You'll find tiny hamlets dotting back roads in the towns of Newbury, Topsham and Ryegate. You might even drive along Mosquitoville Road, a misnomer, since it's mostly open with panoramic views to the east, and mosquitos generally inhabit swampy wooded areas. Backroads are an adventure well worth the drive. 5, below Crystal Lake. It twists and winds upward, with low clearance at times, but it's back to nature all the way.
Tiny ponds laced with green ferns edge the road in spots.
Chattering squirrels skitter across to safety. You go downhill to Willoughby Lake, one of the gems of the Northeast Kingdom. Another is out of West Rupert in southwestern Vermont, jointly called Bear Mountain Road or Rupert Road. As it climbs, a brook tumbles down on one side. Woods are open through good timber management.