SIGHTSEEING TOURS

Post-lunch we offer an afternoon of hiking, kayaking, caving or sightseeing tour to the most scenic Vermont villages in a small group setting. Our sightseeing tours bring you to secret, local, off-the-map sites. That includes waterfalls, swimming holes, gold mines, jaw-dropping vistas, quaint villages, historical sites, country stores, covered bridges, cheese tasting, brewery tours, antiquing and much more!Looking for a Vermont sightseeing adventure? Let us show you around! We at ATA have been exploring Vermont for more than 25 years―and our Sightseeing Day Tours are a great way to see the area’s best local attractions.We will show you local, secret sites off the map, such as waterfalls, swimming holes, scenic local roads and automobile-accessed jaw-dropping vistas. Tours also include quaint villages, historical sites, local country stores, Vermont artisans’ stores, covered bridges, distillery and brewery tours, cheese tasting, glass blowing, antiquing and much more!Just some of guest favorite are the Vermont Country Store, the Maple Museum and gift shop, touring Woodstock and Quechee Villages and shops, getting lost in the local corn maze, visiting the Marble Museum and gift shop. Learning the fascinating history of the Vermont marble industry and its role with Supreme Court building, the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, Jefferson Memorial and even the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.

Our guided sightseeing tours are a great way to get to know Vermont by exploring its many historic towns and villages. Whether located near a waterfall that was employed as an early source of energy or situated near abundant natural resources such as marble or slate, these towns’ stories are captured forever in their buildings, streetscapes and landscapes.   Vermont’s historic homes and sites include residences of writers and one U.S. president, natural history museums, battlefields of the American Revolution; and many homes that preserve and honor the state’s diverse history as independent and self-sufficient farmers, inventors, and citizen politicians. Vermont historic places make a great vacation exploration adults and kids who love American history.

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. With a 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 Danforth Pewter and 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. Guests’ favorite after a long hike is a stop at Woodstock Coffee and Tea. 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.

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. The town is home to fifty of the finest brand name outlets in the country, including Burton Snowboards was founded in Manchester in a garage in the late 1970s. 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. It’s also home to the Southern Vermont Arts Center, which presents the finest exhibitions, education and instruction in the arts. The village has a growing number of businesses, including, Orvis Fly Fishing  Company, organic dog biscuits, Mother Myrick’s Confectionery and guest’s favorite is the impressive Northshire Bookstore. Within the village is the Lincoln Family Home, the Hildene Estate is a Georgian Revival Style where Robert Lincoln, the only child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln to survive to adulthood settled. His father was born in a log cabin and called from the humblest rank in life to preside over our nation during the most momentous period of its history

QUECHEE

We start our excursion at Simon Pearce Glass and Pottery, where you can watch glass-blowing artists. Afterwards we can visit the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, where we see up close owls, bald eagles and peregrine falcons, the fastest animal in the world that was clocked at 240 MPH! A must stop is the Quechee Gorge – “Vermont’s Little Grand Canyon”. Some 13,000 years ago, during the Ice Age, Quechee, like the majority of our continent, was covered by a glacier. As the glacier receded from the ocean waters, the melting waters slowly and steadily cut away the bedrock ridge that has become Vermont’s most spectacular natural wonder, Quechee Gorge. Enjoy beautiful vistas 168 feet above the Ottaquechee River, have a picnic overlooking the waterfalls or enjoy hiking or walking the trails along the mile-long chasm. Quechee Gorge Village, an antique mall consisting of a country store, more than 450 antique dealers, Vermont Country Iron, a craft center of 150 dealers, , the Vermont Toy & Train Museum and the Cabot Cheese Store, where we can sample Cabot’s award-winning flavored and traditional cheeses, including the World’s Best Cheddar.

STOWE

Besides being home to Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, Stowe is one of John’s favorite towns to explore, with dramatic views and beautiful waterways. “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 multi-hued 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.” (Excerpt from Stowe: Classic New England by Peter Oliver, 2002.)