bennington monument

Let's be honest: The real reason we went to Bennington was to grab a beer at Madison Brewing Company. (And, oh, was that strawberry hefeweizen seasonal brew worth it.) But the view from above town was pretty great, too.

There are 417 steps to the top of the Bennington Battle Monument, but they're closed to the general public. Not to worry — we got to zip up the elevator for our lofty panorama of three very green states.