Review of the Colonnade Inn - Lyndonville, Vermont

The Colonnade Inn is located in Lyndonville, Vermont and is one of the lower priced places to stay in the area.  The hotel does not offer many amenities, but does the basics well enough that I have stayed here a few times on my visits to the Lyndonville area.   I do not think you will be wowed but this hotel, but if you are looking for a clean room and decent prices, the Colonnade Inn should not disappoint you.

The Colonnade Inn is located on Back Center Road, almost at the end of the that road where it intersects with Route 5.  The Inn is also located less than a minute from the Exit 23 Interchange of Interstate 91.  It is located near the southern end of Lyndonville, with most of the downtown area, including restaurants and shopping options, to the north.  There really is nothing within walking distance of the hotel.

With the hotel close to Route 5 and Interstate 91, the Inn provides access to many of the different destinations in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.

Read our full review of the Colannade Inn on Epinions

Long Trail Guide

The Green Mountain Club’s Long Trail Guide is the only book you’ll need if you are considering a hiking trip along Vermont’s Long Trail.

A long distance trail running from the Massachusetts/Vermont border north through Vermont to its border with Canada, the Long Trail follows the ridges of the Green Mountains for 270 miles.

The Details 

The Long Trail Guide provides a thorough and complete guide to the entire 270-mile length of the Long Path, in addition to descriptions of various side trails and also of the Appalachian Trail through Vermont (which shares portions of its trail with the Long Trail). The sections, or divisions as they are called in the book are broken down into discrete geographical units and are covered in order from south to north. The Trail travels through several gaps and crosses different roads, many of which are used here to break up the trail into manageable units in the book.

This kind of formatting makes it easy for hikers not looking to hike the entire trail, find trail sections that are in areas that they are interested in and also makes it easy to link up various divisions into longer hikes.

Each division of the trail is first generally introduced, and then each trail description goes into further detail and subdivisions of the Trail within the main division. Major features along the Trail are described; as are any steep sections, trail junctions, side trails and more. Time is also given for descriptions of the various side trails that the Long Trail encounters along its route. The descriptions are detail orientated and almost seem like they were written as someone was walking the trails. The descriptions for each subdivision also contain information on the vertical elevation you will be gaining and losing on the hike, the mileage for each subdivision and an estimated trip time for that portion of the Trail.

Detailed maps are provided in a separate map section and cover each of the divisions identified in the book. The maps are printed within the book and should you want to bring one with you, you’ll either need to tear it out, or copy it out of the book. There are also two pocket maps included with the Long Trail Guide - a Vermont map that shows the Long Trail (very little detail though) and maps of both the Camel’s Hump and Mount Mansfield areas.

In addition to the Trail description within the various divisions and the maps, the Long Trail Guide includes several other sections to aide Trail users. The sections include:

- An introduction and how-to for the book
- An overview of the Long Trail
- Guidelines for the use of the Trail
- Introduction to the Green Mountain Club
- Trail Management
- Natural History of the Green Mountains
- List of Post Offices and stores near the Trail
- List of Public Campgrounds near the trail
- Useful addresses
- Guide to additional reading

There is a well-built index in the back of the Long Trail Guide that should fulfill anyone’s needs when they are looking for information on various trail locations, shelters/campgrounds, and/or mountain peaks along the trail.

The book is fairly small (roughly 4x6 inches) and can easily be packed in your backpack. Because the maps are printed directly in the book – you’re more likely than not to be carrying the book with you on your hikes and its small size is a definite plus then.

Who Needs This Book 

Hikers interested in the Long Trail, any of its side trails, or the Appalachian Trail through Vermont would be well served by having a copy of the Long Trail Guide. The book is an excellent resource for both written trail descriptions and map information on these trails and should be a great starting point for anyone planning anything from a day-hike to a trek along the entire Long Trail’s length.

Town of Lyndon - Vermont's Covered Bridge Capital

The Town of Lyndon is located in the Northeast Kingdom region of Vermont and is home to Lyndon State College and Lyndon Institute.  Beyond the schools, Lyndon offers covered bridges, beautiful vistas and the village of Lyndonville where you can stay, eat and shop.

Lyndon is located just north of the city of St. Johnsbury in the northeastern corner of the state of Vermont.  Interstate 91 traverses from the north to south through Lyndon with the major highway exit near the village of Lyndonville.  Route 5 also travels through town with St. Johnsbury to the south and West Burke to the North.  Route 114 travels north to East Burke while Route 122 travels north to Sheffield.

