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Off the Leash: Subversive Journeys Around Vermont
A collection of travel essays, written with an irresistible sense of humor, keen insight, and a taste for the off-beat. Off the Leash is an exuberant grand tour of some of Vermont's most interesting and undervalued places--from the Domestic Resurrection Circus performed by giant puppets in Glover, to the Dowser's Labyrinth in Danville, to the birthplace of Joseph Smith, one of the founders of the Mormon Church, in Sharon. Vermont is full of quirky places and colorful history, and Helen Husher's collection of stories about her favorite haunts is some of the most captivating travel writing we've seen in years. At turns irreverent and witty, philosophical and wise--and always surprising--Off the Leash has elements in common with Bill Bryson's The Lost Travels in Small-Town America and Ian Frazier's Great Plains. This book goes beyond Vermont and well beyond the world of tourism to explore "the richness of life and the treasures in it, and how we lose these things in a world that seems to be mostly about speed and cash." It's a book sure to interest anyone with a taste for eccentric stories, for small-town dramas, for the way our places make us who we are. This collection is a finalist for the Heekin Group Foundation Writing Award.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1999
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 26, 2021
Written with immersive descriptions, dry humor, self-deprecation and a deep love of Vermont, Helen Husher explores idiosyncratic and unique places in Vermont. This should be in every Vermonter's book collection to inspire offbeat travels around the state.
I first read this in 2011 and this year (2021) I read this again as it was my choice for our book group in July. I chose this book because I was anticipating this summer now that we are all “free” more or less to move around since the pandemic. It’s been so long since I had gone anywhere, I thought it would be fun to read a book about unusual places in Vermont and to have everyone share some of their own special places to go.
Besides the places she describes, I would like to add a few of my own favorites.
The first is the Museum of Everyday Life in Glover which was created and run by the Bread and Puppet people she talks about in the book. It's a museum like none other...they call it a revolutionary museum experiment and have filled it with collections of objects that are everyday and familiar but presented in ways that truly blow your mind. For example, the exhibit that just finished on Knots had a tangle of electrical cord that is certainly familiar to us all and yet it was displayed as a museum object. Also notable in that exhibit was a huge knot of hair from a little girl. Their new exhibit is on lists and notes and I actually submitted a couple of notes to be considered and they were both accepted. I can’t wait to go see it!
The museum itself looks remarkable like a run down small barn. Outside is a giant metal toothbrush sculpture. It is self-serve so you turn on the lights as you enter and immediately a curtain of chimes begins to tinkle, powered by an old record player turntable going round and round.
Two other places I would like to recommend are the two Fossil Reefs in Isle La Motte, formed 480 million years ago from a shallow tropical sea near what is now Zimbabwe. Captured in limestone are fossilized shapes of cephalopods, nautilus, and sea sponges.
The other is The Taconic Mountain Zen Gardens in Hubbardton, a Japanese Garden among rolling hills with waterfalls, ponds, bridges, wildflower meadows, and many small stone shrines. There are walking paths as well as hiking trails. It was a labor of love over 46 years for a New York City filmmaker and author who started building it in 1966. It is now part of the Vermont State Park system. (Carson “Kit” Davidson” encouraged conservation, public access and community involvement).
***
Publisher's description of Off the Leash: "A grand tour of some of Vermont's most interesting and undervalued places, this guide ranges from the Domestic Resurrection Circus performed by giant puppets in Glover, to the Dowser's Labyrinth in Danville, to the birthplace of Joseph Smith, one of the founders of the Mormon Church, in Sharon. Vermont is full of quirky places and colourful history, and "Off the Leash" goes beyond the world of tourism to explore "the richness of life and the treasures in it, and how we lose these things in a world that seems to be mostly about speed and cash". It is a guide that should interest anyone with a taste for eccentric stories, for small-town dramas, for the way our places make us who we are."
I first read this in 2011 and this year (2021) I read this again as it was my choice for our book group in July. I chose this book because I was anticipating this summer now that we are all “free” more or less to move around since the pandemic. It’s been so long since I had gone anywhere, I thought it would be fun to read a book about unusual places in Vermont and to have everyone share some of their own special places to go.
Besides the places she describes, I would like to add a few of my own favorites.
The first is the Museum of Everyday Life in Glover which was created and run by the Bread and Puppet people she talks about in the book. It's a museum like none other...they call it a revolutionary museum experiment and have filled it with collections of objects that are everyday and familiar but presented in ways that truly blow your mind. For example, the exhibit that just finished on Knots had a tangle of electrical cord that is certainly familiar to us all and yet it was displayed as a museum object. Also notable in that exhibit was a huge knot of hair from a little girl. Their new exhibit is on lists and notes and I actually submitted a couple of notes to be considered and they were both accepted. I can’t wait to go see it!
