Prettiest a most picturesque town/restr & drive in Vermont?
Sep 23rd, 2011, 10:04 AM
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Prettiest a most picturesque town/restr & drive in Vermont?
I'm really challenging you now
But we'll be spending a few days in Vermont and I'm looking for the most charming New England spots you can see along the way. I'm sure we'll be surrounded by it. But if you know of any particular places that you found to be extra special and really picturesque, please share. Maybe a great kodak moment or a really cute coffee house or a New Englandish restaurant somewhere. We haven't planned our route out completely so we're open for suggestions Start sharing!
But we'll be spending a few days in Vermont and I'm looking for the most charming New England spots you can see along the way. I'm sure we'll be surrounded by it. But if you know of any particular places that you found to be extra special and really picturesque, please share. Maybe a great kodak moment or a really cute coffee house or a New Englandish restaurant somewhere. We haven't planned our route out completely so we're open for suggestions Start sharing!
Sep 24th, 2011, 02:31 AM
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Visit a farmers market. They're not all on Saturday mornings but check their websites for a vendor list. We went to Brattleboro the week after Irene (amazing clean up by volunteers) and enjoyed lunch at some of the ethnic food booths. Get fresh apples and/or baked good for snacks.
If you like pizza, visit Pizza on Earth in Charlotte. Make sure you have good directions and check their website for when they are open. It's a bake shop on a farm in the middle of nowhere.
Brandon is very picturesque and artsy. Can't remember when they do their harvest people but check road conditions. The downtown was damaged by flooding. Middlebury is a beautiful college town.
Simon Pearce has re-opened in Quechee! See flooding on YouTube. Incredible destruction. If you don't have deep pockets, go for lunch. Very elegant, gourmet menu served on their pottery and glassware. Quechee is near the popular Woodstock which is considered one of the quaintest town in VT but it's a tourist town and not my favorite. Depends on if you want to bump into New Yorkers or Vermonters. However, there's a dirt road near Woodstock that went past some horse farms. Sorry, I'll never remember exactly where it was. DH had traced a route from a perennial nursery I wanted to visit to Woodstock where we planned to have lunch. We use the DeLorme Vt state atlas and gazetteer which shows all roads including seasonal.
Check road conditions in southern VT since some are still closed because of flooding. Not all the picturesque covered bridges were washed away but some were.
Northern VT, if you want to do some fun hiking, the Great Vermont Corn Maze in Danville VT. I wouldn't even try to drive between Montpelier and Stowe on a weekend due to crowds.
Everybody likes stopping at Vermont Country Store. There are 2 locations. Get there early, it's always crowded. Fun free food samples and gadgets you need to buy.
Norwich is pretty and if you bake, visit King Arthur Flour. Great shop and lots of ingredients you can't find anywhere else.
Probably the very best of rural VT is the drive thru the Champlain Islands. We started from the north one morning and were in Burlington by lunch time. We did not stop for photo ops but there are some popular places for bird watching.
Get a copy of the Vermont wine and cheese trail and make a visit to one of the places. We actually haven't done this but I'm pretty sure you'll encounter an interesting farm, beautiful back roads that aren't crowded.
Peacham is probably the most popular Kodak spot. I'd visit Jeff Folger's website to see photos he has taken in VT and see some of the routes he takes.
The place I want to visit: Hardwick. After reading The Town that Food Saved by Ben Hewitt, it would be fun to look up some of the places that are open to the public. I garden so I would like to visit and purchase seeds at High Mowing Farm. If you garden, Gardeners Supply near Burlington is a great store and has display gardens.
Burlington is always fun thanks to Church Street. If you want to take the ferry you can go over to NY for a visit to Ausable Chasm. I like it better than NH's Flume because there's a boat ride at the end. But it's pricey.
If you like pizza, visit Pizza on Earth in Charlotte. Make sure you have good directions and check their website for when they are open. It's a bake shop on a farm in the middle of nowhere.
Brandon is very picturesque and artsy. Can't remember when they do their harvest people but check road conditions. The downtown was damaged by flooding. Middlebury is a beautiful college town.
Simon Pearce has re-opened in Quechee! See flooding on YouTube. Incredible destruction. If you don't have deep pockets, go for lunch. Very elegant, gourmet menu served on their pottery and glassware. Quechee is near the popular Woodstock which is considered one of the quaintest town in VT but it's a tourist town and not my favorite. Depends on if you want to bump into New Yorkers or Vermonters. However, there's a dirt road near Woodstock that went past some horse farms. Sorry, I'll never remember exactly where it was. DH had traced a route from a perennial nursery I wanted to visit to Woodstock where we planned to have lunch. We use the DeLorme Vt state atlas and gazetteer which shows all roads including seasonal.
Check road conditions in southern VT since some are still closed because of flooding. Not all the picturesque covered bridges were washed away but some were.
Northern VT, if you want to do some fun hiking, the Great Vermont Corn Maze in Danville VT. I wouldn't even try to drive between Montpelier and Stowe on a weekend due to crowds.
Everybody likes stopping at Vermont Country Store. There are 2 locations. Get there early, it's always crowded. Fun free food samples and gadgets you need to buy.
Norwich is pretty and if you bake, visit King Arthur Flour. Great shop and lots of ingredients you can't find anywhere else.
