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Vermont

By William Scheller

Vermont’s rolling hills, shaggy peaks, grazing cows, sugar maples, spectacular fall foliage, and quaint towns give it a distinct sense of place. This state is filled with the dairy farms, dirt roads, and small-scale enterprises that bring joy to the hearts of back-road travelers. And the towns are home to an intriguing mix of old-time Vermonters, back-to-the-landers who showed up in VW buses in the 1960s and never left (many got involved with municipal affairs or put down business roots—think Ben & Jerry); and newer, moneyed arrivals from New York or Boston who came to ski or stay at B&Bs and ended up buying second homes—more than a few of which ended up becoming first homes.

The place captures a sense of America as it once was—because here it still is. Vermonters share a sense of community, and they still respect the ideals of thrift and parsimony above those of commercialism. (It took years for Walmart to get approval to build its first big-box store in Vermont, and Montpelier is America’s only state capital without a McDonald’s.) Locals prize their villages, and understand what makes them special. That counts for a lot in an age when so many other small towns have been swallowed up by suburban sprawl or otherwise faded away with changing times.

Vermont remains a superb destination of country drives, mountain rambles, and overnights at country inns. A good map opens the door to back-road adventures, and it’s not hard to get a taste of Vermont’s way of life. The state’s total population is just a shade over 600,000, making it one of only seven states with more senators (two) than representatives (one) in Congress. It does sometimes feel like the cows still outnumber the humans here, although that hasn’t been true since the early 1960s.

Southern Vermont has mostly resisted the encroachments of progress (except at ski resorts on winter weekends), and remains a great introduction to the state. You’ll find plenty of antiques shops, handsome inns, fast-flowing streams (with fish!), and inviting restaurants.

Vermont

Northern Vermont is different. On the region’s western edge, along the shores of Lake Champlain, Burlington—the state’s largest, liveliest city—is ringed by fast-growing suburban communities and industrial parks of the non-smokestack variety. But drive an hour east and you’re deep in the Northeast Kingdom, the state’s least developed, most lost-in-time region.

There are remnants of older industries here—marble quarries in Danby, converging train tracks at White River Junction, a GE plant in Rutland that makes jet engine parts—but mostly it’s still rural living: cow pastures high in the hills, clapboard farmhouses under spreading trees, maple-sugaring operations, and the distant sound of timber being cut in woodlots. New and old co-exist here peaceably, and there are few better places to be on a summer or fall afternoon—winter, too, if you love the season’s sports. (April mud season? Not so much . . . )

Bennington, Manchester & Environs

Bennington: 143 miles NW of Boston; 126 miles S of Burlington. Arlington: 15 miles N of Bennington. Manchester: 24 miles N of Bennington.

Bennington (motto: “Where Vermont Begins”) owes its significance to a handful of eponymous moments, places, and things. There’s the Battle of Bennington, fought in 1777 during the American War of Independence (although the battle actually occurred across the border in New York State); Bennington College, a small, prestigious liberal-arts school just outside town; and Bennington pottery, which traces its ancestry back to the original factory in 1793 and is still prized by collectors for its superb quality.

North of Bennington, a string of closely spaced villages—Arlington, Manchester, and Dorset—presents Vermont at its most Vermont, making the area an ideal destination for a romantic getaway, antiquing trip, or even a serious outlet-shopping trip. This corner of the state is also renowned among anglers because of a winding tributary of the Hudson River called the Battenkill, home of wily populations of brook and brown trout.

Each of the towns has its own unique charm; you can even visit all of them in a single day if you sleep locally and get up early. That would be a pity, though—even a week’s travel would reveal only a portion of the superb lodging and dining possibilities in an area that offers sophisticated hospitality along with bucolic beauty.

Essentials

Arriving

Bennington is at the intersection of Vermont state routes 9 and 7. If you’re coming from the south, the nearest interstate access is via the New York State Thruway at Albany, about 35 miles away. (But you have to drive through the city of Troy first, which takes time; figure 45 min. or more from the Thruway to downtown Bennington.) From the east, I-91 is about 40 miles away at Brattleboro via Route 9 (the Molly Stark Trail). Arlington and Manchester lie north of Bennington on Historic Route 7A, which runs parallel to and west of Route 7 (it’s 15 miles to Arlington, 24 miles to Manchester). Dorset is 7 miles north of Manchester Center on Route 30.

Visitor Information

The Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce, 100 Veterans Memorial Dr. (www.bennington.com; 802/447-3311), maintains a visitor center on Route 7 about 1 mile north of downtown, near the veterans’ complex. This office is open weekdays 9am to 5pm year-round, and also on Saturdays until 1pm mid-May through mid-October. There’s also a downtown welcome center ( 802/442-5758) in a former blacksmith shop at South and Elm streets; look for the big blue flag. Operated by the other BBC—the Better Bennington Corporation, of course—it’s open Monday through Friday year-round, and has a big map of the area to orient you.

There’s a Manchester Visitors Center at 4802 Main St. in Manchester Center; information on the town is also available at www.manchestervermont.com or www.manchesterdesigneroutlets.com. Arlington maintains its own small, self-serve visitor information center at the Stewart’s gas station on Route 7A. Just take what you need.

For information on outdoor recreation, the Green Mountain National Forest maintains a district ranger office ( 802/362-2307) in Manchester Center at 2538 Depot St. It’s open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm.

Exploring Bennington

Today visitors will find a Bennington of two faces. Historic Bennington (more commonly known as Old Bennington ), with its handsome white clapboard homes and magnificently steepled Old First Church, sits atop a hill west of town off Route 9. Downtown Bennington, on the other hand, is a pleasant commercial center where practical shops mix with a brew pub, a craft shop in an old bank, and a diner that harks back to the ’50s. The downtown boasts a fair number of architecturally striking buildings. In particular, don’t miss the stern marble Federal building (formerly the post office) with six fluted columns at 118 South St., and the massive granite Sacred Heart-St. Francis DeSales church.

Turn off Route 9 in Old Bennington’s little traffic circle to visit the Bennington Battle Monument ( 802/447-0550). Dedicated in 1891, this 306-foot obelisk of blue limestone resembles a shorter, paunchier Washington Monument. (This is not the battle site—that’s about 6 miles northwest of here in New York State—but the monument marks the spot where American munitions were stored.) The monument’s viewing platform, which is reached by elevator, is open daily from 9am to 5pm from mid-April through October, and affords wonderful views that extend into New York and Massachusetts. A diorama depicting the battle is on view at ground level. A small fee ($5 adults, $1 kids ages 6–14) is charged. On holidays and during the last 2 weeks of each year, the monument is lit up.

Near the monument, you’ll find distinguished old homes lushly overarched with ancient trees. Be sure to spend a minute exploring the old burying ground behind the First Congregational Church, where the great poet Robert Frost and several Vermont governors are buried (see “I Had a Lover’s Quarrel with the World” box, left). The chamber of commerce provides a walking-tour brochure that helps you make sense of this neighborhood’s formerly vibrant past.

“I Had a Lover’s Quarrel with the World.”

That’s the epitaph on the tombstone of Robert Frost, who is buried in the cemetery behind the 1806 First Congregational Church in Old Bennington, down the hill from the Bennington Monument. Signs point the way to the Frost family grave. Travelers often stop here to pay their respects to the man many still consider the true voice of New England. Closer to the church, look for the old tombstones—some decorated with urns and skulls—of other Vermonters who lived much less famous lives.

Bennington College , just northwest of downtown Bennington, was founded in the 1930s as an experimental women’s college. It later went co-ed and garnered a national reputation as a liberal-arts school with a special reputation for teaching writing: Pulitzer Prize–winning poet W. H. Auden, novelist Bernard Malamud (The Natural), and novelist John Gardner (Grendel) all taught here. In the 1980s, Bennington produced a fresh wave of prominent young authors, including Donna Tartt, Bret Easton Ellis, and Jill Eisenstadt. The pleasant campus north of town is worth wandering; to get there, take the North Bennington Road (Route 67A) turnoff north of downtown (near the Bennington Square Shopping Center) and follow it about 2 miles north. There are also three attractive covered bridges near the college.

The Bennington Museum MUSEUM This eclectic and intriguing collection is one of the best small museums in northern New England. The museum traces its roots back to the 1850s, although it has occupied its current stone-and-column home overlooking the valley since “only” 1928. Expansive galleries feature a range of exhibits on local arts and industry, including early Vermont furniture, glass, paintings, and Bennington pottery. Of special interest are the many colorful primitive landscapes by Grandma Moses (1860–1961), who lived much of her life nearby. (This museum has the largest collection of Moses paintings in the world.) There’s also lots of American glass; a globe by Vermonter James Wilson, the nation’s first globe maker; the Bennington flag, the oldest surviving stars–and–stripes flag; and a 1925 Martin Wasp luxury car. (Only 16 were ever made, handcrafted in Bennington by Karl Martin between 1920 and 1925.) Surprisingly—given the museum’s antiquarian character—substantial space has recently been given to 20th-century artists such as Rockwell Kent and Helen Frankenthaler. Rotating special exhibits bring in serious art that’s sometimes unrelated to local history, such as a show of rarely shown works by Renoir, Monet, and Degas or a show of Haitian quilts. This is a great find.

