Shortest route from Boston to Mike's

• Go a long way west on Route 2 until the split for I-91.
• Take I-91 South, which is also Route 2.
• Take the first exit, and continue on Route 2 west.
• After entering Shelburne start watching for yellow diamond signs with "left curve" symbols (although the road curves back and forth, they seem to only caution about left curves :-), the first one has no intersecting road, the next shows a road crossing the curve and the third shows a road going only to the outside of the curve (to the right), that's the Colrain-Shelburne Road and you want to take that. This is the hardest turn to find in my opinion, just before the road is an "attractions" sign with three segments, and there is a street sign, but at the prevailing speed you'll never read it before it's too late. I always count the three "curve ahead" signs...

  Note: If you miss this turn, you'll reach the intersection of Route 2 and Route 112 in Shelburne, take 112 north and you'll rejoin the directions below.

• At some point (probably the town line between Shelburne and Colrain) the road changes its name to Greenfield Road.
• At the far end of this road it descends steeply into "Old Colerain" (yes, it's spelled differently) where it meets Route 112.
• Follow 112 north towards Vermont.
• Turn left on Thompson Road.

  This is the hardest turn to find, and unfortunately I keep forgetting to measure the distance to here from Colrain. As I write this (Spring '05) there is a one lane bridge on Route 112 just after the turn, you'll pass all the warning signs and see the stop light before it's time to turn. Depending on when you come, there may also be a sign beside the road for a craft shop (wooden bowls and stone birdbaths) that says "As seen on Chronicle" and points you up Thompson Road. If you miss this turn, you're just following these directions, instead.

• Go to the far end of Thompson Road where it T's into Nate Flynn Road.
• Turn right on Nate Flynn Road.
• When it crosses the state line the road changes name to McMillan Road, there's a granite marker for the state line and street signs beside the road, one in each state with the name that state uses.
• Follow McMillan to the far end where it T's into another road, this is Route 8A although I don't believe there are any signs there.
• Turn right and then immediately turn left onto Burrington Hill Road.
• Burrington Hill Road is fairly long, but is another I've failed to measure. You need to go almost to the end. The road goes over several small rises and passes through a large farm or two, then after passing a swampy pond area it crests the main hill and you get a sweeping vista in front of you. As you near the bottom of the hill, Burrington Hill Road turns sharply right, and Streeter Hill Road is to the left.
• Turn left onto Streeter Hill Road.

  If you miss Streeter Hill Road, you will come to the end of Burrington Hill Road where it meets Poverty Row and Kentfield Road, at this point you've only gone about a hundred yards past the turn, reverse direction in the large intersection and get back on Burrington Hill Road and take the first dirt road you come to.

• My house is number 517, it's the first driveway on the left, about half a mile from the start of the road. There is a mailbox with the number 517 on it on the right just before my driveway, when you see that my house is on the left and you are about to pass my driveway, which isn't very visible before you reach it. There is a sign on a tree on the far side of the driveway with the number (517) and name (Patton) on it.

If you get off the described route and need to stop for directions, your ultimate destination is:

517 Streeter Hill Rd
Whitingham, VT

which is near the intersection of Poverty Row, Kentfield Road, and Burrington Hill Road (all of which end at that intersection). That should be enough for any local to get you headed in the right direction, or you can call the house at (802) 368-7121.