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 <br> on the Edge of Lake Champlain 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

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.

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 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

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.