Read the full review of the Town of Lyndon in Vermont

Fairbanks Inn - St. Johnsbury, Vermont

If you are visiting Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, the small city of St. Johnsbury acts as the southern entrance to the region. The Fairbanks Inn is located just off of Interstate 91 in St. Johnsbury with access to the city itself and the rest of the Kingdom via I91 along with several other local and state routes that travel from the area. The hotel itself is clean, comfortable and a nice place to stay and I would definitely keep this in my list of potential places to stay next time I am in the Kingdom.

Read the full review of the Fairbanks Inn in St. Johnsbury, Vermont

Green Mountain Inn - Stowe Vermont - Quintessential Vermont Lodging

The Green Mountain Inn is a great place to stay right in the center of the village of Stowe, Vermont.  The Inn has a lot of amenities and within walking distance is shopping and dining in the village.  In addition, hiking and skiing opportunities are all over just beyond the village, with the Stowe ski area less than 20 minutes away, Smugglers Notch nearby and the Green Mountains all around.

The Green Mountain Inn is located on Main Street right near the center of the village of Stowe, Vermont.  It is located about 10 miles north of Exit 10 on Interstate 89. 

Read the full review of the Stowe, Vermont's Green Mountain Inn

Lynburke Motel - Lyndonville, Vermont

If you are looking for a no frills motel room in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, the Lynburke Motel in Lyndonville, Vermont is not a bad choice. The motel offers a number of different rooms, some of which allow pets and is in a location that provides access to the village of Lyndonville, Burke Mountain Ski Area to the northeast and the trails surrounding Lake Willoughby to the northwest. The rooms are relatively inexpensive and while no one will be giving the place a 5-star rating, we have found it to be an economical choice when we are visiting the Kingdom.

Read the full review of the Lynburke Motel in Lyndonville, Vermont

Bennington Battle Monument - Bennington, Vermont

Traveling in southern Vermont and looking for a way to learn more about the Revolutionary War battles that were fought in the area? You should stop by the Bennington Battle Memorial, which is located at the site of the War’s many battles. Here the American’s beat back the British attack, who continued on to Saratoga without the supplies they were seeking in Bennington.

Even if you aren’t a Revolutionary War buff this monument is interesting. It’s the tallest building in Vermont at over 300 feet and the views from the observation platform about three quarters of the way up offers amazing views of the surrounding valleys and mountains.

Read my full review of the Bennington Battlement Monument in Bennington, Vermont on Epinions

Vermont Atlas and Gazetteer by DeLorme

Once you get off the major roadways and interstates in Vermont, the state has an awful lot of little roads. That’s where the Vermont Atlas and Gazetteer from DeLorme comes in handy. It’s a detailed guide to the entire state, showing you detail from the largest interstate to the smallest dirt road making its way across the backcountry.

Not only that, but the Gazetteer is full of information about Vermont and it’s all cross-referenced to the maps in the Atlas.

This is one handy guide to have if you do any exploring in Vermont. You’ll have a handy map set so you never get lost and you’ll have an extensive reference to all the various features Vermont has to offer.

Read my full review of the DeLorme Vermont Atlas and Gazetteer on Epinions

Day Hiker's Guide to Vermont

If you are looking for a guidebook that gives you enough information to explore the many day hiking opportunities in Vermont, then you should get yourself a copy of the Green Mountain Club's Day Hiker's Guide to Vermont. This book covers the entire state and is a great resource for anyone looking to plan a trip – with trail descriptions and area maps showing the hikes.

For me, this book has been a great resource. Even though I lived in Vermont when I went to college, there's so much that this State offers, I realized that I hadn't even scratched the surface of the hiking opportunities that Vermont has.

Read my full review of the Day Hiker's Guide to Vermont by the Green Mountain Club on Epinions

Burke Mountain Ski Area - Vermont

Burke Mountain, like it’s prior name, Northern Star suggests, is a gem located in the northeastern corner of Vermont, deep in the heart of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.

Burke Mountain is located in East Burke, Vermont, which is about 7 miles from I-91 exit 23, which puts it about 3 hours from Boston and 4 hours or so from New York City depending on traffic and weather conditions. Just north of the village of Lyndonville and the city of St. Johnsbury, Burke Mountain is tucked away and is a ski area that harks back to the earlier days of skiing, when mountains were uncrowded, staff knew all the skiers names and just because it’s not a trail doesn’t mean that it can’t be skied.

Read my full review of Burke Mountain in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom on Epinions