by boat, by car, by foot- get to >> Middlebury, VT

By Amber Olesen

2007-10-30

Scenic Middlebury

Middlebury campus

Drive time
3 hrs., 41 mins./224 miles

Travel I-295 S into NH and take Exit 2 to merge onto NH-101. Take the exit onto I-93 N toward Concord, then the I-89 N exit toward White River Jct VT/Lebanon. Keep right at the fork, then merge onto I-89 N. Take Exit 3 and turn right to VT 107. Continue on Main St. and turn left at Church St./VT-12. Keep following VT-12 until taking a slight left at Camp Brook Rd. Continue on Bethel Mountain Rd., then turn right at VT-100. Make a left onto VT-125 and continue to follow it for 16 miles. Turn right at Court St., then left at US-7 W/VT-125. Make a right at N Pleasant St. and you’re there.

Touring tips

• Keep your ears open for some foreign tongues. Middlebury College has a renowned language program during the summer, where all participants sign a pledge to use only bthe language they are learning exclusively for the duration of the session.

• While in Middlebury, be sure to go to Otter Creek Brewing, where the tours are frequent and the free samples are flowing. Call 800-473-0727 for tour times.

There’s nothing better than a weekend getaway in the fall – the trees, the colors, the scenery. If you’re looking for a road trip, check out Middlebury, VT, the home of the Green Mountains with rich, historical architecture. The foliage season lasts until about Thanksgiving, so you still have time to check out the array of colors and beautiful mountain tops.

Located between Rtes. 125 & 73, the Green Mountain National Forest is the perfect place to experience hiking, skiing and biking. Also known as the Moosalamoo area, an aboriginal word for “moose trail,” the breathtaking cliffs, lakes and the variety of plants and animals to spy are well worth the visit this time of year.

Middlebury’s well known for being a college town, and the Middlebury College campus hosts many sporting events, so check out the athletics schedule before you plan your trip. Hockey season is just getting started and both the men’s and women’s teams have won three consecutive NCAA Division III National Championships. The campus is also home to the Middlebury College Center for Arts and the Museum of Art, both filled with performances and exhibitions during the academic year.

If shopping suits your fancy, wander down Main Street where you’ll find specialty stores featuring handmade jewelry, pottery and other locally made Vermont goods. A short drive will get you to the Kennedy Brothers Factory Marketplace, where you can explore the 200 booths of crafts and antiques.

There are plenty of great places to eat in the downtown area, including the Natural Foods Caf� (a food co-op), American Flatbread for pizza and the Sunday jazz brunch at Two Brothers Tavern on Main Street.

Get settled at The Middlebury Inn (www.middleburyinn.com), with a choice of 70 rooms filled with notable charm, a gift shop, fine dining and a pub. For a more quaint feel, go to the Inn on the Green (www.innonthegreen.com), which has been watchfully restored to reflect the charm of the 19th century and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.