My wife and I are planning a trip to New England in October with another couple. We are arriving in Stowe Vermont the afternoon of 10/03. (we will stop by Ben and Jerry's on the way). We are looking for recommendations for things to see and do while in the area. My wife and her friend are newly retired school teachers who have always wanted to visit New England during the foilage season. We will move to North Conway NH for 2 days on 10/5. I am especially interested in good dinner recommendations. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

In Stowe, don't miss the dutch pancake house in Stowe in the Grey Fox Inn. 50 plus varities...uhm


The car ride through smuggler notch (at Mt. Mansfield) was cool too.

There's a great walking/biking/skating town path to explore.

Have fun.

Be sure to venture off the main roads and explore the back roads of Vermont. This is the Vermont that you see in the magazines. Jimapco makes some great detailed maps of Vermont.
Visit the Johnson Woolen Mill in Johnson. Take the gondola up Mount Mansfield. Visit Montpelier-take a tour of the state house and have lunch in one of the many great restaurants.

Have dinner at the Inn at Essex: New England Culinary Institute's formal dining room, Butler's. Prices are reasonable as it is a student-training facility, but this does not distract from the experience or the food. Everything was fantastic! Their casual dining restaurant was also very good.

As mentioned the Stowe Rec Path is nice, rent bikes. Also Smuggler Notch drive is nice and also there is a alpine slide if you like that sort of stuff. Also if you get bores drive abou 30 iles to Burlington great City on the lake with excellent downtown shopping and eating.

As mentioned the Stowe Rec Path is nice, rent bikes. Also Smuggler Notch drive is nice and also if there is a alpine slide if you like that sort of stuff. Also if you get bores drive abou 30 iles to Burlington great City on the lake with excellent downtown shopping and eating.

If you do go over to Burlington, stop at Boyden Valley Winery for a tasting. I wouldn't rush to Stowe, esp if your room won't be ready until later in the afternoon. I would aim for the Main Street Grill in Montpelier for lunch. It is also run by the Culinary Institute. On the same road as Ben and Jerry's, there's Cold Hollow Cider. You can see how cider is made and enjoy a sample. Across the parking lot is another gift shop where you can have a wine tasting. (We liked Boyden Velly wines better.) When we were in Stowe in late September there was a play at the local theater that was pretty good. The Great Vermont Corn Maze is located in Danville VT. It's a challenging bit of exercise. Drive thru Littleton NH on your way to N Conway. You can stop for homemade ice cream. We missed the popular penny candy place. Chutters? Depending on how you are getting to Stowe, you might also be within stopping distance of a Vermont Country Store. They are sure to have something you need to buy. I second the vote for breakfast at the Dutch Pancake House in Stowe. Also, the local restaurant next to the movie theater is great for traditional breakfasts.

Second the vote for Cold Hollow Cider Mill - and buy some of the apple cider vinagrette - It's delicious. There are some wineries on the other side of Smuggler's Notch that might be worth a visit

I have heard many great things about Mr. Pickwicks in Stowe. Have fun!!

Gracie's in Stowe is always a good meal and it is popular with the locals. Not too expensive and good menu selection. Make sure to take the gondola ride up the mountain. On a clear day you can see up into Canada and parts of NY and NH. Worth it if you are not afraid of heights.

Pie in the Sky is a good pizza place - you can rent bikes nearby and the rec trail goes right behind it. Cold Hollow also makes cider donuts if I remember correctly. Hot cider donuts are the best thing on a fall day in NE.

For dinner - check out the Mist Grill at the Grist Mill, in Waterbury, almost right across the street from Ben and Jerry's (www.mistgrill.com). Fabulous food and neat looking dining room. They also have an absolutely delicious brunch.

goodheart-Unfortunately, the Mist Grill is no more. Bummer.

Weird..the Mist Grill's website is still functional. But, it's definately not open anymore..

oh no BM - I am truly crushed to hear that!!!!! When did they close? I wonder what happened to the chef/owner, he was a friend of a friend.
I did make sure to check the website first before suggesting, since I hadn't been there in about a year, but as you said the site was working - oh well. So sad. They had the best brunch in the area, I think, even better than Sneakers and Penny cluse and NECI.

Another vote for the bike trail. The views of Mt. Mansfield, farms, a creek, wildflowers and fields make for a fantastic walk or bike ride!

The drive thru Smuggler's Notch is worth it. You can stop and walk around the grounds of the Von Trapp Lodge (where the original Von Trapps from "The Sound of Music" settled and built the inn). Maria Von Trapp is buried there. The views are phenomenal and there's a nice gift shop.

Have fun!

Goodheart-there was something in the Free Press during the summer that said something about a landlord/tenant dispute.
The news is now that apparently someone who is/was affilliated with Smokejacks in Burlington will be opening a new restaurant in that space.

bm - Thanks for the info, I checked out the Free Press articles and did my part in mourning the amazing brioche french toast & the heavenly mashed potatoes from the Mist grill. A friend of mine in Burlington had a distant family connection to the owner, so we had many great meals there, but we've both moved away since so hadn't heard. It's too bad, but I'll gladly check out the new place if the Smokejacks chef is in charge!

From the FP article I also learned about about the new place that took the Waiting Room's old space - Opus Grill. Have you eaten there? The menu looks rather similar in genre and pricing. I'm not sure when I'll get up to Burlington next, hopefully for a wedding next summer, but hopefully I can check it out then.

Terry - sorry for hijacking the thread, but let us know if you are interested in driving to Burlington for dinner and I think we can provide lots of recommendations!

Right near Exit 10 (Stowe exit) on Main Street in Waterbury is the Alchemist, a brew pub. It also has tasty, not expensive, pub food.
My favorite restaurant in Stowe is Foxfire (Italian). (Most of the restaurants in Stowe are overpriced and mediocre.)