Vermont Help

Right next door (well, maybe 1/2 mile) to the Alchemist is Ben & Jerry's. Drop the kids & wife there and run over to the brewery to pick up some Heady Topper. The brewery itself isn't anything special. There's a small gift shop and an area where you can see all the equipment. I'd be surprised if you were there for more than 20 minutes.

I've only been to Hill Farmstead once and there really isn't much in that area other than the brewery. It's a nice scenic ride from Waterbury. Maybe you could sell the family on that.

Since you're near Waterbury, don't forget to check out the Trapp Family lodge brewpub. Awesome view sitting on the deck with a beer at lunch. And the Rock Art brewery isn't too far north of you as well.

I haven't been to Warren, but again Vermont is a beautiful state with lots of waterfalls, covered bridges, mountains, hikes, etc. I'm sure there's something in the area that's fun for the whole family.

Almost forgot, a day in Burlington is worth the trip. Stopping for lunch at American Flatbread or the VT Pub and Brewery is fun. Check out the nearby Winooski Beverage for some Lawson beers. It might save you a trip all the way down to Warren.

 

Near Greensboro there is mostly outdoorsy stuff to do, Groton State Park is 25min away. Caspian lake is right in greensboro, joes pond in west danville, elmore state park is also ~25 minutes away.

It is a nice scenic drive from Waterbury up to greensboro, but there isn't a whole lot to do there or along the way.

In warren, there is outdoor stuff going on at sugarbush (check their website). otherwise warren falls is an awesome place to go for a swim and is in the national forest just south of the warren store.

PS - skip ben & jerry's unless the kids want to go, complete waste of time.

 

Yes it is but sometimes you have to sacrifice for the betterment of your "beercation".

 

When I went I stopped at a cider place to kill time before dinner. I can't remember the name but it's right in Waterbury and you'll definitely see it around the Alchemist Brewery- it's hard to miss.

I bet the kids would like the cider-making/food there and your wife might be interested in the wine tasting they have. The wines are pretty okay, all somewhat over sweet but maybe it was just the selection the day I was there.

 

I am in a similar situation to the OP, I'll be out there in October with my wife and 3 year old. Can anyone verify if Hill Farmstead allows young ones in the tasting room? I can't find it on their website.

Also, and I feel really lame for asking this, but what kind of weather can we expect in early October (6th-14th) for the greater ME, NH, VT region (Portsmouth-Portland-Lyndon-Burlington-Boston)? Obviously it's variable but what kind of temps would be common for that time? Low 50's?

 

Cold Hollow Cider Mill: http://www.coldhollow.com/

Can't imagine it's a problem for little kids. There's not much for them though. They might prefer to play in the field next to the brewery. As for weather, the average high for October 10th in Waterbury is 58, with a low of 37.

 

Thanks for the info. Yeah, we're not going to spend much time there (unfortunately) and will probably be hanging outside like you said. I just wanted to see if he was even allowed in. As for the weather, 58 seems just perfect to me. A couple people have been trying to scare me and say we could see cold temps and snow. I figured that was highly unlikely.

 

I hiked the entire Long Trail in November and besides 4" on top of Jay Peak, barely saw a flake of snow and that is traversing mountain tops for 22 days. Fall-time can be extremely fickle weather-wise in these parts. You're going to need to check the weather a couple days before heading out here to get a true sense. Last November was crazy warm, it was practically still shorts weather, that just after the last week of October featured two pretty large snowstorms here.
I think my heart would pop if I heard that HF didn't allow kids

 

There is a great Disc Golf course in Waterbury

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=768

You can even buy disc at the Alchemist.

 

Lake Caspian is beautiful in Greensboro, and there's also Barr Hill, which offers some of the best views around. Very high Work : Payoff ratio, as well, so that might be nice for the kids. They even have some little cases that'll tell you exactly what mountains you're looking at. It's pretty amazing.

 

Cold Hollow is a great stop.

A spot down in Warren (which you don't need to go to IMO), is Bobbin Mill. There are some waterfalls and swimming holes there. Great little spot, that not many tourist know about. It is 'private property' technically, but it is basically enter at your own risk (IE: you hurt urself, no one to sue). Also there is lots of hiking and such in and around Sugarbush, which is right there.

As for the Warren Store, I've found it is not worth the trip to go all the way down there just for some Lawsons. Since he expanded, you can usually find bottles at the Hunger Mountain Co-op in Montpelier - which is a great little walking town with some good food options.

Other options, would be Stowe. Lots of hiking up Mountain Rd (Rt 108), that would be good for kids; Bingham Falls is one I'd look up which is fairly short and kid friendly.

+1 to Caspian Lake in Greensboro. It is a good spot to swim and kayak etc, and get ice cream.

 

the warren store itself would be a fine place to bring your wife and kids, IMO. it doesn't just have beer, but food, knickknacks, etc. it's a short enough drive from the alchemist that i don't really understand why people would counsel you not to bother going there, though i don't live in VT (shrug). wandering around quaint little towns isn't a bad family activity, no?

as for the HF part, i defer to everyone else (i just went for the beer).

 

www.gostowe.com- the Stowe Area Association- a not for profit organization website has a complete listing of things to do in Stowe and surrounding areas