Things to do in Vermont in the Fall : Tips and Tricks

Today’s Travel post is a recap of my recent Fall Trip to Vermont. Read about things to do in Vermont during the Fall and tips and tricks for traveling to Vermont.

Vermont was on the top of my list to travel to this Fall. It’s no secret to my blog readers and people that know me, Fall is my favorite season. I did my research and picked out places to stay, things to do, and the food to eat. I love travel planning so much. But life happens and sometimes no matter how hard you plan, things don’t turn out. So this blog post is a little different than planned. We still had fun with the time we had. So keep reading for recommendations then I also have on tips, tricks, and lessons learned from my Vermont trip.

Where and What 

We didn’t fly directly to Vermont but flew into Boston and didn’t get there till 3am the second day (more on that later). We had to book a hotel in Boston very last minute. Most of the hotels by the Boston airport were expensive so we chose something outside the city. We stayed at Best Western Rockland. This is not sponsored but seriously they were the nicest hotel staff. They were ready to fix us some food getting there so late and really had solid customer service. The rooms were basic of course but clean and a great price. We got picked up from the hotel by Enterprise close by. They were super friendly as well and I would recommend that location.

We drove from Boston to Burlington, Vermont which was our final destination. Massachusetts is such a beautiful state in its own right with tons of New England charm. I would recommend the Boston to Vermont route if you have time because there so much to see along the way. A lot of the beautiful sightseeing wasn’t caught on camera and sometimes it’s best that way. There are so many adorable little Vermont towns along the way that I want to visit again like Newfane, Bennington, Brattleboro etc.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in South Burlington (not the original plan but different story).  It was affordable and very convenient to downtown Burlington like 10 minutes away. The bathrooms were way too small. Best Western had bigger and better bathrooms plus breakfast and nicer staff so yeah lol. So it was a mixed bag for me. Next time, I’d pay more for a Bed and Breakfast in Burlington or stay at Best Western.

Things to Do

Lots of the trip was spent driving and just sightseeing. Vermont is a small state but very spread out so it took a while to go through different areas but Fall Foliage was everywhere. It was breathtaking.

First, I want to point out that certain outdoor activities I mention are seasonal so always call and check the links I have for their schedule. Lots of places close when it gets cold and some as early as September close.

Burlington was 1st on the agenda. There is so much to do in Burlington as far as shopping and food. I loved Burlington and we spent most of the time walking and it was perfect weather. About 20 minutes or so from Burlington is Shelburne. Shelburne Orchards is the perfect place for apple picking and cider donuts and more. The farm was so peaceful. We spent way more time than planned there but it was just a great little piece of Vermont heaven.  Shelburne also has a cute country store as well see here.

Stowe, Vermont was the main city I wanted to see. The Fall Foliage was really prominent there. There is the Ski Lift (Gandaloa) which I would recommend you just have to do that activity before 3:30 pm. Cold Hollow Cider Mill and the Country Store were both in Stowe, Vermont. Ben and Jerry’s headquarters are there (which is super close to the Cold Hollow Cider Mill). They have a tour that can’t be booked ahead so it’s one of those things you can stay in Stowe and just keep checking for tour tickets. Ben and Jerry’s was a fun place to be like a kid all over again and have some ice cream lol.

Stowe Vermont in the Fall
Stowe Vermont in the Fall

Outfit Details here

Stowe Vermont in the Fall
Stowe Vermont in the Fall

Vermont is the covered bridges capital of the America. I love old time charm like covered bridges that reminds me of old colonial America. We saw a few driving by and stopped at one in Stowe called the Gold Brook Covered Bridge. I am linking it and to my disclaimer, I had no idea about the ghost story till after but I personally don’t believe in all that. You can take your own self tour of the Covered Bridges all over Vermont but that would be a good 2 day activity driving everywhere. That’s something I would love to do. Check out the full list of covered bridges in Vermont here.

Gold Brook Covered Bridge
Gold Brook Covered Bridge
Woodstock Vermont in the Fall
Woodstock, VT in the Fall

Outfit Details here

What Else Was in the Plan

We had to cancel some pre booked activities unfortunately (more on that later). But next time I’m going these are the first things I will do. Canoeing is something I really wanted to do. I wanted to start with a boat tour and then go solo with Canoeing. Most places close down for winter by the time October comes. Smugglers Notch has a great canoeing rental. If you go mid to late October then canoeing or boat rides may not be available. We also booked with the Fly Rod Shop for a guided Boat tour (this is in Stowe). They were so nice on the phone and I will for sure book with them next time.

We also want to ride the train right through the gorgeous views of Vermont. We picked out the Chester Train ride but they have a few others. Check out Green Mountain Railroad. Finally, Smugglers Notch is a resort but Smugglers in an area as well with beautiful mountain views and activities that I wanted to do. Check out the resort for their schedule and recommendations.

Where to Stay Next Time

Next time when I’m traveling to Vermont, I would stay at places along the way. One would be Grafton Inn which looks like the cutest place ever. Also I want to visit Woodstock, Vermont and would love to stay at The Ardmore and Maple Leaf Inn.

The Skinny Pancake Burlington Vermont
The Skinny Pancake

Outfit details here

Food

Lots of our food was at the airport or on the road. I have to say that being from Houston, we were spoiled. Houston has some insanely good food. So the style and way New England food is was different but I like trying food out. The Skinny Pancake in Burlington is a must have! I got the Noah’s ark which was a cinnamon crepe, eggs and substituted with hash browns. I get hungry all the time but the Skinny Pancake breakfast held me really well. We also ate at a French Restaurant in Burlington called Leunig’s Bistro. We ate there for dinner so the wait was long but the food was different in a good way lol. We also ate at Pulcinella’s right across from our hotel. It was decent food but really small portions and bad service so I’d pass. There’s tons of other great restaurants in Burlington like on Church street etc.

Lessons Learned

I’ll try to keep this short but I’ve never had any problems with Spirit Airlines till this trip. They ruined so much for many people and they didn’t take the blame. We had to stay in many airports on a different flight till the next day. We had to cancel reservations and change lot of plans we had. On the way back, they also keep us in the airport till the next day coming back. Never again and I’ll save you the actual horrible details.

1. Spend the extra for a direct flight to Burlington, Vermont. If you want to see just a few areas in Vermont then a rental car and staying one place is fine. 2.  If you want to see a lot like I wanted to, stay at different places along the way. Remember that Vermont is very spread out so allow plenty of time and the speed limit is often slow. There is also the factor of it getting dark earlier towards Fall. We ran into that issue and it costs us time and our nerves. 3. Print a good old fashion map because many towns had no internet signal and we got lost for 3 hours going in circles in the dark (awful). 4. I would also go later in October to see the full effect of Fall and more leaves on the ground but that’s personal preference. Then again late October means that a lot of the outdoor events are closed so it’s a happy medium catching it.

Thank you for reading today’s things to do in Vermont in the Fall post. I know it is long but I really want to provide as much detail as possible to help anyone out. I can’t wait to go to Vermont again with lessons learned and more gorgeous things to do.


Take care,



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3 thoughts on “Things to do in Vermont in the Fall : Tips and Tricks

  1. Gosh you got so many beautiful pictures!!! It surely was a beautiful place!! I ate at a place called magnolia bistro recommended by the locals and oh my! It was definitely different from what I’m used to, but it was incredibly delicious! Glad to see you had a great time!!
    -Robin
    Runwayteacher.com

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