75 W. Main St. (Rte. 9 btw. Old Bennington and downtown). www.benningtonmuseum.org. 802/447-1571. $10 adults, $9 seniors and students, free for kids 17 and under, $19 family. June–Oct daily 10am–5pm; Feb–May and Nov–Dec Thurs–Tues 10am–5pm; closed Jan.

Exploring Arlington, Manchester & Dorset

Driving north from Bennington on Route 7A, you’ll come first to the tiny town center of Arlington . With its auto-body shop, hub-of-town gas station/convenience store, ice-cream shop, and redemption center (all remnants of a time when the main highway passed right through town), this is a real, functioning Vermont village. It also has a great riverside campground (Camping on the Battenkill; www.campingonthebattenkill.com), an unusual number of good farmhouses-converted-into-inns on the surrounding roads, and an enduring connection with Norman Rockwell, who lived in Arlington from 1939 to 1953. There’s a Rockwell Exhibition at a maple products shop called the Sugar Shack (Route 7A; 802/375-6747), with reproductions of paintings and magazine covers for which he used local folks as models; several still live in the area.

Some 8 miles north of Arlington on 7A, Manchester (also sometimes called Manchester Village) and Manchester Center share a blurred town line and proximity, but maintain very different characters. The more southerly Manchester has an old-moneyed elegance and a prim, campus-like main street centered on the resplendently columned Equinox Resort (see p. 488). There’s also a neat row of shops, a wonderful golf course, a town library, a former Lincoln home (p. 482), and a fly-fishing museum (below). Just a mile and a half north along Main Street, Manchester Center is the major mercantile center for these parts; it almost feels like a small city, with its dozens of outlet stores (see box p. 482), doughnut shop, big-box grocery store, golden-arched fast food, and surprising traffic jams at the main intersection.

Follow Route 30 north out of Manchester Center for about 7 miles to reach Dorset , an exquisitely preserved village of white-clapboard architecture and marble sidewalks. While it has no sightseeing attractions, it’s definitely worth visiting, with a pair of delightful country inns (see p. 486).

American Museum of Fly Fishing MUSEUM If the legendary Battenkill has brought you to Manchester, you’ll want to tear yourself away from streamside to visit the world’s largest collection of angling art and items under one roof. The complex, which includes a gallery space, library, reading room, store, and historical resources, was specially built for the purpose. You can browse through an impressive collection of antique rods (including some owned by Daniel Webster, Ernest Hemingway, and Winslow Homer), reels, and 200-year-old flies (there are over 22,000 flies in the museum’s trove), plus photos, instructional videos, sketchbooks, and historical items. Recent exhibitions have even chronicled the growing popularity of saltwater fly fishing. This is a surprisingly fun place to while away an hour; about the only thing missing is, well, fish. The museum is neatly positioned right between the Equinox Resort (p. 488) and the Orvis fly-fishing store (see box p. 482), where there are fish, in a trout pond where you can try out the famed company’s wares.

4070 Main St. (Rte. 7A), Manchester. www.amff.com. 802/362-3300. $5 adults, $3 kids 5–14, $10 family. Tues–Sun 10am–4pm. Closed major holidays.

Hildene HISTORIC HOME Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s only child to survive to adulthood, built this 24-room Georgian Revival mansion in 1905, and summered here until his death in 1926. Unlike many showpiece homes of the era, Hildene has an atmosphere of comfort and livability—even with its sweeping central staircase and thousand-pipe 1908 Aeolian organ, played today during house tours. Lincoln chose a gorgeous natural setting for his retreat, and enhanced it with formal gardens designed after the patterns in a stained-glass window. Outstanding views of the flanking mountains make this one of southern Vermont’s most popular wedding spots every summer and fall. The home and grounds can be viewed only on group tours that start at an informative visitor center; budget 2 to 3 hours for the tour plus extra time exploring the pretty grounds and diversions, such as a restored 1903 Pullman private railroad car. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are allowed with admission to the grounds in winter. A visit during Christmastime is a special treat—the house is decorated as it would have been in the Lincolns’ day.

Historic Rte. 7A (just south of Equinox Resort), Manchester. www.hildene.org. 802/362-1788. Admission to house and grounds $23 adults, $6 ages 6–16, free for kids 5 and under. Guided tour of house or archives, $7.50. Daily 9:30am–4:30pm.

Manchester: Shopping Mecca

Manchester Center has one of the best concentrations of outlet shops in New England, both in terms of the number of shops in a compact area (it’s very walkable and parkable, so you won’t get tired) and the quality of the merchandise. Among the designers and retailers with outlet shops here are: Brooks Brothers, Coach, Michael Kors, Ann Taylor, Talbot’s, Eddie Bauer, BCBG Max Azria, Giorgio Armani, Kate Spade, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Theory. Most of the shops are in little mini-mall clusters in and around the busy little intersection at the heart of town. Hungry from shopping and window-shopping? In season there’s an outdoor stand scooping Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and a brand new cafe serves good sandwiches, lunches, and coffee to the shopped-out masses.

If your interests include fishing or outdoorsy fashion of the genteel, country manor variety, though, head instead for Orvis, the Manchester-based local company that has crafted a worldwide reputation for manufacturing top-flight fly-fishing equipment and the associated gear. The massive, wood-framed Orvis Company Store (https://stores.orvis.com/us/vermont/manchester; 802/362-3750) between Manchester and Manchester Center sells housewares, men’s and women’s clothing—both for daily wear and sturdy outdoor use—plus, of course, more fly-fishing equipment than you’ll ever need (budget close to three grand for one of their signature bamboo rods). Two small ponds just outside the shop allow prospective customers to try the gear before buying. A sale room, with even more deeply discounted items, is directly behind the main store.

Southern Vermont Arts Center MUSEUM/PERFORMANCE SPACE Located in a striking Georgian Revival home surrounded by more than 55 hillside acres, overlooking land that once belonged to fly-fishing magnate Charles Orvis, the center’s galleries display works from its permanent collection, as well as frequently changing exhibits of contemporary Vermont artists. An appealing modern building across the drive displays additional works, and there is an extensive sculpture garden. Check the center’s schedule before you arrive; you may be able to sign up for an art class or workshop, or attend one of the frequent live music performances. Leave time to enjoy a light lunch at the Garden Cafe and wander the lovely grounds.

West Rd., Manchester. www.svac.org. 802/362-1405. $8 adults, $3 students, free for kids 12 and under; Tues free. Open June–Sept Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun noon–5pm.

Skiing

See also Mount Snow, p. 483.

Bromley Mountain Ski Resort Bromley is a great place to learn to ski if you don’t already know how. Gentle and forgiving, the mountain features long, looping, intermediate runs that are tremendously popular with families and beginners; Ski magazine once named it the second-best ski destination in the entire country for families. The slopes are mostly south-facing, which means they receive the warmth of the sun and protection from the harshest winter winds. There’s one ski school for kids, another for adults; the base-lodge scene is mellower than at many other resorts; and the experience is nearly guaranteed to be relaxing. Even snowboarders and telemark skiers are made to feel welcome. This is not a fancy-pants resort, however, and there are no quintuple-diamond, by-the-seat-of-your-pants runs here; if you crave that, bypass Bromley.

3984 Rte. 11, Peru (8 miles NE of Manchester Center). www.bromley.com. 802/824-5522. Day lift tickets $80–$84 adults, half-day $65–$69; discounts for youths and seniors, and for spring skiing.

Stratton Mountain Ski Resort Founded in the 1960s, Stratton labored in its early days under the belief that Vermont ski areas needed to be Tyrolean to be successful—hence the Swiss-chalet feel of the architecture. In recent years, though, Stratton has worked to shed its image as a haven of alpine quaintness. In a bid to attract a younger set, new owners spent more than $25 million in improvements, mostly in snowmaking, which covers 95% of the mountain. Now this mountain is consistently ranked among the nation’s best-groomed by skiers, and also picks up big kudos for its lifts, dining choices, and customer service. The slopes here are especially popular with snowboarders; expert skiers should check out Upper Middlebrook, a twisting run off the summit.

5 Village Lodge Rd., Stratton Mountain (16 miles SE of Manchester Center). www.stratton.com. 800/787-2886 or 802/297-4000. Day lift tickets $115 adults, half-day $85; discounts for seniors, children, and online purchase.

Other Outdoor Activities

Hiking & Biking Scenic hiking trails ranging in difficulty from “very challenging” to “easy-as-an-after-dinner-stroll” can be found in the hills a short drive from town. At the Green Mountain District Ranger Station in Manchester (see “Visitor Information,” p. 479), ask for the free brochure listing hiking trails easily reached from the town.

