Visitor's Information and Destinations
Central Vermont is a wonderful place to visit as well as live and has many great spots to check out in all seasons. Here are some Ideas:
Spring Ideas: Spring in Vermont Brings melting snow, sugaring season, and renewed connections with friends and neighbors after a bit of winter hybernation. There are some great Sugar Houses in Central Vermont, including Morse Farm on the County Rd. just north of Montpelier (http://www.morsefarm.com/) and Brag Farm located near the juncture of Rt. 2 and 14 in East Montpelier (http://www.braggfarm.com/). Try the Maple Creemies, soft serve ice cream made with real maple syrup - they are to die for! Sugaring season varies but usually goes from early march through late-April, until the maple trees start to bud out and the nights stop going down below freezing consitently. (for general info on maple syrup production, go to: http://vermontmaple.org/)
For those a bit more adventurous, the rivers of Central Vermont offer great spring Kayaking and canoeing (http://www.cvchamber.com/visit/canoeing.htm). Check conditions first to see if the water level is right. And wear a wet suite since the waters were snow only days before. And of course there is spring skiing when you can get out on the mountain without freezing your you-know-whats off. Stowe, Sugarbush and Mad River Glen are all about equidistant from Montpelier and offer wonderful trails and great spring skiing till the snow disappears (http://www.vtliving.com/skiing/mont.shtml).
Summer/Fall Fun: We have some wonderful parks and trail systems for hiking, biking, or just hanging out. In Montpelier, we have two parks, Hubbard Park and the North Branch Park, with a combined land area of almost 400 acres. There are a multitude of beaches, rivers, water holes, and brooks to cool off in on those hot summer days. Near Montpelier, some of our favorite spots are the Wrightsville Reservoir where there is a public beach as well as a boat lauch area. Mirror Lake (or #10 Pond as it is know locally) is a wonderful place to swim, canoe, or kayak in Calais and was the location of the best selling novel by local Author, Tom Greene (http://www.thomaschristophergreene.com/interior.php/sid/4/aid/6.) If you prefer rivers, Moretown Gorge, along the Mad River in Moretown is a fun place to swim, picknick, and jump off rocks into cool, clear water (http://www.swimmingholes.org/vt.html#MAD%20RIVER%20AREA). A bit further afield, the Green River Reservoir in Hyde Park, Vt. is a wonderful place to get away, for a swim, a canoe ride, or a weekend of rustic camping (there are some great little islands you can camp on)(http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/grriver.cfm).
About 30 minutes north of Montpelier is Elmore Lake which has a nice beach, a boat lauch area, and a state park with camping. The climb up Mt. Elmore makes for a nice family hike since it is rewarding and is not too difficult. For a short hike to a wonderful lookout point overlooking another beautiful lake, head east of Montpelier to Groton State Forest and lake and hike up Owl's Head. It's probably the most bang for your buck of any hike you'll find in the area and it's easy enough for young children or older folks. For more info, see: http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=XTM006-015
For bikers, there are a multitude of options, from gentle paved paths like the Stowe bike path (http://www.stowe-village.com/BikePath/bikepath_map.html) which follows the meanderings of the Little River up the mountain or the waterfront park in Burlington (http://www.enjoyburlington.com/Parks/BikePath1.cfm) which winds around Lake Champlaign to rugged mountain trails that will challenge even the toughest of riders. (http://www.central-vt.com/visit/biketour/bike2.htm)
Year Round: Tourist destinations can be fun any time of the year but are most popular in summer and fall. Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory in Waterbury Center is a fun place to visit and taste some flavors of Vermont (http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/factory-tours/factory/.) Nearby, the Cold Hollow Cider Mill has a great selection of Vermont Products and gifts (www.coldhollow.com). Also in Waterbury Center is the Cabot Cheese Outlet where you can sample 20+ kinds of Cabot cheese (at least 10 of them cheddars) as well as purchase other local cheeses produced by small artisan cheese makers and other Vermont products(www.cabotcheese.coop/pages/visit_us/cabot_annex.php). A bit to the north-east, is the town of Cabot where the Cabot Factory is located. You can take tours of the factory and again taste all the variety of cheeses Cabot has to offer.(http://www.cabotcheese.coop/)
