susanbanna

My family will be traveling to Vermont mid Oct for 2 nights. We are interested in Woodstock. Can anyone suggest a place to stay that they really like. We are open to B&B's as well as Inns or hotels. I think we are looking for the Vermont experience.
Thanks in advance for your help.

dfrostnh

Sorry, we live too close and haven't been to a B&B in Vermont in several years. Woodstock is a beautiful town but I wouldn't choose it for a Vermont experience. I like Middlebury much better. It's a college town with some interesting shops and restaurants. We love the drive between Middlebury and Burlington because of the lake and wonderful farmland with the Green Mountains in the distance. I would check a schedule of events for Vermont and choose something you'll enjoy doing. A Vermont experience can range from dining at Simon Pearce in Queechee to the wonderful diner in Middlebury (or nearby Dog Team Tavern) or the wonderful diner in Lyndon. Yankee Magazine's website might give you some ideas. IMHO Woodstock has too many visitors and not enough Vermonters. Of course, Vermont is small enough that you can cover a lot of territory on daily drives.

bm

I agree with dfrostnh - Woodstock is not where I would go for a "Vermont Experience". As a native Vermonter, I've only been to Woodstock to drive through on the way across Route 4. It's a tourist town. You see way more out of state cars than in-state. It is very pretty though, and there seems to be lots to do in the area. The Billings Farm National Historic Park looks great-I'd like to go there myself.
The Middlebury suggestion is a great one. Stay at the Middlebury Inn. It's right in town and you can walk to restaurants, shops etc. The Dog Team is a good suggestion for dinner - it is certainly a unique restaurant.
Whatever you decide, have fun!

Incognito

IMHO, Middleburry, Stowe and Burlington are much better for a Vermont experience than Woodstock.

LuvMaine

I agree with those who have said to forget about Woodstock, but I would add Bennington and Brattleboro to the suggestions.

zootsi

As a local, I'll give my opinion on Woodstock. It's a charming, somewhat touristy town that is largely controlled by the Rockefellers. Most visitors seem to love it. there are some very good restaurants, nice shops, and a picture perfect green. It's certainly not a 'true Vermont'town, but is a very nice place to stay. Five minutes out of town and you are in the Vermont countryside. For more rural places to stay, the Inn at Marshland Farm, and the Kedron Valley Inn are both very nice, and are in picturesque country settings minutes from Woodstock.
Burlington is a small city, complete with surrounding strip malls. A very beautiful city, but still a city. Brattleboro is a somewhat funky small city mostly populated with ex-New York 'free spirits' - a fun place to visit, but not my first choice for a Vermont experience.

LuvMaine

One of the best things about Brattleboro is that it has a superb restaurant in TJ Buckley's. Reservations are a must. It is a former very small diner, and people come from near and far.

Jacqueline1212

I think it would be fine to stay in the Woodstock area. You could then drive along Rt. 100 either north through the Sugarbush/Waitsfield area towards Montpelier and Stowe or south towards Bennington. Both directions will take you through some picturesque small towns. I'm assuming that you are more interested in small towns than cities. If not, then Burlington is a good suggestion but it is a city with some sprawl but it does have the lake.

Leahalett

If you want to travel route 100 then i suggest starting more south like near brattleboro and driving up. The Weston area is really really nice. i am a local from chester. Chester is famous for its stone village and quaint little inns and shops. i would say that is real vermont. it is just off of route 100 on route 11 about 15-20 miles from weston. Raspberry's and thyme is a greart resturaunt and the Fullerton inn is beautiful place to stay. In weston which is famous for the playhouse and the vermont country store it is a very small vermont town but very popular the colonail house inn and motel is nice. you can then drive north thru ludlow on rt. 100 and to plymouth(calvin coolidge birthplace), to killington and woodstock. My one major suggestion is this.... i have worked at inns and in the service industry in vermont for a long time, in mid OCt. it is foliage season and very busy. I would definately suggest making a reservation someplace a head of time, all too often i see people looking for a quaint little inn to stay at during this time of year and they are all booked up. Have a great time in Vermont.

tovarich

Last year we did the 6 New England states and we stayed in Shelburne and Bennington.You shoulf absolutelu visit the Shelburne museum. Wonderful.Paul