The museum itself looks remarkable like a run down small barn. Outside is a giant metal toothbrush sculpture. It is self-serve so you turn on the lights as you enter and immediately a curtain of chimes begins to tinkle, powered by an old record player turntable going round and round.
Two other places I would like to recommend are the two Fossil Reefs in Isle La Motte, formed 480 million years ago from a shallow tropical sea near what is now Zimbabwe. Captured in limestone are fossilized shapes of cephalopods, nautilus, and sea sponges.
The other is The Taconic Mountain Zen Gardens in Hubbardton, a Japanese Garden among rolling hills with waterfalls, ponds, bridges, wildflower meadows, and many small stone shrines. There are walking paths as well as hiking trails. It was a labor of love over 46 years for a New York City filmmaker and author who started building it in 1966. It is now part of the Vermont State Park system. (Carson “Kit” Davidson” encouraged conservation, public access and community involvement).
***
Publisher's description of Off the Leash: "A grand tour of some of Vermont's most interesting and undervalued places, this guide ranges from the Domestic Resurrection Circus performed by giant puppets in Glover, to the Dowser's Labyrinth in Danville, to the birthplace of Joseph Smith, one of the founders of the Mormon Church, in Sharon. Vermont is full of quirky places and colourful history, and "Off the Leash" goes beyond the world of tourism to explore "the richness of life and the treasures in it, and how we lose these things in a world that seems to be mostly about speed and cash". It is a guide that should interest anyone with a taste for eccentric stories, for small-town dramas, for the way our places make us who we are."
August 3, 2017
An OK book, some interesting and entertaining sections but nothing that made me want to drop everything and drive to Vermont. Also noted one error in research: She mentioned that an old poem not only wasn't good but didn't rhyme. In point of fact, it DID rhyme at the time - the pronunciation of words changes over time. Old poems that no longer seem to rhyme are one of our best indicators of how words used to be pronounced!
February 28, 2025
Here are a few brief vignettes about traveling in Vermont. Growing up here, I found this an enjoyable read about lesser-known history, particularly the physical geography and the art! I might keep it on my shelf or possibly give it away, but it was a delightful journey.
March 24, 2015
This is definitely not your average travel book. Husher writes with obvious affection for the quirkiness that is uniquely Vermont, while at the same time encouraging us all to "slip our leashes" and discover the quirkiness and individuality of the place we live.
I like to seek out the places that make an area unique when I travel -- I don't want to travel seven hundred miles to eat in an Applebees when there's one in my own back yard that is exactly the same. I like to see the real place, that which makes a place different from where I live, and this book helped me see some of those differences during my trip to Vermont this summer. I didn't actually visit any of the places she mentions (although we did see a curiously cartoony statue of Champ in Burlington), but it freshly awakened my eyes to the uniqueness of place.
I like to seek out the places that make an area unique when I travel -- I don't want to travel seven hundred miles to eat in an Applebees when there's one in my own back yard that is exactly the same. I like to see the real place, that which makes a place different from where I live, and this book helped me see some of those differences during my trip to Vermont this summer. I didn't actually visit any of the places she mentions (although we did see a curiously cartoony statue of Champ in Burlington), but it freshly awakened my eyes to the uniqueness of place.
April 22, 2012
Having enjoyed Vermont on previous vacations, I was immediately attracted to Helen Husher's book "Off the Leash", which promises unique travel destinations within the state. Helen Husher provides much more by writing about the background and history on each sight. Her fun and informal writing style make it an easy and fast book to read. The sights she chose to include are diverse enough to attract the adventurous, religious, art lovers, history buffs and all those in between. I recommend this book not only to travelers, but also those interested in obscure history.
July 7, 2009
This is a great little "travel" book for Vermont. It makes me want to head out there and check out all of the places the author describes. I especially liked her description of Morgan horses. It is obvious that this breed has charmed her as it has me.
July 23, 2012
I really enjoyed this book because it's 1/3 travel, 1/3 adventure, 1/3 history! There are some intriguing places to be discovered in Vermont. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the places Husher writes about for myself. Any literature about Vermont is worth the read!
February 18, 2013
Humorous, inventive, interesting, and well researched. A clever unassuming book I'm happy to have stumbled across. I'll be keeping this one on hand in the car for sure.
September 15, 2023
Loved it. Made me curious and sentimental. Also, a nice surprise to find a section written about my hometown.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews