Category Archives: Vermont

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Vermont Vacations and the Seven Wonders of the Green Mountain State

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By Cliff Calderwood

It matters not in which season you take Vermont vacations, you’ll see these seven scenic wonders and fall in love with the Green Mountain state. And just in case you mistakenly think there are only seven wonders – think again. Each of these is a vacation in itself, full of the wonders of adventure, breathtaking views, wildlife, and fine dining and lodging.

It all begins here…

GREEN MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST

The Green Mountain National Forest is 400,000 acres stretching across two-thirds of the length of Vermont. The Forest comprises six wilderness areas offering camping and 900 miles of trails, and a backcountry environment for all ages. Campgrounds are available on a first-come basis during the summer season.

Popular destinations in the Forest include the Robert Frost Trail near Ripton, Texas Falls Recreation area close to Hancock, the Moosalamoo area near Brandon, and Lake Dunmore and Brandbury State Park

QUECHEE GORGE

Located in central Vermont near the town of Woodstock, Quechee Gorge is a geological wonder. Nicknamed Vermont’s Grand Canyon, the gorge was carved when the last glacier covering New England receded about 12,000 years ago. Today the Ottauguechee River flows through the gorge and is spanned by a bridge, which offers a marvelous photogenic vantage point for visitors.

The entrance to the park is just west of the bridge, and offers trails down to the gorge and wooded nature walks.

SCENIC ROUTE 100 FROM KILLINGTON TO WATERBURY

Vermont boasts many scenic drives but none more scenic than the portion of Route 100 from Killington to Waitsfield. The route borders the Green Mountain National Forest and meanders through mountain valleys, rivers, streams, waterfalls, and small farming villages. Along this route you’ll move from open farmland to steep mountain cliffs either side of a winding narrow road, and then eventually back to open fields.

The latter part of the journey to Waterbury offers marvelous views of the distant northern Green Mountains.

STOWE

Nestled between two mountain ranges is perhaps the most picturesque town in New England – Stowe. The draw and attraction for many to Stowe is Mount Mansfield, and the mountain dominates the landscape.

After the snow melts, families have an endless assortment of things to do on their Vermont vacations, including swimming, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking, and scenic driving tours. Mount Mansfield itself provides hiking trails for the fit and energetic, or you can take in amazing views from your own car as you drive to the summit ridge on the historic toll road.

LAKE CHAMPLAIN AND ISLANDS

Lake Champlain seems like a lost cousin of the Great lakes. Long and deep, but with an average width of only 12 miles, its northern area is dotted with a magnificent string of Islands popular for Vermont vacations. Routes 2 and 78 connect the larger ones together and to the Vermont mainland. One of the last “undiscovered” treasures of New England, the Lake Champlain Islands offer magnificent vistas of Vermont’s Green Mountains to the east, and New York’s Adirondacks to the west.

NORTHEAST KINGDOM

The Northeast Kingdom is a vast 1.3 million acres of mostly wilderness land, which includes public forests, parks, lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. This is an area where little has changed since the glaciers left, and the adventurous will find plenty of opportunity to live out their dream Vermont vacation.

Nature shares the Northeast Kingdom with people, and this is an area where wildlife and scenery is king, and folks gladly take a back seat. Load up your camping stuff and supplies in St. Johnsbury, check your gas level, and be prepared for an exhilarating experience!

COVERED BRIDGES

No mention of Vermont wonders can bypass the finest collection of covered bridges in the United States. If you include the bridges shared with New Hampshire and spanning the Connecticut River, the state has 106, which is more than any other New England state. Most bridges are accessible to the public, in excellent condition, and a joy to discover and photograph.

The craftsmen who designed these monuments had no idea they were building a legacy now enjoyed by visitors from all over the world. Wherever you are in the state you’re not far from a Vermont covered bridge

This brief journey has been but an introduction to an area in the U.S. where not only the people, but nature, does things just a little differently – And that makes all the difference for Vermont vacations.

For details on these and other destinations on Vermont vacations and to pick up your free vacation reports go to Cliff’s New England Vacations site at: http://www.new-england-vacations-guide.com/

Bradbury Mountain Pownal, ME

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View from summit SummerView from summit Winter

Bradbury Mountain has something for everyone of all ages and is one of the most popular parks in the area. Close to Freeport, ME and less than 30 miles from Portland, it is a great way to get a good hike and still be in the thick of things. Each season offers a new and fun hike with different views of the same landmarks. They even have hawk migrations in the Summer and Fall and you can participate in the hawk count.

