Bob

Around March/April, thinking of spending a weekend up there and looking for suggestions.

It's so close, yet only driven through the tip to get to Montreal and haven't actually seen anything of the state properly.

Was thinking of Burlington, being the only real city I know and it's on the lake, but that's 3.5 hrs drive away.

Any other suggestions for places to check out?

Driving up from MA....but might decide to stay in NH, in the mountain areas around Conway ish area. Not sure yet.

Pulaski

We stayed in a "cabin style" hotel (rooms in separate blocks of perhaps eight rooms in each) once in Vermont. It was shear hell, after a school ski-trip party showed up around 11pm, an hour after Mrs P and I turned in for an early night. It was after 2am before they finally quietened down! I waited a while after they first arrived, but eventually phoned the front desk around midnight, then again at 1am, .... and again at 2am to report that someone had started playing a guitar! I stayed around in the morning to "have a discussion" with the manager, and after turning down another night for free (one sleepless night was enough, why would I sign up for a second? ), my offer to pay $15 for the overheads was accepted.

So be sure to ask in any hotel if they have a school party staying.

Bob

We've got a freebie night going already

It's the hockey crowd we're most worried about as we know locally, that hockey parents are the biggest chavs I've ever seen here

Rete

I always enjoyed going to Bennington, Vermont. It is quaint village type area and I love going to the speckleware outlet for the kitchenwares made in Bennington.

I meet my husband for the first time in Rutland, but there isn't much in Rutland.

joto

The kids might enjoy a trip to Ben & Jerry's even though it will probably still be cold up there.

Bob

I'm hoping we get to leave the kids behind

Though B&J's could still be fun

Hiro11

Burlington is a bit of a dump and actually the only part of VT I'd avoid. It's a bit touristy and not as rural as the state truly is. I recommend trying out random B&Bs in small towns. Relax, eat good food, go hiking or horseback riding.

Try Stowe, it's a touristy ski town but very attractive and near the beautiful Mt. Mansfield. Smaller northern towns like Essex or Jericho are awesome if you want true farmland / rural northern VT.

Middlebury is a beautiful college town and has some nice hotels and food.

Rural Southern VT is beautiful, towns like Putney etc.

Both the NY and VT sides of Lake Champlain are wonderful.

Bob

Wouldn't it be a bit cold that time of year for hiking? I like the suggestion though, but I'm not horse riding and the missus isn't into hiking...plus we've got a free stay at one of the chain hotels that we've got to use up.

I liked the idea of the lake, but as I've only just started to google, haven't really got any ideas set up.

Stowe idea sounds good too and seen some potential ideas along the NH border as well.

Basically we're looking to go somewhere a bit different and I'd like to actually see a bit of Vermont, rather than just as a technicality of driving through the northern tip at 3 in the morning

Rural farmlands aren't that important though, but could be nice. A small town to putter around and do something and have a dinner is kind of the pace we're thinking.

nethead

That time of year is a bit unpredictable weather wise, could be 70 degrees or might get a foot of snow

I would do route 100 up through VT and visit Middlebury, Montpelier and Burlington, maybe Waterbury or Stowe. I know you are both big cooks, the King Arthur flour place is near Burlington and has a coffee shop and bakery, they also do baking classes, the B &J factory is near Waterbury and they do a free tour and sample I would love to visit Lake Champlain, haven't been yet so can't offer any advice, perhaps Cindy could give you a little more help about North VT as that's where she grew up.

WEBlue

Lake Champlain is quite beautiful, even in the winter.

If you were going in May, you could take the kids just across the border to the famous Revolutionary War site Fort Ticonderoga, in New York state. In nicer weather it's a lot of fun to wander around and watch the re-enactments. It's only an hour & some drive from Burlington VT. BUT it's closed from October till May if I recall correctly.

http://www.fortticonderoga.org/learn/re-enactors

Bob

That sounds pretty fun...but I think we've got to use the stay by April, need to double check out....but we're already driving 3.5 hrs to Burlington if we head there already so not sure about adding another hour.

It is right up my street for a place to check out though as I rather liked Gettysburg when we winged that way over the summer.