Travel Diary: 48 hours in Manchester, Vermont
Good morning! Today's post is about my trip to Manchester, Vermont, in October 2020 -- exactly 2 years ago today.
In fall of 2020, my husband and I decided to do a New England road trip from our home in northern Virginia. Our first stop was Vermont. Then we drove to New Hampshire, then Maine, with a last-minute stop in Massachusetts before returning home.
If you read my travel diary from Bar Harbor, Maine, you know that I scheduled a health procedure (colonoscopy) at the beginning of October 2020 after having symptoms since mid-July that pointed to colon cancer. We decided to schedule a New England road trip afterwards as a way to either cheer me up if it were bad news or to celebrate if it were good news. My colonoscopy showed that I was cancer-free -- and so we were able to start our road trip on a high note! (As a side note: As a result of frantically googling "colon cancer" for several months, I learned that colon cancer is on the rise in young people, so much so that the recommended age to get a colonoscopy changed in 2018 from 50 to 45 years old and may go even younger -- so please be aware of the symptoms and get checked if you have any!)
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tips and advice:
- Like everyone else during the pandemic, my husband and I got much more into hiking during 2020. I asked my friends for hiking boots recs, and Merrell was one of the most highly recommended. I broke them in on this trip and have since worn these boots to hike more than 20 miles in a day and have no complaints!
- We left for New England the first weekend of October, and while I think we were too early for peak fall foliage, our travels were beautiful nonetheless. However, you can find fall foliage maps online that can help you plan your timing!
- I was very glad we had a car! While we were able to walk to Seasons Restaurant and Cold Cow Creamery, we definitely needed a car for some of the other restaurants, as well as for our hike and to do the Mount Equinox Skyline Drive.
- Be aware that there's also a Manchester in New Hampshire... sometimes our map apps and GPS got a little confused!
itinerary:
We stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites Manchester. (If you notice a theme of IHG hotels throughout my travel diaries, it's because we had so many points after getting married at an IHG property in December 2019 that we are now loyal to the hotel brand!)
We arrived in Manchester on Saturday, October 3, in the evening. It was more than a 15-hour drive... so I'm very thankful for audiobooks and playlists! (And that I can sleep basically anywhere.)
Upon arriving on Saturday, we had dinner at Seasons Restaurant. We chose this restaurant in part because we could eat outside, and we really enjoyed the meal!
On Sunday, we started our morning with a hike before driving the Mount Equinox Skyline Drive and heading to Gringo Jack's for lunch. Then we had to visit a maple farm (when in Vermont!) before dinner at Ye Olde Tavern.
We spent Monday working from the hotel and exploring at mealtimes, then left that night for New Hampshire.
photo diary:
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where to eat and drink:
- Manchester Farmers Market
- The Works Café
- Charlie's Coffee House
- Marsh Tavern at the Equinox Resort
- Bob's Diner
- Gringo Jack's
- Copper Grouse
- Ye Olde Tavern
- Dorset Inn
- Union Underground
- Haig's Sports Bar
what to do:
- Hiking! We decided to hike Lye Brooks Fall Trail because I love waterfalls and wanted to test out my new boots before doing a longer hike, but if we'd had more time, I would have loved to hike more. (There are shorter trails and longer trails, and here are some hikes within Manchester.)
- Mount Equinox Skyline Drive: This is technically in nearby Arlington, but it was a 10-15 minute drive for us. There is an entrance fee plus per passenger fee, but the views are worth it. And you can bring your own food and drinks up, too.
- Visit Equinox Pond.
- Visit the Southern Vermont Arts Center.
- Find a maple farm and do a maple syrup tasting! We really liked Glastenview Maple Farm, which we found via Google, and then my husband called to confirm they were open for us to come for a tour. Just be warned that it may affect your shopping habits! I had always been a fan of store-bought maple syrup, but after tasting the real thing, store-bought maple syrup just doesn't taste as good.
- Visit Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home. Manchester is the location of the summer home of Abraham Lincoln's son Robert, and the house has now been turned into a museum for guests to tour.
- Visit the American Museum of Fly Fishing.
- Shop! Manchester has a ton of great shopping, including outlets.
- Mountain bike.
links I used or recommend:
- Chasing Daisies: "A Complete Guide to Manchester Vermont | Eating, Activities, Hotels, & More"
I really loved the whole vibe of Manchester. Even though we were too early for fall foliage, it was still beautiful and the perfect intro for our fall New England trip. I definitely want to go back... though next time I'll plan for at least mid-October... or maybe skiing -- it's under an hour from several ski resorts!
love from
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