State Park, nominal fee to enter (I think it was $3 or $5 for everyone in the car). Open 9am-Sunset, rustic restroom, no trash (only one small can for dog waste)

This is the only State park with shared trails for hiking, biking, camping, bird watching, dogs on leash, picnic area and shelters with grills, playground (being installed), ball field, horseback riding, snowmobiling, snow shoe rental available and cross country skiing.

For more information http://bradburymountain.com/

To Get There:

Take I-295 North or South to exit 22. Follow signs to the park located at 528 Hallowell Road.

Summit Trail

This is one of our favorite hikes. It’s close to home and we can spend as little or as much time exploring the mountain as we want. The shortest trail is the Summit Trail. It is a direct trail from the parking lot to the summit and is only .3m up the 434 foot climb. The most common trail is the Northern Loop which is a mile, or the longest is the Boundary Trail at 1.5 miles. Many of the trails intersect so you can make it an even longer hike. We have done most of the trails at one time or another on the mountain side of the road and have found new and exciting plants and small wildlife each time we have gone. Even in the Winter, this mountain is a good hike.

Grillin\'

Notes: June of 2008 we went with family and friends and had a nice cookout after a great hike. We had kids and our dog with us. We saw a lot of other people around and we ran in to another troop of Brownies (we saw some at Mt. Ag only the week before). This troop helped to patch up the knee of one of the young girls we were hiking with and earned their first-aid badges.


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Mount Mansfield, Vermont

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Mt. Mansfield is a National Park and is on the Vermont Fragile Areas Registry. It has one of the rare arctic-alpine plant communities. For this reason, it is imperative to stay on the trail, as many of these plants are difficult to distinguish from more common vegetation on the mountain. The rangers can be a resource for learning more about this rare and special area.

The features of this mountain, when viewed from the east, resemble a profile of a man’s head. The distinctive features are the Forehead, Nose, Upper Lip, Lower Lip, Chin and the Adam’s Apple. Many of the guides will reference these features in the description of the trails.

MT Mansfield (4,393 feet) When viewed from the east, the mountain has a profile of a human face, with a forehead, nose, lips, chin and adam’s apple.

There are multiple and varied approaches to the mountain. Depending on your desire and time restrictions, you can find a way to the top that will satisfy your needs. This popular and difficult mountain has a toll road, a gondola, 9 approach trails that link to 15 trails along the summit and those link to 31 trails that branch throughout the Mansfield region and beyond. It is easy to find the hike you want with this many possibilities.

If you approach from Smuggler’s Notch, you will ascend the steepest section of the Long trail. At this point, the trail ascends 3000 vertical feet over 2.3 miles to the top of Mt. Mansfield. This approach, on a clear day, can open up an amazing 360 degree view that can include the Adirondacks of New York, Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, and Lake Champlain in Vermont as well as the Granite Range and many other natural attractions.

The mountain is open year round, and depending on your approach there will be a nominal fee, i.e. the toll road, the gondola and Underhill Campgrounds.

Many resource guides advise that hikers allow one day to ascend to Taft Lodge and finish your ascent to the summit the second day. It is recommended that you leave your heavy backpack at the lodge, as it can be dangerous to carry this weight up the rest of the mountain due to the steep and rocky trails. It is recommended that you take a daypack with food, water and you dress in layers in for the changing weather you can experience.

If you have time in the day left after reaching Taft Lodge, you can take a daypack and explore the Adam’s Apple, the Chin or the Lake of Clouds.

Vermont Ski Vacations

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The state’s most renowned alpine ski areas are Stowe, Killington, Mad River Glen and Mount Snow. Among these, Stowe offers traditional New England charm and the biggest vertical drop in the area. The largest in New England, Killington has seven mountain peaks, 200 trails, five terrain parks, 33 lifts, and a vertical drop of 3,050 feet. Mad River Glen, renowned for its classically cut New England trails, is recognized as the best ski terrain in New England. A romantic getaway, Southern Vermont near the Mount Snow ski resort offers five mountain faces, extensive tree areas and top rated parks and pipes.

Vermont’s cross-country skiing has a tradition of 100 years. Its Green Mountains make an ideal setting for most of the cross-country ski centers. Its cross country ski areas feature wide groomed trails that meander through woods, across fields and along fantastic ice encrusted streams. Of the more than 40 cross-country tourist centers, the Catamount Trail system is very famous. It has been designed to connect eleven of Vermont’s finest cross-country ski centers as it winds its way north from the Massachusetts border to the Canadian border.

Other famous destinations for Vermont ski vacations are Ascutney Mountain Resort, Bolton Valley Resort, Bromley, Maple Valley, Middlebury College, Okemo Mountain Resort, Smugglers Notch, Stratton, Sugarbush and Suicide Six.

