Vermont 251 Club members reflect on travels

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont mainstay 251 Club is celebrating 70 years of exploration.

Vermont’s 251 Club attracts members from all different backgrounds with all kinds of interests. One thing they all have in common: is a goal to discover every hidden gem the state has to offer.

It was road trips with his grandma that got Steve Anderson Crane hooked on exploring Vermont.

“She would just love to get in the car and go,” said Steve.

A few years ago, eager to rekindle the adventure, Anderson Crane and his wife Carol joined the 251 Club.

The organization has around 5,000 members with the goal of visiting all 251 of the state’s towns and cities.

The couple and their dog Dottie crushed the challenge in just a few years.

“It’s fun. It’s communication and just working together to do it. Just planning and everything,” said Steve.

Steve takes the wheel with Carol navigating.

“We used a map exclusively. We didn’t use GPS. So my face was in the map half the time,” said Carol.

It’s led to some eventful outings, like a wrong turn onto an ATV trail.

“I looked at him and said, what do you think? He looks at me and he goes, let’s go for it. So we went for it, and boy, it got worse,” said Carol.

In Winooski, Tina Giangrande and her wife Laurie O’Hanlon have 162 spots left.

The club has been there throughout their relationship, with a trail in Addison as the backdrop for their first date and their engagement.

“We went for a walk and at the crest to the bridge right on the Vermont-New York border, we took a selfie, and I popped the ring up into the selfie. And so that’s how I proposed, and thankfully she said yes,” said Giangrande.

Both couples say the 251 trips strengthen their love for one another and for the state they call home.

“Just everything we see, everywhere we go, whether or not we’re doing the 251, it just shows me I was absolutely right. This is the best place to be,” said O’Hanlon.

Though 251 trips are up to the traveler’s interpretation, the organization encourages all 251 members to support a local business during their visits.

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