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 in Montpelier. Visitors walk through time and experience 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. The museum is located on the first floor of the Pavilion Building, 109 State Street, next to the Vermont State House in Montpelier. Open year-round, Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 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.

All Thoughts Turn to Maple in March

The Vermont Maple Open House Weekend , taking place throughout the state from March 26 to 28, 2010, is an opportunity for people to visit dozens of sugarhouses throughout the state. Activities during Open House Weekend will include the opportunity to watch maple syrup being made and often to sample maple products. Try the syrup, sugar on snow, pancakes, maple donuts, maple cream, and more. Phone: 800-837-6668.

Apple Cheeks and Smiles Are Abundant on Vermont Sleigh Rides

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The aptly named Applecheek Farm in Hyde Park takes guests on sleigh rides in daylight or in moonlight through a lantern-lit forest. Dress warmly, the farm owners advise, and bring along your voices and instruments. Phone: 802-888-4482. Phone: 802- 446-3131.

Artwork With a 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. Among the recent exhibits at the gallery, housed in a restored historic building on North Main Street in Barre, are Rock Solid: Ninth Annual Stone Show (remember that Barre is the center of New England’s marble and granite sources), paintings and drawings by various regional artists, and Leave a Paper Trail (a show that exposes the versatile and beautiful qualities of paper). Clearly, 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- Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, nooon-4 p.m. Phone: 802-479-7069

Belgians Do the Work

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Bundle up for a 45-minute sleigh ride through the maple woods and pasture at Sugarbush Farm , on Sugarbush Farm Road near Woodstock. Belgian draft horses pull an old fashioned sled while native Vermonters Larry and Ralph Luce explain how they tap 6000 maple trees in the woods. Warm up with hot drink, cheese and maple syrup. Reserve ahead of time. Through February 14, 2010. Phone: 802- 457-1757.

Farm Tours Into the Heart of Maple Country

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If a Vermont offers to take you on a tour of the back roads of this spectacularly beautiful state and also throws in a stop at a sugarhouse, you would be wise to climb onboard. The Vermont Back Road Maple Sugar Tours, based in Rutland take place February 15 to April 16. This tour will visit an original on-the-farm maple sugarhouse, where visitors can see the history of sugaring in Vermont and a watch the process of boiling down maple sap into syrup. Tasting is a strong possibility, too. The handicap-accessible bus has large windows for viewing. A second tour package includes stops at covered bridges. Phone: 802-446-3131.

Independent Bookseller
Welcomes Book-Loving Public

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If there is one quality that is pure Vermont, it is independence of spirit. 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 very useful website. Book lovers who are in or near Montpelier really must visit the store; you will feel right at home. Open daily. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 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.

Maple Sugaring Season at Sugarbush Farm

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Visit sugarhouse at Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock to learn how maple trees are tapped in the spring and how maple syrup is made. March and early April are the best time to visit a maple sugar house. Sugarbush Farm and its sugarhouse are open daily during the sugaring season. However, sap flow and boiling schedule is determined by weather (freezing nights and warm days), so before planning a visit it is best to call ahead for boiling schedule and road conditions. Free admission, lots of samples of different grades of syrup and many other maple products. Open March 1 to April 11, daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Phone: 802-457-1757

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. A trip on the Stone Valley Byway is highlighted by mountain slopes that provide a dramatic backdrop to the rural landscape and provide access to a host of recreational opportunities. Historic, picturesque towns dot the valley floor, and rich agricultural soils have accumulated alongside the free-flowing Mettawee and Poultney Rivers. Lake St. Catherine, a state park, golf course and many smaller water bodies along the byway corridor are exceptional natural, scenic, and recreational resources. See Map.

