Vermont - 30 Great Things To Do in Vermont

Killington, Vermont and Vacation in Vermont Information at Visit Vermont

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A Stirring Show of Freedom and Unity

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The Vermont History Museum’s award-winning permanent exhibit, “Freedom and Unity: One Ideal, Many Stories,” is a multimedia exhibit that displays Vermont's history from 1600 to the present, fills 5,000 square feet in the Pavilion building at 109 State Street in Montpelier. Visitors see a full-sized Abenaki wigwam, a re-creation of the Catamount Tavern where Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys gathered, a railroad station complete with a working telegraph and a WWII living room furnished with period music and magazines. Open year-round, Tuesday-Friday. Phone: 802- 828-2180.

A Store Brimming with Food, Gifts,
and Vermont Tradition

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Deli, wine shop, bakery, general store, overall friendly place. The Warren Store on Main Street in Warren Village has been described as “…not just a store; it's a living, breathing, Vermont spirit." Open 363 and one-half days a year, Warrne Store serves food, of course, and tempts shoppers at the upstairs “More Store,” packed with quirky toys for kids of all ages, clothing for men and women, jewelry, cards, gifts, and house wares. Hours: Opens at 8 a.m.; closes at 6 or 7 p.m. Phone: 802-496-3864.

Artwork With Soul in the Vermont Heartland

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Studio Place Art is a vibrant community center for the visual arts, offering workshops, classes, and a gallery of changing exhibits that is open to the public. The gallery is housed in a restored historic building on North Main Street in Barre. The geography and culture of central Vermont are integral to the art shown here. To see art that expresses the heart of central Vermont, visit here. Hours: Year-round, Tuesday-Saturday. Phone: 802-479-7069.

Corn Maze provides “Food for Thought”

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Boasting Vermont’s largest corn maze, Hathaway Farm Corn Maze on Prospect Hill Road in Rutland is all about about buying local and eating clean. There will be some clues scattered throughout the maze. Also, watch for the opportunity to search for eight hole punches of different shapes. The grassy meadow is in the maze again this year, with Adirondack chairs to sit down, relax and enjoy the mountain views. On Saturday nights during Moonlight Madness, visitors may view the night sky. Moonlight Madness is every Saturday night. The Mini-Maze is a much shorter adventure designed for toddlers and young folks to have fun exploring paths and finding their way through a smaller place than the big maze. Open through October 31, 2010. Cost: adults, $10; children, $8. Phone: 802-775-2624.

Grand View; Great Taste

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Grand View Winery on Route 100 in Waterbury Center is a family-owned farm winery that produces grape wines and wines from fruits that grow easily and naturally in Vermont. While focusing on fruits that grow easily in Vermont, Grand View produces wines that are not overly sweet. The vineyard’s Strawberry Rhubarb Wine was featured on the NBC Today Show. Moreover, the vineyard is set amid 50-mile views, and replete with flower gardens. Take a lunch to enjoy with a selected wine while sitting outside. The retail shop and tasting room, at the Cold Hollow Cider Mill, are open daily, year round. Phone: 802-456-7012

Great Waterfalls: Falls of Lana

Replete with dramatic twists and turns, the Falls of Lana in Salisbury, Vermont have been likened to a giant staircase and bannister made of stone. The drop totals 160 feet in all, and this breathtaking cascade makes it worthwhile to those brave enough to climb the steep terrain leading up to the viewpoint. To Find It: Take Route 7 south from Middlebury to Salisbury, where you will turn east on Route 53 heading to Lake Dunmore. Follow Route 53 for about 3 miles, until you cross Sucker Brook, and you'll see a powerhouse on your right. Park here in an unobtrusive way. Follow the penstock up the hill until you see a wire fence on your left. This is the cliff-top viewpoint of the middle tier.

Have Rolling Pin, Will Travel

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King Arthur Flour in Norwich is about much more than just producing and selling flour. Its headquarters on Route 5 is the home of the company’s school, bakery, and retail store. The Baker’s Store is packed with everything you need for your very best baking, from hard-to-find ingredients, innovative gadgets, and top-quality pans, to easy mixes and a huge selection of baking basics. Grab a cup of coffee and pastry from the café as you browse the aisles; relax and check your email on free WiFi. Open daily. The company also offers plenty of classes for bakes who want to rise in the craft. Phone: 800-827-6836.

