KittyBob

We arrive in Rutland on May 22 and would like to explore before driving to CT. Would like suggestions on what region would likely have lots of history and opportunity to visit quaint villages. We would appreciate reommendations for high end country inns or B&B's. We are debating whether to stay in one for 2 nights, then move to another farther on for the 3rd night. Or, stay in the same one and take day trips. We are active seniors and love to hike, but not sure of the weather. What can we expect?
Many thanks for your help.
Kitty & Bob from California

escargot

I am partial to mid-Vermont, b/c I am most familiar with it - I love the area around Middlebury College - and the drive on Rte 7 from there to Burlington, VT -
Sheldon Museum, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Fort Ticonderoga, Mount Independence - lots of art, folk art, blacksmiths, glasswork - the Frog Hollow Craft in Middlebury -
hiking and walking trails - the Robert Frost trails - MIddlebury bowl area -

the area around Woodstock is also lovely -

I think the Middlebury area is about an hour from Rutland? not sure - but you could go up and then loop around and back down to Ct....

www.midvermont.com is a good site

We like the Swift House Inn

www.swifthouseinn.com

we like the rooms in the carriage house, but any of them are lovely -

our second choice is the Middlebury Inn

www.middleburyinn.com

MIddlebury is a lovely town - small, quaint, but also often offers excellent opportunity for great art show (Middlebury Museum of Art) or theater at the theater-arts center - if you end up there look at their web site and see what is happening -

dfnh

Escargot's recommendations are great. We split a week between northern VT (camping north of Burlington in Fairfax) and southern VT (camping not too far from Rutland). Since you might want to devote an entire day to the Shelburne Museum I would recommend spending a 3rd night further north. We spent the day at Shelburne on the day we changed locations. Burlington would be a great 3rd night with great restaurants and it's fun to shop the Church St market area, only pedestrians allowed, esp if something is happening there. Mid-May is generally the time apple orchards are in bloom in Central VT. You won't have trouble finding quaint villages since VT has a lot of agriculture and not as much industrial area like southern NH. Middlebury is a quaint college town - don't miss the pedestrian bridge. The weather could be anything in mid-may. My husband and FIL enjoyed the Billings Farm Museum in Woodstock. I didn't enjoy our last visit to Woodstock because it seems like all visitors from the big city. It's a beautiful town but expect upscale shops ... and it just doesn't seem like the real Vermont. The inn however might meet your criteria for high end. (I believe it's a Rockefeller property.) On the good side, we enjoyed hunting up a perennial nursery and our backroads journey from there to Woodstock took us through horse country. If you decide to stay someplace north for a night, the drive thru the Champlain islands takes about half a day (we started from the north, almost to Canada). Very, very rural like turning back the calendar. Timing was good for lunch in Burlington. You might check out Yankee magazine's website to see if there are any special events during your visit that you would like to attend.

dmv

I am from CT, and have visited VT many times-have friends in Dorset. I have recently stayed in Woodstock and enjoyed it very much. I think 2 nights in one area is fine. Woodstock Inn is really a hotel and I recommend it. Lovely small town with interesing shops, 5 miles away a must is Simon Pierce in Quechee, glass blowing demostration and wonderful restaurant for lunch or dinner. Also for great coffee and breakfast pastries Allechante on main st. When driving to CT Manchester Village is big on outlet shopping which i am not a fan, however Manchester Village is a great stop for lunch on way to CT, Where is CT are your heading?

carolyns

Hi KittyBob,
My recommendation is to head for Manchester, VT and the Hildene tour. Check it out at hildene.org It's the Lincoln family home, and since you love history, you'd love this place. The tour is great, and the gardens are beautiful with lots of weddings taking place here.
Also, check out the Vermont Country Store in nearby Weston, Vermont. You'd love this place, with lots of products you'd remember as a kid, plus lots of old fashioned candies. You can find this place online as well. It's definitely worth the trip.
Can't make recommendations for B&Bs or hotels, but the other tips posted here sound great.
Have a great time.

