Elizabeth L. Dugger - Adventure Guide To Vermont

Adventure Guide to Vermont

2ndEdition

Elizabeth Dugger

Hunter Publishing, Inc.

30 Mayfield Ave

Edison, NJ 08818-7816

800-255-0343/Fax 732-417-1744

Web site: www.hunterpublishing.com

E-mail: comments@hunterpublishing.com

ISBN: 1-55650-887-5

Hunter Publishing, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the writtenpermission of the publisher.

This guide focuses on recreational activities.As all such activities contain elements of risk, the publisher,author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim anyresponsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur toanyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Everyeffort was made to insure the accuracy of information in this book,but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim,any liability or any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions,misleading information or potential travel problems caused by thisguide, even if such errors or omissions result from negligence,accident or any other cause.

Aboutthe Author

Well known regionally for her poetry ofVermont's Northeast Kingdom, Elizabeth L. Dugger is a long-timeresident of the state. Reporting for several newspapers takes heraround its back roads, as well as into the villages, small towns,and a handful of cities. She and her two sons live with a lake atmy feet and a mountain behind me." They follow a family traditionof seeking adventures throughout New England.

Acknowledgments

Hearty thanks go to staff members at the manyChamber of Commerce offices and state information services aroundVermont, and to the Green Mountain National Forest offices. TheGreen Mountain Club gave much more than just trail information, andI wouldn't have missed the overnight snowshoe trek the cluborganized! (It took me only two days to recover from the stiffmuscles; the exhilaration from the hike, though, lasted andlasted.) The local mail carriers did more than their share inkeeping me in touch with a quickly changing landscape ofexploration, too. Finally, I am indebted to both Vermont PublicRadio and the state's glorious magazine, Vermont Life, for alerting me to many a hiddenpathway and possibility. Almost every day I've found a freshadventure calling.

Author's Foreword

In this second edition of Adventure Guide to Vermont, I've added some newadventures and extra directions, as well as updating lodgings andrestaurants (an endless task that explains why I hike so much, towalk off those good meals!). Two major changes have taken place inVermont since the first edition of this guide was published. One isthe advent of the Internet, so that almost everyone has a Web siteor at least e-mail address, and I've added many of these. More areappearing daily, and if you want to contact an inn that doesn'thave a Web site listed in this book yet, my suggestion is that youfirst try entering www.innnametypedhere.com, using, of course, theinn name of the place you're trying to get in touch with. You mightalso try the many search engines available online, or visit thesites listed for the various chambers of commerce. Many of thosehave links to area accommodations.

The other notable change is that every Vermontroad, be it back road or not, now has a name, a necessity forinstalling 911 emergency communications. This makes directions alot easier to give (although you'll still find the country versionprominent, such as, go down about a half-mile until you reach theold house that was the Palmers; if you get to the four-corners,you've gone too far"). But the road-naming project is still a workin progress, with some road names not yet posted and somebusinesses still using post office boxes or less formal locationnames. Please bear with us; think of it as a sign that you'rereally out in the country.

Finally, a thank you to the Green Mountain Club, the mostly volunteer group thatplans, maintains, and helps others to take exuberant advantage ofthe trails of the Green Mountains, especially along and around theLong Trail. Without their endless care, the woods would sufferdrastically. Volunteer labor also helped Vermont trails to recoverfrom the disastrous ice storm of 1998, which turned the peaks andforests into a lovely but treacherous wonderland of ice and snow,bending and breaking acres of trees and blocking miles of pathways.Visit the club office in Waterbury Center if you have a chance, andconsider becoming a member, to get a newsletter that will inviteyou into more Vermont adventures.

1. Introduction
   1. History
   2. Geography
   3. Getting Here & Getting Around
   4. Climate
   5. Foliage Tours
   6. Vermont Treats
   7. Border Crossings
   8. How To Use This Book
   9. Information Sources
2. The Southeastern Gateway
   1. Getting Here & Getting Around
   2. Touring
      1. Brattleboro
      2. Marlboro
      3. Jacksonville
      4. Wilmington
      5. Dover, West & East
      6. Newfane
      7. Jamaica
      8. Bondville
      9. Londonderry
      10. Putney
      11. Bellows Falls
      12. Grafton
   3. Adventures
      1. On Foot
      2. Travel With Llamas Or Horses
      3. On Wheels
      4. On Water
      5. On Snow & Ice
   4. Eco-Travel & Cultural Excursions
   5. Where To Stay
   6. Where To Eat
3. Bennington & The Vermont Valley
   1. Getting Here & Getting Around
   2. Touring
   3. Adventures
      1. On Foot
      2. Travel With Llamas Or Horses
      3. On Wheels
      4. On Water
      5. On Snow & Ice
   4. Eco-Travel & Cultural Excursions
   5. Where To Stay
   6. Where To Eat
4. The Upper Connecticut River Valley
   1. Getting Here & Getting Around
   2. Touring
      1. Springfield
      2. Chester
      3. Weston
      4. Ludlow
      5. Plymouth
      6. Windsor
      7. Mt. Ascutney (Brownsville)
      8. Woodstock
      9. Quechee
      10. White River Junction
      11. South Royalton
      12. Bethel
      13. Randolph
      14. Brookfield
      15. Chelsea
      16. Tunbridge
      17. Norwich
      18. Strafford & Post Mills
      19. The Valley Towns
   3. Adventures
      1. On Foot
      2. On Horseback
      3. On Wheels
      4. On Water
      5. On Snow & Ice
      6. In The Air
   4. Eco-Travel & Cultural Excursions
   5. Where To Stay
   6. Where To Eat
5. Central Vermont
   1. Getting Here & Getting Around
   2. Touring
      1. Vergennes
      2. Ferrisburgh
      3. Bristol
      4. Middlebury
      5. Ripton & Bread Loaf
      6. Brandon & Pittsford
      7. Proctor
      8. Rutland
      9. Castleton & Lake Bomoseen
      10. Hubbardton & Orwell
      11. Route 4 East From Rutland
      12. Pittsfield
      13. Rochester
      14. Hancock
      15. Granville
      16. Warren
      17. Waitsfield
   3. Adventures
      1. On Foot
      2. On Horseback
      3. On Wheels
      4. On Water
      5. On Snow & Ice
      6. In The Air
   4. Eco-Travel & Cultural Excursions
   5. Where To Stay
   6. Where To Eat
6. The Lake Champlain Valley
   1. Getting Here & Getting Around
   2. Touring
      1. Burlington
      2. St. Albans
      3. Lake Champlain Islands
      4. Shelburne
      5. Charlotte
      6. Basin Harbor
      7. West Addison
   3. Adventures
      1. On Foot
      2. On Horseback
      3. On Wheels
      4. On Water
      5. On Snow & Ice
      6. In The Air
   4. Eco-Travel & Cultural Excursions
   5. Where To Stay
   6. Where To Eat
7. The Capital District, Stowe & North
   1. Touring
      1. Montpelier
      2. Barre
      3. The Granite Quarries
      4. Plainfield, Marshfield & Cabot
      5. Northfield & Williamstown
      6. Waterbury
      7. Jeffersonville
      8. Morrisville