Local Attractions Activities to fill your days with memories of Northeast Kingdom Vermont:
St Johnsbury:
Walk Historic Victorian Main Street, with a guide in hand to its architecture and history
St J Academy Campus — Independent High School – 1000 students, 200 of whom are international boarding students, remainder are our area students
Athenaeum — Library and Art Gallery — (a quick 20 minutes or all day!) Amazing architecture, inside an out, restored to its original late 1800s décor. If this is all you do it is a must during your visit to our area! The Gallery is an eclectic collection of world art over the centuries, and features several Hudson River Valley artists and the Bierstadt mural of the Domes of Yosemite. 802.748.8291 https://www.stjathenaeum.org
Fairbanks Museum — (2 hours to do it justice) — Inside and Outdoor Displays. A Natural History Museum build originally to hold Franklin Fairbanks world collection of birds, which it to this day has preserved amazingly well. Also find local history, natural habitat, art, the Fairbanks Scales history, and our local “Eye on the Sky” weather guys reporting and a gift shop.
Shop St J — Railroad Street
Artisans Guild – Best of the areas fine arts and crafts — my ‘go to’ gift store!
Artful Eye – Fine Art - Red Tag — as of a month ago all one big fine antique store, big and small, Victorian, Art Deco, every thing!
Boxcar & Caboose — Bookstore, Coffee Bar, old fashioned Candy Jars
Caplans Army Store — unfortunately just closed, a 3 generation family business! — but the space now rents and repairs bicycles.
Moose River Lodge & Jeweler — 802.748.3587 — more treasures under one roof I’ve never seen!
Natural Provisions & Café — 802.748.3587
Within a 1/2 hour drive:
Peacham — An iconic and magical New England Village – on everyone’s bucket list — charming guild store – café with a unique model – a view to remember and photograph — on a clear day see Mt Washington — leaf peeking wonder!
Greenbank Hollow, the town history has forgotten— an old mill town. The mill burned and took the town with it. The remaining foundations provide a respite for a picnic — my favorite hide away in all of Vermont!
Swim
Harvey’s Lake Public Beach, this year open and on your own, no life guard
Swimming Holes on Joe’s Brook, swim laps or build artistic sculpture with the stones.
Joe’s Pond Swimming Beach
Comerford Dam on the Connecticut River
Lamoille Bike Trail — from St Johnsbury to Joe’s Pond and on to Hardwick. Road bike or trail bike or walking appropriate. Swim and have lunch at Joe’s Pond and Ice Cream or a sandwich at Marty’s along the way. Bring your bike! https://www.lvrt.org
Trail Ride — Horseback Rides for every age and every ability, trails through the old Morgan Horse Farm open fields and forest in Danville VT 603.249.6444 — This is a new venture for a very seasoned barn operation. I was impressed!
Within a 1 hour drive: Vermont is a small State. It’s an hour or less from the Inn north to Canada, south to Dartmouth College/ Norwich and King Arthur Flour, east to the White Mountains, or West to Montpelier/Stowe areas.
or about 2 hours west to Burlington and Shellburn Museum.
Hiking — I have a book of possibilities, any length, any difficulty level — and 21 trails in the NEK
Groton State Forrest — many options but Devils Hill is short, challenging, with a view! Or Owel’s Head, shorter, easier.
Lake Wllloughby — Mt Pisgah is challenging, Wheeler Mt also has a wide view — longer but less challenging.
North : Bring your pass port!
Covered Bridges in Lyndonville, also in West Danville, and Greenbank Hollow East Burke — Baileys General Store – take a step back into 1800s – w/ modern deli Lake Willoughby — Just beautiful — swim - hike - photograph — the deepest, clearest, cleanest lake in the northeast (maybe the US). Bread & Puppet — Glover area - Shows on Sunday – self guided museum tour any time. Info & Schedule: https://breadandpuppet.org Brownington Old Stone House Museum — https://oldstonehousemuseum.org Newport and Lake Memphremagog — great sailing Lake! 3/4 of the Lake is in Canada. Derby Line and The Opera House on the Canadian border, intentionally so both countries can enjoy its performances.
Route 2 toward Montpelier Danville — Town Square and Band Shell — Sunday afternoon Band Concert and Ice Cream Socials Joe’s Pond (Lake): swim, picnic, restaurant, gift store, ice cream Sugar Houses (where maple syrup is boiled and bottled): Bragg Farm — Sugarhouse and gift shop — East Montpelier on Rt 14 802.223.5757 — https://braggfarm.com/ Rowell Sugarhouse and gift store— West Danville — 802.563.2756 Gadapee Family — Danville — 802.274.0190 Cabot Creamery— home of Cabot Cheese — including Tasting Room & the Gift Shop Toward Stowe — 1.5 hr —Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Cold Hollow Cider, Glass Blowing
East – into New Hampshire:
White Mountains and Mt Washington — a short hour from the Inn Connecticut River — walk to it from the Inn Water Falls — Barnet, McIndoe Falls, 3 miles
