Vermont Guys - Fall Trip (1 Viewer)

[Dan Lambskin]

Thinking of taking the wife to Vermont for our anniversary in mid October to look at trees changing and covered bridges and stuff

anyone ever been?  Looking for best places to fly into and to stay.  Open to driving and staying the night in different parts of the state each day as well 

Any must see areas or attractions?

 

[wikkidpissah]

i live in SE VT. Quechee Gorge/Woodstock is good leafpeepin'. Always liked Fort Ticonderoga, imagining myself a Green Mountain Boy, more than most. Lake Willoughby's a wee slice o' Scotland. Much more pastorality than majesty here, really, the natives arent all that quaint and the maple leaves are usually on the ground by mid-October. take her to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque instead - much better October vacationing.

 

[rockaction]

wikkid has it covered. October might be too late. It's c-c-c-old by then.

 

[Beef Ravioli]

Second the Quechee Gorge! 

 

[wikkidpissah]

wikkid has it covered. October might be too late. It's c-c-c-old by then.

our frosts have arrived later & later ever since Al Gore invented weather, but that hasnt changed the leaf pattern. i was getting regular treatments up at Dartmouth during last year's leaf season and was surprised by how quickly they dropped

 

[rockaction]

our frosts have arrived later & later ever since Al Gore invented weather, but that hasnt changed the leaf pattern. i was getting regular treatments up at Dartmouth during last year's leaf season and was surprised by how quickly they dropped

Ah, I see. That makes sense. My friend used to live in Shelburne, on the line of Burlington, if I'm not mistaken. Well, it was a ten minute ride there, anyway. I remember spending time there in the fall. The trees were basically barren, IIRC. There wasn't a ton of foliage. I remember thinking, "Who would live here, or choose to?" There was a placid calm about the nights and the stars in the sky, but wow can it get existential on you really quick.

My friend's father had died of prostate cancer. Met a woman, married her, never told her or my friend, and died two weeks after the wedding. My friend was burdened with his house, all of his stuff. I remember thinking how crazy lonely he must of been up there all alone in the cold. I went to visit and could really provide no respite from the finality of what had happened. That's Vermont to me. That and those groovy gravy fries we got at Nectar's, but I am and was like a fat kid, so...

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Ah, I see. That makes sense. My friend used to live in Shelburne, on the line of Burlington, if I'm not mistaken. Well, it was a ten minute ride there, anyway. I remember spending time there in the fall. The trees were basically barren, IIRC. There wasn't a ton of foliage. I remember thinking, "Who would live here, or choose to?" There was a placid calm about the nights and the stars in the sky, but wow can it get existential on you really quick.

My friend's father had died of prostate cancer. Met a woman, married her, never told her or my friend, and died two weeks after the wedding. My friend was burdened with his house, all of his stuff. I remember thinking how crazy lonely he must of been up there all alone in the cold. I went to visit and could really provide no respite from the finality of what had happened. That's Vermont to me. That and those groovy gravy fries we got at Nectar's, but I am and was like a fat kid, so...

Now Im hungry. 

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Im looking to do a winter skiing trip in the winter so not the same thing but still interested in reading.

GL Dan.

 

[wikkidpissah]

Ah, I see. That makes sense. My friend used to live in Shelburne, on the line of Burlington, if I'm not mistaken. Well, it was a ten minute ride there, anyway. I remember spending time there in the fall. The trees were basically barren, IIRC. There wasn't a ton of foliage. I remember thinking, "Who would live here, or choose to?" There was a placid calm about the nights and the stars in the sky, but wow can it get existential on you really quick.

My friend's father had died of prostate cancer. Met a woman, married her, never told her or my friend, and died two weeks after the wedding. My friend was burdened with his house, all of his stuff. I remember thinking how crazy lonely he must of been up there all alone in the cold. I went to visit and could really provide no respite from the finality of what had happened. That's Vermont to me. That and those groovy gravy fries we got at Nectar's, but I am and was like a fat kid, so...

Cold & loneliness go good, or terribly, together. The only book i attempted which i considered to have the potential to be literature was the "memoir" of a supposed lover (and power behind the throne) of Napoleon. My conceit was that she was dying of cancer and that the cold of her giant chateau slowed the onset of her daily rush of pain but made her otherwise miserable and intractable. so my book had her servant lighting a fire in he parlor, bringing the great lady in and setting her up with a couch desk in front of it and her writing her luscious & luminous memories to warm herself up until the fire took over and brought on the day's portion of pain. I actually practiced this tribute to watching my Mary's daily suffering by writing it longhand until, the angrier she got, the more scratchy and hostile the penmanship would become. so the first chapter of my greatest literary work consists of an 18th C woman complaining about the cold.

 

[rockaction]

Now Im hungry. 

They're very solid. Get the dirty fries, or something like that. Comes with dark meat turkey.

Heck yeah.

 

[The_Man]

Flying into Burlington can be expensive. Look at Manchester on Southwest, it's not a big drive and a lot of western New Hampshire isn't much different from Vermont. Top of Mount Mansfield is a good visit, either by gondola or the Auto Road. Hill Farmstead Brewery is maybe the best brewer in America and is on the New Hampshire side of the state, as are a lot of the covered bridges from White River Junction down to Brattleboro.

 

[Don Quixote]

My favorite Vermont attractions are the Calvin Coolidge Homestead and the Chester Arthur birthplace, but I'm not normal.

I'm not the Vermont expert of others, but I think the Stowe area has activities that may be good for anniversary.  Mount Mansfield mentioned. Some good spa resorts (off-season from skiing) and restaurants around there. Restaurant-wise for an anniversary dinner, it has been awhile, but Hen of the Wood and Michael's on the Hill come to mind if they are still around. Probably would enjoy a jaunt to Ben & Jerry's in Waterbury and Cold Hollow Cider Mill for some cider donuts.  Lots of hiking options.

Burlington airport may be more expensive, but I have fond memories of having both a Heady Topper and Sip of Sunshine while waiting at the gate.

And I second wikkid's call on NM for the balloon fiesta as some better October vacationing. 

 

[johnnycakes]

If it were me, I'd fly right into Burlington.    Burlington is a really cool city... you'll want to spend some time there.  Another vote for the Cold Hollow Cider Mill and for Ben & Jerry's.  

 

[NutterButter]

Burlington would be on my list.   And Kingdom trails if you mountain bike.   

 

[zoobird]

Colchester Causeway (Island Line Trail) is a pretty awesome bike trail near Burlington - 3.5 miles straight out onto Lake Champlain on a narrow trail where trains used to run.  If you have to rent bikes, most people do from Local Motion, but it's 28 mile round trip including the full causeway.  Alternate is Malletts Bay Bicycle, which reduces the round trip to about 15 miles.

 

[wikkidpissah]

Colchester Causeway (Island Line Trail) is a pretty awesome bike trail near Burlington - 3.5 miles straight out onto Lake Champlain on a narrow trail where trains used to run.  If you have to rent bikes, most people do from Local Motion, but it's 28 mile round trip including the full causeway.  Alternate is Malletts Bay Bicycle, which reduces the round trip to about 15 miles.

oh, wOw - Mallet's Bay had my favorite drive-in theater when i was a kid, so i googled it to see if there might be a pic of the lighted screen with the sun setting over Champlain behind it to link for y'all. AND THE FRIKKIN PLACE IS STILL IN OPERATION!! oh, maaaan, a reprise just went on my bucket list and i advise anyone near Burlington in the summertime to do the same.

 

[The_Man]

Nice to see the Burlington love in this thread. I lived there for 7 years in the late '90s and now my kid is going to UVM this fall. Still have some pretty good friends there so it will be nice to catch up with them and spend time back in town

 

[Dennis Castro]

I read the thread title as ‘Varmint Guys’ and thought it had to do with some sort of infestation.

Just want to put that out there.