Last year in 2021, we took a long weekend to Vermont, exploring the Northeast Kingdom and Stowe. (See post here). As soon as we were done with that trip, we knew we wanted to go back to explore some more so we planned another getaway for this year, this time staying close to Burlington and Stowe!
Monday
We drove up on a Monday morning with a plan to make some stops along the way. Our first stop was the Texas Falls Recreation Area. I honestly wasn't expecting much from this and it ended up being one of my favorite stops the whole trip.
This area is located on a back road between the Lake Champlain Byway and the Scenic Vermont 100. You take some beautiful roads to get to and from there. We had no issues with parking in one of the small lots alongside the falls but I can see this getting very overcrowded on weekends in peak seasons.
There are a couple of overlooks with picnic tables over the cascades and there's a bridge that takes you across to the nature trail. There are multiple cascades to see along the river.
The nature trail is 1.0 miles long with some rolling terrain. This can be slippery so it's important to wear proper footwear.
After enjoying Texas Falls, we started to make our way north, passing by Moss Glen Falls. This spot was definitely more crowded but we were able to snap a couple of quick pictures.
Then we made our way up to Warren Falls. This is a few different cascades over down various shaped large boulders with lots of areas to carefully climb onto and overlook from.
Finally we made our final leg of the journey up to Burlington, stopping at Foam Brewers for a chilly drink on the patio with our pups. This brewery has really high quality beers, they're known for their sours and have a beautiful location overlooking Lake Champlain.
We loved the Airbnb we stayed in, in South Hero. It was quiet, was close enough to where we wanted to visit and we were surrounded by dogs and farm animals!
Tuesday
The next day, we started out by hiking Camel's Hump. This is one of Vermont's 5 highest peaks and part of the NE111 Challenge. For a high peak, this hike was relatively easy, especially the way we did it as an out and back on the gradual side. Since it was October, we did have to navigate some icy spots. Always remember to hike prepared, difficulty is relative and to leave no trace!
In the afternoon, we picked up the dogs and rewarded ourselves with some treats:
Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea: their maple latte is bomb
Cold Hollow Cider Mill: as NYers it was strange to have cider donuts without sugar but they were so good! This place is always insanely busy but lines do move fast
Ben & Jerry's: expect to wait in a pretty long line but it's honestly worth it. They also have pup cups!
Idyletime Brewing: I love to sit at this firepit in the evening. We had to wait for seats to open up but we didn't have to wait very long.
Then we went back to our Airbnb to eat one of our prepared meals that we usually bring with us on our trips.
Wednesday
The next day we left early to head over to Smuggler's Notch. When we tried to come here the year before, it was so packed with people, all we could do is drive through without parking anywhere. This time, we went on a week day and we went first thing which definitely helped.
We hiked the Sterling Pond trail which leads to this beautiful alpine lake. We had the lake all to ourselves for while. It's a short trail but the climb up is no joke.
Then we just leisurely drove through Smuggler's Notch which was at the peak of fall color.
We dropped off the dogs at the Airbnb and had some lunch before hitting some breweries for the afternoon. I'd be lying if I didn't say we went back to Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea and Ben & Jerry's too.
Breweries we recommend are:
Four Quarters Brewing: This is actually in Winooski, just north of Burlington. They had a nice variety of beers and we got multiple taster size pours.
Queen City Brewing: this is right in Burlington, dog friendly, and has more of your traditional style ales
Zero Gravity: we had been here before but it was a nice way to round out the evening. We ordered their loaded fries as well which were amazing!
Thursday
Since we were leaving today we didn't have much planned but we did want to check out the causeway because we were so close. With the assistance of a ferry during peak season, you can bike the causeway from South Hero to Burlington which is pretty cool.
And then it was time to go home! Check out my other Vermont posts!
Best Breweries in Vermont
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