A scenic drive 30 to 40 minutes northwest of Manchester Center takes you to the Delaware and Hudson Rail-Trail, approximately 20 miles of which have been built in two sections in Vermont. The southern section of the trail runs about 10 miles from West Pawlet to the state line at West Rupert, over trestles and past vestiges of former industry. Like most rail-trails, this one is perfect for exploring by mountain bike. You’ll bike sometimes on the original ballast, other times through grassy growth. To reach the trail head, drive north on Route 30 from Manchester Center to Route 315, then continue north on Route 153. In West Pawlet, park at the trailhead on Egg Street, then set off on the trail southward from the old D&H freight depot across the street.

Vermont’s famed Long Trail offers a more rugged hiking experience. It crosses Routes 11/30 east of Manchester Center, and continues north to Bromley Mountain and south to Stratton. For information, contact the Green Mountain Club (www.greenmountainclub.org; 802/244-7037).

The hills around Manchester are full of other great touring rides, too. Your headquarters should be Battenkill Sports Bike Shop (www.battenkillbicycles.com; 800/340-2734 or 802/362-2734), at 1240 Depot Street, in downtown Manchester Center. It’s a wonderful little place, with free local bike maps, great bikes for sale, and a range of rentals from hybrids to touring cycles to mountain bikes ($40–$45 per day; locks and helmets are included).

Canoeing For a duck’s-eye view of the rolling hills, stop by BattenKill Canoe Ltd. (www.battenkill.com; 800/421-5268 or 802/362-2800) at 6328 Route 7A (about halfway between Arlington and the Equinox Resort). This friendly outfit offers daily canoe rentals for exploring the Battenkill River and surrounding areas, as well as guided trips ranging from 2 hours to all day, and the firm specializes in multiple-night, inn-to-inn canoe packages. The shop is open daily in season (which runs from about May–Oct) from 9am to 5:30pm, and Wednesday through Friday only during the rest of the year—but check ahead if you’re coming during those months.

Fly-Fishing Why not learn from the best? Aspiring anglers can sign up for fly-fishing classes taught by skilled instructors affiliated with Orvis ( 866/531-6213), the famous fly-fishing supplier and manufacturer based in Manchester (see box p. 482). The shop’s ½- to 2-day classes ($140–$489 per person per day, with occasional two-for-one deals) include instruction in knot-tying and casting, plus some catch-and-release fishing on a company pond and the Battenkill River. Classes are held from late April until mid-October. Room rate discounts are sometimes available at the Equinox Resort (see p. 488) for visiting Orvis students.

Where to Stay in the Bennington/Manchester Area

The choices below mostly fall into the “luxury country inn” category, but there are plenty of other options in this valley, too.

Arlington

West Mountain Inn Sitting atop a grassy bluff at the end of a dirt road a half-mile from Arlington center, this rambling, mid–19th-century white-clapboard farmhouse with the stone walkway has an immediate visual appeal that practically shouts “Vermont inn.” Guest rooms, named for famous Vermonters, are nicely furnished in country antiques (some have canopied beds) and Victorian reproductions; they vary widely in size and shape, but even the smallest has lots of charm and character. (No rooms have phones, the idea being that you’re here to get away from it all.) The expansive Rockwell Kent Suite offers a four-poster canopy bed in a very wood-paneled bedroom, plus a wood-burning fireplace in a sitting room with French-style couches. A delightful little wood cottage in back has been divided up into three units (the living room is shared among guests), and three town houses have been carved out of a former millhouse on the grounds. These feature TVs, river views and, in one, a kitchen. A century–old post-and-beam barn is often rented for weddings and reunions, and the 150 acres of meadows invite exploring. In addition to the included breakfast (which you can skip for a discount in the town houses), the dining room also serves hearty regional dinners nightly in a wood-paneled dining room.

River Rd. (at Rte. 313), Arlington. www.westmountaininn.com. 802/375-6516. 20 units. $175–$305 double. Rates include full breakfast (except for town houses). 2-night minimum stay Fri–Sat or Sat–Sun. Amenities: Restaurant; kitchenette (some units); Wi-Fi (in inn units; free).

Bennington

The Four Chimneys Inn This 1912 Colonial Revival catches your eye as you roll into Bennington from the west; it’s right at the edge of Old Bennington, and the towering Bennington Monument looms just over its shoulder. Set back from Route 7 on 11 landscaped acres, the three-story mansion features—no surprise—four prominent chimneys. Guest rooms are divided among the main inn, an ice house, and a carriage house; they’re serene, airy, and uncluttered, with color-coordinated wallpaper and upholstered furniture. Some units sport wood-burning fireplaces burning real wood, and many have nice Jacuzzis, four-poster beds, and/or mountain views from patios. Room no. 11 has a private glassed–in porch and more windows than most of the other units; the brick carriage house (room no. 9) has a cathedral ceiling. Room no. 8, in the ice house, is a two-level affair with exposed brick walls, a circular wooden staircase, and a gas fireplace. The inn is a popular wedding venue—among couples who married here are the owners, Pete and Lynn Green.

21 West Rd. (Rte. 9, just west of downtown), Bennington. www.fourchimneys.com. 802/447-3500. 11 units. $129–$399 double. Rates include full breakfast. 2-night minimum stay foliage and holiday weekends. Children 12 and over accepted. Amenities: Dining room; full bar; Wi-Fi (free).

Paradise Inn Bennington’s best motel justifies its upscale name with furnishings and amenities that match its higher-than-most-motels rates. It’s clean, well-managed, and within walking distance of town. Tidy, generously sized accommodations are further bolstered by such surprising features as kitchenettes in some suites, a tennis court, and a heated pool. The very central location and neighborhood views aren’t bad, either. Try to reserve a spot in the North Building, in spite of its unprepossessing exterior—each unit has an outdoor terrace or balcony. The more up-to-date Office Building is done in Colonial Revival style.

141 W. Main St., Bennington. www.vermontparadiseinn.com. 800/575-5784 or 802/442-8351. 77 units. $80–$175 double; $125–$240 suite. Amenities: Restaurant; exercise room; heated outdoor pool; tennis court; Wi-Fi (free in lobby and some units).

South Shire Inn A locally prominent banking family hired architect William Bull in 1880 to design and build this Victorian home, with leaded glass on its bookshelves and intricate plasterwork in the main dining room. Five guest rooms in the main inn building are furnished with handsomely carved canopy or poster beds and working fireplaces (burning Duraflame logs, not wood); the two best rooms here are probably the former master bedrooms (Otto and Gold), with their king beds and tile-hearth fireplaces. Four newer, more modern guest rooms—with such names as Jim Dandy—are located in an adjacent carriage house. They each sport extra amenities and lovely exposed pine flooring (rooms in the main inn have all been carpeted). All four of these rooms have televisions with DVD players, ceiling fans, and Jacuzzis.

124 Elm St., Bennington. www.southshire.com. 802/447-3839. 9 units. $125–$185 double; foliage season $155–$265 double. Rates include breakfast. 2-night minimum stay during foliage season. Not appropriate for children. Amenities: Wi-Fi (free).

Dorset

Barrows House Just a short stroll from Dorset village, this compound of eight venerable buildings is set on 12 leafy acres. The 1784 main house has welcomed travelers since 1900; in keeping with its pedigree, rooms have a timeless, quiet elegance, and have been completely renovated—along with public areas—following a recent ownership change. Some units have gas or wood fireplaces, while several cottages (one of which doubles as the pool house) offer additional space and privacy for families. If you’re looking for old Vermont charm, this is the place; if not, some of the more luxe quarters in Manchester village might be a better option. The inn’s superb restaurant and tap room (p. 490) feature menus built largely on locally sourced fare, including Vermont craft beers and cheeses.

3156 Rte. 30, Dorset. www.barrowshouse.com. 802/867-4455. 28 units. $185–$295 double; $235–$355 suite and cottage; $355–$465 luxury suite. Amenities: Restaurant/bar; bikes; heated outdoor pool; sauna; 2 tennis courts; Wi-Fi in limited areas (free).

Dorset Inn Set in the center of genteel Dorset, this three-story former stagecoach stop built in 1796 claims to be the oldest continuously operating inn in Vermont. Anyplace with two dozen rooms stretches the definition of “inn,” but we’ll make an exception for an establishment exuding this much sedate, time-burnished elegance. Prices are surprisingly reasonable given the competition in Manchester, and the Bryant family—who also own Dorset’s Barrows House (see above) and the Mountain Top Resort in Chittenden (p. 515)—have upgraded everything from room decor to the restaurant. Guest rooms, some located in a well-crafted addition next door that dates from the 1940s, are named for famous local people and places (Frost, Saddleback, Marsh, Owls Head). They’re furnished in upscale country style, in a mix of reproductions and antiques, including some canopy and sleigh beds. All units are air-conditioned, though a few still lack televisions and most don’t have telephones; about one-quarter have Jacuzzi tubs, sitting rooms, and fireplaces. The excellent restaurant and tavern (see p. 491) feature local and regional ingredients. A small day spa operates on the premises.

8 Church St. (at Rte. 30), Dorset. www.dorsetinn.com. 877/367-7389 or 802/867-5500. 25 units. $165–$485 double. Rates include full breakfast. Pets allowed by prior permission at additional cost. Children 6 and over welcome. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; spa; Wi-Fi (in all but 2 units; free).

