| On this page: Getting There/Away, Accommodations, Area Activities, Area Restaurants |
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Getting There/Away
Wedding events will take place in Dorset and Manchester, Vermont. Below is a table of driving times from the nearest airports/city centers. If you’d like to share cars we will try to help you set that up with other guests. |
Map of our wedding location, Hildene.
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Driving Directions |
| The driving directions below take you to Main Street in Manchester Vermont. For planning purposes this should give you a rough estimate of time and where you'll be driving through on your way. To get directions to your specific B&B/Motel/Inn, click on the link below and then edit the destination field. |
| Driving directions from Albany International Airport to Manchester, Vermont. |
| Driving directions from Boston Logan Airport to Manchester, Vermont. |
| Driving directions from Burlington Vermont Airport to Manchester, Vermont. |
| Google Maps and Carolyn disagree on how best to get to Manchester from Boston. CSA takes Rt 2 West to 91 North. From there take exit 2 in Vermont. At the end of the off ramp (which curves around quite a bit) turn left onto Western Ave. Turn left on Cedar street (5th street on left, after a white fence I believe). Follow Cedar until you come to a T intersection. Turn left onto Route 30. Follow Route 30 to Manchester center. |
Accommodations
There are numerous options for housing while in Vermont. Below is a list of inns, motels and B&Bs with contact information and our comments. It is advisable that you book early as Manchester and neighboring Dorset are popular vacation spots in summer and there is a horse show in July. We anticipate running shuttles to and from the wedding from Dorset and Manchester. Note: Rates listed are 2007 rates so there may be a slight increase for 2008.
Things you should know:
- Unfortunately, all the places within 20 minutes of the wedding site have a two night minimum for weekends. (Sorry!)
- If you are traveling with small children, some of the B&Bs discourage children under a certain age so make sure you ask about their policy before booking.
- We have blocks of rooms held at the Inn at Manchester, the Dorset Inn (held until April 1), and the Marble West Inn (held until May 19). Mention the Adams/Lowell wedding when you call (the rooms will appear to be booked online).
If you're a map person you may appreciate this google map with the locations of our wedding site as well as the accommodations listed below.
The Manchester Vermont chamber of commerse webpage is also quite helpful when looking for accomodations. If you are having trouble finding a place to stay visit them at www.manchestervermont.net There are also other nearby towns like Bennington and Arlington but they are further afield. |
| Barrows House is located in Dorset Village. Rooms are divided between the main house and smaller 1-4 room houses. Barrows House also boasts a pool and two tennis courts. Rates range from $150-250 depending upon the type of room with country breakfast included. |
| Brittany Motel |
| Historic Route 7A, Box 359 | Local: 802.362.1033 | Rates: $90-130 |
| Manchester, VT 05254 | |
| The Brittany Motel is a basic motel located within a mile of the wedding location. You won’t get the classic Vermont experience of a B&B but then again you won’t pay for it either. Rooms are $89 per night and include a continental breakfast. |
| The Dorset Inn |
| 8 Church Street & Route 30 | Toll free: 877.367.7389 | Rates: $175 |
| Dorset, VT 05251 | Local: 802.867.5500 |
The downstairs of the Dorset Inn oozes Vermont country charm. The rooms are a giant step up from any of the motels but are not quite as charming as the pricier B&Bs. We anticipate running a shuttle to and from our wedding departing for the Dorset Green on Church St. A full, country breakfast is included in the room rate. They also have wireless internet (or so they claim) throughout the inn. Standard rooms are $175 and the two suites are $225 and $250 all with a two night minimum on weekends.
