Michael Blanding - Moon Vermont

HANDBOOKS

MICHAEL BLANDING & ALEXANDRA HALL

I love Vermont because of her hills and valleys, her scenery, and invigorating climate, President and native Vermonter Calvin Coolidge once said. But most of all because of her indomitable people. That description barely begins to describe the determination of those living in the Green Mountain State or the beauty of the land itself. With its mountains that draw skiers by the thousands in winter and scent the land with pine in the summer, and its historic towns filled with a vibrant mixture of artists, farmers, and other independent spirits, Vermont may be geographically small, but it makes an unquestionably big impression.

Independence is in Vermonts blood. An independent republic from 17771791, it played a key role in the American Revolution and was settled by pioneers who created the New England town meeting (which still exists in almost all of Vermonts 237 towns). In the years since, the left-leaning state has been the first to abolish slavery and legalize civil unions (and gay marriage by an act of the Legislature).

But while politics may have helped shape Vermonts character, its the landscape that truly defines it. The Green Mountains for which the state is named serve as its backbone, spreading forests and pastoral valleys from the Northeast Kingdom down to its southernmost points. To the northwest, Lake Champlain is abutted by New York and Quebec province both of which exert their various cultural influences across the border. And to the east sits the Connecticut River Valley, home to several of the states larger towns. Everywhere in between, youll find country that sets the standard for quaintness: villages teeming with church steeples, gazebos, and traditional architecture, not to mention big swaths of cow-dotted farmland punctuated by covered bridges.

Those farms, in addition to sustaining the states tradition of family-run dairies, have made Vermont a major source for gourmet specialty foods. The states reputation as a cheese mecca has skyrocketed in recent years as has its production: The state currently makes about 125 million pounds of cheese each year. It is also the worlds biggest supplier of maple syrup, a fact that should surprise no one who has witnessed the lands other magnificent draw: an abundance of trees, which, come autumn, delight with a fiery mosaic of color.

Its all enough to assure visitors that there truly is no other state like Vermont something the natives have believed from the very start.

Within southern Vermont is a roller-coaster jumble of forested slopes and hidden valleys that are home to picture-postcard villages and maple farms. Signs for cheese shops and maple syrup are legion on the roadsides. Come shop at the outlet stores in Manchester, see the sights in historic Bennington, or peruse the art galleries in funky Brattleboro.

U.S. Highway 4 slices across the middle of the state, separating the two halves of the Green Mountain National Forest. Along this corridor are many of the states main centers of civilization: Rutland, once a center for marble production in the country; Woodstock, a quintessential New England town; and in the middle of the route, the Beast of the East, the ski resort of Killington.

Buttressed on one side by mountains and shored up on the other by the coastline of North Americas sixth largest lake, this broad valley, dotted with farms and dairies, holds two of the states oldest and most attractive settlements: the delightful college town of Middlebury and the big city of Burlington, situated on the shores of Lake Champlain.

skiing Stowe Mountain Resort

A WEEKEND: Visit the Southern Green Mountains, basing yourself in Brattleboro.

FIVE DAYS: Add a road trip along Route 4 from Quechee to Killington.

A WEEK: Add an excursion to Waterbury and Stowe in the Northern Green Mountains.

TWO WEEKS: Add Burlington, the Lake Champlain Islands, and a trip to the Northeast Kingdom.

Northern Green Mountains

As you travel northward, the mountains get bigger and woollier, culminating with the soaring slopes of Mount Mansfield just outside the alpine village of Stowe. This part of the state is an outdoors-lovers dream. On the edge of the mountains is the state capital, Montpelier, and Vermonts number-one tourist attractionthe ice cream factory that made Ben & Jerrys a household name (and, for some, an addiction).

Northeast Kingdom

Those who scratch beneath the surface of this stark landscape often come away proclaiming that this is their favorite part of the state, prizing it for its majestic beauty. This region is also home to some of the states most famous gustatory attractions, including Cabot Creamery and Maple Grove Farms, as well as the cherished biking and cross-country skiing terrain of the Kingdom Trails Network.

WHEN TO GO

Almost every season beckons with something attractive. We say almost because, with its chilly temperatures and rainfall,