BEST FREE WEEKEND FUN Market Square Summer Series, Bennington Dance to the music of live bands playing blues, folk, country, soft rock, and swing, Fridays from 5:30 to 7:30 and Saturday and Sunday afternoons, from July 22 through August 21 this year. Market Square. 802-442-5758; betterbennington.com BEST SMOKED MEAT Singleton’s Store, Proctorville Puzzled about what […]
RAINY-DAY BROWSE Brattleboro Books, Brattleboro Southern Vermont’s largest used-book store has miles of aisles of books to browse and comfy chairs tucked into cozy reading nooks. 34-36 Elliot St. 802-257-7777 MEAL DEAL Fresh Market, Burlington At 5 p.m. all premade sandwiches are discounted 50 percent; at 6, deli items are reduced 25 percent. 400 Pine […]
BEST MOUNTAIN BIKING Kingdom Trails, East Burke Pull into the parking lot next to Mountain View Creamery and you’ll find cars with license plates from all over the Northeast and Canada. They’ve made the long drive to East Burke to ride atop rolling countryside, past hundred-year-old barns, along streams, and under tall pines, all on […]
BEST DAY PADDLE Batten Kill Canoe, Arlington Plan a two-hour or two-day paddle down the beautiful Batten Kill with the able assistance of the folks at Batten Kill Canoe, who are familiar with every nook and cranny of the river known as “the Valley of Vermont.” Photo Credit: Carl Tremblay Maps for every level of […]
BEST WATERFRONT RESORT Basin Harbor Club, Vergennes You’ll want to pack a trunk and spend all summer at this plush, 125-year-old Lake Champlain retreat. Golf, watercraft, formal dining, and cottage or lodge accommodations. Rates: rooms from $232, $332 with American meal plan; cottages from $369, $448 with American meal plan. 4800 Basin Harbor Road. 800-622-4000, […]
BEST TEX-MEX Rattlesnake Cafe, Bennington Mexican fare with a modern twist is spiced from gringo cool to ay, Chihuahua hot; sangrias are concocted from secret recipes. Entrées: from $9.95. 230 North St. 802-447-7018; rattlesnakecafe.com BEST PUMPKIN PANCAKES Sugar & Spice, Mendon Hunker down to light-as-a-feather flapjacks crowned with maple syrup made right here. Dessert after […]
BEST ALTERNATIVE TO THE FREEDOM TRAIL Harborwalk, Boston A nearly 40-mile network of waterside paths from East Boston to Dorchester: Start with the Charlestown branch and head down through the North End to Fort Point Channel, stopping at historical sights (U.S.S. Constitution), bay-view restaurants (Sensing and Sam’s), and museums (the ICA and the Children’s Museum). […]
BEST UPSCALE BAR Drink, Boston Drink’s commitment to excellence at every level–from the quality of the ice, to the historic authenticity of the bitters, punches, and fizzes, to the minimalist design that hides the booze and puts the barkeep front and center–makes this venue a natural winner. 348 Congress St. 617-695-1806 BEST HISTORY LESSON Nichols […]
BEST BAKERY Sofra, Cambridge It doesn’t sell French breads or chocolate layer cakes, but this Mediterranean-inspired pastry shop from Oleana’s Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick has elevated the Boston sweets scene with orange blossom-scented morning buns and the best falafel wraps in town. 1 Belmont St. 617-661-6131; sofrabakery.com BEST CHINESE East by Northeast, Cambridge Phillip […]
BEST HOTEL Liberty Hotel, Boston It took a sense of humor and style to turn a famous jail into a posh hotel, and that spirit informs everything at the Liberty, from the restaurants Clink, Alibi, and Scampo (Italian for “escape”) to the stunning atrium and the many thoughtful touches, such as Prosecco on arrival. Rates: […]
BEST SWIMMIN’ HOLE Smalls Falls, Township E Twelve miles south of Rangeley and about four miles north of Madrid, the Sandy River squeezes through a gorge, dropping more than 50 feet in a series of four waterfalls interspersed with ledges. Soak in the pool at the bottom or hike up the trail edging the falls […]
THE LIGHT STUFF Wood Island Light, Biddeford Cruise to Wood Island, tour the 1809 beacon guarding the mouth of the Saco River, perhaps even climb the tower. A mere $10-per-person donation to the Friends of Wood Island Light covers everything and benefits future restoration efforts. 207-286-3229; woodislandlighthouse.org WALK-ON WATER L.L. Bean Walk-on Adventures, Freeport C’mon, […]