Manchester Center

Barnstead Inn Here’s a worthwhile alternative to the steep room tariffs charged by most establishments within walking distance of lively Manchester Center. Most of the guest rooms are housed in an 1830s hay barn; appropriately, a rustic aesthetic prevails, right down (up?) to the barn’s exposed beams. The departure from country chic comes in the form of vinyl bathroom floors, office-grade carpeting, and a mix of motel-modern and antique furnishings in most rooms. The nicest units include the two above the office (with two double beds, and showing off those beams) and any of the pricier suites—including the Green River Suite, with a lovely fireplace of big, hand-laid stones, Oriental carpets, a kitchenette, and a two-person Jacuzzi. All in all, a good value and one of the closest lodgings to the outlet stores.

349 Bonnet St. (P.O. Box 988), Manchester Center. www.barnsteadinn.com. 800/331-1619 or 802/362-1619. 15 units. $109–$199 double, $270–$375 suite; foliage-season rates higher. Children 13 and over welcome. Amenities: Outdoor pool; Wi-Fi (free).

Palmer House Resort Motel Despite the name, this hostelry doesn’t quite qualify as a resort; but it’s several rungs above the vast majority of motels. Owned and operated by the same family for about a half-century, its rooms are furnished with antiques and other unexpected niceties; ask for one of the somewhat larger rooms in the newer rear building if you want more space. Ten spacious suites each offer a king bed, sitting room, gas fireplace, two-person Jacuzzi, and private deck overlooking a trout-stocked pond and the mountains beyond—these are much more expensive than regular rooms, and lack the charm of traditional country inn accommodations, but they will do as a romantic retreat when those are booked solid. The buildings are set on 16 well-kept acres, part of which constitute a free par-3 golf course just for guests (clubs are free).

5383 Main St. (Rte. 7A), Manchester Center. www.palmerhouse.com. 800/917-6245 or 802/362-3600. 50 units. $179–$209 double; $294–$324 suite. 2-night minimum stay some weekends. Children 12 and older welcome. Amenities: 9-hole golf course; exercise room; Jacuzzi; 2 pools (1 outdoor, 1 heated indoor lap); sauna; 2 tennis courts; Wi-Fi (free).

Manchester Village

The Equinox Resort & Spa Manchester’s grand resort harks back to the days when well-heeled sojourners—including Robert Todd Lincoln, before he built his own nearby summer retreat Hildene (see p. 482)—relaxed in rockers on the broad, pillared veranda. The Equinox’s earlier incarnations date to 1769, but what you’ll find today is a modern resort complete with a full-service spa, lovely indoor pool, scenic (and challenging) golf course, free business center, and extensive sports facilities. Rooms are moderately sized but have been kept up to date; the big surprise, for travelers partial to grand public spaces, is the lack of one big, welcoming lobby. This is because the hotel predates steel construction—those columns, defining smaller spaces, are there for a reason. The resort also owns the nearby B&B style 1811 House—a place of cozy rooms, authentically uneven pine floors, and antique furniture—as well as the adjacent Charles Orvis Inn. Suites in the Orvis Inn are big and modern, and use of a private billiards room is included. The resort offers plenty of activities on its 1,300-plus acres of grounds, including skeet shooting, falconry, and the Land Rover off-road driving school. Of the resort’s three restaurants, the Chop House (see p. 492) is best; The Marsh Tavern is nearly as good, serving both pubby and formal lunches and dinners, while the Falcon Bar is not to be missed—an outdoor brazier has recently been added, making it a convivial place to sip drinks beneath the stars.

3567 Rte. 7A (P.O. Box 46), Manchester Village. www.equinoxresort.com. 802/362-4700. 183 units. Main inn and Charles Orvis Inn peak season $341–$899; off season $269–$679. Amenities: 3 restaurants; bar; babysitting; bikes; concierge; golf course; exercise room; indoor and outdoor pools; room service; sauna; spa; 3 tennis courts; Wi-Fi (free).

The Inn at Manchester On the outside, it looks like a prosperous 19th-century Manchester home, but this is a special B&B. An inn since 1978, it’s just a half-mile from the outlet stores that draws so many to Manchester, and handy to the village, resort, and golf course; yet it has a true country feel. Guests arrive here from around the U.S., often booking far in advance, drawn by the location, the rooms, and the amazing hospitality that comes with family ownership—owners Frank and Julie Hanes are as helpful as can be. Rooms are in the main inn and an adjacent carriage house dating from the mid-1800s, both decorated with art and sculpture from around the world. The public spaces are whitewashed and lovely, with fireplaces, staircases, and wingback chairs tucked throughout its various corners and angles. Most of the 18 rooms and suites have televisions (no phones, though), and some also have poster beds and/or good direct views of Mount Equinox. All units feel clean and fresh, with distinctive looks—the Sage Suite is popular for its walk-out deck, sitting room, whirlpool tub, and that Equinox view. Four acres of gardens and grounds, a brook, and a lazy front porch complete the peaceful experience.

3967 Main St. (Rte. 7A), Manchester Village. www.innatmanchester.com. 802/362-1793. 21 units. Main building, $165–$315; carriage house and celebration barn, $235–$315. Rates include full breakfast. Amenities: Outdoor pool; Wi-Fi (free).

The Reluctant Panther A quick walk from the Equinox, this property began life as a somewhat funky ’60s B&B, but after a 2005 fire destroyed the main house, it was reborn as a true luxury inn. All rooms now sport a fireplace (one in each room, in the deluxe suites), whirlpool tub, thick duvets, fluffy robes, and flatscreen TVs. In the main house, the woodsy Akwanok room is furnished with Orvis nightstand lamps and a birch headboard handcrafted in the Adirondacks, while Lady Slipper sports a claw-foot Jacuzzi and king poster bed. Other rooms are decorated according to themes, too: horses in the John Morgan Suite; flowery murals in the Florist Suite; green hues in the Fallen Spruce Suite. In the outbuildings, standouts are the Garden Suite’s living room and see-through fireplace, as well as the expansive Panther Suite’s four-poster bed, grandiose bathroom, and regal, columned Jacuzzi. The Pond View Suite, in the carriage house, is bigger than many Vermont cottages. The dining room (see p. 492) is outstanding; a pub menu is also served on a patio (weather permitting) and in the Panther Pub.

17-39 West Rd., Manchester Village. www.reluctantpanther.com. 800/822-2331 or 802/362-2568. 20 units. $199–$449; higher in foliage season. Rates include full breakfast. Pets allowed on limited basis ($50 per night). Amenities: Restaurant; pub; exercise room; Wi-Fi (free).

Where to Eat in the Bennington/Manchester Area

In addition to the selections below, most of the inns listed above offer good to excellent dinners on site in their dining rooms, often in romantic settings. For informal dining or a beer, locals head for Mulligan’s (www.mulligans-vt.com; 802/362-3663), a pubby family eatery on Route 7A near the Equinox Resort in Manchester. Mrs. Murphy’s Donuts ( 802/362-1874), a locals’ favorite on the outlet strip in Manchester Center, is a nice alternative to chain fast-food breakfasts.

Bennington

Blue Benn Diner DINER There are maybe a half-dozen true diners in Vermont. The qualification aficionados insist on is that a diner be prefabricated of stainless or enameled steel, and be delivered to its site. The Blue Benn, which rolled down the ways in Paterson, NJ, in 1945, fits the bill—and meets diner mavens’ culinary standards as well. Expect the classics: meat loaf, chicken-fried steak, liver and onions . . . and, since this is a college town, offerings include veggie burritos, falafel, and a Cuban pork sandwich. Daily dinner specials include soup or salad, rolls, pudding, and coffee or tea; breakfast, served all day, is a hearty and imaginative panoply of omelets and pancakes. No credit cards.

314 North St. (Rte. 7), Bennington. 802/442-5140. Breakfast $3–$7.50; sandwiches and entrees $3.50–$14; dinner specials $13. Mon–Tues 6am–5pm; Wed–Fri 6am–8pm; Sat 6am–4pm; Sun 8am–4pm.

Madison Brewing Co. AMERICAN Bennington’s first and only brew pub is a lively downtown spot where Bennington College types mingle with townies and travelers. The lunch and dinner menus—served in upstairs and downstairs, rehabbed 19th-century brick-and-beam dining areas—run to well-executed, tried-and-true comfort dishes such as pot roast, mac and cheese, fish and chips, flatiron steak, and generous sandwiches. Imagination flourishes in the house-brewed beer selections: You’ll find the IPAs that are practically written into the Vermont constitution, but also experiments involving maple, coffee, blackberries, and peanut butter. One seasonal stout, the “Nor’beaster Chocolate Imperial,” slides down like malted milk but packs a 10% alcohol wallop. Live music Friday and Saturday nights.

428 Main St., Bennington. www.madisonbrewingco.com. 802/442-7397. Lunch items $8–$15; main courses $12–$20 at dinner. Mon–Thurs 11am–9pm; Fri–Sat 11:30am–10:30pm; Sun 11:30am–9:30pm.