Ackislander

Better take a coat. Better take stout shoes or hiking boots. It will be great for car touring, but it is, I think, still mud season, and it will be cool for most Californians. It will also be lovely.

zootsi

Rutland puts you in the heart of Vermont, close to great hiking and siteseeing. Unfortunately Rutland itself is perhaps the least desirable place to be in Vermont, it's somewhat of a small grimy mill town with it's share of problems. However, drive 10 minutes in any direction and you are in god's country. I wouldn't choose to stay any nights in Rutland. You will find quaint villages nearly everywhere - Dorset, Saxtons River, Grafton, Waitsfield, etc. Woodstock is worth a visit (yes it's 'cutesy touristy', but still fun, and Billings Farm Museum is wonderful).For lodging, the Old tavern at Grafton is about as charming as you can find. Marshland farm at Quechee is also very nice, as is the Round Barn b&b in Waitsfield (very beautiful setting).
As for hiking, the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail both weave thru the state, and there are countless other hikes. One fairly easy one is the trail up Mt. Tom in Woodstock. From here there are also trails that lead to the Rockefeller Estate across the road from Billings Farm. As for the weather, late May is usually pleasant, however it's the beginning of black fly season, so you may need lots of repellent if it's a calm day.

irishswampyankee

Rt. 100 which runs N/S through VT is a lovely drive that goes through several quaint villages.

travelgourmet

As someone who grew up in the area, I would also not base myself in Rutland. I would consider heading out to Fort Ticonderoga and then work my way south to Manchester, perhaps shelling out for the Equinox if you would like to try for a grand country hotel experience. There are also plenty of other high-end inns and B&Bs in the area, and the restaurants in the area are the best around.

Further towards the CT line lies Arlington, which likely fits the bill of a quaint village, and makes a reasonable stop on the way out of the area.

The weather should be nice, if a bit cool at night. Given the amount of snow this year, it will likely still be muddy, so leave the Prada loafers at home.

Enjoy.

colbeck

You have been offered some
outstanding suggestions! I agree about nixing Rutland. Are you flying there?

My first choice, as outlined by escargot, would be the Middlebury/Addison County area. However, Middlebury College Commencement is that weekend, and there will be no rooms available for miles around, even in Brandon, which is located between Rutland and Middlebury. The Addison County Chamber of Commerce (www.midvermont.com) has an excellent website, which includes housing information and assistance.

As UVM's Commencement is the prior weekend, you may have better luck finding a B&B in the Shelburne area, so you could be close to the Shelburne Museum. You have to pass through Middlebury to get to the Burlington/Shelburne area, so perhaps you could spend some touring time on the way.

Otherwise, I would agree with the others that either the Woodstock or Manchester/Dorset area would be my choice -- closer to CT too. Keep in mind, though, it is Memorial Day weekend, so every area will be busy.

Good luck and have a great trip!

escargot

Well if that is commencement weekend for MIddlebury, as the parent of a past graduate, you may have too look more than an hour away for a hotel - there are just not that many rooms nearby - I know they've built a new hotel on the road into MIddlebury, but still, plenty of graduates parents were treking to Burlington for their rooms -

good call to check on all college commencements in the area - my other child's is this year on Memorial Day weekend, and for some reason in my mind that was later in the month - but in fact this is the same weekend for us - (why oh why do they plan them on Memorial Day wknd......like there are not enough people on the roads !! )

too bad, the MIddlebury/mid vermont is one of my favorites - but even the restaurants will be an absolute zoo that week/weekend ....

bhonoreh

I agree with someone else's suggestion about the Vermont Country Store in Weston. It is a must! They also have a good restaurant. While in Weston, you should go into the Weston Playhouse. It is lovely overlooking a waterfall. Also, in Weston is the Weston Priory, a Benedtictine Monastery, which even for the non-religous people is quite an experience, they have a great gift shop too! And the grounds and gardens just says Vermont in every way.

In my opinion, The Old Tavern in Grafton is quite snooty.....all relative I guess.

escargot

Look at all these fabulous, historic and gorgeous places to visit ! ..... I think you need a week in Vermont ! - fly in on May 18 and head to CT on May 22 before the graduations begin and you can stop in western Mass on your way to CT

KittyBob

Many thanks to all of you who were so prompt in giving suggestions for our brief trip. The reason for May 22 date and Rutland: We start an Elderhostel program in RI (2 nights), then ME (2 nights. We finish up on May 22 in Brandon for two nights. We want to rent a car and assume that would be Rutland. Too bad about Middlebury graduation -- it's tough enough to fight the Memorial Day crowds.

