We have 5 days over July 4th to tour, kayak, bike and hike in the Northern Vermont area. We are driving up from Boston and have already been to Woodstock. We prefer B and B's ($125-175 range) and picnics and seafood. Any local hints are appreciated!

There's an area north of Burlington called the Intervale (I think) where Gardener's Supply is located. I've seen biking/kayaking info for this area. Very pleasant. There's also a route thru the Champlain islands. Takes a 1/2 day by car (taking our time).
Later in the summer, the Great Vermont Corn Maze in Danville is great fun and very challenging. Miss Lyndonville Diner has good fried seafood. Then you can head across the state line to the homemade ice cream place in Littleton NH.
There's a lot of farming along Lake Champlain so fresh produce is readily available. Visit food coops and health food stores. Fresh berries and yogurt is very yummy. We usually travel with a state atlas and gazetteer published by DeLorme. This gives the location for good biking and hiking trails, covered bridges and waterfalls.

Thanks so much for the great ideas! We will definitely put the top down on the car and cruise the islands. It sounds like we should make our base camp Burlington then? We usually stay away from the cities, but this sounds like a good option in this case. I love the idea of fresh produce for our picnics!

It may depend on where you want to have dinner. Burlington is full of interesting restaurants some of which are on Church St which is closed to traffic. It makes a wonderful area for pedestrians and small events. You might enjoy wandering around in the evening depending on what is going on. I think however that there's only one hotel that overlooks Lake Champlain. The rest are in the high traffic areas near the college and shopping plazas. We camped in Fairfax which is a very quiet, small town. If I'm going to stay in a city I like to be where I can walk out of the hotel to things and I don't think any of the Burlington hotels qualify. If you still have to get in your car to drive someplace, you might as well choose a quieter area. Have a great trip!

There are two hotels in downtown Burlington. The Wyndham, which is undergoing a rehab to be turned into a Hilton, and the brand new Marriott Courtyard. Both have gorgeous views of the lake. In Burlington, try the Lang House or the Willard St. Inn for inn/b&b type lodging.
The islands would also be a great base for your trip. I'm not familiar with lodging up there (other than camping). Be sure to bike in Causeway Park in Colchester as well. It's beautiful!

Green River Reservoir is a great place to paddle (no motor boats). It is located less than a half hour from Stowe.

Thanks again everyone for your help! We just returned from 5 days in Shelburne and the Bolton Valley. We had a great time! Unfortunately, due to weather, we missed the Stowe Balloon Festival. We loved the drive from Smuggler's Notch into Stowe. There were stunning views. We really enjoyed Shelburne Farms and Shelburne Museum. My husband and I are more nature people than museum people, but these were REALLY worth seeing. We also took the Causeway walk from Colchester, 8 miles round trip, but flat and easy and beautiful. It is free and you literally walk almost all the way across Lake Champlain with 360 degree views of the Adirondacks and Green Mountains. We also loved our trip through the Champlain Islands and want to bike parts of it next time. There is so much to see and do in Vermont, it is remarkable. We spent five days in May just in the Woodstock area, taking our time off the highways and through the very scenic mountain roads. We can't wait to go back! We had a lovely dinner at Gracie's in Stowe, their pulled pork is to die for.