Southwest Vermont (Summer)

Bennington is the major town in this corner where Vermont meets Massachusetts and New York at a three-state boundary marker deep in the woods. Home to Bennington College, it has long been a center for the arts. Historically it was a pottery-making center, a tradition revived by Bennington Pottery, whose upscale tableware is found in kitchen and decorator shops nationwide. A major site in the Revolution, where Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys hung out, Bennington is the site of the tall stone monument commemorating the Battle of Bennington (although the actual battle took place just west in New York). Robert Frost is buried in the ...

Bennington is the major town in this corner where Vermont meets Massachusetts and New York at a three-state boundary marker deep in the woods. Home to Bennington College, it has long been a center for the arts. Historically it was a pottery-making center, a tradition revived by Bennington Pottery, whose upscale tableware is found in kitchen and decorator shops nationwide. A major site in the Revolution, where Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys hung out, Bennington is the site of the tall stone monument commemorating the Battle of Bennington (although the actual battle took place just west in New York). Robert Frost is buried in the cemetery behind the church in historic Old Bennington, where art lovers will also find the Bennington Museum. Outstanding collections of American glassware and quilts vie for popularity with Grandma Moses. The Park McCullough House is a fine example of a Victorian home, filled with furnishings of that era. To the north are Arlington, where the Battenkill River is a favorite of paddlers, and Manchester. Here motorists can drive the scenic road to the summit of Mt. Equinox and shoppers will find Manchester Center's discount outlet malls refreshingly stylish while maintaining low prices.

About the Expert

Lura Seavey is the author of Fun with the Family in Vermont and New Hampshire and she has contributed to several Thomas Cook guidebooks, including Drive Around Catalonia, Travellers Mallorca, and Travellers Barcelona.