Independent Bookseller
Welcomes Book-Loving Public

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Bear Pond Books on Main Street in Montpelier presents a slogan “Celebrating 35 years of independent book selling in central Vermont,” and it takes pride in every word. The business opened in 1973 and has endured flooding, a major move to a beautiful historic building, and other ups and down. It offers customers a well-read staff, public readings by authors, a communal gathering place, a resource for children’s literacy, and a useful website. Book lovers who are in or near Montpelier really must visit the store; you will feel right at home. Open daily. Phone: 802-229-0774..

Mad River; Lovely Byway

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Among the country’s wonderful National Scenic Byways is the Mad River Byway, which travels along two of Vermont's most scenic roads, Routes 100 and 100B. Towns and villages along this byway include Middlesex Village (Route 2); Moretown (Route 100B); Waitsfield, Warren, Granville Gulf Reservation (Route 100); Fayston, and Buels Gore to the top of the Appalachian Gap (Route 17). The byway is heavily salted with classic New England landscape and architecture - mountain ridgelines, a winding river, hillside farms, and steepled villages. See map for overview.

Stone Valley Byway Traverses
Mountain Slopes and Rural Landscapes

Vermont Route 30, spanning Manchester to Poultney through the Mettawee Valley, is now the Stone Valley Scenic Byway. Traveling the byway takes you through an area with a rich history in slate and marble production. You'll also be traveling through beautiful scenery with a wealth of recreational, and cultural amenities. Historic, picturesque towns dot the valley floor, and rich agricultural soils have accumulated alongside the free-flowing Mettawee and Poultney Rivers. See Map.

Tea and Roses in Old-Fashioned Comfort

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Rose Arbor bed-and-breakfast and gift shop and tea room at 55 School Street in Chester recalls a pace of life from an earlier and gentler era. The restaurant serves lunch as well as a formal afternoon tea, described as a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds. The dessert teas served here have won rave reviews from international travel writers and tea aficionados. Scones are always on the menu, along with an assortment of homemade desserts. Lunch or tea at the Rose Arbor is a fun and genteel way to celebrate with friends and family. Phone: 802-875-4767.

Vermont and New Hampshire Both
Host this Scenic National Byway

The Connecticut River National Byway is a two-state byway spanning the east and west shores of the Connecticut River in Vermont and New Hampshire. Along this byway, you may drive across a covered bridge built in 1866, visit a museum of machine tools, and wander through restored historic railroad stations. Comfortably spaced along the byway are Waypoint Centers that provide a wealth of information to travelers. This byway starts at its south end on U.S. 91 at the Massachusetts-Vermont border and follows the river northward for about 120 miles to St. Johnsbury, where U.S. 91 turns northwest, away from the river. See map.

Corn and Views for Miles

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The Great Great Vermont Corn Maze on Wheelock Road in Danville covers seven acres with approximately two miles of trails lined with 10-to-12-foot walls of corn. The maze is also situated on a hill, which allows for fantastic views and keeps the trail from getting too wet after the rain. Most visitors spend two to five hours on the property enjoying the different attractions. The maze is open July 31 through October 24, 2010. Phone: 802-748-1399.

Farm Life on Display
on the Edge of Lake Champlain

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Shelburne Farms on Harbor Road in Shelburne is an environmental education center on the shores of Lake Champlain where children, adults, and families come to enjoy the walking trails, children’s farmyard, inn, restaurant, property tours, and special events. Highlights of a visit to Shelburne Farms are the Children’s Farmyard and cheese making in the historic Farm Barn, guided tours of the property, strolling on the walking trails, and hospitality at the Inn at Shelburne Farms. These offerings are open from May to October; the Welcome Center and walking trails are open year-round. Phone: 802-985-8686

Great Waterfalls: Bingham Falls

The sequence of cascades that is Bingham Falls in Stowe, Vermont is special not just for its otherwordly quality, but because the public almost lost access to it a few years back when a land developer had plans to build a resort on the property. Luckily, that plan was thwarted; adventurers can still enjoy the pristine beauty of the falls, and those brave enough can take a dip in the natural rock pool below Bingham's 25 foot cascade. To Find It: The falls are located a short hike off Route 108 in Stowe, about 1.5 miles southeast of Smugglers Notch. There is a path leading downhill from a fairly large turnout. The sound of roaring water assures you that you are in the right place.