Pangaea INTERNATIONAL This upscale little culinary campus is a bit hard to find (tucked away in workaday North Bennington), but it’s worth trying to locate. Chef/owner Bill Scully offers his distinctive cuisine (using local and organic ingredients whenever possible) in a lounge as well as a fine-dining room. At the latter, start with Vermont boar-and-brie Wellington, or ricotta agnolotti with fines herbes butter. Entrees could include rack of lamb with mint pistachio pesto, pan-seared sea scallops over creamy adobe polenta, or herb-crusted baked halibut. Next door in the lounge, sip a Vermont beer or craft cocktail while deciding among items such as a Vermont cheese plate, fried oysters, Vietnamese spring rolls, and burgers available in beef, salmon, or black bean versions. The small card of desserts is notable, especially for the chocolate cake.

1-3 Prospect St. (Rte. 67A), North Bennington. www.vermontfinedining.com. 802/442-7171. Lounge items $9–$15; main courses $31. Tues–Sat 5–9pm.

Dorset

Barrows House Restaurant and Tap Room NEW AMERICAN The restaurant at the Barrows House (see p. 486) is a worthy manifestation of the modern gastropub, Vermont style. Start off in the pub with a flight of local beers or a craft cocktail, then settle down to study an uncluttered, satisfying menu built around starters (call them small plates if you aren’t heading on to an entrée) such as tandoori chicken tacos, beet carpaccio, and tuna nachos. Your main course might be built around house-made pasta; or go with tried-and-true steak frites or short ribs. There’s always a daily special flatbread, and; fish specials and vegetarian choices, too. A dessert standout is the sour cherry flourless chocolate torte.

Rte. 30, Dorset (in Barrows House). www.barrowshouse.com. 802/867-4455. Small plates $8–$15; main courses $26–$32. Daily 5:30–9pm.

Chantecleer CONTINENTAL First–rate continental fare finds a home in an atmosphere of rustic elegance at Chantecleer, which consistently serves some of the best food in southern Vermont—inside a century-old dairy barn. Just outside Dorset, the restaurant’s tidy exterior doesn’t hint at how pleasantly romantic the interior is, even if it feels almost Pennsylvania Dutch. The owner, Swiss chef Michel Baumann, changes his menu frequently. Appetizers lean toward seafood, especially shellfish (mussels, oysters, octopus, and escargot). For the main course, he might feature whole Dover sole, venison and duck breast medallions, veal sweetbreads, or a classic veal schnitzel with spaetzle. Whatever you eat, you must finish with Baumann’s delicious “Matterhorn” sundae—Vermont ice cream shingled with toasted hazelnut nougatine and topped with Toblerone hot fudge.

Rte. 7A (3½ miles N of Manchester Center), East Dorset. www.chantecleerrestaurant.com. 802/362-1616. Reservations recommended. Main courses $30–$49. Wed–Sun 5:30–9pm. Closed 1st 3 weeks of Nov, and Apr to mid-May.

Dorset Inn Restaurant NEW AMERICAN Menus at the Dorset Inn’s (see p. 486) restaurant and tavern strike an admirable balance between sophistication and down-home Vermont culinary values—with an emphasis on seasonal fare and locally sourced meats and produce. Start with house-smoked local duck pâté, PEI mussels, Maine crab cakes, or a plate of locally crafted cheese. The entrée card—changing with the seasons—might include a rosemary-and-garlic grilled pork ribeye, roast duck breast in a cranberry-maple demi-glace, or grilled trout with a Meyer lemon butter. Burgers rule the tavern menu, where the star side is sweet potato fries with cilantro lime sour cream for dipping. Desserts are also stellar, from New York–style cheesecake with fresh berries to maple crème brûlée, and New England bread pudding—also with maple. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday.

8 Church St. (Rte. 30), Dorset (in the Dorset Inn). www.dorsetinn.com. 802/867-5500. Reservations recommended. Brunch items $12–$16, main courses $22–$34. Mon–Thurs 8–9:30am and 5:30–9pm; Fri–Sun 8am–2pm and 5:30–9pm.

Manchester Center

Little Rooster Cafe DINER Roosters don’t nest—they roost—but never mind: The seats here are painted like birds’ nests. The farm motif runs to the extreme at this spot near the outlets and the traffic circle, but there are gourmet touches as well. Breakfast choices might include Cajun omelets, corned-beef hash (with béchamel sauce!), or flapjacks with Vermont (what else?) maple syrup. Lunchtime features creative sandwiches—for instance, a good roast beef number with sauerkraut and a horseradish dill sauce. This is the best non-inn spot in town for eggs, pancakes, or a filling lunch, and quite affordable. Cash only.

4645 Main St (Rte. 7A S.), Manchester Center. 802/362-3496. Breakfast and lunch items $4.50–$8.50. No credit cards. Daily 7am–2:30pm. Closed Wed in off season.

Mistral’s at Toll Gate FRENCH This place is a little hard to find (take a left turn off Route 11/30 as you ascend east into the mountains above Manchester Center), but it’s worth it. The best tables are along the windows, which overlook a lovely creek spotlighted at night. Inside the tollhouse of a long-since-bypassed byway, the restaurant is a romantic mix of modern and old. The French menu changes seasonally, with dishes that might range from fish to cannelloni stuffed with Atlantic salmon to a Chateaubriand for two, stuffed with shallots, mushrooms, and garlic, served with Béarnaise sauce. This kitchen is run with skill by the owner-chef, Dana Markey, and his wife, Cheryl, who have been doing an admirable job here for 30 years. Plenty of Wine Spectator awards testify to the phenomenal quality of the Mistral cellar.

10 Toll Gate Rd. (east of Manchester Ctr. off Rte. 11/30), Manchester Center. www.mistralsattollgate.com. 802/362-1779. Reservations recommended. Main courses $28–$40. July–Oct Thurs–Tues 6–9pm; Nov–June Thurs–Mon 6–9pm.

Manchester Village

The Chop House STEAK Truly great steakhouses aren’t that easy to find in Vermont (family-style restaurants, on the other hand, are everywhere). For the past decade, though, this omission has been splendidly corrected at the Equinox Resort (see p. 488) in Manchester Village. Executive chef Daniel Black broils the expected porterhouses, rib-eyes, and filet mignons, and serves up the traditional steakhouse sides (creamed spinach and baked potatoes, of course, but also roasted cauliflower and Brussels sprouts). Prime rib (available Fri and Sat only), double lamb chops, and seafood round out the entrée menu. The appetizers would be right at home on a Manhattan menu: lobster bisque, iceberg wedge/blue cheese salads, tuna tartare, and a terrific shrimp cocktail.

3567 Rte. 7A, Manchester Village (in the Equinox Resort). www.equinoxresort.com. 800/362-4747 or 802/362-4700. Reservations recommended. Main courses $34–$65. Daily 5–10pm.

The Reluctant Panther NEW AMERICAN This award-winning dining room—part of the inn of the same name (see p. 492), with a lovely dining room looking out onto Mount Equinox—has become one of the best fine-dining options in Manchester. The kitchen reaches for and attains a high level with cuisine that’s both New American and Continental. Starters could include such things as lobster and brie fondue, hearty soups, duck confit, or a Vermont cheese and charcuterie board. For the main course, you might choose from braised venison osso bucco, pan-seared pheasant, freshly made fettuccine with leeks and butternut squash, or short ribs braised in Vermont’s own Switchback ale. Desserts are stunning and beautifully presented; the wine list is long and well chosen, though predominantly of California vintages. Patio dining in season.

39 West Rd., Manchester Village. www.reluctantpanther.com. 800/822-2331 or 802/362-2568. Reservations required. Main courses $22–$32. Mon–Sat 5:30–9pm.

Brattleboro & the Southern Green Mountains

Brattleboro: 105 miles NW of Boston; 148 miles SE of Burlington. Wilmington: 20 miles E of Brattleboro

The hills and valleys around the bustling town of Brattleboro, in Vermont’s southeast corner, have some of the state’s best-hidden treasures. Driving along the main valley floors—on roads along the West or Connecticut rivers, or on Route 100—tends to be only moderately interesting. To really soak up the region’s flavor, then, turn off the main roads and wander up and over rolling ridges into the narrow folds of mountains hiding peaceful villages. If it looks as though the landscape hasn’t changed all that much in the past 2 centuries, you’re right. It really hasn’t.

Set in a scenic river valley, Brattleboro is more than just a wide place in the road to fill the gas tank and stock up on provisions (though some parts of town do lend themselves best to that). In fact, this compact, hilly former mill town has a healthy working downtown, where 19th-century brick facades are enlivened by locally owned shops selling books, clothing, cookware, vinyl and CDs, camping supplies, and many other things that elsewhere have migrated to malls. That counterculture edge you may detect dates to Brattleboro’s attraction to newcomers of 50 years ago. Keep that in mind when a gent with a gray ponytail walks by.

Essentials

Arriving

BY CAR Brattleboro is easily accessible by car via exits 1 and 2 on I-91. From the east or west, Brattleboro is best reached via Route 9, which comes in from Albany and Bennington to the west and Keene, New Hampshire, to the east. From New York City via Hartford, it’s about 3 hours without traffic, up to 4 hours with traffic. Wilmington sits at the junction of routes 9 and 100; Route 9 offers the most direct access. The Mount Snow area is north of Wilmington on Route 100.

