Vermont Fall Foliage Roadtrip
We'd always heard the fall colors in the northeast were unparalleled; especially in Vermont. We added this trip to our bucket list a few years back, and when the opportunity came, we jumped at it! We didn't have an abundant amount of time, so we had to be strategic in our planning of this road trip. The fall colors exceeded both of our expectations and made for an incredible fall foliage excursion out east!
First stop: Manchester
Our first stop on the trip was in Manchester. We discovered Manchester by accident about three years ago on our first long road trip out East, and were smitten with the small Green Mountain town from the start. From a quaint and charming downtown that is extremely walkable, to the abundant history of the town nearly 300 years old, this tiny town is a must stop on your tour along Route 7. The marble sidewalks that run through the town lead to some of the cutest shops and outlets you can find, tucked into old houses. Manchester really is one of a kind.
Stay: Equinox Hotel
We stayed at The Equinox resort and loved it. It's 300 years old; and has views of the mountains, along with a walkable nature reserve that leads to Equinox Pond! We enjoyed the resort's fire pits, an indoor pool/hot tub, and charming sitting areas which are abundant!
Good Eats:
Zoey's Deli. Their Chicken salad croissant ranks among my favorite things in America.
Mystic. A new spot in town, this place has the coolest atmosphere in town. Hannah loved the avocado toast!
Seasons. American food in a relaxed space right on a main thoroughfare with views of the hills and mountains from outside.
Woodstock
Woodstock is about an hour and fifteen minutes northeast of Manchester. The drive is one of the most amazing you'll find, and the time will fly by! The rural Vermont countryside, with its copious pine trees and babbling streams, only added to the beauty of the already abundant fall colors. We spent one day in Woodstock.. We walked the downtown, shopped at Vermont Flannel Company for the perfect blanket, and ate lunch at Soulfully Good Cafe. I got the Vermont maple chicken salad (yes, two chicken salad days in a row, ha!) and Hannah had an enormous bowl of delicious soup.
Stowe
We took an afternoon drive up to Stowe, which is an hour beyond Woodstock and about 3 hours from Manchester. This charming northern Vermont town is best known for skiing. We did (unfortunately) go on a very rainy day, but we still managed to walk around town, peruse the boutiques, and found Vermont Artisan Coffee nearby! We ended our day trip with a delicious smorgasbord at Ranch Camp, which is a bicycle shop that shares a space with an American eatery/brewery and is perched upon a hill. It was tasty and we both left happily full! The colors is Stowe were out of an ad from KJP. So worth the drive!
These two road trippers would highly recommend a fall foliage tour in Vermont. Of note: we've been told (depending on year and route) that the peak colors are anytime between Sept 25-Oct 25!
Thanks for trekking out East with us!
Ty + Han