2024 Summer Weekend in the Vermont Shires | Travel Guide

Vermont’s southwestern corner was the state’s original tourism draw. In this region dubbed “the Shires,” superlative experiences abound along and around Route 7. Start on Route 11 just east of Manchester, though, with an invigorating ride down a Green Mountains slope.

OUTDOOR RECREATION
Bromley Mountain Alpine Slide, Peru

It was too good a mountain to save just for winter. Bromley’s ²⁄3-mile-long Alpine Slide invites summer fans of the vertical drop to pilot wheeled sleds down one of the world’s longest runs. There are three tracks, the most thrilling of which takes riders through a snaky series of banked turns. Yes, there are brakes. bromley.com

CASUAL DINING
The Little Rooster Café, Manchester

A favorite spot for locals and visitors alike, this cheery diner near the outlet malls is the place to fuel up for the rest of your day’s ramble. Hearty is the word here—look for stacks of pancakes with Vermont maple syrup, corned beef hash with béchamel sauce, and sandwiches including a terrific Reuben. Facebook

There’s much more to Manchester than outlet shopping. Two stately summer homes invite you in.

ART MUSEUM
Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester

Treasures from the American Regionalist movement have no better home than this 120-acre museum complex, created by and for Vermont artists. Ten galleries in a 1917 mansion show off a permanent collection of 1,000-plus paintings, etchings, and sculptures. The center also hosts rotating exhibitions, concerts, and theatrical performances and maintains the largest sculpture garden in Vermont. svac.org

HISTORIC HOME
Hildene, Manchester

One summer sojourner lured by southwestern Vermont was Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s son. The railroad car executive chose Manchester as the site for Hildene, his 1905 neo-Georgian retreat. Unlike many mansions of the era, this one seems cozily livable. It’s furnished in period style, from parlors to servants’ quarters, and is graced by formal gardens. A sumptuously restored 1903 Pullman sleeping car is preserved on-site. hildene.org

Options for overnighting abound in the Shires. Go big at a legendary resort, or head a short way up Route 30 for cozy quarters and live theater.

GRAND HOTEL
The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa, Manchester

Behind the colonnade on Route 7A stands Vermont’s earliest grand hotel, evolved from a pre-Revolutionary inn to a 1,300-acre resort with a full-service spa, an 18-hole golf course, and exhilarating recreational options including a Land Rover driving experience. Dine at the Chop House, where steak and seafood star, or the informal Marsh Tavern, an homage to the resort’s colonial origins. equinoxresort.com

HISTORIC INN
Dorset Inn, Dorset

Vermont’s oldest hostelry in continuous operation has welcomed guests since 1796. Several of the 24 rooms and suites are located in the original building facing the village green. Many have gas fireplaces, four-poster beds, and whirlpool tubs. Breakfast and dinner, served indoors or on the patio, reflect the inn’s membership in the Vermont Fresh Network, committed to forging relationships between farmers and chefs. dorsetinn.com

SUMMER THEATER
Dorset Theatre Festival, Dorset

Nearly a century ago, theater lovers summering in Vermont cobbled together a playhouse out of two 18th-century barns and began a tradition of presenting new plays and repertory favorites. Since 1977, the Dorset Playhouse has been home to a professional equity festival committed to that tradition and dedicated to nurturing more than a dozen new works each year. dorsettheatrefestival.org

Yesterday, you rocketed down one mountainside; now ascend another at a statelier pace.

SCENIC DRIVE
Mount Equinox Skyline Drive, Arlington

Drive to the pinnacle of the Taconic Range on a 5.2-mile paved road. Vistas along the way and at the 3,848-foot summit reach east toward Vermont’s Green Mountains, south into Massachusetts and the Berkshires, and west to the Adirondacks in New York. The mountain is owned by Carthusian monks, whose granite charter house is visible along the drive. equinoxmountain.com

Continue south to one of Vermont’s oldest settlements, a town that gave its name to a turning-point battle in the American Revolution.

HISTORIC MONUMENT
Bennington Battle Monument, Bennington

The 1777 Battle of Bennington was actually fought just across the New York border. But it was an American supply depot here that the British unsuccessfully sought—thus the name, and the 306-foot limestone obelisk dedicated in 1891. Other than communication and wind turbine towers, it’s the tallest structure in Vermont, and the top is accessible by elevator for views extending into New York and Massachusetts. benningtonbattlemonument.com

Nearby, seek out Robert Frost’s poetic gravestone at Old First Church. Then, tuck yourself in just north of Bennington after a hearty dinner at a lively local spot.

LOCAL HANGOUT
Madison Brewing Company, Bennington

Thirty years on, this college-town stalwart remains a template for the Vermont brewpub idea: Start with a solid line of well-crafted brews ranging from thirst-quenching lagers to powerful stouts and porters (and, of course, IPAs), and add a menu built around burgers, big sandwiches, and comfort-food standbys like pot roast and fish-and-chips. There’s a full bar, too. madisonbrewingco.com

ROMANTIC STAY
The Arlington Inn & Spa, Arlington

An 1848 Greek Revival mansion is the centerpiece of this three-building complex. Several rooms in the Main and Carriage houses have gas fireplaces; two Parsonage units feature private patios; all accommodations include a continental breakfast in a sunny solarium. Relax with a craft cocktail in Deming Tavern or with a solo or couple’s massage. arlingtoninn.com