Northern Vermont Trip Ideas

Woodstock VT area would be a good place to check out with the family. A few nice shops to check out downtown, Billings Farm great for kids, you can hike Mt. Tom or Queechee Gorge (both short and family friendly). Antique Mall and country store.

Plus lunch at Worthy Kitchen.

 

You need to visit Foam in Burlington.

For me at this point, order of importance of brewery visits goes: 1) Hill Farmstead 2) Foam 3) The Alchemist.

 

Shelburne is a great area to check out. Fiddlehead is right there, and in the same building is some great pizza at Folino's. Right around the corner is the Vermont Teddy Bear factory and Shelburne Farms and Museum, which are fun and family friendly. It's on the south side of Burlington so not exactly in the Waterbury radius but it's genuinely got something for everyone.

 

2nd Woodstock and Billings Farm. Other family suggestions -- the King Arthur flour company has a cool campus in Norwich just over the line up 89 into Vt. Excellent family friendly cafe w/ killer baked good (you must hit River Roost which is very close by in WRJ). Also -- in Montpelier (home of 3 Penny) there is a lovely/very easy but rewarding hike right behind the state capital building -- it ends up at an old stone tower that you climb - for excellent views of the surrounding area. A real gem. Good luck!

 

Visited Waterbury twice....stayed in Best Western once and an AirBNB other time. Others will mention Old Stagecoach due to proximity to the bars, but I haven't stayed there.

 

I am a big fan of the Old Stagecoach. It is about 100 yards from the popular Waterbury bars. Good breakfast included.

 

Both Pro Pig and Doc Ponds are family friendly and HIGHLY recommended. Took my 7yo and 14mo old there recently. I'd recommend Pro Pig for lunch because it will be FAR less crowded. That place is insane at night. I feel that as long as you hit Ponds before 6, you'll be good for dinner. Piecasso is obviously kid-friendly, but no point going unless you really want pizza (or your little one loves it).

As for breweries I would definitely stop at Alchemist and HIll (be warned though that Hill is out there... if the kid is super cranky you are pretty much in the middle of nowhere). Also, even though Alchemist is in new, large digs... the allotments of Heady are still usually pretty low. 2 4-packs per person seems to be the norm... with either 4/6 of Focal. When we were there a month ago, I made a few trips (stop quick after dinner, etc).

Foam is great. They have cheese plates and stuff... and a pretty "hang out and chill" vibe. Both Alchemist and Hill are more "get your beer and go". Fiddlehead is also an awesome stop simply to bag Second Fiddle. There is a pizza place attached as others have mentioned. Other than that though, it's pretty much taste and go.

Lost Nation has a sweet little smokehouse/brewpub thing going on too... they make great food. It's a bit small and dark, but it's also near Rock Art... so an easy 1-2 punch for lunch or dinner.

As for non-beer activities, there's strolling Burlington, taking the Gondola to the top of Stowe ($$), I think there is a children's science museum or something at the same Dartmouth exit that King Arthur Flour is at on 89. Of course there are hiking trails and such. The Waterbury Reservoir might be worth checking out too.

 

The Montshire Museum is the children's science museum by King Arthur Flour and Dartmouth. River Roost is about 10 minutes away.

VINS is another spot in Queechee. Vermont Institute of Nat. Science. They do bird of pray shows, etc. Have a ton of stuff for kids. ABout 10 minutes from the Montshire. About 10 minutes from Worthy Kitchen.

 

I second all of this. Shelburne Museum is a good one for the family. Also agree on VT Teddy Bear (take the tour since you have a kid with you). I've gone to Fiddlehead while dropping my wife and daughter at the Teddy Bear factory (to make a bear for friend's kids) a couple of times. There is a also a nice museum by the lake in Burlington.

It's not that far from Waterbury really, not by Vermont standards. Honestly, if taking a family trip, I'd suggest Burlington or Stowe. Waterbury is beer Mecca, but that's about it.

 

My daughter loved the Montshire when she was little. We live in MA but bought a membership. You can also buy a pass that takes you there by train along the Connecticut River, up from White River Junction (and brings you back). Great family fun.

 

Yeah, that train is great! They do fall leaf peeping trips, pumpkin picking trips (stop right at a farm in Thetford), train trips with santa (polar express) and they did the Harry Potter train thing when that was big a few years back.

The White River Flyer is the name of the train I think.

 

If you can afford to splurge -- stay at the Hotel Vermont in Burlington. They have a beer concierge, a killer beer bar, and are home to the Burlington version of outstanding Hen of the Wood restaurant. I've posted the photo below before -- this was awaiting me and the family last time we checked in. Another option is Stowe Montain Lodge -- fantastic accommodations at the mountain. Lastly - The Pitcher Inn in Warren -- across the street from the Warren General store (home field for Lawson's FLs) - is also a great spot. Again -- these places aren't cheap but you might be able to get a deal this time of year.

 

I was just coming on here to research this very topic. My wife and I have gone to Vermont the past two falls in mid/late October, and we are thinking about another trip this coming fall, only this time with our 1.5 year old daughter. Each of the past two trips we stayed two nights in Burlington and two nights in Stowe - however I think we've pretty much done everything there is to do in Stowe so we may be leaning towards staying in Burlington the entire time or perhaps some place more south. I second Hotel Vermont - we've stayed there both trips and the place is awesome and great location (walking/biking distance to Foam and Farmhouse).

Anyone have any suggestions for places outside of Stowe that're has a lot of family friendly nature activities? We hiked both trips and really enjoyed it both times - so would love to do some more of that to enjoy the natural beauty the area has to offer.

 

Are you guys into horses at all? Another nice family event, and a 1.5 year old may be too young, is the UVM Morgan Horse farm in Middlebury. Same applies to OP I suppose with a 2 year old. My daughter loved that place when she was in the 5 to 10 year old range. Otter Creek is down there too. But this place would work. http://www.echovermont.org/plan-visit

 

How about staying at von Trapp?

 

Bottled Lawson's is only ever at Beverage Warehouse, CBC Waterbury, the Warren Store, and Hunger Mountain Co-op. Go to one or more of those places and make a humble request to the deity of your choice.