By tag cloud
arts & entertainment attractions biking boating food & drink hiking parks swimming
At-a-glance:
Search:

Champlain Islands/Northwest

Champlain Islands Pic

Photo: Don Eggert

There’s nothing tropical about Vermont’s “islands,” but they’ve got plenty of other enticements to lure visitors northwest. The windswept causeway at the southern end is one of several public engineering marvels between South Hero and Alburgh, including the fully functioning North Hero drawbridge. And the Missisquoi bridge, at the northern end of the island chain, is also a source of public-works pride...

» Click here to read the full article...

Seven Days Pick: Biking
Missisquoi Rail Trail
Missisquoi Rail Trail

From St. Albans, the Missisquoi Rail Trail runs 26.2 miles to Richford. “Trail users enjoy picturesque views of Franklin County’s farms, forests, fields and wetlands,” Yankee Magazine noted in a recent article — and also eateries, such as The Abbey, which welcomes riders with trailside benches and food. Rumor has it some Québec wineries are within striking distance, too. The route, which is mostly flat, winds along the river through Enosburg Falls, East Berkshire and Sheldon Springs.

biking in Champlain Islands/Northwest | all biking

Seven Days Pick: Swimming & Boating
Sandbar State Park
Sand Bar State Park

Where there’s a wind, there’s a way, and it’s almost always blowing in Champlain Islands. That, combined with lots of beach access, makes the area ideal for windsurfing. At Sandbar State Park, you can catch a southeast breeze, or a northwest one, and go the distance. White’s Beach on South Hero is also a favorite launch spot. Serious surfers head out between Stave and Providence islands to the broad lake, where they can ride the big waves all the way to New York. Depending on the wind direction, the Grand Isle Lake House can be a sweet spot, too.

swimming in Champlain Islands/Northwest | all swimming
boating in Champlain Islands/Northwest | all boating

Seven Days Pick: Attractions
Goodsell Ridge Fossil Preserve
Goodsell Ridge Fossil Preserve

You can’t bring them home, but the fossilized corals that make up the Chazy Reef on Isle la Motte are definitely worth a visit. Paleontologists believe the reef was formed almost half a billion years ago, when Lake Champlain was part of the shallow Iapetus Ocean, where Zimbabwe is today. A well-marked path leads through the field to outcroppings swirled with signs of life — swirled skeletal remains of cephalopods and stromotoporoids. “Discovery Areas” are numbered and identified. The one-room museum sheds light — when it’s open. Photo: Matthew Thorsen

attractions in Champlain Islands/Northwest | all attractions

Seven Days Pick: Restaurant
Foothills Bakery
Foothills Bakery

Franklin County is meat-and-potatoes country. But if you happen to be a vegetarian — or a whole-foods aficionado — your best option is tiny Foothills Bakery, located right across from the entrepreneurial Food Venture Center. Keep reading...
Photo: Matthew Thorsen

restaurants in Champlain Islands/Northwest Area
restaurant picks | all food & drink

Seven Days Pick: Attractions
St. Anne's Shrine
St. Anne's Shrine

If one side of 7-mile Isle La Motte — the Goodsell Fossil Preserve — is evidence of evolution, the other is faith-based: St. Anne’s Shrine attracts thousands of pilgrims every year. Fifty-seven years after Samuel de Champlain “discovered” it, in 1609, Fort St. Anne became Vermont’s first settlement. The first Mass was celebrated at the site of the shrine — now a rustic, open-air chapel in a spectacular natural setting. Don’t miss the roomful of discarded crutches. Summertime services are conducted Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. and Sunday mornings at 9 and 10:30 a.m. Photo: Don Eggert

attractions in Champlain Islands/Northwest | all attractions

Seven Days Pick: Food & Drink Tours
Snow Farm
Snow Farm Winery

Vermont’s first commercial grape vineyard has been “aging” nicely for 13 years. The winery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for tours and tastings, but it’s best experienced in concert with live music outdoors on Thursday evenings. Weather permitting, Snow Farm brings in popular local acts such as Sandra Wright, Jenni Johnson and the Phil Abair Band to complement the sunset. The music starts at 6:30 p.m. Come earlier with a picnic, but plan to buy wine — it helps fund the fun. The area’s spectacular Island Ice Cream is also available. The flavors reflect whatever’s being harvested locally that week. Photo: Jordan Silverman

food & drink in Champlain Islands/Northwest | all food & drink

 
All Rights Reserved © SEVEN DAYS 1995-2009 | PO Box 1164, Burlington, VT 05402-1164 | 802.864.5684