Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

[bluestar99]

In August, 2 friends and I are taking a camping trip with our teardrop trailers. We come from
IL., TX, and NJ. We are meeting in NY and coming up through the west side of VT by Lake Champlain to the Burlington/Waterbury area. We then cut across NH over to MT Washington by Gorham NH and then on to Acadia. Then down the coast along RT. 1 toward Portmouth NH. If time allows down to Boston for a day. Any advise or cool places to see and some good campgrounds would be appreciated. None of us have been up there since we were in grade school back in the 60's. Any good waterfront camp grounds would be nice. All 3 of us love photography, eating, breweries, and hiking. Off the beatin path stuff? If anyone can offer some help, I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
Steve

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

This guy travels in that area A LOT and talks about it on his blog:

http://routealto80.blogspot.com/

He prefers smaller highways and roads, enjoys local breweries and does a nice bit of kayaking and hiking on most every trip.

Being a true NYCer(oops) I'll have to pull out a map to get a better idea of your itinerary and currently the household is asleep with the exception of me. So no rustling thru the stacks until later. I'll get backatchoo.

[bluestar99]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

Thanks so much! I'll check out your link.

[Shortpants]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

I can help with the VT portion Check out the VT State Parks website: http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/map.htm as long as you don't want/need electric hookups, as there are none in the VT State Parks. I have been to a majority of the parks and have NEVER been disappointed, they are awesome! There are many, many waterfront options, and if you call early enough to make reservations are sure to get the prime sites. (Check out some of my review posts in the "Campground Reviews" thread in this subforum, the only one I haven't reviewed yet is Button Bay, and that one was incredible!) The VT State Parks website is beyond awesome because they have clickable park maps so you can view the individual campsites and the public facilities/areas. Super nice to be able to see the site and compare before making your reservation. Also tons of hiking options within the parks and throughout Vermont. I truly can't recommend the VT State Park system enough, they ROCK! And at $20/22 a night for tent sites and $27/29 a night for lean to sites, it's very reasonable. Pretty much all parks also have public restrooms/shower facilities that are kept spotlessly clean, and the grounds/trails are very well cared for also. We take a lot of pride in our park system here in VT. :D

Now for breweries, here's a link that should help with the options in VT and info: http://www.vermontbrewers.com/ As you can see there are quite a few options throughout the state. In the areas you mentioned, Waterbury has the Alchemist and Prohibition Pig, which are restaurants also, and have good food. Stowe (about 20 min from Waterbury) has the Trapp Family Lodge (as in the Sound Of Music family) that has a signature brew and an incredible lodge if you want to say you've been to the Von Trapp family home after they escaped Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938. Stowe also has The Crop Bistro and Brewery, a true farm to table place that sources locally. In the Burlington area, the most well known is the Vermont Pub and Brewery which is the state's oldest craft brewery and also has a very good restaurant. Other than that there is Zero Gravity, Switchback, Simple Roots, Queen City in Burlington, Magic Hat in South Burlington, Burlington Beer Co in Williston, Four Quarters in Winooski, and Fiddlehead in Shelburne... yeah, VT has you covered with brewery options!

Photography will be covered also, our whole entire state is a picture postcard. Billboards are against the law here, so even driving on an interstate affords you unspoiled, breathtaking views all around. The abundance of wildlife and quaint little VT towns will give plenty of fodder for the photo-nut's lens.

Hope that helps with that leg of your trip! Please let me know if you have any specific questions or need more info on anything. Sounds like an incredible trip!

[bluestar99]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

WOW Shortpants, what a great response. You should work as a travel reporter. We have planned on coming in across the ferry into Burlington. My problem is that the State Parks want a 4 night minimum stay at Little River SP near Waterbury. There is Grand Isle up north some that has a 2 night minimum that could work but is a longer drive to do things. I found Shelburne CG that is close to Waterbury and may work. Ever heard of it?

If we change our route (adds about 3 HR to the trip) we thought about coming into VT from the south. Into Bennington and up RT 7 to Burlington. Are the covered bridges or anything else in Bennington or up RT7 worth the extra 3 hours drive?

We will definitely check out your brewery and restaurant recommendations. Thanks for those!

[Shortpants]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

Decided to add a few "things to do" to my post above after thinking about it for a bit. In the Waterbury area there is:

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (downtown Waterbury) -
http://www.keurig.com/content/greenmountaincoffee-store
Housed in a restored 1875 train station is the visitor center and cafe. They really do have the BEST coffee, if you are a coffee drinker, that is.

Ben & Jerry's Factory (on Rte 100 between Waterbury and Stowe) -
http://www.benjerry.com/about-us/factory-tours
The very first B&J factory, they have factory tours (about 30 min and free samples at the end!) for $4 a person and a scoop shop.