BY TRAIN Brattleboro is a stop on Amtrak’s (www.amtrak.com; 800/872-7245) once-daily Vermonter service from Washington, D.C., and New York to northern Vermont. From New York’s Penn Station, the ride takes about 5½ hours and costs $67 one-way; from Washington’s Union Station, it’s about 9 hours and $97 per person. Brattleboro’s Union Station sits by the river in a stone building at 10 Vernon Avenue (Route 142), just downhill from Main Street’s concentration of shops.

BY BUS Greyhound (www.greyhound.com; 800/231-2222) also stops in Brattleboro, running two buses daily from New York’s Port Authority bus terminal. The ride takes 5½ hours and costs $54 one-way, but as little as $36 if nonrefundable and booked online. The bus station is tucked away behind a Citgo gas station in the Route 5/9 traffic circle on the north side of town (about 2½ miles from the train station). A handy, free black-and-white shuttle bus known as the MOOver (www.moover.com; 802/464-8487)—it’s spotted to look remarkably like a cow—connects the two stations two or three times a day.

Visitor Information

The Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce office, at 180 Main St. (www.brattleborochamber.org; 877/254-4565 or 802/254-4565), dispenses tourist information when it’s open for business (Mon–Fri 8:30am–5pm; closed holidays). The Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce (www.visitvermont.com; 877/887-6884 or 802/464-8092) maintains a visitor center at 21 West Main St. Open daily year-round from 10am to 5pm, the chamber offers a room-booking service, which is helpful for booking smaller inns and B&Bs. (To investigative or book on-the-mountain accommodations, however, it’s best to check directly with Mount Snow’s lodging bureau at 800/451-4211.)

Exploring Brattleboro

Here’s a useful two-phase strategy for exploring Brattleboro: Park. Walk. The commercially vibrant downtown is blessedly compact, and strolling it is the best way to appreciate its human scale and handsome commercial architecture. It invites casual browsing without an itinerary.

Wholly Cow!

Parodying the annual Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain, Brattleboro’s “Strolling of the Heifers” has become an early June tradition that includes live entertainment, food vendors, a cycling tour, a “Famous Farmers Breakfast,” and of course a Main Street parade led by docile young Holstein-Friesian cows who aren’t about to run amok (sorry, Hemingway fans). For information, contact Strolling of the Heifers, a local not-for-profit that promotes healthy food and area artists (www.strollingoftheheifers.com; 802/246-0982).

Brattleboro has a trio of museums devoted to local history, manufactures, and the arts. The Brattleboro Historical Society’s History Center and Museum (196 Main St.; www.brattleborohistoricalsociety.org; 802/258-4957) exhibits artifacts and photos highlighting the history of the city and the Connecticut River Valley, and offers walking tours concentrating on history and architecture; open Thursday 2 to 4pm and Saturday 10am to noon. A donation is requested. The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (10 Vernon St.; www.brattleboromuseum.org; 802/257-0124) is housed inside the city’s 1916 train station. The focus is on changing exhibits of both classic and contemporary sculpture and art from local and regional artists. The museum is open daily except Tuesday, 11am to 5pm. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for students, and free for kids 5 and under. The Estey Organ Museum (108 Bridge St.; www.esteyorganmuseum.org) is devoted to what was once Brattleboro’s most famous export. From 1846 to 1860, the town’s Estey Organ Company not only built church organs, but also the parlor models that graced many a middle-class home before radio and its electronic descendants took over. The Museum’s collections range from reed and pipe organs, to the electronic models produced during the firm’s final years. Many are working organs, and visitors are invited to bring their own sheet music and play. Open 2 to 4pm weekends, mid-May through mid-October. A $5 donation is requested.

Exploring Wilmington/Mount Snow

Wilmington, 20 miles east of Brattleboro along Route 9, has a nice selection of antiques shops, boutiques, and pizza joints. Except on busy holiday weekends, when it’s inundated by visitors driving oversized SUVs, it feels like a gracious mountain village untroubled by the times. From Wilmington, the ski resort of Mount Snow (see below) is easily accessible to the north via busy Route 100, which is close to impassable on sunny weekends in early October. Heading north, you’ll first pass through West Dover, an attractive classic New England town with a prominent steeple and acres of white clapboard.

The Marlboro Music Festival

The renowned Marlboro Music Festival (www.marlboromusic.org; 215/569-4690) is a series of summertime classical concerts, performed by accomplished masters as well as by highly talented younger musicians, on weekends from mid-July through mid-August in the agreeable village of Marlboro, east of Wilmington on Route 9. The musical retreat was founded by Rudolf Serkin in 1951 and has hosted countless noted musicians such as Pablo Casals, Van Cliburn, Emanuel Ax, and Joshua Bell. Concerts take place in the 700-seat auditorium at Marlboro College, and advance ticket purchases are strongly recommended. Ticket prices usually range from about $15 to $40 per concert.

Skiing

Mount Snow Mount Snow is noted for its widely cut runs on the front face of the mountain (disparaged by some skiers as “vertical golf courses”), yet it still remains an excellent destination for intermediates and advanced intermediates. More advanced skiers migrate to the North Face, another world of bumps and open glades. This is also a great spot for snowboarding. Because it’s the closest Vermont ski area to Boston and New York (about a 4-hour drive from Manhattan), the mountain can get more crowded than other Vermont hills on weekends. But Mount Snow’s village is attractively arrayed along the base of the mountain; the most imposing structure is a balconied hotel overlooking a small pond, but the overall character here is still shaped mostly by unobtrusive smaller lodges and homes. Once famed for a groovy singles scene, the hill’s post-skiing activities have mellowed somewhat and embraced the baby-boomer and family markets, though 20-somethings can still find a good selection of après-ski activities.

39 Mount Snow Rd., West Dover. www.mountsnow.com. 800/245-7669 or 802/464-3333. Day lift tickets $75 adults, half-day $63; discounts for youths and seniors.

Outdoor Activities

The Vermont Canoe Touring Center (www.vermontcanoetouringcenter.com; 802/257-5008), open seasonally, is at 451 Putney Road, just north of Brattleboro. This is a great spot to rent a canoe or kayak to poke around for a couple of hours, half a day, or a full day. Explore locally, or arrange for a shuttle upriver or down. The owners are helpful about providing information and maps to keep you on track. Among the best spots, especially for birders, are the marshy areas along the lower West River and a detour off the Connecticut River, known locally (and with some slight exaggeration) as “the Everglades.” Get a gourmet sandwich to go at the Brattleboro Food Co-op (see p. 499) and make a day of it.

Bike rentals and advice on day-trip destinations are available at the Brattleboro Bicycle Shop, 165 Main St. (www.bratbike.com; 802/254-8644). Hybrid bikes, ideal for exploring area back roads, can be rented by the day or week. It’s open daily from spring through summer, closed Sundays in fall, and closed Sundays and Mondays in winter.

Where to Stay in the Southern Green Mountains

Budget-priced chain motels flank Route 5 north of Brattleboro, especially around the Route 5/9 traffic circle leading to Keene, New Hampshire. The best choice here is probably the Hampton Inn Brattleboro, 1378 Putney Rd. (www.hamptoninn.com; 866/238-4218 or 802/254-5700). But it isn’t as cheap as most of the other motel options.

Fortunately, inns abound in this part of Vermont, and some are priced quite affordably.

Brattleboro

See also the Chesterfield Inn in West Chesterfield, NH (chapter 12, p. 575), about a 10-minute drive east of Brattleboro.

Colonial Motel & Spa Operated by the same family for 3 decades, this sprawling 7-acre compound set back from Route 5 is a far better deal than the highway chains. The rear building’s rooms, set farther back from road noise, are also larger and more comfortably furnished, if still somewhat motel-generic. There’s a cozy lounge and basic restaurant on-site—but the best feature is a 75-foot indoor saltwater lap pool in the spa building, where there’s also a dry sauna, steam room, and a simple fitness center where massages are available. A second pool accommodates kids and casual swimmers.

Putney Rd., Brattleboro. www.colonialmotelspa.com. 800/239-0032 or 802/257-7733. 68 units. $63–$90 double; $108–$120 suite; higher in foliage season. Pets welcome. Rates include continental breakfast (Mon–Fri only). Amenities: Restaurant; bar; exercise room; Jacuzzi; 2 pools; sauna; Wi-Fi (free).

Latchis Hotel At downtown Brattleboro’s main intersection, this hotel fairly leaps out in Victorian-brick Brattleboro. Built at in 1938 in understated Art Deco style (there’s only one other true Deco building in Vermont; it’s in Rutland, see p. 511), the Latchis was once the cornerstone for a small chain of hotels and theaters. It no longer has its own orchestra or commanding dining room, but the movie theater (showing first-run films) remains, and the place still has an authentic period flair. Some units have been upgraded over the past few years, with newer furnishings and sunny art prints on the walls; other rooms and hallways, however, say “1938” in a way that will captivate some guests, and leave others wishing for more modern surroundings. About two-thirds of the rooms have limited views of the river, though those views include the sounds of cars crawling down Main Street early every morning. If you need quiet, sacrifice the views and ask for a room in back—or ask for a sound-masking machine, available at no charge. You can walk to the museum, food co-op, or shops of Main Street from here without breaking a sweat.

