Hi,
Just beginning to plan a week long vacation in Vermont during Oct 2011 and we would appreciate some itinerary ideas and specific lodging recommendations. Fly/drive from Burlington. Maybe a couple of pretty towns to base from and a final night near the airport.. Wife and I are in our 60s and would like to see the fall foliage, beautiful scenery, and nice small towns.

We do not like most B&Bs or jam packed big resorts and would prefer moderate to upscale modern lodging if they exist. Maybe an especially nice lodge? Or an in-town motel/hotel in a picturesque town. Realizing there will be lots of tourists there during this timeframe, we do enjoy getting away from the crowd on easy hikes and pretty drives. Observing wildlife a plus. That said, we enjoy nice towns with great shops and restaurants too. We would appreciate any comments and ideas. Thanks, Ross

The first week in VT is probably the best for color in northern VT (I live in NH). Several years ago we stayed at the Golden Eagle resort in Stowe. It's really a very nice motel on a large property but convenient to the downtown area. Our unit in the back overlooked a small pond.

If you are coming 2nd week of Oct I would head further south, maybe Middlebury area. We love the town of Brandon but usually camp. A friend recommends the small inns and b&bs in Brandon.

It's a long drive from Burlington so if you are splitting your week between two locations I would also suggest driving north from Burlington and then driving south on the Lake Champlain islands. It's basically nice scenery. We were back in Burlington in time for lunch. If you bird watch and/or hike you might want to take a picnic lunch and spend more time in this area.

We use a VT Atlas and Gazetteer published by Delorme. You should find one in any bookstore and other places. It contains very detailed road maps including seasonal roads and the location of waterfalls and covered bridges.

Book your lodgings ASAP.

Despite living most of my life here, I rarely see wildlife while driving except for deer and wild turkeys. Please use the rule of thumb that if you see one, there might be more coming behind it. We recently stopped for some wild turkeys and it took a while for the last of the little chicks to make it across the road.

The best time for seeing wildlife seems to be early day and late, almost dusk when they are feeding in fields. It has to be quiet and you have to spend time looking. We see most of the wildlife from our window or while out in the yard (yesterday 4 Eastern coyote pups).

Thanks for the ideas. We will check out Golden Eagle and also Brandon. ...Ross

Look at Woodstock Inn in Woodstock, Grafton Inn in Grafton, the Equinox Hotel in Manchester Village, Many more beautiful inns ..Book immediately. Hope you are able to get some reservations as many book a year in advance.

You are starting late !! Hope you can find accomodations that meet your needs. When there several years ago, it was part of a summertime trip back to visit family in other parts of New England, and stayed just a few days in VT. Really enjoyed the Burlington / Shelburne area.

http://www.yankeefoliage.com/

Check out itineraries, maps and other info on Yankee Foliage site ...... good info for leaf peeper trip.

route 100 and 100a will cover the spine of Vermont and many of the picturesque villages.

We always drive 100 and 100a in foliage season, a beautiful valley up the center of Vermont. Staying in Woodstock would give you access to it.

Good advice, all. Given the comments re a late start, we are now considering visiting during off season when its not so crowded. We have visited New Hampshire (years ago) and lived in Maine for a couple years but never made it to Vermont. Meanwhile, our Florida summer has entered gnat season and our air conditioner runs almost continuously.
Thanks so much for your help.