This Artwork Will Blow You Away

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Simon Pearce is nearly legendary in the world of fine hand-blown glass; take a tour around the Simon Pearce Historic Mill at 1760 Quechee Main Street in the town of Quechee and you’ll learn why. The glassblowers at the Mill will convince you that the production of these elegant but functional pieces is as much of an art as it is a craft. Visitors watch the production of world-class glass and pottery, and then treat themselves to a gourmet meal overlooking the falls of the Ottauquechee River at the Simon Pearce Restaurant, said to be one of Vermont’s finest. Simon Pearce’s Windsor Factory at 109 Park Road in Windsor also welcomes visitors to watch the glassblowers at work. Phone for the Mill at Quechee is 802-295-2711. Open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Phone at the Windsor Factory is 802-674-6280. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily..

Thrill Ride Awaits at Ballons of Vermont

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The spectacular Quechee Gorge in Central Vermont – sometime called the Grand Canyon of the East – attracts spectators of all kinds. One heart-stopping way to see the gorge and the vast, forested beauty of its surroundings is from a hot air balloon. This is really the adventure of a lifetime. Balloons of Vermont , among other businesses, will take intrepid travelers above the treetops over the Ottauquechee River and the upper valley region for an unforgettable show in the most serene, majestic flying machine knows to man. The Quechee Balloon Festival, with lots of non-ballooning fun, like music, crafts, and children’s activities, takes place in June, and ballooning will be a central theme, but Balloons of Vermont takes people up over the gorge year-round. It is a thrill. Phone: 802-291-4887.

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 both 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 two 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. To stay along the river course, follow U.S. 5 to U.S. 2 to U.S. 3, and onward to the Canadian border. See map.

Wild and Wacky Sculpture Garden
Makes An Inspirational Impression

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The Path of Life is a public sculpture garden on Route 5 North in Windsor that tells the story of the great circle of life. Eighteen works of art symbolize the human journey from birth to death and beyond. The garden is located on 14 acres of trails, wildflowers and open spaces on the banks of the Connecticut River. The garden is the creation of Terry McDonnell, whose model was Japanese garden in Kildare, Ireland. Among the objects that McDonnell has assembled for the garden are hemlock trees that compose the maze of Adventure, a large granite Buddha for Contemplation, and a five-piece, 25-foot-tall, band representing Creativity. Come wander, rest, and enjoy a truly Vermont experience. Open year round. Phone: 802-345-5616.

Bring a Pocketful of Dog Biscuits
on This Sledding Adventure

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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 n adventure that you won’t forget. Phone: 802-888-7733.

Dogs. Sleds. Yowsah!

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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.

Escape to Dog Mountain

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Artist Stephen Huneck of St. Johnsbury merges the lives of man and dog in both his artwork and religion. Come to the 400-acre Dog Mountain Farm on Parks Road to take in the sights of Huneck’s unique Dog Chapel. Designed and built by Huneck, the chapel is a replica of a classic 1820s Vermont chapel. That is where the similarities end, though. The white steeple is topped with a Labrador with wings, announcing the chapel as a dog haven. Stained-glass windows, dog carvings, and music affirm the connection between art, nature, and spirituality. Open seven days a week. Guests and their canine counterparts are invited to visit the chapel from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 800-449-2580.

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 and National Historic Landmark on the shores of Lake Champlain where schoolchildren, 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. This is a wonderful place for adults and children to see farm life close up and to appreciate the foundations of our food sources. Phone: 802-985-8686

Farmhouse to Sleigh to Farmhouse, With Chocolate

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The Hawk Mountain Inn & Resort in Plymouth hosts sleigh rides that travel along a Revolutionary War-era British military road through the forest with riders bundled underneath abundant blankets with a Thermos of hot chocolate packed at the farmhouse. Phone: 802-672-3811.

Fuzzy Factory Bears

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Way back in 1902, when the Teddy Bear got its name from U.S. president Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, the loveable stuffed animal quickly became every child’s favorite toy. A century later, the Teddy Bear is still a staple of growing up. See where the magic happens in Shelburne, Vermont at the Vermont Teddy Bear Company , the largest maker of hand-crafted, American-made Teddy Bears in the country. Watch the little fur balls turn into bears, and learn how they are delivered worldwide. You can even create your own Teddy when you participate in the “Make a Friend for Life” program. Phone: 802-244-7964.