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| Equinox Hotel |
| 3567 Main Street Route 7A | Toll free: 800.362.4747 | Rates: $400+ |
| Manchester Village, VT 05254 | Local: 802.362.4700 |
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If you are looking for a 5-star kind of place and don’t mind paying 5-star kind of money the Equinox Hotel is the place for you. They offer rooms, suites and townhouses. They also have a world-class golf course and spa. Additionally, it’s only one mile from our wedding location. Rates $400+ |
| The Inn at Manchester |
| Route 7A, Box 41 | Toll free: 800.273.1793 | Rates: $165-225 |
| Manchester Village, VT 05254 | Local: 802.362.1793 |
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Carolyn’s personal favorite in Manchester, the Inn at Manchester manages to accomplish a Vermont country feel without a doily in sight. Rooms vary in price from $165 to $225. Rates are double occupancy and include a full breakfast. The four acre estate features the main house and carriage house with 4 rooms as well as a large yard complete with hammocks and a pool. They also have wireless internet through out the Inn (although we admit to not testing its range). We thought it was so nice that we reserved the entire place for the weekend so make sure you mention the Adams/Lowell wedding. |
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Far and away the best views in town can be found at the Inn at Ormsby Hill. Aside from a slightly strange teddy bear collection at the top of the stairs, the rooms are beautifully decorated. Many include whirlpool tubs which after a long night of dancing at our wedding could be useful. A full breakfast is included. Rates range from $235 to $355. |
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Carolyn’s personal favorite in Dorset, the Marble West Inn features 6 rooms and 2 suites. It is situated in one of the most beautiful places in the area (just down the street from the site of the Post-Wedding Breakfast: Aunt Pat and Uncle Ray's house on Nichols Hill ) across the street from a large field with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains from the front yard. There are also two sitting rooms and a dining room for guests. Each room is individually decorated, and all are lovely. Full country breakfast is included. Rates range from $150-220 depending upon the room. |
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Located in Dorset, the squire house is the premier bed and breakfast in the area. It only has three rooms but it's just down the street from the Dorset Inn, Barrows house and Marble West Inn. The owners are also lovely. We highly recommend it. |
| The Village Country Inn |
| 3835 Main Street | Local: | Rates: |
| Manchester Village, Vermont 05054 | |
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The Village Country Inn has been sold and is under renovation. If it reopens we'll let you know. Sorry about that. |
| Weathervane Motel |
| Historic Route 7A Box 378 | Toll Free: 800.262.1317 | Rates: $100-150 |
| Manchester Vermont 05254 | Local: 802.362.2444 |
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The Weathervane Motel is conveniently located just half a mile from Hildene. It is one of the nicer motels in the area. Again, you won’t get the Vermont B&B experience but then again you won’t pay for the Vermont B&B experience. The mountain view from the back isn’t bad either. Continental breakfast included. Rates vary between $100 and $150. |
Area Activities
Southern Vermont has a lot of offer in the way of things to do. There are numerous golf courses, lots of hiking trails, as well as enough outlet stores to keep even the biggest shopaholic happy.
Bromley Mountain Waterslides
Although we didn't time our wedding with ski season, you can still take advantage of some of the mountains. Bromley Mountain, for instance, has water slides and an alpine slide (little go-cart with brakes on a concrete track, really fun!!!) during summer. If it's hot and your traveling with children, you may want to keep this one in mind.
Canoe Rental
Canoes can be rented in Arlington at BattenKill Canoe Rental. You'll find lovely views of the valley and a few covered bridges along the way.
Dorset Theater Festival
Making a week of your trip and want some culture interspersed with your golf, horses, hiking and spa time? Try the Dorset Theatre Festival: www.dorsettheatrefestival.org
Fishing
I know nothing about fishing, but Uncle Ray does! If you are a fisherman (or woman) and you want to experience fly-fishing during your trip contact either the bride or groom and we'll put you in touch with Uncle Ray.
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Golf
July is a great time of year for golf in Vermont. There are many courses in the area. A partial list is included below with our comments. Rates quoted, in general, are 2007 weekend rates.
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| Lake St. Catherine Country Club | 18 holes, 6293 yards |
| Route 30 | Rates: $35/18 holes walking |
| Poultney, VT | $51 w/cart |
| Tel: 802-287-9341 |
| We played this course when we were dating. The back nine has some of the most spectacular views I've ever seen on a golf course. Then again, this is Vermont and everything is beautiful. This course is about a 30 minute drive from Manchester. |
| Gleneagles Golf Course | 18 holes, 6423 yards |
| Equinox Resort Hotel | Rates: $125/18 holes |
| Manchester Village, VT |
| Tel: 802-362-3223 |
| Gleneagles is the country club associated with the Equinox Hotel and was ranked 10th in New England Golf Journal's listing of the "100 Best Public Golf Courses in New England." It is semi-private so unless you're staying at the Equinox you can't make a tee-time more than 7 days in advance. By far the closest club to Manchester and Dorset (that isn't a private of course), it offers great views and convenience. Unfortunately it also wins my award for least helpful golf website ever. |
| Stratton Mountain Country Club | 27 holes, 6500 yards |
| Stratton Mt. Access Rd. | Rates: $99/9 holes |
| Stratton, VT |
| Tel: 802-297-4114 |
| We've never played this one but we hear good things. It is about a half-hour drive from Manchester. They have three different 9 holes courses. Their website does not list rates and none of the review websites list an 18 hole rate. |
For more golf courses in Southern Vermont try: www.vtliving.com/golfing/sout.shtml or
www.vtliving.com/golfing/rutl.shtml
Hiking
There are numerous trails in the area. A list can be found at: www.trails.com/stateactivity.asp?area=10012
Horse Show
The Vermont Summer Festival Horse Show takes place in Manchester every summer (It's the reason one has to book rooms early.) I know nothing about horses except what I learned reading Black Beauty as a preteen so I'll leave it to the experts to describe the show:
www.vt-summerfestival.com/
Scenic Views
If you want your majestic vista without the hike up a hill try driving up the Mount Equinox Skyline Drive. The drive is beautiful and you can picnic up there too!
