ADDISON COUNTY
East Middlebury
Hotels
●Waybury Inn – 457 East Main Street; 802-388-4015 or 802-388-1810; wayburyinn.com; romantic with comfortable lounge and fireplace; Robert Frost was frequent visitor; near to Green Mountain National Forest.
Ripton
Sights & Sites
●Homer Noble Farm – State Highway 125 (near Bread Loaf in Middlebury); frostfriends.org/ripton.html; owned by Middlebury College; Robert Frost’s residence when at Bread Loaf.
West Cornwall
Sights & Sites
●Twig Farm – 2575 South Bingham Street; 802-462-3363; twigfarm.com; goat cheese farm; by appointment only.
BENNINGTON COUNTY
Manchester
Hotels
●Equinox – 3567 Main Street; 802-362-4700 or 800-362-4747; luxurycollection.com/equinox.
●North Shire Lodge – 97 Main Street; 802-362-2336 or 888-339-2336; northshirelodge.com; each room has view over Green & Taconic Mountains rising above Battenkill Valley.
Restaurants
●Mountain View Pub – 97 Main Street (at North Shire Lodge); 802-362-2336; northshirelodge.com.
CALEDONIA COUNTY
Burke (includes East Burke & St. Johnsbury)
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
●Chappy’s Ice Cream – 405 Vermont 114 (East Burke); 802-626-7272; facebook.com/pages/Chappys-Ice-Cream/149928155068150.
Hotels
●Inn at Mountain View Farm – 3383 Darling Hill Road (East Burke); 802-626-9924 or 800-572-4509; innmtnview.com; located amidst Kingdom Trails system; historic dairy farm has 14 guest rooms and suites.
Restaurants
●Market Cafe & Catering – 1368 Elliott Road (St. Johnsbury); 802-535-5407 or 802-535-5233; marketcafevt.com; also located at bottom Old Web’s Trail, Darling Hill’s southwest end; fresh wraps, veggie burgers, etc.
●Willy’s Restaurant & Catering – 571 Vermont 114 (East Burke); 802-626-9900; willysrestaurant.net; upscale restaurant with well-prepared dishes.
Sights & Sites
●Kingdom Trails Association – 478 Vermont 114 (East Burke); 802-626-0737; kingdomtrails.com; defunct ski trails (and other trails) turned to mountain biking venues; considered best mountain biking trail system in USA.
CHITTENDEN, FRANKLIN & GRAND ISLE
Burlington (includes Essex and Huntington)
Bars & Nightclubs
●Bluebird Tavern – 317 Riverside Avenue; 802-540-1786; bluebirdvermont.com; drinks such as Snow on Sugar (Dickel whiskey, maple liquor, and maple bitters).
Hotels
●Essex Hotel & Spa – 70 Essex Way; 802-878-1100 or 800-727-4295; vtculinaryresort.com; on 18 acres with Green Mountains and Lake Champlain views.
Restaurants
●Bluebird Tavern – 317 Riverside Avenue; 802-540-1786; bluebirdvermont.com; try poutine with Vermont cheddar curd, fallow deer, and/or pork chops.
●Bove’s – 68 Pearl Street; 802-864-6651; boves.com; Italian made with natural and organic ingredients.
Sights & Sites
●Camel’s Hump Trail – Camel’s Hump Road (Huntington, left off Main Road for 3.4 miles on Camel’s Hump Road to trailhead); leads to 4K’ highpoint in Green Mountains (3rd tallest peak in Vermont); 4.9-mile loop, transitioning from mixed forest to red spruce to fragile alpine tundra; final climb is steep and somewhat exposed; clear days deliver panoramic views to Adirondacks, past Lake Champlain, and over to Mount Washington, New Hampshire’s tallest peak.
●Mount Mansfield Hike – 17 miles east of Burlington on Mountain Road (take VT 15 east to Jericho and continue 2.8 miles, then right onto River Road (which becomes Pleasant Valley Road), in 3.9 miles, right at “y” onto Mountain Road, then 2.7 miles to trailhead parking on right); Vermont’s highest peak; 3-6 mile hike; rare alpine plant life.
Lake Champlain
Hotels
●Basin Harbor Club – 4800 Basin Harbor Road (Vergennes); 802-475-2311 or 800-622-4000; basinharbor.com.
Richmond
Restaurants
●Kitchen Table Bistro – 1840 West Main Street; 802-434-8686; thekitchentablebistro.com; originally built by Thomas Chittendon, Vermont’s first governor; beautiful setting; supposedly once stop on Underground Railroad; uneven food.
Shelburne
Sights & Sites
●Shelburne Museum – 6000 Shelburne Road; 802-985-3346; shelburnemuseum.org; single collector museum, founded by Electra Havemeyer Webb; shockingly beautiful Impressionist paintings by Manet (Blue Venice), Monet, and Degas; beautiful landscaping.
