JulieAA

My husband and I are taking advantage of his company's vacation home at Stratton Mountain this September for a week. We are excited as we have never been to Vermont before. I have read what posts I could find on southern Vermont (not too many) and copied down the good suggestions I have read. If there are things happening between September 6-13 that you think we shouldn't miss, or restaurants that haven't been mentioned yet, please let me know. We think we will go to NYC before and aren't sure how long it will take to drive up there. Should we fly into NY and rent a car? How long does it take to drive up there? I'm in the early planning stages right now, but don't want to miss anything. THANKS
JulieAA

dfnh

Mapquest would give you an idea of the driving time. I'm guessing 5 hours. Keep in mind you can add several hours to that estimate if you travel to/from NYC on a Friday, Sat or Sun. Manchester NH might have a good fare. (drive time ap prox 2 hr 45 min but mapquest takes you up to Concord then rt 89 to rt 9, I think it would be faster to take Rt 101 thru Peterborough etc) The weather could be gorgeous during that time frame - you could go kayaking, biking, etc. It depends on the kind of vacation you want to have. Relaxing or adventuresome?

JulieAA

Thanks DFNH. I'll look into flying into Manchester as you suggest as an alternative. As for the type of vacation, I would like to have a little of both - relaxing and adventuresome. Plus, we do enjoy good meals if there are special places to go. I noticed the earlier posts about raptor demonstrations, etc., which my husband will be very interested in. Kayaking and biking are both possibilities as well, although I'm more of a runner and hiker myself.

JulieAA

topping

mysecretvermont

If your husband likes raptors, you should visit the Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Quechee, Vt. http://www.vinsweb.org/
That is right next to Woodstock, a beautiful place to visit in the fall. The Woodstock Inn would be a great place to have a meal as well.
www.mysecretvermont.com

colbeck

I would suggest flying into Albany, NY. There are good connections in and out of that airport and it actually is closer to the Stratton area than Manchester NH.

The idea of the Quechee/Woodstock area is a very good one. In addition to the VINS center, there are many things to see and do. Check out www.woodstock.com. Quechee Village is the setting for Simon Pearce Gallery and Restaurant, located in an old mill on the Ottoquechee River. The gallery features Simon Pearce glass and pottery, and the restaurant is fabulous for lunch or dinner.

JulieAA

Thank you all for your suggestions. I will definitely look into all of it. I'm really looking forward to this trip as I haven't spent any time in Vermont ever.

I work in an art museum, so besides Simon Pearce glass (which I definitely will visit), are there any other places I shouldn't miss? Thanks again.

colbeck

If you are a fan of art and history, there are quite a few places you shouldn't miss. If you go to www.woodstock.com you can find information on the Billings Farm and Museum, the Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site, and other attractions in that area.

In Manchester, which is close to Stratton, I think you might enjoy a visit to Hildene (www.hildene.org), the home of Robert Todd Lincoln. September is a popular time for Art, Craft and Antique shows, Farmers' Markets, etc. In addition to the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce (listed above), you might check the Manchester Chamber at www.manchesterchamber.net for a calendar of events

JulieAA

Thanks Colbeck, some really great suggestions. I will look into all of it. I think September will be a great time of year to be there.

Julie

chloesmom

There are a lot of great restaurants in Manchester, VT which is the closest town to Stratton.

Definitely check out the Stratton website, as well as the Okemo site. They often have different events on weekends, even in the summer as they really try to sell themselves as 4 season resorts. If you like to golf, that is one area they have been trying to build. There are great hiking trails- I don't have the names because it's been a while but I'm sure if you google hiking & stratton you will get some good hits. There is mountain biking down the slopes, and Bromley which is pretty close has more typical family fun- alpine slide which should still be open in September. It sounds like it is just the two of you, but I still like alpine slides .

In terms of the drive, it will be about 4 hours or so as long as you get out of the city before rush hour- or wait a little longer. You can go up the Merritt as an alternative to Rt. 95. The other option is to go up the thruway to Albany and cut over through Bennington. It's not a bad drive and will let you see Bennington if you don't take the bypass around it. The University is beautiful.

Other things- Vermont is a bastion of artisinal farms if you like food- small cheesemakers as well as larger ones. Further north- probably 2 1/2 hours north of Stratton, if you want to drive even more, is Ben & Jerry's (Cabot creamery is near there as well). The Ben & Jerry's tour was interesting, at least to me who likes ice cream!

If you wanted to go into New hampshire, which is equally beautiful, you can visit Dartmouth which is nice, and Hanover is a great town.

I'll second going to Simon Pearce and eating at their restaurant- it ain't cheap but is sure good!

Have a great time!! There are outdoorsy things, interesting galleries (check out Frog Hollow which is a juried craft shop in Manchester), shopping (great outlets in Manchester), good food, farms, you name it!

JulieAA

Thanks Chloesmom. Chloe is obviously a lucky girl and gets to do a lot of fun things!

Julie