rtwin80days

Hi fodorites,

DH and I have a last minute plan to spend 3-4 days over upcoming Labor Day in Vermont. The plan is to leave early morning Friday 1st Sep and drive back on Monday early evening 4th Sep. As it is a busy holiday, places are filling up fast and we got the best inn that we could. It happens to be in Killington, which I think should be central enough for us to get around.

This is my first visit. Husband had visited with friends for couple of short hiking trips with friends few years ago.

We are looking forward to immerse in natural beauty, scenic vistas, relaxation, sampling good food (we are lacto-vegetarians though), a bit of hiking, biking, possibly a cruise on the lake if it is not a tourist trap, driving around solely for the pleasure of a good drive, etc.

Quick qs:

1. Any tips for enjoying Vermont to the fullest, especially during first week of September? No Skiing, no fall colors yet...what special things can we do to make the most of this time of the year?

2. Is it true it gets cold in Vermont, even in first week of September? Do we need to carry a light sweater or so?

3. Given our interests, what places / events / routes would you advise us to check out?

4. Inputs on a beautiful drive from Middlesex county New Jersey to Killington on friday the 1st Sep? Longer slower route is fine, we are aiming to enjoy the drive.

5. Any restaurants, cafes recommendations for us, given we are lacto-vegetarians with tolerance for occasional eggs as ingredients?

J62

I live half way between NJ & VT and we're already wearing long sleeves at night/mornings.

You can check the weather on the internet or smart phone app before you travel to see the latest forecast.

dfrostnh

I am a big fan of the Saturday farmers market in Norwich VT which isn't very far from Killington. Norwich is a beautiful small town. King Arthur Flour has a wonderful store and café on the same road plus in between the two is a very nice small farm stand where I found an interesting variety of dried beans. I'm thinking it may have been about this time last year that I visited with the specific objective of buying fresh melons. Several vendors had them. I liked the variety Hannah's Choice best. You can enjoy sampling some of the products like the jams and pickles. There are some wonderful pastries. There is also music at the market with a central area where people sit to enjoy. Look for the vendor who sells homemade popsicles. The sign is small and the flavors unusual.

On the way to Killington, I would stop at Scott Farm Apple Orchard. I haven't been there yet but I'm going to compare it with a similar local orchard that grows a large variety of heirloom apples. Our local orchard lists apples by when they are available which would help narrow down pre-visit choosing. http://scottfarmvermont.com/

Find the Warren Country Store for lunch. They have some vegetarian sandwiches plus a small deck for dining that overlooks a small gorge. Walk out back for a slightly bigger gorge. It's fascinating.

If it's warm enough for swimming there are quite a few "swimming holes" through out VT. We picnicked by the one just outside Bristol (Lincoln Gap). You can't see the little waterfall unless you park and walk a short ways. Big kids jump off the granite ledges.

St. Gaudens in NH is fairly close and very interesting. I think you might agree with me that Woodstock is a tourist trap.

You might want to check out Poverty Lane Orchards and Farnum Hill Ciders over in NH but check to see if they are open Labor Day weekend.

Yes, you might want a sweater for evenings. It starts to cool off in the late afternoon. You can get a DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer for VT at many gas stations, bookstores, etc. We find it helpful for the times we take a road that just looks interesting and, in VT, some of those roads aren't paved. Although we can use my phone gps, dh likes to get an overview of where we are and where we might be headed.

Ackislander

Good advice above.

I would cross the Hudson further north than the Tappan Zee. Last week, we drove NY 22 from the Thruway to central Vermont, and it was green, pleasant and free of traffic. You can cut over to Bennington, then Brattleboro. The road between the two, eastbound, has fantastic views. Westbound, it's just a hill.

It's nice that you can stay centrally. You can easily day trip to Woodstock (upscale picturesque), Brattleboro (hippie picturesque), Montpelier (America's smallest state capitol, foodie), Ben and Jerry's in what I call Lower Stowe because it is a long, grueling haul through traffic to Upper Stowe (cute shops). Lower Stowe is just off I-89. Halldene, Lincoln's son's house in Manchester is very interesting but the town is packed with cars for local "bargain" malls and not recommended. VT 10 is widely recommended and a great drive. Even the I paved roads are in good condition and have great scenery.

This will be farm stand time, library sale time, yard sale time, and, if you are lucky, church and firehouse pancake breakfast or dinner time.

Expect waits in places like Queechee and Woodstock. It's a small state and a lot of the waitstaff and shop staff have gone back to College. There will be a lot of college migration traffic.

In addition to crisp mornings and evenings, it may rain. I think a cotton sweater and a rain jacket will be optimal.

Every time I go to Vermont, I love it more. It's very different from NH and Maine.

gail

I live 20 miles north of Boston and am wearing a fleece this AM. Something warmer than a light sweater.

Your Friday and Monday travel times are likely to have traffic. But not constant, and it sounds like you are willing to work around it and just deal with it. Beyond that, no specific routing.

HappyTrvlr

Killington is a very good location. You can jump on Rt.100 and drive north theough beautiful scenery. Enjoy this beautiful state, one of favorites in the US.

SusieQQ

If you would like to see something historic and unique then visit the Calvin Coolidge birthplace.


http://historicsites.vermont.gov/directory/coolidge