Shopping
Manchester Center is an outlet-shopper's heaven. Popular favorites include Brooks Brothers, J.Crew, Banana Republic, Polo, Gap and Theory. For a full list of shops visit the manchester designer outlets website:
www.manchesterdesigneroutlets.com.
I should also mention that Manchester has one of the best book stores in the world Northshire Books. It's worth a visit. For the kitchen enthusiast, there is a JK Adams store over in Dorset. It's off Route 30 north of Manchester.
This handy map has nearly all stores and restaurants on it.
Southern Vermont Arts Center
The Southern Vermont Arts Center is located in Manchester and promotes visual and peforming arts. Among their many attractions is sculpture garden and several galleries.
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Area Restaurants
Manchester and Dorset have a plethora of restaurants to satisfy every taste. There are several chain restaurants in downtown Manchester including Friendly's, McDonalds and a Ben and Jerry's kiosk but a bit further afield there are some truly excellent options. Below is a list of some of these options.
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| Best Dinner Spots: |
| The Barn |
| Route 30, Pawlet, VT | 802.325.3088 |
| If you love authentic coutry charm then this may be the place for you. The structure is a real turn-of-the-century barn and the food is delicious and affordable. |
| Chantecleer |
| 8 Read Farm Ln, East Dorset, VT | 802.362.1616 |
| Praised for its high quality food and excellent service, Chantecleer is a very popular restaurant. The only complaints people seem to have is that it is a bit pricey and so popular that reservations can be difficult to get. If you want to try it, it is recommended that you make reservations early. |
| Dorset Inn |
| 8 Church St, Dorset, VT | 877.367.7389 |
| When asked to describe the Dorset Inn restaurant the groom replied succinctly: "comfortable but classy." The Dorset Inn is our favorite restaurant in the area. With good food and good service wrapped in a cute Vermont inn who could ask for more? |
| Garlic John's |
| Rte 30 Manchester, VT | 802.362.9843 |
| I wouldn't usually include this on a "best" list but it was the first place Chris and Carolyn had dinner in Vermont. You see, the power was out in Dorset but not Manchester and not many places were open. That said, the Italian food it served up was good. |
| Inn at West View Farm |
| 2928 Route 30, Dorset, VT | 800.769.4903 |
| The Inn at West View Farm describes its cuisine as "contemporary American with French influences." It is one of the more expensive restaurants in the area but the general consensus is that the food is worth it. Reservations recommended. |
| Mistral's at Toll Gate |
| 10 Toll Gate Rd, Manchester, VT | 802.362.1779 |
| Mistral's serves up French food and is favorably reviewed by Frommers. Reservations are recommended. Frommer's also suggests trying to get a table along the windows for the view of the spotlighted garden complete with creek running through it. The restaurant doesn't appear to have a restaurant so the link is to the Frommer's review. |
| The Perfect Wife |
| 2594 Depot Street, Manchester, VT | 802.362.2817 |
| We've never eaten there but with a name like that how could it not go on our wedding website? Their own website says to visit it for "elegant dining, live entertainment and eclectic ambiance." If you go, let us know how it was. |
| Sirloin Saloon |
| 135 Depot St., Manchester, VT | 802.362.2600 |
| Guest what this place serves! If you guessed anything other than steak you are no longer invited to our wedding. Well, ok, we'll cut you a break because this steak house does in fact serve things other than steak too. It's a popular place with visitors and locals alike. They also do not have a website. |
| Best Lunch/Brunch Spots: |
| Bagel Works |
| Manchester Rte 11/30 | 802.362.5082 |
| The name pretty much says it all. If you're looking for a bagel or a bagel sandwich you can't go wrong with Bagel Works. |
| Bob's Diner |
| Manchester Rte 11/30 | 802.362.4681 |
| Bob's Diner boasts a Classic 1950's diner feel and excellent food. If you're going there for breakfast, don't worry, they will provide real Vermont maple syrup for a small extra fee. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snack? Bob's has something for you. |
| Little Rooster Cafe |
| Route 7A South, Manchester, VT | 802.362.3496 |
| Chef owned and run, the Little Rooster Cafe offers breakfast and lunch. Neither the bride nor the groom have eaten there but we hear good things. Give it a try! |
| Zoey's Deli |
| Manchester Rte 11/30 | 802.362.0005 |
| Zoey's Deli is an extremely popular place for lunch. They offer a wide variety of sandwiches and salads but not a whole lot of seating. Expect to find the place pretty much packed at lunch time. |