Vermont ski resorts offer a wide variety of ski vacation packages, stay packages and ski discounts. This area has all the facilities for fine lodging, dining and shopping to please any traveler. High-performance equipment and related accessories are available for rent. In addition to skiing, Vermont offers various recreational activities and conducts winter carnivals.

Ski Vacations provides detailed information on Ski Vacations, Canada Ski Vacations, Colorado Ski Vacations, Ski Vacation Packages and more. Ski Vacations is affiliated with Luxury Vacation Homes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Tobey

Fall Foliage Scenic Drive – Central Vermont Area

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By Cliff Calderwood

This fall foliage scenic drive in Central Vermont offers some of the best views in the Green Mountain National Forest.

This scenic drive is a loop tour of about 150 miles. It follows mostly Route 12 south from Montpelier to Woodstock, before heading north on Route 100 and 100B back to Montpelier. There’s a whole bunch of surprises on the way, but it’s no surprise you’ll experience some magnificent fall foliage views all along this scenic drive.

The tour is best done over the course of a weekend or several days, although it’s possible to do the drive in one day and forgo many of the attractions and rambles suggested.

Let’s get going…

Start from Montpelier, a small city on the northern fringe of central Vermont. Montpelier can be easily reached from Interstate 89. Montpelier is 182 miles from Boston and 198 miles from Hartford.

Take Route 12 out of Montpelier and head south to Northfield Falls. Northfield Falls has four covered bridges and the famous Falls General Store. Vermont has some of the finest examples of covered bridges anywhere in New England, but two of them in Northfield Falls can be seen at once, as you look through one to other. This is unique in New England and definitely worth taking the camera out to capture.

Continue on Route 12 making your way to Bethel.

Bethel is one of those Vermont towns that’s a natural part of the scenery. Could this be why it’s home to the White River National Fish Hatchery? The hatchery focuses on restoring Atlantic Salmon to the Connecticut River. It’s open 8:00am – 3:00pm daily.

From Bethel you’ll continue your last piece of the southern route to Woodstock.

The Woodstock area offers a number of attractions, including Billings Farm and Museum, and Quechee Gorge. Woodstock itself is one of those picture-perfect Vermont villages that’s fun just to stroll around checking out the boutiques and restaurants.

The Billings Farm and Museum was established in 1871, and today it’s a working farm, and a museum depicting farm life in the late 1800s.

Quechee Gorge is Vermont’s little Grand Canyon. Not quite as big a hole in the ground as in Arizona, but at a mile long and plenty of hiking and walking trails on offer, it’s a chance to stretch the legs and admire the splendid scenery. Be sure to walk to the picnic area overlooking the falls.

The next 20 miles of the scenic drive takes you cross country on Route 4 to Killington. Killington is a world famous ski area that covers six mountains. And at over 4,200’ offers spectacular views from the summit. There’s very few better places to appreciate the fall foliage than at the top of Killington Peak. If it’s running take the K1-Gondola from base. You can ride the Gondola daily from September 24 – October 10th.

Killington is about the half-way point in this tour, and with the beautiful town of Rutland close-by plenty of lodging if you decide to linger overnight. Just be sure to make reservations during the peak fall foliage season.

The next section of the tour follows Route 100 as it borders the Green Mountain National Forest. You’ll pass through the towns of Pittsfield, Hancock, Granville, and Waitsfield as you cover perhaps the most scenic views and diverse terrain you’ll see on this drive.

Just North of Hancock and close to Route100 on Route 125 is Texas Falls. The trail to the falls is an easy hike and offers marvelous views anytime of the year, but especially during fall foliage season when the colors dazzle.

The larger of the two waterfalls is Moss Glen Falls just north of Granville a few miles up from Hancock. The drive from Hancock towards the falls is a two-lane winding road that passes through a seven mile stretch of untouched wilderness, and worth taking slow and easy.

The final leg of this central Vermont scenic drive from Granville to Middlesex and back to Montpelier continues to provide startling scenery and great photo opportunities. Route 100B connects with Route 100 just south of Moretown village, and you’ll take 100B north to Middlesex and then join Interstate 89 for the quick hop back into Montpelier.

Vermonters quip the state really has five seasons – spring, summer, fall, winter, and the famous mud season. But my personal favorite in Vermont is the fall. Take this tour and you’ll understand why.

Look for other articles in this series of fall foliage scenic drives. Or if you can’t wait you can pick up the complete scenic drive free report containing these and other New England scenic drives, along with detailed route coverage and attractions, at his New England vacation site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cliff_Calderwood