Stowe and Waterbury, Vermont

Our trip to Vermont happened because of a treehouse. I was looking up glamping options in the Northeast and came across the Moose Meadow Lodge in Waterbury, which boasts a two-story treehouse as one of its lodging options. When I saw the pictures, I just knew we had to stay there.

So I booked the treehouse and started planning a mini vacation around its location. Of course we had to check out the area attractions in Waterbury and also Stowe, just a few minutes away, but I also really wanted us to bike the Island Line Trail, situated just under an hour away, so we ended up staying a couple of days in Burlington and Colchester as well. This tour of Vermont in the late spring blew us away. Everywhere we drove, the vistas were picturesque and verdant, and we ended up doing more hiking and biking in one long weekend than we'll probably do for the rest of the summer.

Where to Stay 

The Moose Meadow Lodge in Waterbury is special in every way. There's the two-story treehouse with wraparound porch and outdoor shower, of course. The pictures of it speak for themselves.

But there's also the main lodge, which functions as a B&B, with several themed, whimsically decorated rooms. Our friends who were traveling with us stayed in the "duck room" and the "creel room."

And on top of that, there are the hosts, Greg and Willie, who are so kind and hospitable that there's an instant rapport from the moment they greet you and your entire family by name and with hugs. We tend to avoid B&Bs because we like our privacy, but I'd stay with Greg and Willie again in a heartbeat. They've set up an experience that's more amazing than I can describe.

In addition to the lodge and treehouse, the property extends for acres and acres, encompassing a large trout pond and several hiking trails. The kids ran loose in the field by the pond a lot, and we did a three-quarter-mile hike up to the Sky Loft gazebo and amazing views.

What to Do

Just a few minutes from the lodge is Stowe, which is well known for its skiing in the winter. But in the warmer weather, the town transforms into an adorable place to eat, shop, and enjoy the outdoors. We decided to hit the Stowe Recreation Path with our bikes and ride to the Stowe Farmers' Market, open on Sundays.

The Stowe Recreation Path goes on for 5.3 miles, but we parked at a small lot on the corner of Mountain and Brook roads and jumped on the path from there. It was a 3-mile ride from that point, along a bucolic, winding road that took us along a babbling brook and across five wooden bridges, straight to the farmers' market. (On days when the market isn't operating, there are plenty of restaurant options in the area as well.) After stuffing ourselves with barbecue and ice cream, we turned around and biked back to our car.

After all that exercise, no one felt guilty about visiting the Ben & Jerry Ice Cream Factory for a quick tour and scoop. You get an ice cream sample at the end of the tour, but of course we ended up waiting on line to purchase scoops of our favorite flavors, too. There's a playground on the premises, as well as a cute little "flavor graveyard" to explore while you consume your ice cream.

Cabot Creamery also has a shop in Waterbury, where you can sample cheeses galore, but we were always so stuffed that we never made it there.

Where to Eat

Our hosts at the Moose Meadow Lodge recommended that we have dinner at The Reservoir in Waterbury, and that was definitely a fun choice, with great food. But my favorite meal was actually lunch at the Apple Core Luncheonette. The menu mainly features hot and cold sandwiches, and the homemade bread for the sandwiches was out of this world. Plus, the staff couldn't be nicer.

Across the parking lot from the Apple Core Luncheonette is a gift shop/bakery that features free samples and perfectly spongy apple cider donuts, hot off the conveyor belt. Definitely stop by for dessert.

What's Nearby

Our tour of Vermont started off in the towns of Burlington and Colchester, where we biked on the most scenic path I've ever experienced, saw how teddy bears are made at the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, and lounged around a lot in Adirondack chairs. Here's my itinerary for that part of the trip.

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Burlington and Colchester, Vermont

A recent long weekend found my family and some friends of ours in the state of Vermont, to check out the towns of Burlington, Colchester, Stowe, and Waterbury. We've been to Vermont to ski before, but this our first time visiting in the late spring to witness the green mountains touted in Vermont's state nickname.

Our first stop was the neighboring towns of Burlington and Colchester, where we found the most scenic bike path I've ever experienced, a super cute downtown, more rolling, green pastures than I could count, and fun, family-friendly attractions unique to the area.

Where to Stay

We decided to stay at Green Mountain Suites Hotel in Burlington based on its stellar reviews. And it lived up to the hype, from the rustic-chic decor to the fireside buffet breakfast to the immaculate, spacious rooms. The kids' favorite part was, of course, the indoor pool, which came in really handy when some of our outdoor plans got rained out. I highly recommend this hotel and would return again!

What to Do

My main reason for wanting to visit this area was to bike the Island Line Trail in Colchester. In its entirety, the trail is 13.4 miles long, but the best part of it is the 3-mile causeway that juts into Lake Champlain. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking, and you feel like you're riding on water. Here's how to experience that part of the bike trail with your kids.

First, park at the Causeway Bike Path Parking Lot, off Mills Point Road. This is the closest you can park to the causeway, and the trail picks up right across the street from the lot. The causeway is a narrow, level, packed gravel road that goes on for about 3 miles. The biking is easy-peasy and terribly scenic, with water lapping at the edges on either side of you. We were able to do it with a group of four kids, ages 7 to 10, with no problem.