LAMOILLE COUNTY
Morrisville
Shopping
●Cady’s Fallas Nursery – 637 Duhamel Road; 802-888-5559; cadysfallsnursery.com; small but sophisticated nursery, well worth special trip.
Smuggler’s Notch
Hotels
●Smugglers’ Notch Inn – 55 Church Street; 802-644-6607; smuggsinn.com; at Mount Mansfield’s foot; originally built in 1790.
Restaurants
●Smugglers’ Notch Village Tavern – 55 Church Street; 802-644-6607; smuggsinn.com.
Stowe
Bars & Nightclubs
●Matterhorn Bar – 4969 Mountain Road; 802-253-8198; matterhornbar.com; pool tables, disco ball, waitresses in trucker hats; wooden patio and sushi bar overlooks brook.
●Rusty Nail – 1190 Mountain Road; 802-253-6245; rustynailbar.com; gritty, crowded, popular.
Hotels
●Green Mountain Inn – 18 Main Street; 802-253-7301; greenmountaininn.com; legend has it that, during winter storms, ghost of Boots Berry, who saved someone stuck on roof before falling off, can be heard tap-dancing.
●Stowe Mountain Lodge – 7412 Mountain Road; 802-253-3560 or 888-478-6938; stowemountainlodge.com; only ski-in/ski-out hotel; 139 rooms with marble baths, balconies, fireplaces, and goose-down beds.
Restaurants
●Cliff House – Mount Mansfield top; 802-253-3665; timber lodge with old wooden tables that serves upscale American fare with farm-fresh Vermont flair; try Prince Edward Island mussels, rich lamb stew, daily crepe specials, and chocolate-covered waffles; soaring floor-to-ceiling cathedral windows offer tremendous views.
●McCarthy’s Restaurant – 108 Mountain Road; 802-253-8626; Mel’s Diner-like spot great for breakfast; try corned-beef hash, maple-syrup bacon, and/or honey oatmeal toast; arrive before 8 to avoid rush.
●Shed Restaurant – 1859 Mountain Road; 802-253-4765; casual spot whre shaggy-bearded locals like to name-drop trails over microbrew pints; good cheeseburgers and Cobb salads.
●Solstice – 7412 Mountain Road (at Stowe Mountain Lodge); 802-760-4735; stowemountainlodge.com; soaring walls, white-stone fireplaces, open kitchen; New American cuisine; try rack of lamb with ginger and chamomile sauce or Maine lobster risotto with mascarpone and cheddar.
Shopping
●Cabot Annex – 2657 Waterbury-Stowe Road; 802-244-6334; cheese and condiment provisioner.
●Cold Hollow Cider Mill – 3600 Waterbury-Stowe Road; 802-244-8771; coldhollow.com; farmhouse that smells like cider; provisions; fresh doughnuts made daily.
●Lackey’s – 109 Main Street; 802-253-7624; old-fashioned variety store from mid-1800s with original wood floor.
●Shaw’s General Store – 54 Main Street; 802-253-4040; heshaw.com; pick up rabbit fur hat or Icelandic wool sweater.
Sights & Sites
●Gold Brook Covered Bridge – Covered Bridge Road; vermontbridges.com/goldbrk.htm; also known as Stowe Hollow Bridge or Emily’s Bridge; small wooden covered bridge over Gold Brook; built in 1844; possibly haunted.
ORLEANS COUNTY
Greensboro (includes North Greensboro)
Shopping
●Cellars at Jasper Hill – 884 Garven Hill Road; 802-533-2566; cellarsatjasperhill.com; manmade caves where artisanal cheese is made.
●Hill Farmstead Brewery – 403 Hill Road (North Greensboro); 802-533-7450; hillfarmstead.com; limited edition, award-winning beers.
RUTLAND COUNTY
Chittenden
Hotels
●Mountain Top Inn – 195 Mountain Top Road; 802-483-2311; mountaintopinn.com.
Middletown Springs
Hotels
●Twin Farms – 549 Coy Hill Road; 802-235-3700; twinfarms.com; unique country estate get-away for all seasons situated on over 300 acres wildflower meadows, hardwood forests, ancient gardens, and private ponds; original 1795-era farmhouse and lodge converted into gracious living and dining rooms, plus 6 elegant guest suites; 10 freestanding guest cottages, each with their own interior design style; Farmhouse at Copper Hill provides an additional 4 suites; handsome pub, full fitness center, spa treatment facility, lakeside cabana, and Japanese-style Furo.
Pittsfield
Hotels
●Amee Farm – Route 100; 802-282-9880; ameefarm.com; less then 10 miles from Killington Resort, in Green Mountains; relaxed, elegant; fully restored farmhouse that accommodates 30; 40 scenic organic acres; waterfall, 2 ponds, and magnificent views; 12 bedrooms, Art Gallery, 3 sitting rooms, dining room, kitchen, and den with wireless access.
