Kwoo

Hello,
My daughter and I are planning a weekend getaway (one night) for my husband to celebrate his retirement. He does not like big parties and loves weekend trips so we thought this would be better than a surprise party. We love Vermont, & haven't been in awhile. In the past we haved stayed in Dorset, VT (near Manchester), and have stayed in Woodstock. So we are looking for a different location this trip.

What are your opinions of Montpelier? Is there enough to keep us occupied for two days? We used to be avid hikers (not so much any more), are in our 60's. I thought an easy walk/hike through a park, forest, etc. would be nice, but not ready yet for a strenuous hike. We like farmers markets, some shopping, history, beautiful scenery. My husband loves beer, so perhaps a brewery. We would be going in May, around the 17th, I think.

The other possibility is Stowe. Am open to any and all suggestions.
Thanks!

zootsi

Montpelier and Stowe are both great, but apples and oranges. Montpelier is the state capital, and a small city. There are some very good restaurants, like Sarducchi's, NECI, Julios,etc. It's a small city, so it can be seen in a few hours. Stowe is even smaller, with a mountain village/ski resort vibe. No matter where you stay, you'll be close to some great walks and great scenery. As for beer, Vermont is brimming with small breweries and brew pubs:
http://www.vermontbrewers.com/

dfrostnh

May 17th is probably black fly season so I wouldn't count on any hiking. You won't have a problem in cities/towns but in the woods. It's probably too early for farmers markets which is a shame because Montpelier has a very nice one. So does Brattleboro. I think maybe a visit to the Shelburne Museum for history and staying in or near Burlington would work or maybe stay in Middlebury unless it's college graduation weekend.

Here's the Vermont Cheese Trail map
http://www.vtcheese.com/cheesetrail.htm

Stowe is pretty but unless there is something going on, I think you'll have more fun someplace else. Mid May is when you might see apple orchards in bloom. I love spring in New England!

KarenWoo

Thank you to Zootsie and dfrostnh. The farmers market in Montpelier opens on May 3! Sounds great.
What would be the nearest brewery to Montpelier? We are driving from central Mass. so I think Burlington is too far for one night. Right now I am leaning towards Montpelier.

KarenWoo

Another question: what is Barre like? I notice it's close to Montpelier. My husband is leaning towards Woodstock, and since this trip is for him, he will make the final decision. But I'm still leaning towards Montpelier.

zootsi

Although Barre is close to Montpelier, it has a totally different vibe. Where Montpelier is somewhat upscale and newagey, Barre is more blue collar, gritty - a working class mill town. As for breweries, as youu can see from this map, Montpelier is surrounded by them. Trapp Familky Lodge would make a fun stop.
http://www.vermontbrewers.com/membermap/

dfrostnh

I'm probably the lone Woodstock disliker. It is a popular weekend destination for big city folk even in May. My husband loved Billings Farm Museum which he visited with his father but one spring weekend we had lunch in Woodstock after going plant shopping at a backroads nursery. I think we were the only pickup in town. It's definitely upscale for a VT town and you might like the shops there. Check out the reports on beer. We aren't big beer drinkers but I'm pretty sure there's a very famous award winning beer made in VT that you can only get by going to the brewery and they limit sales because it sells out so quickly. Microbreweries have been popular but nanobreweries are very popular in New England and probably would be great fun to search out.

HappyTrvlr

I vote for Stowe. You can also go into Burlington and see the waterfront, eat on Church Street.

snowgirls

I have visited or stayed in many places in Vermont including Burlington, Stowe, Rutland, Waitsfield, Warren, Woodstock, Newport , and St Johnsbury and Middlebury.. Vacationed there both in summer and winter. Montpelier was my very least favourite place. Woodstock is what you would imagine a Norman Rockwell painting to be. Pretty and well kept. Loved Burlington with access to the islands out in Lake Champlain. Burlington has a cool vibe, outdoorsy, reminded me of Seattle with historic downtown walking district and lakefront views. Artisan food places, museums, lots to do and see near there too.

jubilada

dfrost, I dislike Woodstock for the same reasons as you .

KarenWoo

Thanks to everyone for your input and opinions. I will let you know what we decide.

Cattail

Another dfrost echo.

Vttraveler

I live near Montpelier and work there so can answer questions if you decide to come to the area.

The Farmer's Market is a very good one and will be starting outdoors in May as you have noted.

May 17 is early for hiking. People are asked to stay off the high elevation trails until Memorial Day because they are muddy and hiking can cause damage. Here are suggestions for places to hike/walk in May
http://www.hazensnotch.org/vermontmudseasonhiking.htm

I am not a great fan of Woodstock for the reasons others have given. Stowe is also very touristy.

Barre is the center of the granite industry and has tours of the quarries and some very beautiful sculpture in the cemeteries.

Beer: central VT has some breweries that are getting national and international attention. Heady Topper made in Waterbury has a great following. The store at the brewery is closed now because it was causing too much traffic in the neighborhood. The Hill HOmestead Brewery in Greensboro and Lawson's in Warren are also very well known
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/a...s-Heady-Topper
If you stay in Montpelier, the Three Penny taproom serves a great selection of beers.

KarenWoo

Although I realize some people don't like Woodstock, that is where we have decided to go because that's my husband's first choice. We aren't staying in downtown Woodstock; instead we are staying on the outskirts at the Farmhouse Inn. Because I want to see all the state capitals,(if possible), I told him that when I retire next year, we are going to Montpelier! It sounds interesting to me. We've been to Woodstock before, but in the winter, so it will be nice to see it in the spring.
Thanks to everyone for all of your advice.

Vttraveler

Since it is a celebration for your husband and Woodstock is his first choice, it certainly makes sense to go there. I hope you have a wonderful trip.

KL467

I visited Montpelier in December and really liked it. But, I like Woodstock, too, mainly because one of my favorite movies was filmed there.

dfrostnh

There are plenty of people who would make Woodstock their first choice.