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

Lake Champlain Provides the Vistas >br> for This Lovely Byway

Located in northwest Vermont, the Lake Champlain Byway runs along the northern length of Lake Champlain, stretching from U.S. Route 2 through Grand Isle County in the north; joining U.S. 7 in Chittenden County and including the communities of Vergennes and Middlebury in Addison County. 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. The arts community is active here with many performing arts venues and local festivals as well as many historic sites and museums along the byway. 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

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, often called the sixth Great Lake, is an ecological treasure trove. In conjunction with the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center on College Street in Burlington offers people interested in science and ecology 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 who have lived in the Champlain Valley for the last 11,000 years. The center is open year-round, 10 a.m -5 p.m., except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day. Phone: 802-864-9804.

Winter Gathering of Native Peoples at ECHO
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Leahy Center, 1 College Street
Burlington, VT
Phone: 877-324-6386

February 19-20, 2010

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A unique opportunity to experience the Lake Champlain Basin's indigenous culture first hand will take place at the Winter Gathering, at ECHO, The festival will feature Abenaki chiefs and tribe members, and showcase, among other activities, dancing, drumming, games, a roundtable, and the premiere of the Circle of Courage photography exhibition by Native teenagers. Time: Friday, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Information: www.echovermont.org.

X Is for Cross-Country -- Skis, That Is

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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.

Bennington Potters Yard Can Stock Your Kitchen
With Supplies Both Useful and Beautiful

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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. The business is located in a group of rustic buildings that once housed a grist mill and a schoolhouse. The mill off-loaded coal, supplied firewood, ice, lumber and farm equipment to local homes and businesses. The schoolhouse, which now serves as the store entrance, was just that, a one-room schoolhouse. 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.

Book Heaven

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Northshire Book Store on Main Street in Manchester Center is simply a delight for anyone who loves books and reading. The quantity of books is huge, blocked out in lots of helpful categories, and the staff is very helpful. Despite the vast quantity of material, the place in no way resembles the warehouse-y feel of the big chains that blanket the country. Besides reading matter, the Northshire sells toys for book lovers and Vermont-influenced gifts. Open daily. Phone: 802-362-2200

Books About Vermont Life
and Anything Else You Can Name

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The independent, family-owned Northshire Bookstore on 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.

Circus School Welcomes Circus Lovers
To Visit Anytime

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Some people just love, love, love the circus, any circus, the mere idea of a circus. What can you do? Here’s one answer: drop in for a visit or take a class at the New England Center for Circus Arts, located at 76 Cotton Mill Hill in Brattleboro. This is a circus school that welcomes new students (even for a one-shot class), visitors, and observers. It operates year-round. Classes include weekly instruction for children and adults, private lessons, summer and vacation camps for children, and a Professional Track Program. Students range from crawling tots who swing on a trapeze with their parents, to a teenage boy who finds juggling helps him focus on his schoolwork, to a grandfather who includes trapeze in his daily workout. Travelers and the simply curious can stop in and watch, or make advance arrangements to take a group or private class. Phone: 802-254-9780.

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. The country store carries memorable brands such as Tangee lipstick & Charles Chips and new products that also are useful, work and make sense in today's world. 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.

Covered Bridge Secrets
Unveiled at This Museum

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Vermont Covered Bridge Museum, located within the Bennington Center for the Arts on Gypsy Lane in Bennington is the place to peer in, around, and through these small, brilliant gems of early-19th century New England engineering. There is more to a covered bridge – structurally and historically – than meets the eye, and Vermont is the place to learn it. This first and only covered bridge museum in the world opened in 2003 at the Bennington Center for the Natural and Cultural Arts. Topics that the museum explores include The Kissing Bridge, Evolution of Bridges, Truss Designs, A Natural Habitat, Phone: 802-442-7158.

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