Probably the very best of rural VT is the drive thru the Champlain Islands. We started from the north one morning and were in Burlington by lunch time. We did not stop for photo ops but there are some popular places for bird watching.
Get a copy of the Vermont wine and cheese trail and make a visit to one of the places. We actually haven't done this but I'm pretty sure you'll encounter an interesting farm, beautiful back roads that aren't crowded.
Peacham is probably the most popular Kodak spot. I'd visit Jeff Folger's website to see photos he has taken in VT and see some of the routes he takes.
The place I want to visit: Hardwick. After reading The Town that Food Saved by Ben Hewitt, it would be fun to look up some of the places that are open to the public. I garden so I would like to visit and purchase seeds at High Mowing Farm. If you garden, Gardeners Supply near Burlington is a great store and has display gardens.
Burlington is always fun thanks to Church Street. If you want to take the ferry you can go over to NY for a visit to Ausable Chasm. I like it better than NH's Flume because there's a boat ride at the end. But it's pricey.
Sep 24th, 2011, 04:24 AM
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"Best" will vary by week and foliage calender
might monitor www.vermontvacations.com
In general, higher elevations will offer the most panoramic views of emerging color across the valleys, and many low-lying marsh areas will offer some of the most vivid and varied early season change.In northern Vermont, try Route 114 from Lyndonville north: Routes 5 and 5A north from Lyndonville; Route 2 from West Danville to Lunenburg; Route 242 near Jay Peak, and Route 100 between North Hyde Park and Troy. Interstate 91 between Orleans and Derby is showing good color in the roadside maples, with developing color on Routes 105 and 5A. Also recommended are the Burke Mountain Toll Road and back roads in the East Burke, Barnet and Peacham Elsewhere in the state, Interstate 89 from Woodstock to Bolton offers long views of orange, red and yellow foliage along the hillsides. Colorful foliage can also be found on Route 108 between Stowe and Cambridge, Route 100 between Warren and Waterbury, and Route 12 between Montpelier and Elmore. A good place to see brightening ash foliage is along Route 64 near the intersection with Route 12 between Williamstown and Northfield.Mountain gap roads are always a good bet. Try Route 17 over the Appalachian Gap between Waitsfield and Starksboro, and Route 125 between Middlebury and Hancock.Other central Vermont options include: Route 4 west from West Bridgewater to Killington to Sherburne Pass (also the Killington Access Rd); Route 103 north from Ludlow to Route 7; Route 140 west from Mt. Holly to Wallingford; and Route 155 north from Weston to East Wallingford.
might monitor www.vermontvacations.com
In general, higher elevations will offer the most panoramic views of emerging color across the valleys, and many low-lying marsh areas will offer some of the most vivid and varied early season change.In northern Vermont, try Route 114 from Lyndonville north: Routes 5 and 5A north from Lyndonville; Route 2 from West Danville to Lunenburg; Route 242 near Jay Peak, and Route 100 between North Hyde Park and Troy. Interstate 91 between Orleans and Derby is showing good color in the roadside maples, with developing color on Routes 105 and 5A. Also recommended are the Burke Mountain Toll Road and back roads in the East Burke, Barnet and Peacham Elsewhere in the state, Interstate 89 from Woodstock to Bolton offers long views of orange, red and yellow foliage along the hillsides. Colorful foliage can also be found on Route 108 between Stowe and Cambridge, Route 100 between Warren and Waterbury, and Route 12 between Montpelier and Elmore. A good place to see brightening ash foliage is along Route 64 near the intersection with Route 12 between Williamstown and Northfield.Mountain gap roads are always a good bet. Try Route 17 over the Appalachian Gap between Waitsfield and Starksboro, and Route 125 between Middlebury and Hancock.Other central Vermont options include: Route 4 west from West Bridgewater to Killington to Sherburne Pass (also the Killington Access Rd); Route 103 north from Ludlow to Route 7; Route 140 west from Mt. Holly to Wallingford; and Route 155 north from Weston to East Wallingford.
Sep 24th, 2011, 04:26 AM
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Sep 24th, 2011, 04:35 AM
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Sep 24th, 2011, 05:18 AM
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I was going to suggest one of my favorite spots not mentioned by others, the Coolidge historic site in Plymouth Notch. Unfortunately it is temporarily closed due to flooding damage in the area. It may reopen by the time of your visit
Vermont has made LOTS of progress in repairing the damage from Tropical Storm Irene a month ago but there are still road closures and construction delays, so check for those before heading out.
http://www.511vt.com/
In general, the southern and central parts of the state were most affected, and the Champlain Valley and northern areas escaped serious flood damage
Look out for towns sponsoring special meals and events during foliage season, especially chicken pie suppers!
Vermont has made LOTS of progress in repairing the damage from Tropical Storm Irene a month ago but there are still road closures and construction delays, so check for those before heading out.
http://www.511vt.com/
In general, the southern and central parts of the state were most affected, and the Champlain Valley and northern areas escaped serious flood damage
Look out for towns sponsoring special meals and events during foliage season, especially chicken pie suppers!
Feb 17th, 2012, 02:20 AM
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As long as this thread is coming up again, I will give an update re roads in Vermont: all the state highways have all reopened after the damage caused by Irene. it is quite remarkable that so much work was done to repair them so quickly.
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