Great Place within 1 Hour.
Here's a long list of wonderful places in our region within a 1 hour drive.
Staff's favorites in St. Albans.....
Colins Perley Sports complex - Jogging/walking trail
Hardack Hill (hiking trails and winter sports) - In the summer or fall, hike up to see the monument plaque for the last wolf killed in Vermont, AMAZING lighted hill for skiing, sliding on winter nights and Saturdays ( and X-country ski trails in winter)
Jeff's Seafood - Much more than seafood (separate deli and wine shop is great for take-out)
Chow Bella - Great for a lovely lunch
Tatro's Gourmet Soup and Sandwich Shop - Our staff lunches are all about this place.
Better Planet Books (and cool toys!) - This is a wonderland for young and old. GO IN!
As the Crow Flys (Much, much, More than a cooking store!)
Sweet Nothings (Old timey ice cream)
Fiddlehead Dental of course! Ha!
Fairfield (6 mi. east of St. Albans)
Our family highly recommends a local bakery for breakfast or lunch. It's called "Chester's Bakery" and is located in the heart of little Fairfield Vermont, just around the corner from the grade school, on the North road. We never miss a chance to take guests from out of state here. Lunches are common, hearty daily specials like you'd have at your grandmothers kitchen table. Breakfasts are so big and so delicious that you'll compare every future breakfast to the one you have at Chesters. The scones and baked goods, bread and sweets, are a daily temptation for us because we have to pass by every morning. It's quintessential Vermont hospitality, food and company. We always say that someday, when our kids are out in the big world, they will surely long for their many meals at Chesters.
(Saturday morning has a very, very busy "rush hour", and it's a tiny place so call before you go or go at an odd time. It's totally worth it!)
BURLINGTON
ECHO - Lake Aquarium and Science Center
This is an AMAZING aquarium/natural history museum all about our region of the Northeastern US and the aquatic life of our lake. GO! www.echovermont.org
Cruise - The Spirit of Ethan Allen offers a variety of cruises May-October
Whenever we have friends from far away visit, This is a "MUST DO" on our agenda with them. (Or if we have to work, it's easy to send them on their own to check out this beautiful 1 1/2 hour cruise/tour.
Scenic Narrated Cruises - departing four times daily at 10, 12, 2, and 4. Explore the depths of the shoreline as the ship cruises alongside the lake's unique geographic formations. Savor the majestic beauty of the Adirondack and Green Mountain ranges that surround the lake. Bring cameras - the largest recorded mass sighting of Champ, our elusive lake monster, was aboard the Spirit of Ethan Allen I.
Indulge in Vermont dinning at its best on board the Spirit of Ethan Allen III. Enjoy the scenic beauty of Lake Champlain while Chef Robert and his crew prepare and serve culinary delights from the onboard galley. Themed Dinner Cruises are offered 7 nights a week, with live entertainment and spectacular sunsets. Lunch and Brunch Cruises feature bountiful buffets.
Church Street - stroll, shop and dine, street entertainers
(Don't miss Frog Hollow Gallery for local artists jewelry and fabulous artwork, Sikora's Japanese Restaurant, Home Ports and Ben & Jerry's.)
Stowe -
Bingham Falls - Bingham Falls is a series of cascades in a narrow gorge culminating in a 25' leap into a large round pool.
Moss Glen Falls - Compared to most other waterfalls in Vermont, this is a heavyweight. Moss Glen Brook flows through a sunny open area of mixed forest and meadow. The stream takes a sudden turn into a narrow confined gorge. The stream goes over several small falls and cascades then makes a 20 foot drop into a pool at the head of the last drop. The total drop is around 125 feet making this one of the largest drops in the state. Since parts of the falls are inaccessible, the use of a zoom lens will bring parts of the falls within visual reach.
Mt. Mansfield - Hike from Nose to Chin.
(Only do this hike when we have a crystal clear day forecast, or the haze will keep you from seeing 120 miles in all directions. It's INCREDIBLE on the right day.)
