Things To Do
Maple Creamees
Maple creamees (also spelled creemee by some) are a Vermont staple treat. (For the non-Vermonters, a creamee is soft serve ice cream.) And though it will be nearly out of season- you're gonna want one! Canteen Creemee in Waitsfield is our recommendation because they're close by and guaranteed to be open. (Often ice cream places are closed by this time of year.) Fall hours are Mon/Thurs/Fri 3-8pm, Sat/Sun 1-7pm. They also have food! Enjoy!
Waitsfield
Many of you are staying in Waitsfield! If you arrive early Friday or stay a while Saturday we would recommend going to Mad Taco or American Flatbread for food or Lawson's Finest for beer! For shopping check out Addison West and the Artisan's Gallery (which is right by one of the town's covered bridges). It looks like the town's farmer's market is also on Saturdays!
Waterbury Village Historic District
Waterbury Village is the town where Hen of the Wood is (where Welcome Drinks will be held). It is super cute and we recommend multiple spots in the town center area. Prohibition Pig (both the restaurant and brewery) are right across the street from Hen of Wood and delicious. We've also had bagels at KC's Bagel Cafe, coffee from Stowe Street Cafe (they also have cute locally made crafts/gifts!), loved some of the things in Stowe Street Emporium, and, if you're a bookworm like Jane you should stop at Bridgeside Books! If you're a skincare person, Ursa Major, Vermont's premier clean skincare company, will be worth a stop! (On Elm Street right across from the bookstore.) And if you're looking for a greasy spoon breakfast spot try Maxi's.
Stowe, VT
Stowe is about 15 minutes north of Waterbury (where Hen of the Wood/ our Welcome Drinks are) and about 35 minutes from Bliss Ridge. It is touristy, and for good reason! We recommend the Skinny Pancake for breakfast. (It is a small Vermont chain and there's also one in Montpelier and Burlington.) You may also want to check out the Ben & Jerry's Factory or stop at Cold Hollow Cider. Click the link below to go to the New York Times' "36 Hours in Stowe" recs.
Montpelier
Montpelier is VT's capital and is about 20 minutes away (depending on where you're staying). Montpelier is lovely and will have multiple options for dinner if you find yourself in the area before Welcome Drinks. We recommend Oakes & Evelyn (it happens to be where Jeff's parents met Jane's Dad for the first time) or Positive Pie if you're in the pizza mood. If you want a bigger breakfast Sunday before you head home we recommend the Skinny Pancake. (It is a small Vermont chain and there's also one in Stowe and Burlington.)
Burlington
Burlington is 30 minutes north and Vermont's best known (some would say only) city. If you have longer in the area we would highly recommend visiting and walking along Church Street or down along the waterfront of Lake Champlain. Anywhere along Church Street is great for food but we're fans of Leunig's! There's also an American Flatbread location right around the corner from Church Street. Fun Fact: Burlington was where Jeff and Jane went right after getting engaged. They had dinner that night at Hen of the Wood in Burlington and saw Bernie Sanders walking along Church Street the next morning.
On Your Way Up/Down: South Royalton
South Royalton is Jane's home town! If you're looking for somewhere to grab a quick burger on your way to/from the wedding we recommend stopping at Worthy Burger. Jeff would also suggest you pop into the Co-Op. Coming north you would get off Exit 2 and heading south you'd get off Exit 3. If you can't stop we recommend paying attention on your way north around Mile Marker 15 headed north on 89. As you approach you'll see a small mountain above the highway on the left. That's Kent's Ledge, and where Jeff proposed to Jane. :) A bit further on, if you're in the right lane and look out the window on the passenger side you'll get the best view of town- that you may also recognize from Gilmore Girls!
Hanover
Depending on when you need to stop for a bite on your way north/south, consider grabbing a quick and easy dinner at Molly's Friday or delicious breakfast at Lou's on Sunday in Hanover. This town is home to Dartmouth and you'll have to put up with some college kids but it's worth it.
Hiking: Camel's Hump, Mt. Mansfield
If you'll be in the area for long enough and are one of our active friends/family we highly recommend hiking up Camel's Hump. That's the mountain you'll be able to see in the distance at the wedding and a favorite of Jane's family. If you're staying in Stowe you could do Mt. Mansfield instead (VT's tallest peak). Both of these hikes require multiple hours, miles and layers. Please check AllTrails for more info. If you're a family looking for something lighter and are trying to break up the trip home- consider Quechee Gorge. Feel free to ask Jane for another rec! She'll even tell you how to get to Kent's Ledge in SoRo!