THINGS TO DO NEARBY THE LODGE   Compiled by Dianne Emmick

The Lodge is a good place to visit year-round.  Plan a vacation with the Lodge as your staying-over place.  Here are some great places to visit in Vermont.  Some within 40 miles of the Lodge.

VERMONT COUNTIES AND TOWNS
Lodge is in Addison County;
Just east is Orange County,
Just southwest is Rutland County,
Just southeast is Windsor County,
Just north is Washington County

Nearby Villages (distances are approximate miles from our lodge)

Barre (37 mi.)	Bethel (20 mi.)	Brandon (28 mi.)	Bread Loaf (9 mi.)
Bristol (25 mi.)	Burlington (50 mi.)	Cabot (46 miles)	E Middlebury (18 mi.)
Hancock (3 mi.)	Lebanon (45 mi.)	Manchester (110 mi.)	Middlebury (23 mi.)
Montpelier (30 mi.)	Ripton (14 mi.)	Rochester (8 mi.)	Royalton (25 mi.)
Rutland (40 mi.)	Sharon (30 mi.)	St Johnsbury (60 mi.)	Turnbridge (18 mi.)
Waitsfield (15 mi.)	Warren (10 mi.)	Waterbury (18 mi.)	Woodstock (40 mi.)

 

 

 

 

Year-Round Places of Interest

Brandon, Vermont 
Home of Warren Kimble, world famous folk artist

4 Conant Square
Gift Shop 802-247-3026
Stylized animals and Vermont scenes
Kimble’s work also sold at Liza Myers Gallery in Brandon
http://www.vtliving.com/warrenkimble/index.shtml

Visit Brandon Farmer’s Market on Fridays
Year-round events in town
http://brandon.org/events.php

Maple View Farm Alpacas
Open Houses at various times throughout the year
Visit the alpacas
Gift shops, Cookies and cider
185 Adams Street
802-247-5412
http://www.mapleviewfarmalpacas.com

Art on Main and Artists’ Alley
Community Art Center and gallery
Artists’ demonstrations
Artists’ alley is an outdoor summer space featuring murals, musicians, crafts people

Burlington, Vermont
Essex Junction (just north) campus of New England Culinary Institute
(Main campus in Montpelier)
Dine at their restaurant, Butler’s; reservations recommended
http://www.necidining.com

Charlotte, Vermont
Charlotte Village Winery
Fruit and grape wines
Wine tasting
802-425-4599
http://www.charlottevillagewinery.com/index.html

Granville, Vermont

Granville Bowl
Just down the road from the lodge, this bowl company is world-famous. Make one-piece hardwood wooden bowls.
The mill contains original machinery designed in the 1899s.
Bowl Mill store open Monday-Saturday, 9-5 pm
Sunday 11-4 pm
http://www.bowlmill.com

Jericho, Vermont 
Exhibit about Jericho farmer Wilson A. Bentley (the "snowflake man") who was the first man to photograph a single snowflake. 
He eventually photographed more than 5,000 of them, proving that truly no two are alike.
Visit the "Snowflake" Bentley Exhibit at the Old Red Mill in Jericho.
http://jerichohistoricalsociety.org/  and  http://www.snowflakebentley.com/

Vermont Marble Museum
Open May through October
History of marble
Quarry walk
Gift shop, artist-in-residence
800-427-1396
http://www.vermont-marble.com

Ripton, Vermont
Farm owned by Robert Frost, was his final permanent residence.
Robert Frost Interpretive Trail; several of his poems mounted along the trail.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/r9

Sharon, Vermont
Visit the birthplace of Mormon leader Joseph Smith

Warren, Vermont
The Bridges Resort and Tennis Club
Located near the top of the Sugarbush Access Rd. and houses 2 indoor "soft" courts. Private lessons, clinics, round-robin events, cardio tennis, ball machine rental, etc. throughout the year.www.bridgesresort.com 

Waterbury, Vermont
Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream
Guided tours
Free sample of the day
Gift shop
http://www.benjerry.com

Cold Hollow Cider Mill
Tours
Gift shop
Grand View winery tasting room as well

Seasonal Events of Interest

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*Dates can change from year to year, so do call and check that the event is scheduled and get the dates before you travel.

FALL

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Fall brings numerous fall fairs and festivities to Vermont. It seems as if every small town is having a leaf festival or an apple festival or a Halloween festival. Check the Internet for events. Check out http://www.travel-vermont.com/seasons/fall.asp.

Barnet, Vermont
Ben’s Mill Day
The event is fun for the entire family and features a Rubber Duck Race, Rib Dinner,
Live Music, and chance to views this marvelous old mill and Blacksmith Shop.
Tours from 10 am - noon.
Rubber duck race starts at 11. A rubber duck can be purchased for the race; call for more information
Usually first Saturday in October
Ben Theshers Mill, Barnet Road, Barnet, VT

Barre, Vermont
Rock Solid: Annual Stone Show,  Stone Carvers’ Show. 
Stone carvers from Barre and around the area show their talent. 
Contemporary and classic designs in 3-D sculpture and 2-D relief, stone assemblages, and paintings or drawings that show the beautiful qualities of stone. 
Usually through the month of October.