Head to Stowe through "the notch",which is closed in the winter, from Jeffersonville (30 minute drive). Then drive down the other side. Take the "mountain toll road" (on right) up to the weather station (on the Stowe side of the mountain) and then take the 3 hour hike out and back to the chin.
Mount Mansfield, September 2004
Elevation 4,393 ft (1,339 m) NAVD 88 [1]
U.S. state high point
New England 4000-footers
#3 New England Fifty Finest
Coordinates
44°32′38.21″N 72°48′51.52″W44.5439472°N 72.8143111°WCoordinates: 44°32′38.21″N 72°48′51.52″W44.5439472°N 72.8143111°W
Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont. The mountain, its highest point in the town of Underhill, Vermont, peaks at 4,395 feet (1,340 m) above sea level. Its ridgeline, including some secondary peaks, extends into the town of Stowe, and its flanks also reach into the town of Cambridge.
When viewed from the east or west, this mountain has the appearance of a (quite elongated) human profile, with distinct forehead, nose, lips, chin, and Adam's apple. These features are most distinct when viewed from the east; unlike most human faces, the chin is the highest point.
Mount Mansfield is one of three spots in Vermont where true alpine tundra survives from the Ice Ages. A few acres exist on Camel's Hump and Mount Abraham nearby and to the south, but Mount Mansfield's summit still holds about 200 acres (81 ha).
The mountain is used for various recreational and commercial purposes. "The Nose" is home to transmitter towers for a number of regional radio and TV stations. There are many hiking trails, including the Long Trail, which traverses the main ridgeline. In addition, the east flank of the mountain is used by the Stowe Mountain Resort for winter skiing. A popular tourist activity is to take the toll road (about four miles, steep, mostly unpaved, with several hairpin turns) from the Stowe Base Lodge to "The Nose" and hike along the ridge to "The Chin."
Hyde Park
Cady's Fall Nursery, show gardens and waterfall hike - (45 minute drive east through Jeffersonville and then through and past Johnson VT) Take the right into Hyde Park. In their charming downtown, there is a delightful and delicious new bakery for brunch or lunch. Then follow signs or ask directions to Cady's falls Nursery. THIS IS NOT JUST A TRIP FOR GARDENERS!... The drive itself is lovely and the setting is "essential Vermont".
Cady's Falls Nursery
www.cadysfallsnursery.com
637 Duhamel Road
Morrisville, VT 05661-9169
(802) 888-5559
Every time we have out of state guests Dr. Chuck and I plan a trip to a garden center in Hyde Park Vermont called "Cady's Falls Nursery". Again, this is a fabulous way to experience quintessential Vermont scenery. Even if none of you are gardeners, a walk through the display gardens on a nice day at Cady's Falls is a magical time spent. Don't forget your camera! We try to go at least a couple times each summer because the garden is so completely different as the summer progresses.
If you are adventuresome, and very sturdy, there is about a half mile hike back into the woods along a rushing creek. You have to scramble over wet boulders and down muddy banks, but it's totally worth it when you reach the waterfall and the jumping cliffs. THIS is really a secret Vermont gem. I don't know who owns it actually, so I think you are definitely at your own risk.... Very cool though! Great place for a bracingly cold swim and a picnic.... Take out all your trash so we keep it pristine! (Don't try the hike with fragile older folks or kids under 6 or 7.)
MORE FROM OUR TEAM'S FAVORITE SPOTS... (you can google any of these for more info!)
Shelburn Farms
Sand Bar State Park
Burlington Bike Path
Rail Trail in Franklin Co.
Bread and Puppet Museum in Glover VT
Flynn Theater
Essex Spa and Resort (Ropes Courses, Geo Cashing, etc)
Quechee Antique Mall
Quechee Gorge trails and activities
Asable Chasm rafting and trails
Church Street and Water Front Burlington
Stowe Bike path
Jeff's Seafood restaurant ST. ALBANS