After 3 miles, the trail is abruptly cut off by the water. At this point, you can turn around and enjoy the same experience back, or you can hop on the Local Motion bike ferry, which takes you and your bikes on the world's shortest boat ride to where the trail picks up again on an island across the way. At just under five minutes long, the ferry ride is the perfect time to catch your breath before you tackle the next leg of the bike ride.

On the island, called South Hero, is where you'll find a small petting zoo and bakery called Allenholm Farm and a food stand called The Accidental Farmer, about 3 miles down a wide road. The two are conveniently located next door to each other, and your kids can play on the swing set or pet the animals on the farm while you wait for your locally made cheeseburgers and hot dogs to be grilled up.

Then, after everyone's rested, fed, and ready to ride again, just turn around and head back the way you came!

While the weather cooperated for our bike ride, the rest of our time in this area was very rainy, so unfortunately we had to hunker down at the hotel pool instead of doing some of the other things I had planned. One of them was a walk around the Church Street Marketplace, a totally cute stretch of shops and restaurants that's completely lit up at night. We did, however, break out the umbrellas and walk around a little bit on our way to dinner.

The other thing I really wanted us to do was watch a movie at the Sunset Drive-In in Colchester. It's an old-fashioned drive-in theater that looks like so much fun. Next time!

Where to Eat

We had dinner one night at the Istanbul Kebab House on Church Street. The Mediterranean fare totally hit the spot after a long day of biking!

After dinner, we grabbed some ice cream at the bustling Ben & Jerry's on Church Street. It was a really fun outpost, with some seating in a VW bus!

What's Nearby

About 15 minutes from this area is the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, located in Shelburne. We really enjoyed the factory tour here, but be forewarned: your kids will definitely be begging for a bear from the gift shop afterwards, and they're pricey. On the tour, a "bear ambassador" walks you around the workstations of the factory, where you get to see craftspeople hand-making bears on weekdays (or their unmanned sewing machines on the weekends). The tour is hands on, with opportunities to touch the fur and stuffing, and you leave with a souvenir bear button.

And less than an hour from Burlington and Colchester are the towns of Stowe and Waterbury, where we stayed in a treehouse, checked out another scenic Vermont bike path, and visited the Ben & Jerry's factory! Here's the itinerary for that part of the trip.

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7 Kid-Friendly Factory Tours

I admit to being a sucker for factory tours. I know they're tourist traps, but there's just something about seeing the place where a familiar product gets made that really appeals to me. And the fact that most food-related factory tours involve products that my kids crave because they only get them as treats makes it easy for me to convince the whole family to come along. Here are six factory tours that we've experienced across the country.

Cape Cod Potato Chips, Hyannis, Massachusetts
This is a straight-up view of the factory, with no real bells or whistles. The cool part is that you get to see the whole operation, from the salting of the potato chips to when they get bagged by a machine, and you get a free bag of potato chips at the end. But there are no interactive elements, and the whole thing is self-guided. Still, it’s pretty neat to be able to eat fresh Cape Cod potato chips while in Cape Cod!

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Waterbury, Vermont
What you get here is a half-hour guided tour, plus a scoop of ice cream at the end. Not bad for just $4 per adult (kids under 12 are free). This is a popular stop for tourists in the area, so it may get crowded during high season. A private ice cream making session can be scheduled in advance on certain days (we didn't try it).

Hershey's Chocolate, Hershey, Pennsylvania
The good news is that this tour is free and features a fun, sit-down ride that takes you through the history of Hershey's chocolate making. The bad news is that you'll need to stand on line to get on the ride, since Hershey is always overrun by tourists. Add on the "create your own chocolate bar" experience, which is pricey but well worth the money.

Turkey Hill Ice Cream, Columbia, Pennsylvania
The Turkey Hill Experience is well worth a visit if you’re in the Lancaster area. Milk a mechanical cow, drive a milk truck, taste unlimited ice cream and iced tea samples, and make your own ice cream flavor, which you then get to take home. Bring a cooler to keep your pints cold during the ride back!

Pez Candy, Orange, New York
Visit the place that dispenses Pez dispensers. Admission for adults is $5, but you get a $2 credit toward anything from the gift shop, so that seems pretty fair. Candy demos are offered on weekdays, and free samples are available all the time. Naturally, the collection of Pez memorabilia that's housed here is off the hook! Be prepared to feel nostalgic.

Jelly Belly Candy, Fairfield, California
This is a fantastic (and free!) guided factory tour, one of the better ones that we’ve been on. Of course, that just meant we ended up spending way more than we should've on candy after the tour. It shows you the whole operation floor and features cute, informative games along the way. On the way out, you get a free bag of jelly beans. And if that weren't enough, you can try unlimited flavors at the jelly bean bar.

Vermont Teddy Bear, Shelburne, Vermont
I highly recommend this tour for your kids — if you can stomach the steep price ($40+) of a Vermont Teddy Bear from the gift shop afterwards (because your kids will definitely be begging for one). A "bear ambassador" walks you around the workstations of the factory, where you'll get to see craftspeople hand-making the bears on weekdays (or their unmanned sewing machines on the weekends). The tour is hands on, with opportunities to touch the fur and stuffing, and you leave with a souvenir bear button. Adults are $4 and kids under 12 are free.

Any great factory tours that I missed? Let me know in the comments section!

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