Heroic Vineyard

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Snow Farm Vineyard on West Shore Road in South Hero was founded in 1995 as the state’s fist commercial grape vineyard and winery. The vineyard and winery is open May 1 to December 31 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with extended hours on Fridays in July and August and during the Thursday night summer concert series that the vineyard hosts. Visitors are welcome to enjoy tastings and self-guided vineyard tours at all times during business hours, at no charge. Snow Farm hosts a Music in the Vineyard Concert Series on Thursday evenings in July and August. Mix a couple of days of tasting, beachcombing, driving and sightseeing and you will never want to leave. Phone: 802-372-WINE.

High Tea in High Style

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The Governor’s House at 100 Main Street in Hyde Park is an elegant bed-and-breakfast inn that serves tea in all appropriate high style on Thursday and Sunday afternoons. The cream tea menu consists of warm freshly-made scones served with clotted cream and strawberry jam. With the full English afternoon tea, there are scones, cream and jam as well as several varieties of tea sandwiches and fancy pastries, often including millionaire's shortbread. Each choice comes with endless pots of freshly-made imported house blend tea and guests are, of course, welcome to spend as long as they wish, enjoying it. Phone: 802-888-6888.

Johnson Knows Wool

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The Johnson Woolen Mills tradition reaches back to 1842 when local farmers brought their wool here to have it woven into cloth. Located on Lower Main Street / Route 15 in the village of Johnson, just north of Stowe, Johnson Woolen Mills still makes the same woolen shirts, jackets, and the famous iceman's pants that have been best sellers for decades. Over the years, the business expanded and the store now includes the original, century-old factory space with a new factory is next door. There's plenty of room to browse and try on woolen clothes of all kinds for men, women, and children. The Sale Room offers real values in factory irregulars, discontinued styles, and one-of-a-kind samples. Factory store hours are Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-4 p.m. Phone: 802-635-2271

Kingdom Trails Welcomes Mountain Bikers

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One of the top-rated regions in the country for mountain biking can be found at and around Burke Mountain and Darling Hill near East Burke. Kingdom Trails is 110 miles of recreational, non-motorized trails through farmland and forest for bicycling and cross-country skiing, designed for people of all levels of ability. Open year-round. Phone: 802-626-0737.

Lake Champlain Provides the Vistas
for This Lovely Byway

Located in northwest Vermont, the Lake Champlain Byway runs along the northern length of Lake Champlain from U.S. Route 2 through Grand Isle County in the north; joining U.S. 7 through the communities of Vergennes and Middlebury. Along the way you will find quiet farming communities, bustling small cities, and quaint villages. Explore small family-owned shops and dine at restaurants featuring fresh foods from Vermont farms. Travelers can visit a coral reef, a log cabin built in 1783, hike or bike several trails, and swim or boat in Lake Champlain. See map.

Ribbet

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Wonderful artwork with a very Vermont-y sensibility can be enjoyed at the Frog Hollow craft gallery on Church Street in Burlington, located in charming, all-pedestrain shopping district in the center of the city. The gallery features art from artists throughout the state, from pewter and glassware to high-end oil paintings and furniture. Open year-round, every day except Mondays. Phone: 802-863-6458

Sip a Little; Stomp a Little

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Sample some Vermont wine at local winery. In Cambridge, look for Boyden Valley Winery , which is part of a fourth-generation farm in the pastoral Lamoille River Valley. The winery turns Vermont apples and grapes into wines and hard ciders. Plan a visit for the annual harvest festival and stomp a grape for fun the fun of it. Phone: 802-644-8151

Up and Away

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If you’ve never lifted off in a hot air balloon and floated freely above a beautiful landscape of fields, farms, and villages, you are missing an unforgettable experience that can be rectified with help from Above Reality Hot Air Balloon rides in Jericho. The company takes guests aloft in appropriate weather conditions year-round for one-hour flights that literally go where ever the wind is going. Flights depart from the Inn at Essex in Essex and travel above the foothills of Mount Mansfield. Balloons operated by the company can take from two to eight passengers. It is a trip to remember. Phone: 1-877- 386-7473.

