their horses. It is one of the great sculptures of the South. There’s much to do year-round at Stone Mountain Park,which surrounds the Confederate memorial. Go for a hike, take a boat ride, or check out the summertime laser light show. At dusk, hundreds of onlookers hang out on the grassy hill celebrating their American and Southern heritages to a coordinated laser musical compilation. Celebrate the Georgia’s Music Hall of Fame with tunes like “Devil Went Down to Georgia” and “An American Trilogy.” Music lovers of all genres willnot be disappointed. Shutterstock / Christopher Meder

Atlanta Botanical GardensIf you loved wearing flowers in your hair at aDead show, you’ll enjoy the incredible 30acres of blooming beauty at Atlanta’sBotanical Gardens. There’s always somethingwaiting to come alive, whether it’s in theconservatories or the country’s largest orchidhouse. And in the summer, there’s also famedmusical guests. Last year, honorary Deadkeyboardist Bruce Hornsby, accompanied byhis band The Noisemakers, stopped by toshare his impromptu, spontaneous stylingswith fans. The three-time Grammy winner hadtoured extensively with the Dead after theuntimely death of Brent Midland.

We started at Freedom Park. With the Dead in town, we had a backstagepass to the Deadhead culture phenomenon. People were everywhere,dancing to music by makeshift bands, playing hacky sack, and gatheringaround eating falafel and listening to bootleg tapes. If it sounds like acliché, it was. But how else do you describe this life? It was controlled, it was peaceful, it was a trip. From the psychedelic T-shirts to the blanket tents, to the ribbons adorning dreadlocks and the colorfulconversation — Freedom Park was the perfect place to house fans.

Freedom Park is one of Atlanta’s urban landmarks. With a rich Americanhistory that extends back to the Civil War and then to the Civil RightsMovement, it now spans 210 acres and serves as the main connection tothe Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site, the Old Fourth Ward,Inman Park, Poncey-Highland, Central Atlanta Neighborhoods, theCarter Center and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library.

JUST PEACHY

We wouldn’t be acting our age if we didn’t hit the Peachtree area. Lit up like a neon birthday cake, everywhere you turned you couldhave your slice of the nightlife. We decided to have our fill. We lived itup with old friends that night, sharing experiences we still talk aboutto this day.

Atlanta was incredible, so steeped in rich history. But there was stillsomething I had to do.

When we were young, my sister and I had seen the movie version ofGone With the Wind together. It was then I began to researcheverything about author Margaret Mitchell, and I grew to be alifelong fan. I had idolized Mitchell since my youth, and having grownup to become a writer, this was a dual-purpose visit for me. It waspilgrimage to Tara. And I couldn’t wait to see her house.

As we grazed the area on Peachtree the next day, my friend pointedthe famed property out. The house — the same house where Mitchell

wrote her Pulitzer-Prize winning book, GoneWith the Wind — had been damaged by a fire.

I couldn’t believe my luck. To this day, I’ve stillyet to see it. In 1996, the house was hit by fireagain, just 40 days prior to a renovation. But in1997, it re-opened to the public and is stillknown as one of Atlanta’s most treasuredlandmarks and tourist attractions. It will alwaysbe on my list of places to visit. For moreinformation, visit margaretmitchellhouse.com.

Wanting to conclude my trip to Atlanta on ajournalistic note, we went downtown to get aview of CNN’s headquarters. Although Icouldn’t convince my friends to go inside, yearslater I returned with my daughter for a tour ofthe newsrooms. (On that trip, I got to fulfill achildhood dream of reading the news at theanchor desk in front of a room full of people –at the request of my sister, I stuck to writing.)

I’ve been back to Atlanta four times now, and Idon’t think I could ever tire of all that this cityhas to offer. “Oh, Atlanta is right…”

THE GIFT OF TRAVEL, MEMORIES

There are so many places in America theGrateful Dead has taken me, from New YorkCity to Washington, D.C. These are places Iwould have never seen quite in this way. I wasable to share these travels with friends andcreate memories that will last us all a lifetime.And for that, I am forever grateful. U

AGPIX / Laura McElroy Getty Images / Aurora / Andrew Kornylak

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