What to See and Do
If your family members have divergent interests, southern Vermont can minimize your squabbling. There are ample opportunities for togetherness, but also reasons to go your separate ways. Some members can learn to fly-fish; others (and you know who you are) can browse outlet stores. While the little ones nap after an exciting morning at Santa's Land USA, older children can whiz down an alpine slide. There's one thing you'll all agree on: your vacation in this stimulating and scenic region will be over too soon.
Farms and Family Amusements
Wonderful family activities abound in southern Vermont.
Adams Farm
15 Higley Hill, Wilmington
802-464-3762
Memorable agricultural experiences await at this sixth-generation family farm, where kids can enjoy fun activities year-round, from milking goats to gathering eggs to pony or hay or sleigh rides. Check the farm's Web site for a calendar of special events, from the annual Easter Egg Hunt to fall Bonfire Parties and winter Fudge Fondue Nights.
The Apple Barn
Route 7 South, Bennington
888-8APPLES
The Apple Barn is one of southern Vermont's best “agritainment” attractions, with a seasonally changing lineup of activities for children, along with a farm store and country bake shop. Fall is an especially good time to visit, with opportunities to pick apples and pumpkins, weekend special events, and a chance to get lost inside Vermont's oldest cornfield maze.
fast fact
For a complete list of working Vermont farms that are open to the public, visit
Bromley Mountain Thrill Zone
3984 Route 11, Peru
802-824-5522
At Bromley, the fun continues long after the snow melts. Each summer, the Bromley Mountain Thrill Zone gives kids and teens reasons to scream with its Alpine Slide, Condor Coaster, Space Bikes, climbing wall, and Trampoline Thing. For littler kids, there's a Bounce House, miniature golf, and bumper boats.
Harlow's Sugar House
563 Bellows Falls Road / Route 5, Putney
802-387-5852
From March through mid-April, head to Harlow's Sugar House, where you can watch the syrup-making process in action on weekends. The fourth-generation farm also offers pick-your-own strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries in the summer and apples in the fall.
Santa's Land USA
Route 5, Putney
800-SANTA-99
Visit Santa, meet his furry friends, ride the alpine train, and embrace the Christmas spirit at this antique amusement park for small children, open Memorial Day weekend through Christmas Eve.
TRAVEL TIP
Riding the rails is a wonderful way to see Vermont's scenery, particularly in the fall. Green Mountain Railroad (54 Depot Street, Bellows Falls, 802-463-3069 or 800-707-3530,
Monuments and Museums
You may hear a groan or two when you inform the kids that you're spending a day visiting monuments and museums. So instead, tell them you'll be zooming in an elevator to the top of Vermont's tallest structure, visiting Grandma, traipsing through a cemetery, looking at famous people's fishing poles, and learning about “kissing bridges.” Or, maybe scratch that last one.
The American Museum of Fly Fishing
Route 7A and Seminary Avenue, Manchester
802-362-3300
Fishing enthusiasts will want to make a stop at this museum, where you can see tackle that belonged to such notable fishermen as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ernest Hemingway, Andrew Carnegie, Ted Williams, and Bing Crosby. It is the world's largest repository of angling-related art and artifacts.
Bennington Battle Monument
Monument Avenue, Bennington
802-447-0550
This monument to a battle that actually occurred across the border in New York looms over the town of Bennington. At 306 feet, 4½ inches, it is Vermont's tallest structure, and an elevator trip to the top provides views of three states, which are particularly spectacular in the fall.
Bennington Museum
75 Main Street, Bennington
802-447-1571
One of the oldest and largest decorative and fine-arts museums in New England, the Bennington Museum dates to 1875 and has been at its present location since 1928. The museum houses the largest public collection of works by Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses, who began painting when she was in her seventies, as well as the Grandma Moses Schoolhouse, the 1834 one-room building where the legendary painter attended school in nearby Eagle Bridge, New York.
Hildene
Route 7A, Manchester
802-362-1788
Visit the former summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's son. The twenty-four-room Georgian manor house on the 412-acre estate is open for tours year-round. Children will enjoy the property's farm animals, formal gardens, and hiking trails. In the winter, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are permitted on the property.
Robert Frost Gravesite
Old First Church, Route 9 and Monument Avenue, Old Bennington
Next door to the Bennington Museum, wander around the cemetery at Old First Church, where you'll find the grave of beloved New England poet Robert Frost (1874–1963), which is inscribed, “I had a lover's quarrel with the world.”
Vermont Covered Bridge Museum
Bennington Center for the Natural and Cultural Arts, West Road at Gypsy Lane, Bennington
802-442-7158
The world's only covered-bridge museum opened in 2003. Exhibits explore the evolution of these unique structures, the tools used to construct them, the variety of designs, and the people and stories associated with Vermont's “kissing bridges.”
FAST FACT
In the days of horse and buggy courtships, covered bridges were nicknamed “kissing bridges” because they provided young lovers with a measure of privacy. There are five historic covered bridges still standing in Vermont's Bennington County, and the Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce (800-229-0252,
Outdoor Recreation
Whether you prefer the exhilaration of whitewater rafting or the tranquility of fly-fishing, recreational opportunities in southern Vermont are diverse and rewarding. You can even raise your pulse rate by taking a drive toward the sky.
Mount Equinox Skyline Drive
802-362-1114
Don't miss the chance to drive the winding five-mile Equinox Skyline Drive, which rises from 600 to 3,835 feet at the top of Mt. Equinox. There are parking and picnic areas along the drive and at the summit.
TRAVEL TIP
Vermont Bicycle Tours (800-BIKE-TOUR,
Orvis Fly Fishing School
Manchester
800-235-9763
Charles F. Orvis opened a fly-fishing shop on Main Street in Manchester, in 1856. Today, the world-renowned fishing and outdoor-gear retailer still calls Vermont home, and its fly-fishing school — the oldest in the country — continues to introduce adults and older children to the fine art of the sport. The Battenkill River, which runs through Manchester, remains one of New England's finest fly-fishing streams.
Zoar Outdoor
800-532-7483
Zoar Outdoor offers whitewater rafting adventures on southern Vermont's West River near Stratton Mountain. The intermediate-level trip is appropriate for adults and children ages twelve and up and concludes with a hearty chicken barbecue.
Shopping
Shopping is reason alone to visit southern Vermont, whether you're hunting for bargains or eager to buy products handcrafted in the Green Mountain State. As an added incentive, clothing items priced at $110 or less are exempt from the state's usual 6 percent sales tax.
Basketville
Main Street, Putney
802-387-5509
For a unique shopping experience, visit the headquarters of Basketville. Learn about traditional basket-making techniques at this family-owned business founded in Vermont in 1842 and peruse the myriad of baskets, wicker furniture, foodstuffs, and kitchen gear for sale.
Candle Mill Village
Old Mill Road, Arlington
802-375-6068
Combine shopping with a history lesson at this old mill built by one of Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys back in 1764. It now houses a collection of antique shops.
Green Mountain Spinnery
Depot Road, Putney
800-321-9665
This petite shop sells patterns, as well as yarn and knit items made from locally harvested wool. Mill ends are available at reduced prices.
The Outlet Center
580 Canal Street, Brattleboro
802-254-4594 or 800-459-4594
This outlet shopping center is home to a small collection of outlet stores such as Dress Barn, Bass, Carters Childrenswear, and more.
Outlet Shopping in Manchester
Manchester is one of New England's premier outlet shopping towns. Routes 7A and 11/30 in Manchester Center are literally littered with outlet stores. Manchester Designer Outlets (800-955-SHOP,