Urban Chic, Outdoors

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Church Street Marketplace in Burlington, an outdoor pedestrian mall covering four historic blocks in downtown Burlington, offers casual strolling to serious shopping, dining of every description, street vendors, and lots of public events. The shopping and dining are great; strolling and people-watching are entertainment all by themselves. Phone: 802-863-1648

Valley of Mystery, Treasure, and Natural Wonders

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Lake Champlain is an ecological treasure trove. The ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center on College Street in Burlington offers 100 hands-on interactive exhibits and 70 species of live fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and reptiles. At the center, guests may go on camera with real weather maps starring as a guest meteorologist on local TV; unearth recreated whale bones in the new dig site; travel back in time to explore the ancient world of the Champlain Valley; meet live frogs from six continents; journey through time and witness the lives of people in the Champlain Valley for the last 11,000 years. Open year-round. Phone: 802-864-9804.

Wine, with Canoes on the Side

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Boyden Valley Winery AT 70 Route 104 in Cambridge is part of a fourth-generation farm producing Big Barn Red, a bold red wine, Vermont white wines and ice wines. Whether you are looking for a red wine for a casual dinner or an ice wine for a special occasion, you will find something pleasing here. Tours and tastings are conducted daily. Also, the business offers “Water and Wine: and “River and Spirits” canoe trips that include a guided canoe tour of the Lamoille River followed by a tour and tasting. Open year-round. Daily, May 1 to December 31; weekends, January 1 to April 30. Phone: 802-644-8151.

Bennington Potters Can Stock Your Kitchen

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Bennington Potters on County Street in Bennington has been making beautiful, durable, and functional handmade stoneware pottery since 1948. A special highlight this year is the stoneware dinnerware collection and the stoneware pottery bakeware, mixing bowls, and batterbowl. Come visit and shop at Potters Yard in Bennington and take a tour of the factory. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. -5 p.m. Phone: 800-205-8033.

Books About Vermont Life
and Anything Else You Can Name

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The independent, family-owned Northshire Bookstore at 4869 Main Street in Manchester Center, in business since 1976, is a paradise for browsers and literature fiends of every variety. All kinds of books for all kinds of readers, along with DVDs, gifts, music, readings by authors, and book discussions. Lots of Vermont authors and Vermont-oriented reading matter. And if you don’t know quite what you want, the well-read staff is on guard to offer big ideas. The neighboring Spiral Press Café offers sustenance to keep you going. Hours: Sunday-Monday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Phone: 802-362-2200.

Byway Follows Victory Route
of Colonial General

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Molly Stark Byway traverses southern Vermont along Route 9 from Brattleboro to Bennington. The byway is named after the wife of General John Stark who led the Colonial militia to a victory at the Battle of Bennington on August 16, 1777. The Vermont State Legislature named the road the Molly Stark Trail in 1936 commemorating the route taken by General Stark and his troops during their victorious march home after the battle. The Molly Stark Byway winds its way through lowland valleys, historic villages, busy downtowns, and the spectacular Green Mountain National Forrest. Anchored at either end by vibrant historic town centers in Brattleboro and Bennington, and including a classic New England crossroads village in Wilmington in between, a trip along the 48-mile byway is a great way to experience the full character of southern Vermont. See map.

Come and Meet Vermont's
Covered Bridges

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Few structures in America combine architectural ingenuity, economic necessity, and romantic idealism better than the covered bridge. Covered bridges flourished in the United States in the 19th century. Pennsylvania has the greatest number of covered bridges, and Vermont, with about 104 covered bridges, has the highest number relative to the state’s size. In Southern Vermont, some highlights of the many covered bridges include the Bridge at the Green (Arlington Bridge) in Arlington and the Henry / Burt Bridge in Bennington, which is a short distance from the rebuilt Paper Mill Bridge and the Silk Bridge. Covered bridges offer a wonderful opportunity to stop, take pictures, dip your feet in the river, and even to picnic.