Rutland
Sights & Sites
●Green Mountain National Forest – 231 North Main Street (forest headquarters); 802-747-6700; fs.fed.us/r9/forests/greenmountain/index.htm; beaver, bear, moose, and white-tailed deer; also, extensive birdlife; make sure to traverse Robert Frost Interpretive Trail (well-marked on Route 125’s righthand side as you head east toward Snow Bowl, about halfway between Ripton and Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf Campus); among best walks is Sutton Pond destination.
●Hathaway Farm – 741 Prospect Hill Road; 802-775-2624; hathawayfarm.com; 12-acre corn maze, among other things.
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Middlesex
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
●Red Hen Baking Co. – 961B Route 2; 802-223-5200; redhenbaking.com; bakery café.
Montpelier
Sights & Sites
●Mount Moosalamoo – FR 32 (follow VT 100 to VT 125 West, go 9 miles then left on FR 32 and park on road near Moosalamoo Campground; near Lake Dunmore.
Waitsfield
Hotels
●Mad River Barn – 2849 Millbrook Road; 802-496-3310; madriverbarn.com; classic 1960s-style ski lodge attracts fanatical clientele; don’t expect (carpets and furniture tend toward threadbare); annex building is fancier but with less character; in winter, dinners are served in boisterous family style; in summer, mood is slightly more sedate but enhanced by beautiful pool short walk away in birch grove.
Restaurants
●Green Cup – 40 Bridge Street; 802-496-4963; reliably good bakery café and breakfast spot that recently began serving dinner; fantastic coconut cake.
Shopping
●Von Trapp Farmstead – 251 Common Road; 802-496-6100; vtcheese.com/members/vonTrapp/vonTrapp.html; cheese and organic milk products.
Warren
Hotels
●Pitcher Inn – 275 Main Street; 802-496-6350; pitcherinn.com; individually decorated rooms; ask for “Ski,” which has tree branches on ceiling, stone fireplace, and furniture custom-made from ski memorabilia; restaurant is best in area.
Waterbury (includes Waterbury Center)
Restaurants
●Alchemist – 23 South Main Street; 802-244-4120; alchemistbeer.com; brew pub with quite decent food and excellent beer.
●Hen of Wood – 92 Stowe Street; 802-244-7300; henofthewood.com; excellent food in beautiful setting (former grist mill next to rushing stream).
Services
●Green Mountain Club – 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road (Waterbury Center); 802-244-7037; greenmountainclub.org; has publications re hiking.
WINDHAM COUNTY
Brattleboro
Hotels
●Artist's Loft Bed & Breakfast – 103 Main Street, # 3; 802-257-5181; theartistsloft.com; cozy.
West Dover
Hotels
●Inn at Sawmill Farm – 7 Crosstown Road; 802-464-8131; theinnatsawmillfarm.com; classic mansion; cottages and suites.
Wilmington
Restaurants
●Dot’s – 3 West Main Street; 802-464-7284; dotsofvermont.com; housed in 1832 building; bacon cheeseburger and cherry apple crisp are outstanding.
WINDSOR COUNTY
Barnard
Hotels
●Twin Farms – 452 Royalton Turnpike; 802-234-9999 or 800-894-6327; twinfarms.com; isolation on 300 acres of farmland; freestanding cottages; Aviary Suite is latest addition; 1.1K' sq treehouse for 2 with floor-to-ceiling windows framing Green Mountain views; spa.
Services
●Twin Farms – 452 Royalton Turnpike; 802-234-9999; twinfarms.com; treatment to book is Honey Bliss (organic sugar scrub followed by body wrap using locally sourced honey).
Ludlow
Hotels
●Echo Lake Inn – 2 Dublin Road (on Route 100; 802-228-8602 or 800-356-6844; echolakeinn.com.
Quechee
Hotels
●Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm – 1 Izzo Place (White River Junction); 802-295-3133 or 800-235-3133; quecheeinn.com; nice.
Parks
●Quechee State Park – 764 Dewey Mills Road, White River Junction; vtstateparks.com/htm/quechee.cfm; contains Quechee Gorge, Vermont’s little Grand Canyon.
Shopping
●Simon Pearce – simonpearce.com; beautiful blown glass and ceramics.
Woodstock
Hotels
●Kedron Valley Inn – 10671 South Road (South Woodstock); 802-457-1473 or 800-836-1193; kedronvalleyinn.com.
●Woodstock Inn & Resort – 14 Green; 802-457-1100 or 800-448-7900; woodstockinn.com.
Sights & Sites
●Billings Farm & Museum – 5302 River Road; 802-457-2355; billingsfarm.org.
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