Post hike we offer an afternoon kayaking adventure or excursion to the most scenic Vermont villages in small group settings. We regularly visit the maple syrup museum, cabot cheese store, the Vermont country store, Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Simon Piece glass blowing and local Vermont artisans stores.

Woodstock

Words like romantic, magical and historic are often used to describe this quaint village that has been called "the prettiest small town in America." First settled in 1768, Woodstock retains the elegant charm and rugged character of American antiquity. Witha covered bridge in the middle of town, and stately homes surrounding the village green, it is easy to see why Woodstock has been called the "quintessential New England village." Downtown is filled with art galleries and shops, including Gillinghams& Sons, the oldest general store in Vermont. Established in 1886, the shop carries the finest products from Vermont and around the world. It is where you can buy everything from snowshoes to banjos, with cheese and a chardonnay in between. On the drive back we stop at the Bridgewater Mill and visit some local merchants Charles Shackleton Furniture & Miranda Thomas Pottery, Deirdre Donnelly Jewelry, and much more.

Ludlow

The small village is home to a number of craft shops, an antique barn and the Fletcher Farm Crafts School. The shop offers a variety of handcrafted items made by members of the Society of Vermont Craftsmen, Inc. featuring beautiful stained glass, sterling silver, PMC and polymer clay jewelry. Shop for lovely Shaker oval boxes, primitive dolls, decorative dining accessories, marbleized silk scarves and paper products, patchwork quilts, pillows, doll clothes, primitive stenciled decorator items, theorem, bath and body products, and much more.

Manchester

In the picturesque Green Mountains of Southern Vermont, is the historic town of Manchester, nestled at the foot of 3,816-foot Mount Equinox . Home to fifty of the finest brand name outlets in the country, Manchester is a unique blend of New England charm, style, arts and culture. The area is alive with quaint inns, bed and breakfasts, antique shops and museums.

Middlebury

The historical village center is the developed along the scenic Otter Creek and it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places because of its architecturally distinguished buildings. We start with a quick drive through the Middlebury Campus, one of America's most prestigious colleges founded in 1800. At the Old Marble Works we have lunch overlooking the Otter Creek Falls, which flows under a beautiful stone double arch bridge at the heart of downtown. Afterwards we walk across the foot bridge and visit the Frog Hollow Galleries, a unique collection of fine traditional and contemporary Vermont crafts done by over 250 Vermont artisans. Down the street we stop by art galleries, rare book shops, pottery shops and Woody Jackson's Holy Cow studio. His legendary art, some of which you have seen on Ben & Jerry's ice cream, is a synonymous of Vermont. The village is also home of Danforth Pewter and the Vermont Soap Factory, at which we stop on our way home.

Quechee

We start our excursion at Simon Pearce Glass and Pottery, where you can watch glass blowing artists. Afterwards we visit the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, where we see up close owls, bald eagles and peregrine falcons, the fastest animals in the world. Around the corner is the Quechee Gorge, a 187 foot deep ravine cut during the last ice age. Next to the gorge is The Country Store, an antique mall consisting of more than 450 dealers, a craft center of 150 dealers. At the Cabot Cheese Quechee Store, we can sample Cabot's award-winning flavored and traditional cheeses, including the World's Best Cheddar.

Rutland

Settled in 1770, Rutlandfeatures attractive commercial buildings, some with interesting architectural and historically characteristics. Downtown has many shops, boutiques, and restaurants. We even visit the local health food store and then a trip to Eastern Mountain Sports hiking shop.

Stowe

"If there is agreement on anything about Stowe, that's it: It's a beautiful place. Its principal components are drawn from the cupboard of picturesque Vermont - the town's multihued clapboard facades, its hand-painted wood signs, church steeples, and the meadows and rolling hills, all framed by the massive presence of Mt. Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak at 4,393 feet. By all outward appearances, Stowe is a reasonable facsimile of classic New England perfection." Excerpts from Stowe: Classic New England written by Peter Oliver 2002. We have side trip to Cold Hollow Cider Mill, New England's Most Famous Cider, and the Green Mountain Club hiking shop.

Warren & Waitsfield

After lunch we tour the towns of Warren and Waitsfield. Warren is a small rural town of 1,700 year-round residents known for its beautiful countryside, unique natural features, and historic village center. Waitsfield has a tasteful center where shops and restaurants now occupy buildings which once held mills, meeting houses and private homes in an earlier time. The stretch of Route 100 between Waitsfield and Pittsfield is unquestionably one of Vermont's most scenic areas where we will also encounter an impressive natural phenomenon known as the Granville Gulf, a seven mile stretch through untouched wilderness.