Come to the Country for Some Really Fun Shopping

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The Vermont Country Store, on Main Street in Weston, is the first restored rural store in the nation, stocked to the rafters with thousands of practical and intriguing necessities for daily living. Amid countless antiques and oddities from floor to rafters, you'll discover long-forgotten essentials and toys and household products that you remember from childhood. It's all here, from apothecary goods and granny forks to socks guaranteed to fend off temperatures of 30 degrees below zero. Open daily, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Phone: 802-824-3184

Confectionary Filled With Mother’s Best

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Usher the sweet tooth in your life (or in your head) to Mother Myrick’s Confectionary on Main Street in Manchester for a cozy time browsing and selecting from among the best candies and confections to be found anywhere. Specialties of the house are the Buttercrunch and the Lemon LuLu, but don’t feel that you need to stop there. Plunge on into chocolates and other good tastes. Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Phone: 802-362-1560.

Cookery Store Welcomes Vacationers

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You may not have to cook while you’re on vacation, but that doesn’t mean you cannot think about it. J.K. Adams Kitchen Store on Route 30 in Dorset is a three-level cornucopia of tools and resources for the home chef. The staff of 12 people can tell you anything you want to know about cheeses from the neighboring farms to the intricacies of the newest coffee brewer. Throughout the year, J.K. Adams offers tastings of products and demonstrations of the latest gadgets. From time to time, the store sponsors themed cooking workshops offering techniques for home cooks. During the cold months, the Dorset Farmers Market operates an indoor market in this store’s facilities. Phone: 866-362-4422.

Enjoy Views of the Mountains from Dover

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The Dover Town Forest Trail, located near Dover and on the eastern edge of the Green Mountain National Forest, offers an east, three-mile walk along a well-maintained trail that follows an old roadbed along a ridge to the Rock River. The trail offers views of Mount Snow and Haystack Mountain to the west and East Dover and South Newfane to the east. From the center of West Dover, take Valley View Road to Cooper Hill Road. Just before the Cooper Hill Inn turn onto Rice Hill Road. At the end of the road on the left is a small parking lot on Dover Town Forest land. This is a beautiful and not difficult walk through the best views of southern Vermont.

Great Waterfalls: Hamilton Falls near Jamaica

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Hamilton Falls near Jamaica is the most impressive in all of Vermont, but also dangerous, for climbing and swimming. The waters of Cobb Brook leap 125 feet down a steep rock face on their way to the West River downstream. It is a beautifully photogenic waterfall. To find it: Take Route 30 to West Townshend. Turn north on Windham Hill Road and drive for about 4.3 miles. Turn west on Burbee Pond Road and drive for about a mile and turn west on West Windham Road. Drive for about 2.8 miles and look for a point where the road makes a sharp bend to the right in a wooded section. There is a small sawmill on your right. Park on the left side of the road or in a small lot on the right side of the road a few hundred feet further. A worn and level trail reaches the top of the falls in a few hundred feet.

Ranges Upon Ranges

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Where can you see panoramic views of the Green, White, Adirondack, Berkshire and Taconic mountain ranges in one trip? Easy. Take a drive up Skyline Drive to the top of Equinox Mountain near Sunderland for a spectacular sunset over the Adirondack Mountains to the west. The route starts at historic Route 7A.

Sip Among 360-Degree Views

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Wine tasting in southern Vermont means a visit to the Honora Winery & Vineyard in the Green Mountains near West Halifax. Honora's 200-acre vineyard and estate is nestled in Southern Vermont's Green Mountains. With spectacular 360 degree views of Hogback & Haystack Mountains in Vermont, Monadnock Mountain in New Hampshire and Mount Holyoke & the Berkshires in Massachusetts it is a great place to sit, relax, and sip from the harvest. Special events held throughout the year. HOurs: Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Phone: 802-368-2930

Up Watson, the Game’s Afoot!

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From April to October 2010, the entire town of Bennnington is hosting a Season of Mystery inspired by an international Sherlockian symposium of the Baker Street Breakfast Club in late June at Bennington College. The international conference is just a three-day event, but the entire town is developing a variety of Sherlock-themed and mystery-themed adventures for the summer and fall. There will be mystery walking tours, townwide scavenger hunts, a mystery playhouse on local radio, bicycle tours with people in Victorian costume, tales of Arthur Conan Doyle at a Victorian mansion, mystery book discussions at the library, a Sherlock Playhouse, and murder mysteries to solve. Call the Bennington Chamber of Commerce for details. Phone: 802-447-3311.