VERMONT - Northern

The temperatures are dropping and the leaves are turning red and orange. The sled dogs at Peace Pups Dog Sledding on Cross Road in Lake Elmore can feel the seasonal change in the air. They are getting more excited every day as they feel the north wind blowing through the dog yard. If you are visiting Vermont to view the fall colors plan a visit the Peace Pups to see the amazing forests of Lake Elmore in a whole new way. The dogs will pull you quietly along in a wheeled dog sled. Put on your wool sweater and take a late afternoon ride to enjoy the sunset over the Green Mountains. In fact, Peace Pups offers fun activities with Siberian Husky sled dogs all year around, including dog scooter outings, wheeled dog sled rides, skijoring, and winter dogsled tours. It is a Vermont adventure that you won’t forget. Phone: 802-888-7733.

Vermont has the greatest density of covered bridges in the United States, and the town of Montgomery holds bragging rights as the single town with the most covered bridges. The Montgomery bridges (some with multiple names) are: the Comstock; the Creamery / West Hill / Crystal Springs; the Fuller / Black Falls; the Hectorville / Gibou; Hutchins Bridge; and the Longley / Harnois / Head.

Mush! If you've never been dogsledding, it is time that you have this experience. Eden Mountain Dogsledding in Eden Mills is one place to have an authentic dogsledding experience. This is a real dog touring center where mushers and racers from all over New England come to train. The kennel of 28 Alaskan Huskies find joy in running and they will take you on a ride that you will remember for a lifetime. Cozy up in our comfortable touring sleds or learn to drive your own team. Eden is located 25 miles north of Stowe and boasts some of the heaviest snowfall in the state. If you are tuckered out after your riding adventure, Eden Mountain Lodge also rent out two-bedroom country homes with all amenities. Get your family or a group together and make yourself a memorable winter experience. Phone: 802-635-9070.

ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington provides a window, for study and pleasure, onto the Lake Champlain Basin. A visit to ECHO is a wonderful science and ecology expedition for children and families. Permanent exhibits include the multimedia Awesome Forces Theater, a water-play space for kids to build dams and float boats, and an Atlantic tide pool touch tank. Young visitors may enjoy the working miniature lighthouse or pop in on a painted turtle in Discovery Place. More recent permanent exhibits include Indigenous Expressions: Native Peoples of the Lake Champlain Basin, a TV studio, FrogWorld, and the Beluga Whale Dig. From Abenaki storytelling to the dynamics of Lake Champlain's underwater wave, the ECHO adventure immerses guests in the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of the Basin. Phone: 877-ECHOFUN.

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

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

The One-Half Lounge on Church Street in Burlington meets all the guidelines for a cozy, romantic evening of comfort, well-made drinks, professional hospitality, live music and that special low-key Burlington atmosphere. The place is split into a live music venue upstairs and a quieter downstairs, with dim and grotto-like spaces that a uber-romantic for Valentine season or any other time. The staff is friendly and the bartenders know their trade, recommending a variety of excellent drinks. Nice, interesting artwork on the walls and an altogether quaint, quiet-ish and fancy crib for conversation, drinks, music.

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.

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

We all have some level of acquaintance (adoration?) with Ben & Jerry’s ice creams, so a trip into northern Vermont practically begs for a visit to the factory store at 1281 Waterbury-Stowe Road in Waterbury. The company and its very pretty cows (see its website) are located on rolling pasture overlooking the Worcester Range. Don’t miss the guided factory tour of the ice cream production process. The tour starts in the Cow Over the Moon Theater with a 7-minute movie. Followed by a tour of the factory floor and then a stop in the FlavoRoom for tasting. Phone: 802-882-1240.

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.

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.