Leaf Peeping in Vermont

Autumn in New England has always been on the bucket list, and we were told that there’s no better place then Stowe, Vermont so we started there and set up camp just out of town for ten days in mid to late September. Stowe is central in the Green Mountains region of Vermont and although a little touristy it’s a cool little town with a lot of charm. Shops, restaurants and bars line the main road. We stopped at a a small little bar and sat out on the front lawn with some beverages and snacks one afternoon and enjoyed the not so cool autumn breeze.

Timing peak fall colors is more of chance and luck than an art or science, but we purposely scheduled plenty of time in the New England area to improve our odds of being in the right place at the right time. The colors were just starting to turn when we arrived in mid September which allowed us to experience the color change almost daily. The Green Mountains area is quite beautiful from its quant little towns adorning their magnificent white churches and covered bridges to the rolling hills along lakes with orchards and rugged mountains with beautiful waterfalls.

The best way to experience Vermont and the Green Mountains in the autumn is to just get out and drive some of the many scenic roads. If you prefer the main roads, US 7 is a great route and goes all the way down to Massachusetts and Connecticut. A cut off of this is VT 7A, also known as the Shires of Vermont, which gets you off the main road and a little more into the heart of the area to enjoy the scenery and foliage better. Another great road is VT 100 and all of these are accessible from Stowe and offer many great places to stop along the way. Our favorite road, however, is VT 108, but don’t try to take your RV on this road because you won’t make it through the tight rocky twists of Smugglers Notch. VT 108 is one of our top roads and can’t be missed. It’s also access to some of the other key sites and hikes in the area.

For hikers, this area provides many opportunities to get a little closer to nature. Some notable hikes we enjoyed include:

• Sterling Pond: VT 108 winds through Smugglers Notch where we found one of our favorite hikes, Sterling Pond. Being a pond hike you would think it would be relatively flat, however that is not the case. This is a moderately difficult hike with very steep and wet rocky terrain. You are hiking up rock stairs and through streams for a good part of the way. We loved the hike and the pond up top was beautiful.
• Sterling Gorge Falls: This is a short but gorgeous hike through thick woods and along a stream, which the dogs thoroughly enjoyed. The waterfall at the end is small but when it comes to waterfalls, size doesn’t always matter. Don’t miss the tree rooted over a large rock.
• Moss Glen Falls: Not far outside of Stowe is this magnificent waterfall. It’s a very short hike with great views along the way. We saw a huge Beaver dam downstream. Those Beavers are some serious architects!

TIP: For those seeking an easier stroll through nature, stop at the Barnes Camp Visitors Center along VT 108 just past the ski resort. There is a short boardwalk nature trail to a small pond at the end. Very pretty.

Variety is the key in Vermont so we decided to do something that I haven’t done since I was a little kid, pick apples. There are plenty of apple orchards in the area and we were in Vermont at just the right time. We chose to visit Shelburne Orchards on the shores of Lake Champlain. It was a huge orchard and absolutely gorgeous. I found I hadn’t lost my knack of picking the perfect apple – like riding a bike. Shannon, as a first timer to this ritual, wasn’t sure how it all worked at first but really enjoyed the experience. A stop by their brandy tasting room for a sip or two and farm stand for some apple cider donuts rounded out the day quite nicely.

But if your day isn’t quite over yet, head down to Shelburne Farms. This 1,400 acre working farm dates back to the late 1800’s and it is gorgeous. You can take a tractor shuttle or opt to hike the short trails to the main farm buildings which are quite amazing. The farm is now a non-profit that focuses on educational activities, it’s great for both the kids and adults. There’s an amazing bakery and you can watch the entire cheese making process. Learn more here.

As we were driving and taking in the beautiful fall foliage we went searching for covered bridges. Since there is over 100 of them in the state, it kept us quite busy. These amazing structures date back as early as 1820 and can be a little intimidating driving through.

For you ice cream lovers out there (and who isn’t) the Ben & Jerry’s world headquarters is in Waterbury, VT. They do daily tours and of course have an ice cream shop on location. And if cider donuts is your thing, Cold Hollow Cider Mill is the place to get them fresh and hot along with many other items. I will not admit to how many times we stopped by.

The Trapp Family Lodge, an Australian-style mountain resort, is a destination worth visiting. The Von Trapp family story is what inspired The Sound of Music and brought their story to life. Although we were a little underwhelmed by the dinner at the lodge, the history of this place and its gorgeous location make it a worthy stop. There is also a very nice coffee shop on grounds (pun intended).

By the time we were heading west to New Hampshire, the fall colors were close to peaking and it was really getting pretty. Speaking of, next stop New Hampshire, but for now be sure to check out our pictures of autumn in Vermont.