50 Main St., Brattleboro. www.latchis.com. 800/798-6301 or 802/254-6300. 30 units. $100–$180 double; $190 suite. Rates include continental breakfast. Amenities: Wi-Fi (free).

Near Mt. Snow

The Mount Snow area has a surfeit of lodging options, ranging from basic motels to luxury inns and slope-side condos; rates in most of them drop quite a bit in summer, when the region slips into a pleasant lethargy. In winter, though, the high prices reflect the relatively easy drive from New York and Boston. The best phone call to make first is to Mount Snow’s central reservations line ( 800/451-4211 or 800/245-7669) to ask about vacation packages and condo accommodations.

Deerhill Inn Set on a hillside above Route 100 in West Dover with views of the rolling mountains, Deerhill Inn was built as a ski lodge in 1954, but subsequent innkeepers have given it more of an upscale country character. It’s not quite in the luxury category (rooms do not have phones), but makes for a nice alternative to more rustic B&B accommodations. In summer, the property features attractive gardens and a nice stonework pool; in winter, the ski slopes are just a short drive away. Guest rooms vary from the small and cozy to the spacious, some with Jacuzzis and/or flatscreen TVs; several more are located in a motel-like annex (these rooms all have balconies). The Tamarack Room features a king bed, double Jacuzzi, and attractive stone fireplace; Dahlia has a Jacuzzi, small fireplace, and walk-out private deck. The “garden” rooms are cheaper and less luxe, but cheerful and charming. Dining-room fare, available only to inn guests, is a highlight (the wine cellar is impressive), and all guests can use the two upstairs sitting rooms stocked with books.

14 Valley View Rd., West Dover. www.deerhill.com. 802/464-3100. 13 units. $145–$295 double; $240–$355 suite. Rates include breakfast. 2-night minimum stay Sat–Sun. Children 8 and over welcome. Amenities: Dining room; bikes; outdoor pool; Wi-Fi (free).

Grand Summit Resort Hotel at Mount Snow Like a house of several dozen gables (you’ll probably stop counting), Mount Snow’s premier lodging rambles along the base of the big mountain’s ski trails—but the attractions here are year-round, and the resort is as handily located for summer and foliage-season pursuits as it is for skiing and snowboarding. You won’t find country-inn coziness here (after all, there are nearly 200 rooms and suites), although the common areas are lodge-y enough, with natural surfaces and the de rigueur big stone fireplace. The star factor is the number and variety of guest accommodations: choices range from kitchenette-equipped studios, to hotel rooms, to full-kitchen one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites (including penthouse suites) sleeping up to six. The prime offerings are the suites with loft bedrooms (that explains all those gables), making “send the kids up to bed” a literal option. Many units have decks; some have fireplaces, and a few come with a sauna. Opportunities for pampering and recreation also far exceed the small-inn norm, with chairlift rides, a heated outdoor pool, hot tubs, a fitness center, the holistically oriented Naturespa, and the 18-hole, Geoffrey Cornish-designed championship Mount Snow Golf Club. Mountain biking, hiking trails, and kids’ Outdoor Exploration Camp are all part of the scene.

39 Mount Show Rd., West Dover. www.mountsnow.com. 800/498-0479. 196 units. $112–$197 double; $187–$650 suites; higher in winter. Amenities: 2 restaurants; spa; health club; pool; golf course; Wi-Fi (free).

Vintage Motel The stereotype of the thrifty Vermonter plays out for real at this perfect pick for travelers planning to be on the go rather than chilling in their rooms. These are basic units that are actually quite nice-looking, if predictably “motelish” with office-standard carpeting, TVs, phones, mini-fridges (in deluxe rooms), and durable furniture. There’s a common room with a microwave. In winter, the place fills up with skiers and with local and visiting snowmobilers: A major trail passes through the motel’s backyard.

195 Rte. 9, Wilmington. www.vintagemotel.net. 800/899-9660 or 802/464-8824. 18 units. $77–$115 double; $125–$225 deluxe rooms. Rates include continental breakfast, weekends and holidays only. 2-night minimum stay Fri–Sat; 3 nights some holidays. Pets allowed in 3 units ($15 per pet). Amenities: Kids’ play area; Wi-Fi (free).

Farther Afield

The Old Tavern at Grafton Carved into the stone doorstep of this beautiful historic property are the words “Montani Semper Liberi”—mountaineers are always free. The inn (which isn’t free) is actually a series of accommodations spread throughout the village (see p. 502); only about a dozen rooms are in the handsome, colonnaded 1801 main building, which wears its age gracefully though not without a charming tilt to some of the corridors. The remaining rooms are in the nearby Homestead and Windham buildings across the road. Antiques and Americana are everywhere; all rooms have phones, but none have televisions. Room nos. 6 and 8 feature lovely white-canopied beds, as do many units in the Windham Cottage. Rooms in the Homestead “Cottage”—not a cottage at all, but two historic homes joined together—on the other hand, have more of a modern, hotel-like character. The Cricketers Suite is in yet another building, and has a small refrigerator, coffeemaker, and whirlpool tub where toddlers are welcome. In all, six units have suite-like layouts. Some suites have fireplaces. Four rental homes in the village are also available; call 802/234-8700 for information.

92 Main St (Rtes. 35 and 121), Grafton. www.old-tavern.com. 800/843-1801 or 802/843-2231. 30 units. $189–$269 double; $249–$319 suite. Rates include breakfast. 2- to 3-night minimum stay winter weekends, holidays, and foliage season. Closed Mar to mid-Apr. Children 4 and under welcome in Homestead Cottage and Cricketers Suite. Amenities: Restaurant; pub; bikes; fitness center; Jacuzzi; swimming pond; tennis court; Wi-Fi (most units; free).

Windham Hill Inn This Relais & Châteaux property pretty much defines what luxury Vermont innkeeping is all about. Situated on 160 acres at the end of a dirt road in a high upland valley in West Townshend (about 20 miles/30 min. from Mount Snow), this 1823 farmhouse remained in the same family until the 1950s, when it was converted into an inn. Guest rooms are wonderfully appointed in elegant country style and floral prints; many feature Jacuzzis or soaking tubs; balconies or decks; 15 rooms have gas fireplaces—and all have good views. Especially nice are the third-floor Jesse Lawrence Room, with its lovely modern soaking tub, plush chairs, cherry pencil-poster king bed, and gas stove; and Forget-Me-Not, on the second floor, which has a similar setup plus a window nook. An annex (the White Barn) contains eight units, the choicest of which is the great top-floor Meadowlook with lots of windows, fieldstone fireplace, soaking tub beneath a skylight, double shower—and a big, open private deck. The inn’s superb dining room features creative Continental and New American cooking; outside, the pastoral acreage includes 6 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails.

311 Lawrence Dr., West Townshend (turn uphill at West Townshend country store and continue uphill 1¼ miles to dirt road and turn right). www.windhamhill.com. 800/944-4080 or 802/874-4080. 22 units. $299–$329 double; $359–$489 suite. Rates include full breakfast. 2- to 3-night minimum stay Sat–Sun and some holidays. Children 12 and over welcome. Amenities: Restaurant; outdoor heated pool; tennis court; Internet (in lobby; free).

Where to Eat in the Southern Green Mountains

Brattleboro

In addition to the choices listed below, the subterranean coffee shop Mocha Joe’s , at 82 Main St. (www.mochajoes.com; 802/257-7794), is connected with a coffee roasting outfit, and draws an eclectic crowd of locals. It sports a friendly, laid-back vibe, brews a good cup of joe or espresso, and pours fresh-squeezed “-ades” in the summer. If you like what you’re drinking, you can buy the beans and have them shipped home. Try the maple latte if you’re craving something different.

Another upscale choice is the restaurant of the Chesterfield Inn (see chapter 12, p. 575) in West Chesterfield, NH, a 10-minute drive on Route 9 from Brattleboro.

Brattleboro Food Co-op DELI Selling wholesome foods since 1975, this huge store also has a deli counter great for takeout meals. Grab a quick and filling lunch that won’t necessarily be tofu and sprouts—you can also get a smoked turkey and Swiss-cheese sandwich or a crispy salad. (The “Happy Hippie” sandwich has pesto, roast peppers, and mozzarella, although Vermont doesn’t yet have retail outlets for what makes hippies really happy.) Check out the eclectic selection of wines and cheeses as well as the natural bath products (some locally made) and the hand-cut steaks in the butcher section. Sausages are made and stuffed on premises, too, and the place is renowned for “case lot specials”: deep discounts on oversized quantities of health food. (Stash a case of organic cheese puffs in the trunk for the road.) The store section stays open until 9pm every night, a boon in early-closing Vermont. The co-op, located in a small strip mall downtown near the New Hampshire bridge, has lots of parking—though the mini-mall plaza is hard to notice as you whiz downhill and around the town’s main bend.