Cold Hollow Cider Mill (on Rte 100 between Waterbury and Stowe) -
http://www.coldhollow.com/about/
A nice small cider mill with a self guided tour, awesome hot cider donuts, free cider samples, and a luncheonette with their own hard cider on tap

Green Mountain Club Visitor Center (on Rte 100 between Waterbury and Stowe) -
http://www.greenmountainclub.org/page.php?id=31
If you want any info on hiking in VT, this is the place to go! Their HQ is a totally green building, has a nature trail on site, and has Green Mountain coffee too!

The Vermont Annex (on Rte 100 between Waterbury and Stowe) -
http://www.cabotannex.com/
This stop is home to a few of the best VT foods and crafts
The Cabot Annex -
http://www.cabotannex.com/cabot-annex-store.php
Cabot cheese is the best in the world, if you don't believe me, I challenge you to go test it yourself it at this factory store that has a HUGE table of samples. YUM!
Danforth Pewter -
http://www.cabotannex.com/danforth-pewter.php
The Danforth family started in 1755 and is still completely handmade.
Lake Champlain Chocolates -
http://www.cabotannex.com/lake-champlain-chocolates.php
As soon as you walk in the door here you are overwhelmed with the delicious smell of chocolate deliciousness! A few free samples here too, the chocolate here is expensive but it is world class!
Smugglers' Notch Distillery -
http://www.smugglersnotchdistillery.com/main.html
Cool local distillery out of Jeffersonville, and has a tasting room!

So you can definitely spend a few hours taking free/low cost tours and sampling some of the delicious Vermont treats, just on Rte 100 in Waterbury.

[bluestar99]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

Thanks again Shortpants. We will hit most of these places. If you ever come to Illinois, )I don't know why you would), I'll try and return the favor. I certainly don't know my state as well as you know yours, but I'll try!

[Shortpants]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

WOW Shortpants, what a great response. You should work as a travel reporter. We have planned on coming in across the ferry into Burlington. My problem is that the State Parks want a 4 night minimum stay at Little River SP near Waterbury. There is Grand Isle up north some that has a 2 night minimum that could work but is a longer drive to do things. I found Shelburne CG that is close to Waterbury and may work. Ever heard of it?

If we change our route (adds about 3 HR to the trip) we thought about coming into VT from the south. Into Bennington and up RT 7 to Burlington. Are the covered bridges or anything else in Bennington or up RT7 worth the extra 3 hours drive?

We will definitely check out your brewery and restaurant recommendations. Thanks for those!

I have lots of folks tell me they think I missed my calling as a travel agent or vacation planner. HAHA! You can reserve at VT State Parks up to 11 mos in advance, but they will require a 4 night minimum. If you can wait until 9 AM March 1st to make reservations, the minimum stay drops to 2 nights at all parks. Sorry, I don't know Shelburne CG as I pretty much stick to State Park CGs and avoid private CGs personally. Little River is a great SP, very nice water access on the reservoir and easy drive to Waterbury or Burlington. Nice spaced sites and easy to access with a camper. Although there are no true "waterfront" sites here as there is a steep bank from all the sites to the reservoir, so not like you can walk out the front of your site into the water.
I recommend checking out Button Bay SP in Ferrisburgh. We stayed there this past summer and it was really glorious. I wasn't a fan of the tent/RV sites at this CG as they were pretty much all in a wide open field in the loop we were on, but we splurged for one of their camping cabins (only $50 a night and they have electric, bunk beds and a futon for sleeping, and a nice porch with Adirondack chairs) on this trip and absolutely loved it. Right on Lake Champlain, nothing like having your coffee while watching the sun rise over the lake, gorgeous. They have a pool at this CG (very clean and well-kept) because there is no real "swimming area" for getting in the lake. You can pretty much jump in anywhere, but the shore by the camping area is very mucky and reedy and the rocky area by the point has extremely slippery rocks and zebra mussels that will slice your feet wide open everywhere. If you want to swim in the lake I recommend bringing water shoes or a thick pair of socks that you don't mind ruining, then you will be fine. Very nice nature trail to the rock point and a bunch of scenic overlooks of the lake.

Bennington is pretty and has the Bennington Battle Monument (the tallest human-made building in VT at 306 ft and has an observation at 200 ft where you can see VT, NY and Mass), Robert Frost's grave, Grandma Moses gallery at the Bennington Museum, and 3 covered bridges (Silk Rd, Paper Mill Village and Henry Bridge). I have to admit, I've grown up around covered bridges, even had one on the road I grew up on, so they really aren't anything earth shattering to me, but appreciate how photogenic they are. Here is a link to an interactive covered bridge map so you can maybe judge for yourself if they are worth the reroute: http://www.coveredbridgemap.com/vt/ Beyond that, it's really just a scenic drive until you get to Manchester, where they have outlet shopping and Hildene the Lincoln family home and then you go past Emerald Lake State Park (very nice park!) into Rutland which really doesn't have much to offer. Rte 7 from Rutland up to Burlington is a nice drive and does put you going through Middlebury where the last A&W drive-up restaurant in the state is (they still put the trays on your window and everything!), and a whole bunch more Vermont scenery. Maybe I'm biased by being a local and I see Vermont beauty every day, but Rte 7 doesn't have a ton of appeal to me other than getting from point A to point B. Another possible option would be to come into VT on Rte 4 from Whitehall, NY (if that's on your route) into Rutland and go North on Rte 7 from there.

