Vermont

Vermont doesn't have a single billboard along its roadsides, but it does have covered wooden bridges, white church steeples and hills full of sugar maples. A vacation in Vermont is a trip into rural New England just as you know it from picture books – with ski slopes in winter and a spectacular show of fall color in autumn.

Landscape and Location

The Green Mountains, which gave the state its French-inspired name, stretch from Massachusetts to the Canadian border; at roughly 4,400 feet (about 1,340 meters), Mount Mansfield is the highest peak. In the west, Lake Champlain forms the border with New York, and in the east the Connecticut River marks the line with New Hampshire. In between you'll find dairy pastures, forests and small villages. After Wyoming, Vermont is the least populous state, and Montpelier is the smallest state capital in the US – without a single McDonald's. The northeast, known as the Northeast Kingdom, is even more remote: Lake Willoughby lies there between steep cliffs, and the villages often consist of little more than a store, a church and a post office.

Cities and Towns

Burlington, on the shore of Lake Champlain, is the state's liveliest city, with a university, the pedestrian zone of Church Street and a bike path on an old railroad bed. Ben & Jerry's got its start here in 1978 in a former gas station; the factory in Waterbury is now a popular destination. Stowe combines a ski mountain with village charm, and the Trapp Family Lodge recalls the family from "The Sound of Music." In the south you'll find Brattleboro with its arts scene, Bennington with its battle monument and Manchester with outlet shops and Hildene, the Lincoln family mansion. Rutland is the gateway to Killington.

Sights in Vermont

Around 100 covered bridges have been preserved, many of them in the area around Woodstock, where Billings Farm demonstrates historic dairy farming. Route 100 runs straight through the Green Mountains and is considered one of the most beautiful fall drives in the US. The Long Trail, the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the country, follows the ridge for roughly 275 miles (about 440 km). In winter, Killington, Stowe, Sugarbush and Jay Peak are the major ski areas in the eastern US. The Shelburne Museum south of Burlington displays historic buildings, a paddle steamer and a large collection of American folk art, and in Barre you can visit one of the largest granite quarries in the world.

Food and Drink

Vermont produces more maple syrup than any other state; in March and April the "sugar houses" open their doors. Cheddar from Cabot or from small farmstead creameries, apple cider and craft beer – from The Alchemist or Hill Farmstead, for example – have cult status. Farmers markets and farm-to-table restaurants are part of everyday life. A Vermont specialty is "sugar on snow": hot syrup is poured over snow and eaten with dill pickles and doughnuts.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Burlington has a regional airport, but most travelers arrive by rental car via Boston or Montreal. Amtrak runs the Vermonter and the Ethan Allen Express. The best time to visit is late September to mid-October for Indian summer; for winter sports, December through March. The April snowmelt is called "mud season" and is not well suited to hiking. If you have more time, combine your trip with the White Mountains in New Hampshire or a ferry ride across Lake Champlain.