Vermont - Central

Killington, Vermont and Vacation in Vermont Information at Visit Vermont

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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.

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. 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 daily.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.