So, what about going north to Stowe? It seems like we could do day trips for two days from there. Has anyone ever checked out the Stone Hill Inn which seems to get excellent reviews on TripAdvisor? My only impression is that it might cater to a much younger crowd.

Would there be any chance of finding a B&B in Quechee or West Dover area? We could stay in Vermont for one more night. We will go to Essex, CT.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and hopefully more will come in now that there are some hurdles to overcome.
Kitty and Bob

RetiredVermonter

Is this your visit to our state?

We're retirees who moved here from another state a few years ago. We live in a rural area, on several acres atop a ridge, and we LOVE it here.

May should be a nice time to be here. It's after "mud season", which can be nasty, with mud everywhere, especially on dirt roads. It should not be hot yet, but our record-setting snow should all be gone by then, too! Black flies MAY be around in remote areas, but they may not be quite here yet.

We camped here before we had children, and then camped with them for about 30 years. The state parks are extraordinary, many with good quality leanto's, and most in wooded or semi-open areas, with separation between sites so you sometimes almost cannot SEE another site.

One B&B you might enjoy is The Maple Leaf Inn, in Barnard, not far from Woodstock (which is a bit touristy, but is also a lovely place to visit and shop in). You can find Maple Leaf Inn on line for more info. It looks like an old inn, but it was built a few years ago specifically to LOOK like that, while offering modern conveniences like heated floors in the bathrooms (very nice), hot tubs in some or all of their rooms, real fireplaces laid every day just so you need only open the damper and strike a match, lovely breakfasts, and hosts who truly enjoy their guests.

Vermont abounds in "quaint villages", of course, and several other people have already given you suggestions. I agree about The Vermont Country Store in Weston (and the Bryant House next door is nice for lunch) OR the Vermont Country Store a mile or two from I-91 on Route 103. Both offer zillions of yummy samples of foods, by the way!

If you're curious about how maple syrup is made, you might enjoy the New England Maple Museum, in Pittsford, north of Rutland, on Route 7.

I assume you have or will obtain a Vermont state map. I suggest you check Vermont out on line and ask for a package of map and other info. (We always do that before we go on trips, too, like when we decided to go to Yellowstone a couple of years ago.)

Care to share additional specifics about what you want to do?

RetiredVermonter

Sorry for the typo! I meant to ask if this was your FIRST visit!

dfnh

For the Quechee area, check college graduation dates for Dartmouth (Hanover NH) and Norwich. You might run into the same problem.
Add my vote for a stop at the Vermont Country Store. There is always some gadget you won't find anywhere else. Check hours, the one in Weston might be closed on Sundays. I think Stowe is a little remote for good day tripping. There's a lot in the area like the Ben & Jerry's factory tour, art galleries, most south of Stowe. It's very rural between Stowe and Burlington but there's Boyden Valley Winery. The state spreads out at its northern end so travel time expands but things to do don't.

colbeck

You are in luck! Dartmouth's graduation is not until June 6th. In Quechee Village itself there is the Parker House Inn (www.theparkerhouseinn.com). I have never been inside, but it looks very nice,and is so convenient to Simon Pearce glassblowing, whose restaurant is a must for lunch or dinner.

On the west side of Woodstock, just off Rt. 4, is the Jackson House Inn (www.JacksonHouse.com), which is a lovely old inn with many recent renovations.

In the quaint little village of South Woodstock is the charming, very old, Kedron Valley Inn (www.kedronvalleyinn). I stayed there years ago while attending a horse show at the nearby Green Mountain Horse Association grounds and loved it.

All three of these Inns have good websites to check out. They all also have availability that weekend.

The Inn at Round Barn (www.roundbarninn.com), in the Mad River Valley is a wonderful place, but at that time of year you would probably find more to do in the Woodstock area.

Have a wonderful trip!

bnbtraveler

We stayed at the Queechee Inn At Marshland Farms many times, but it has been years. I do say Simon Pearce is great and a wonderful place to eat. We did eat there last May. It is minutes for the Queechee Inn and downtown Woodstock not far either!

bhonoreh

Just so you know, if you do decide to visit Weston, the Vermont Country Store is now open on Sundays as well as the Bryant House Restaurant.