Hope that helps some more! Please ask away if you have any more questions!

[Shortpants]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

Just as a tease, here's the view from the porch of our camping cabin at Button Bay:


We were in cabin Sumac, and the folks in the cabin next to us (Sedge) had a big camper in the driveway, so you could surely park the teardrops there. Otherwise tent/RV sites 48, 50, 52, and 54 are right on the water but have no privacy whatsoever.

[bluestar99]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

Thanks again. You saved me 3 hours by skipping Bennington. We do have the bridges of Madison County over in Iowa I can go to if I need a bridge fix. If the ride up RT 7 has little to offer we will spend the extra time up around Waterbury. We usually camp in State Parks also, as a rule. I only stay private when I have to. Maybe I will try and reserve at Shelburne to be sure we have someplace to stay. Then in March try for a better site at the State Park and cancel Shelburne. We are trying to cram a lot of stuff into 2 1/2 weeks and do not want to waste time looking for camp sites. One of the guys traveling with me is already retired. He has no deadlines and no schedule. He never reserves anywhere. It is his mission to try and get me to slowdown, and I try and get him to speed up. Once I retire I'll try his way. It will not come easy but I will try. My parents took us camping for 3 weeks every summer in the 60's. We covered the whole country except for OR,AK, and ME which I am finally doing this year. But my mother was a planner like Clark W. Griswold, so I come by it naturally.

[bluestar99]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

Just as a tease, here's the view from the porch of our camping cabin at Button Bay:


We were in cabin Sumac, and the folks in the cabin next to us (Sedge) had a big camper in the driveway, so you could surely park the teardrops there. Otherwise tent/RV sites 48, 50, 52, and 54 are right on the water but have no privacy whatsoever.

That is a beautiful site. We will see what happens.

[Shortpants]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

Coming back because I remembered that the world's largest ladderback chair is in Bennington! LOL! Can't miss that one!

Also wanted to add a video I found of part of the Rte 7 drive from Bennington to Rutland:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUwFtVHGxo8
Because it really is a beautiful drive, truly shows why we are called the Green Mountain State. But other than great scenery and photo ops, not much on that stretch as far as attractions. There are a couple State Parks that are worth a visit, even if just for a hike/paddle or picnic in the day use area, and it's only $4 per person for day use. Woodford SP is in Bennington and is located on a mountain plateau at 2400 ft, thus the highest elevation State Park in VT. They rent boats for paddling around the lake, and there are some great hiking trails there. Lake Shaftsbury SP is about 10 mi from Bennington and is another beautiful park for boating (rentals are available)/swimming/hiking. Then further up 7 is Emerald Lake SP, and I have a write up on that under the Reviews thread. Really nice park with beach/rental boats/hiking available.

Closer to Burlington, a great park for a hike is Mt Philo SP. Very nice, moderate hike to the top with astounding views all the way across Lake Champlain to NYS. Here's a shot I took from the top when we hiked it last summer:


Ok, I'll stop taking over your thread now... haha! I'm a little in love with my state... can you tell?

[bluestar99]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

Shortpants, thanks again for the info. You are very passionate about VT. and you can back it up with great facts. I will talk to my other Amigos and see if they want to take in Bennington and RT 7. Back in the 80's I made what was at the time, the largest Rocking chair in the USA. I contacted the Guinness Book of world records about getting it submitted but it seemed like a long shot since it meant adding a category they did not have. Here's a shot of it. I do have a soft spot for large furniture so I may check out Bennington's chair!

[Shortpants]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

Sooooo, I've been trying not to pester.... but did you do this trip?!?!?!?!

:oops:

:mdr:

Apologies if I missed a post regarding this anywhere else, I've been busy with life and not keeping up here too much recently. Trying to get back on the ball.

[bluestar99]

Re: Some advise needed, planning a trip through VT,NH and ME

I did do it and we had a great time. Seventeen days and 4200 miles. Fourteen mico breweries and thirteen lighthouses. We ended up coming through New York on the 2 lanes, across the ferry on Lake Champlain . Stayed in Shellburne near Burlington. Spent two nights there and did a day trip to Stowe. Found the Heady Topper brewery and bought some expensive IPA beer, that these 3 old guys found way to hoppy for us. Left for Mt Washington which was very fun. Beautiful place. First time I have seen a building chained down so it would not blow away. Then on to Acadia for 3 nights and the Lobsta crawl and light house search. One thing I noticed was every town seemed to have an ice cream shop. Good ice cream too ! We followed the coast down to Portland and then in MA. Went to Sturbridge Village and headed home. Here are a few pictures.