Church Street is an outdoor pedestrian shopping and dinning area the heart of Burlington, and a great way to get a feel for the town Lily and Ryan have called home for four years. This is a great starting point for exploring Burlington which has too many options to list. Of note, make your way down to the waterfront and appreciate the views of New York across the water.
There are so many options for this, among them, OUR VENUE. Sleepy Hollow is a trail epicenter first and a wedding venue second. They have miles of sick sick trails to explore by foot or on wheels but please no broken collar bones at the wedding (talking to you, Tom, Paul, Riley, Reilly, Rhet, Shayla, and Scott). This trail system also connects to every other trail system in the area. Reach out to Ryan for details on trails. There are so many options for trails for all ability levels. Talk to Ryan or Lily for recommendations. There is also a mt bike and trail running race Monday morning. If anyone is interested in that (https://www.delsride.org/).
Camels Hump is a beautiful hike, we recommend using the Burrow Trail which is about 4.4 miles round trip with just over 2,000 ft of elevation gain and is the closest to the venue. Please plan on this taking somewhere between 3-4.5 hrs for experienced hikers and up to 5-8 hrs for unexperienced hikers. Take food and water, this is a strenuous hike. Lily and Ryan plan on hiking this on Monday with anyone who is still around. For anyone interested in "running" it another day, reach out to Ryan.
The town of Stowe is a small, quintessential, Vermont town. Some people really enjoy going to the downtown to see the cute shops and church. A nice moderate hike to do if you're in the area is the Stowe Pinnacle trail from the Meadows Trailhead which is about 3.5 miles long with 1,000ft of elevation gain. This trail has phenomenal views. Everything listed under this is also on the way to, or near Stowe. Anyone traveling into Stowe should consider driving up The Notch Road, which is one of the steepest roads in Vermont but has some great views at the top.
Cold Hollow Cider Mill has the best cider doughnuts in VT according to Lily (and she has convinced Ryan). Find apple cider and doughnuts here along with all sorts of VT knickknacks.
For anyone who wants a mountain view but doesn't want a strenuous hike we recommend using the Stowe Gondola or Toll Road, both of which take you up to the top of Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont. For those still wishing to stand on the summit, the high point (called the Chin) is a relatively short hike from both, though still a bit of a hike.
The Ben and Jerry's Factory is a 30 minute drive from the venue. They have ice cream, tours, and a flavor graveyard. It is totally a tourist trap but still cool to see.
For anyone who loves the Sound of Music or wants some spectacular mountain / valley views without a hike check out the von Trapp Family lodge which is where the von Trapp family settled. They also have a brewery.