Bennington, Vermont
Annual Garlic and Herb Festival
First weekend in September

Brandon, Vermont
Tango Vermont
Held in September
An enchanting Full Moon Tango weekend in Brandon. 

Celebrate Harvest Fair
Held in October
Catch a glimpse of the spinning wheel at work.
See treasures in wood, iron, wool, and fabric.
Taste quality baked goods, vinegars, honey, mustards, and maple syrup. 
See the patchwork of color. Pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, and wreaths. 
Bring home the charm of small town.
Savor the tastes and treasure tomorrow's antiques. 10 am - 4 pm

Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro Literary Festival
Three day literary festival
Celebrate authors, readers, and books themselves
Over 25 authors attend
Various events for all family members
Held in October
800-284-3243.
http://www.brattleboroliteraryfestival.org 

Cabot, Vermont
Cabot Apple Pie Festival
Annual event. Local cooks compete. Free apple cider, crafts fair, light lunch, and lots of pies for sale 
Exhibits, entertainment, fun for family.
Free
Held the Saturday after Columbus Day
802-563-3396
http://www.cabothistory.com/apple-pie-festival

Killington Ski Area          

A variety of micro breweries and craft breweries from Vermont and New England will each have on hand a few of their top choice ales, pilsners, stouts, and hand-crafted lagers, for beer enthusiasts to sample.
Admission is charged.
Please have your ID with you during the Brew Fest, as you must be 21 years or older to sample beer.
Usually the first Saturday in October.
For more information call 800-734-9435.

Pittsford, Vermont
Halloween & Fall Celebration 
New England Maple Museum
Exhibits and decorations
End of September through October
802-483-9414

Rutland, Vermont
Vermont State Fair
First week in September 

Tunbridge, Vermont
Tunbridge World’s Fair
Real country fair
Has run continuously since 1867 (except in 1918 due to flu epidemic and during WWII) 
Generally 2nd weekend in September

SUMMER

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Brandon, Vermont
Basin Bluegrass Festival held in July

Annual Pickin' By The Pond 3-day festival celebrating all things Bluegrass! 
Held in July 802-247-3275 or e-mail basinbluegrass@yahoo.com 
http://basinbluegrassfestival.com/core/

Annual Great Brandon Auction 
Benefit auction offering quality goods and services! Great fun, lots of bargains. 
Held in July 
4 pm in Central Park (2 pm preview); 
802-247-6401 
http://brandon.org/auction.php 

Yard Sale Day 
Day-long event Merchant's Fair and Town-Wide Yard Sales; 
Held in August 
802-247-6401
 http://www.brandon.org 

Mad River Valley (Waitsfield area)
Vermont Festival of the Arts
Literally hundreds of events
Along or near Rt. 100, mostly between Waitsfield and Warren
Fairs and Festivals, Galleries and Exhibits, Health and Wellness
Lectures, Literature, Music, Dance, Open Studios, Theater and Cinema
Culinary Events, Garden tour, Workshops and Demos, Photography
Three weeks in August
http://www.vermontartfest.com
800-517-4247

Orwell, Vermont
Mount Independence State Historic Site
Site of Revolutionary War fort housing 12,000 soldiers
Trails through 300 acres of pasture and woodlands
Views of Lake Champlain
Remains of Revolutionary War 
759-2412 or in season: (802) 948-2000
Fortifications
http://www.historicvermont.org/mountindependence

Stowe, Vermont 
Trapp Family Meadow Concerts
700 Trapp Hill Road
Classical concerts in the Trapp Family Lodge Meadow 
Sunday evenings, late June-mid-August
(802) 253-8511.

Stoweflake Balloon Festival 
Stoweflake Resort Field, Hwy 108. 
More than 20 balloons launched continuously
Second weekend in July
800-253-2232

Swanton, Vermont, and points east
Northern Forest Canoe Trail
Over 100 miles from the lodge, but it sure does sound neat. Part of a 740-mile trail through New York, Vermont, Ouebec, New Hampshire, and Maine
174-mile section in Vermont
802-496-2285
http://www.northernforestcanoetrail.org

SPRING

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Throughout Vermont
Vermont Maple Open House Weekend 
Public kick-off to the maple season in Vermont. 
An invitation to the public to visit one or more sugar houses throughout the state.
Activities usually include maple sugar house tours where visitors can watch maple syrup being made, often sample maple products and much more.
Generally the last weekend in March
http://www.vtmaple.org/open-house.html?src=vtvacation