We are particularly fond of brick-oven baked bread available, just make sure you arrive before 1:00 pm or they may be sold out. What goes fantastic with the bread is some cheese from the several farms on hand. We often pick up a log of goat cheese, but my wife will sometimes splurge on a wedge of strong cheese from Consider Bardwell Farm.

If you want to broaden your feast a little, you can pick up a bottle of locally made wine and a few apples from one of the apple vendors. The occasional farmer with a greenhouse will show up with some winter vegetables, but you can usually count of a table full of potatoes to choose from as well. Merck Forest usually sells produce as well as organic maple syrup.

If you’re not hungry, there are a number of artists and artisans with prints, jewelry, hand-made hats and bags, and a variety of other products with the personal touch you won’t find at a gift shop.

The paying option:

If you don’t mind paying for beautifully groomed trails, try out Wild Wings XC skiing. The trails run around Peru, VT and usually have snow on account of that area’s elevation. We have just dabbled with these trails, but so far we have been very impressed.

The Free Option:

The free option is a bit more difficult, but may prove to be just as fun. The Catamount trail runs the entire length of Vermont and happens to run through the Peru/Landgrove area as well. While not broken and groomed unless someone else has been on it before you, the Catamount trail is a great way to XC Ski, provided you can find a place to park your car and you can find the blog markers with the Catamount paw print. Of course you can’t beat the price.

For starters, seek out hiking trails that avoid streams and are on hill sides without any run-off. If you’re hiking in boots you’ll keep your feet dry, but if you end up splurging with snow shoes, you’ll keep ice from forming on your crampons and sliding down the trail. One example of such a hike is Prospect Rock in Manchester, but of course that hike gains a lot of elevation, so dress lightly for the ascent and warmly for the descent. Most of the trails in the Equinox trail system in Manchester are also fairly dry, though at lower elevations.

We enjoy taking walks on Kelly Stand Road in Arlington, VT, but keep in mind a few things: it can be icy, snow mobiles zip past sometimes, and the rare truck may barrel by. All in all, the road stays relatively dry and is a great walk if trails are too muddy.

Prospect Rock

Kelly Stand Road

Our personal favorite is the Merck Forest pancake breakfast with organic sausage and all of the syrup that you can handle. The various trails around the vast Merck lands make for excellent hikes and you can actually here the gentle rush of sap in the lines along the trails that transport the sap from tree to collection tank.

The Southshire Pepper-Pot, a collection of short stories and recipes by Vermont writers is just what you’re looking for. You can read reviews at Amazon.com and the brief write-up at the Boston Globe.

Based on the web site alone I would like to stay there, let alone recommend it someone else. I always use the web when I look into vacationing somewhere, and the look and functionality of the inn’s web site has a lot to do with the place I stay at.

I want to easily find contact information, pictures of the rooms, the rates of these rooms, a few pictures of the other parts of the inn, and then something about the surrounding area. The online information is not only comprehensive, but neatly presented and easy to browse on the Three Mountain Inn site. There is one good picture per room, and that really is all you need.

The graphics are catchy, but not overwhelming. The colors are magnificent, not to mention the watermark Vermont map in the background.

Though there are tons of beautiful inns in Vermont, especially South West Vermont, few have such an elegant and informative web site as the Three Mountain Inn.

According to the web site, Rare Brick designed the site for those interested. 

Certain bends in the river provide excellent fishing and swimming, depending on the time of day, but a trip down the river in one of the aforementioned modes is my preferred way to go.

The Battenkill winds down the scenic valley between the Green and Taconic ranges, and then snakes through a pass in the Taconic range when it hits Arlington. Before flowing into New York state, where additional fishing and swimming opportunities abound as well, the Battenkill pass through a small valley in West Arlington of post card quality and has in fact been plastered all over post cards and calendars in local gift shops.

Access is available along route 7A in Arlington and all along 313 West on the way toward NY state. The recreation park in Arlington has a parking lot on the 313 side that many use when tubing, kayaking, or canoeing.

Who wouldn’t want to visit this place?

Myrick’s butter crunch is legendary among the locals of Manchester and Dorset, but I really can’t say that anything they serve is below par. Their chocolate cakes are a special favorite of mine, but I also find it hard to resist picking up a few truffles, cherry cordials, and other dark chocolate specialties, not to mention their smooth fudge.

With outdoor seating in the middle of Manchester, Mother Myrick’s a perfect place to stop for a snack after having lunch out, while also providing a perfect place to stop for dessert on the way home.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for some bargains, this is the time to strike. The ski sale on route 7A and the Orvis Tent Sale boast savings up to 70% off.

Shopping isn’t exactly my thing, but I couldn’t resist stopping at the Mountain Goat to look over their sale items on the sidewalk. A quick drive through town also revealed a large amount of furniture set out on display, including some beautiful wood furniture.

Happy shopping.

Farmers Markets

Cambridge, NY

Poultney and Rutland
http://www.vermontfarmersmarket.com/

Manchester
http://www.manchestermarket.org/news.php

Bennington
http://www.walloomsac.org/

Dorset
http://www.dorsetfarmersmarket.com/Vendor%20List.html

All of VT
http://www.vermontagriculture.com/buylocal/buy/farmersMarkets.html
http://www.starchefs.com/features/farm_fresh/html/vermont.shtml
http://www.nofavt.org/markets-list.php
http://www.vtliving.com/farmersmarkets/sout.shtml
http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/States/State06.pdf/Vermont.pdf

Many locals prefer the Londonderry farmers market by the way, so keep that in mind if you’re traveling through that town on a Saturday in the summer.