2 Main St. (in Brookside Plaza, on right at bottom of Main St. hill), Brattleboro. www.brattleborofoodcoop.com. 802/257-0236. Sandwiches $5–$8, prepared foods usually around $6–$8 per lb. Mon–Sat 8am–9pm; Sun 9am–9pm.

Peter Havens Restaurant AMERICAN You’re likely to feel at home right away in this locally popular dining spot, which has just 10 tables. Chef Zachary Corbin has taken the menu away from its former seafood tilt—although you’ll still find oysters on the half shell, ahi tuna tartare, and grilled salmon and swordfish—and balanced it with worthy interpretations of dishes such as braised lamb shank (pepped up with star anise), pan-roasted duck breast, and house-made potato gnocchi with roast squash in a brown sage butter. Sides, offered steak-house style at a separate tariff, are headlined by a mushroom-saffron risotto and fries cooked in duck fat. The bar is convivial and popular, but make a reservation if you’re visiting on a weekend: The place gets packed with a mix of locals and tourists.

32 Elliot St., Brattleboro. www.peterhavens.com. 802/257-3333. Reservations recommended. Main courses $23–$35. Wed–Sun 5:30–9pm; June–Oct lunch on the patio Wed–Sat 11:30am–3pm.

T.J. Buckley’s NEW AMERICAN Brattleboro’s best restaurant, little T.J. Buckley’s, is housed in a classic old diner on a dim side street. But this is far from diner food—so far, in fact, that the full name of the place is “T.J. Buckley’s Uptown Dining.” Un-dinerlike touches such as slate floors and golden lighting have created an intimate space that seats fewer than 20 when full; any more clients, and there wouldn’t be room for the chef, sous-chefs, and server, all of whom miraculously perform their culinary ballet without bumping into each other and you. Iconoclastic chef/owner Michael Fuller’s menu is always limited, with just a few entree choices each night, but the food nearly always dazzles in its execution. Expect the usual New American appetizers and entrees: beet carpaccios, wondrous pâtés, crab, seared scallops, steak, duck, and fish-of-the-day dishes—all beautifully prepared and presented, sometimes more adventurously than you might expect. (Whatever Fuller feels like making, he makes—his way.) Note: The tab for a dinner party of three or more will run into the hundreds, so hit a bank first (well, not in the John Dillinger sense) and bring a wad of big bills.

132 Elliot St., Brattleboro. www.tjbuckleysuptowndining.com. 802/257-4922. Reservations strongly recommended. Main courses $32–$45. No credit cards. Winter Thurs–Sun 5:30pm “til closing;” open Wed in summer and foliage season.

Near Mt. Snow

Dot’s DINER A casualty of catastrophic flooding brought on by 2011’s Tropical Storm Irene, but Dot’s was rebuilt and revived as a local’s favorite. The rule here is good, inexpensive food, served in a classic diner setting—pine paneling, swivel stools at the counter, and checkerboard-patterned linoleum tiles. It’s regionally famous for its chili (kicked up with jalapeño peppers), but other good choices include great pancakes, French toast, shakes, daily chicken specials, hot open-faced sandwiches, and the Cajun skillet: a medley of sausage, peppers, onions, and fries sautéed and served with eggs and melted Jack cheese. There’s now a second Dot’s—known as “Dot’s of Dover”—in Dover ( 802/464-6476), 7 miles north on Route 100.

3 E. Main St., Wilmington. No website. 802/464-7284. Breakfast items $3–$9, lunch and dinner items $4–$19. Beer and wine served. Daily 5:30am–8pm (to 9pm Fri–Sat).

Jezebel’s Eatery AMERICAN Ample portions of comfort food standbys, with an inventive twist, rule the menu at this downtown Wilmington spot nestled into the handsomely restored 1836 Lyman House. Settle into a big Windsor chair and tuck into a half-pound burger, overstuffed Reuben, or muffaletta sandwich at lunch; come back later (OK, the next day) and choose among entrees ranging from classics such as meatloaf, mac and cheese, and chicken and waffles, to herb-crusted prime rib and the not-so-subtly named “hunk of beef,” a big strip steak. Comfort takes on a slightly more sophisticated accent in butternut squash ravioli, a tapenade-stuffed chicken breast, and a vegetable-studded risotto. Equally hearty breakfasts, sad to say, are only served on weekends—look for house-baked muffins, heaps of corned beef hash, and plump omelets known to keep skiers off the slopes ’til noon. They’ll be back later—summer sojourners and leaf-peepers too—for Vermont beers and spirits at the cheery bar.

28 West Main St. www.jezebelseatery.com. 802/464-7774. Lunch items $9–$14; main courses $15–$29. Mon–Fri 11am–9pm; Sat 8am–10pm; Sun 8am–5pm.

Farther Afield

The Free Range AMERICAN Eight miles north of Grafton, on the town common in Chester, this showcase for local provender features chef Jason Tostrup’s take on standards like chili (made here with white beans and chicken), beef bourguignon (served with truffled mashed potatoes), and that now-ubiquitous vegetarian option, gnocchi, made with by-no-means ubiquitous buckwheat. Wash down brunch—go for the ever-changing hash bowl—with an “Ultimate Bloody Mary,” garnished with maple candied bacon and a shrimp. The well-thought-out wine list features 20 wines by the glass.

90 The Common, Chester. www.thefreerangevt.com. 802/875-3346. Brunch items $10–$16, main courses $17–$27. Tues–Sat 5–9pm; Sun 5–8pm. Lunch Fri noon–3pm; brunch and lunch Sat–Sun 10am–5pm.

Woodstock

Woodstock: 265 NE of New York City; 140 miles NW of Boston; 98 miles SE of Burlington; 16 miles W of White River Junction.

For more than a century, the resort community of Woodstock has been considered one of New England’s most exquisite villages, and its attractiveness has benefited from the largesse of some of the country’s most affluent citizens. Even the surrounding countryside is mostly unsullied—it’s pretty difficult to drive here via any route that isn’t pastoral and scenic, and by the time you’re here you’re already feeling as if you’re in another era. Few New England villages can top Woodstock for grace and elegance; the tidy downtown is compact and neat, populated by a handful of shops, galleries, and boutiques. The lovely village green is surrounded by handsome homes, creating what amounts to a comprehensive review of architectural styles of the 19th and early 20th centuries. You could literally throw a stone (but don’t) from the town center and hit a very attractive covered bridge.

A Preserved gem of a Village

One of Vermont’s most scenic and well-preserved villages, Grafton was founded in 1763 and soon grew into a thriving settlement. But as the agriculture and commerce shifted west and to bigger cities, Grafton became a shadow of a town—by the Depression, many of the buildings here were derelict.

Then something remarkable happened. In 1963, Hall and Dean Mathey of New Jersey created the Windham Foundation and began purchasing and restoring the dilapidated center of town, including the old hotel. This foundation eventually came to own some 55 buildings and 2,000 acres around town—even the cheese cooperative was revived. The village sprung back to life, and it’s now teeming with history buffs, antiques hounds, and tourists (instead of farmers and merchants). The Windham Foundation has taken great care in preserving this village, even to the point of burying utility lines so as not to mar the village’s landscape with wires.

Grafton is best seen at a slow pace, on foot, when the weather is welcoming. Unfortunately, none of the grand (and privately owned) historic homes you see in the village are open for tours; it’s a village to be enjoyed with aimless walks outdoors. Start at the Grafton Village Cheese Co. , 533 Townsend Rd. (www.graftonvillagecheese.com; 800/472-3866), a small, modern building where you can buy a snack of the great award-winning cheese and peer through plate-glass windows to observe the cheese-making process. (No tours are allowed for sanitary reasons.) It’s open daily, 10am to 5pm. Sometimes they sell big wheels of the cheese at deep discounts, too.

From the cheese shop, follow the trail over a nearby covered bridge, and then bear right on the footpath along a cow pasture to the cute Kidder Covered Bridge. Head into town via Water Street, and then turn onto Main Street, where white clapboard homes and shade trees are about as New England as it gets.

On Main Street, stop by the Grafton Historical Society Museum (www.graftonhistoricalsociety.com; 802/843-2584)—open Friday to Monday from Memorial Day to Columbus Day (daily in foliage season)—to peruse photographs, artifacts, and memorabilia of Grafton. The suggested donation is $5 per adult. Afterward, have a look at The Old Tavern at Grafton (see p. 498), the impressive town anchor that has served as a social center since 1801. Partake of a beverage at the rustic Phelps Barn Lounge or a meal in one of the dining rooms. If you’d like to see Grafton from a different perspective, inquire at the inn about a horse-and-buggy ride.

To reach Grafton, take I-91 to exit 5 or 6, and follow signs to Bellows Falls via Route 5. From here, take Route 121 west for 12 miles to Grafton. Grafton’s informal information center is located in a gift shop inside the Grafton Inn’s Daniels House, right behind the Old Tavern. The town also maintains a comprehensive website at www.graftonvermont.org.