Flight
Burlington is the closest airport. It is about 45 minutes from New Haven, but it’s a small airport. We often fly in to New York City to visit family and it is a lot less expensive and saves transferring flights. Depending on traffic and where you are coming from, it can be 5-6 hours driving from NYC to Middlebury/New Haven area. The trains are also under 6 hours if you come from NY Penn station to Port Henry or Castleton. Boston is also an option (although buses from there are long and painful, and there are no trains). Montreal is great and actually the closest major city (2.5 hours without the border stop), but remember that if you are not American, you will have to get out at the border and an ESTA doesn’t work – you need a different permission that takes a while to get, especially if it’s busy that day. And Trump is horrific so everything is more difficult.
Train
There are trains from New York City to Albany frequently, and one a day on Amtrak to either Port Henry (across the Lake from Addison, 35-40 min drive to New Haven) or Castleton (about 1 hour and 5 min from New Haven). We can try to link you with others coming and going, but given how busy it will be, we can’t promise it will work.
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We *highly* recommend booking early. Vermont is a popular getaway in the summer, especially August, and rentals will fill up quickly, especially around Middlebury. New Haven has a few options, and the surrounding towns are also lovely – none that are close have any big, fancy hotels, however. Some offer the advantage of being in the town center and walking distance to shops and restaurants. Since VT is so rural, sans taxis and we want everyone to have a good time, you are welcome to pitch a tent the night of the wedding. We have a few extra for those coming from outside the US. We might also borrow neighbor lawns and tents. For those on a budget, we also will ask around to neighbors for couches, lawns and beds – they will probably be quirky Vermont options and may or may not offer privacy, but if you don’t mind, let us know.
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New Haven: Has almost no town center but would be close to us! New Haven has Tourterelle, a lovely restaurant, B&B and grounds, which is well-worth a visit. There are also some AirBnB’s, a general store, post office, and bait, tackle and hunting shop that sells the best socks in the world – Darn Tough. We have a quirky, awesome neighborhood of people I have grown up with who will all be around and involved and may be able to offer rooms and lawns.
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We have reserved all the rooms at the Swift House for Friday and Saturday night. You just need to mention our names (Thalia or Ameet) and tell them you're with us! They have lovely rooms and a restaurant and they are away from the main construction area in Middlebury.
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Middlebury: Home of the famous eponymous liberal arts college, and also one of the best co-op markets in the nation. It has several decent restaurants (American Flatbread, Swift House, Two Brothers, Coriander, Otter Creek Bakery, Middlebury Bagel and Deli, etc.). It also has fun shopping and art galleries – I recommend main street in general, and Edgewater Galleries (one up on the main street, the other just down below) for some beautiful work by local artists. The college often has events such as music, theater, art shows and other happenings. IMPORTANT NOTE ON MIDDLEBURY IN SUMMER 2020: Middlebury is going through an extensive ten-week construction period next summer to finish a four-year long railroad project, that will impact many businesses and inns in the area as it is effectively shutting down the entirety of main street. The time of the wedding will fall on the last few weeks of this time frame. Noise could be heard throughout the day and night, depending on location.
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Vergennes: It might still be the smallest American city at one mile square. It was pretty deplorable when I was growing up but has undergone an awesome resurgence, and actually, I think the food and atmosphere is arguably better than in Middlebury, but it’s smaller. It is home to the most amazing local chocolate shop, Daily Chocolate, run by my friend Jen Roberts. Park Squeeze, Antidote, Hired Hand (Brewery and pizza), The Black Sheep Bistro (best fries you’ll eat), and Lulu’s ice cream are all great. Lastly, Northern Daughters Gallery is run by friends of mine, Sophie and Justine, and their mothers’ work is featured along with many great others.
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Bristol: I went to high school here and it’s changing so fast I don’t even know what to list here. There isn’t a co-op, but the local Shaws has decent groceries. The Bobcat restaurant and pub is a local favorite and brews their own, and Ameet thinks the burger is the best in the whole wide world. There is also the Bristol Bakery, the Inn at Baldwin Creek (Mary’s), Almost Home, Snaps Diner, and a few others. Like the others, it has a town green, local stores and craft, and a cute main street.
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Lincoln: Past Bristol, up in the mountains. It is sooooo beautiful up there. It’s worth getting lost on the back roads and finding a secret spot at the river. There are also some Inns and rental spaces up there, and the views won’t disappoint.
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Burlington: B-town is farther away, but it’s where the VT airport is, and is the ‘big city’ in Vermont. There is pretty much anything you could want here, and it’s having an amazing revolution in local everything from food to art to production. It sits right on Lake Champlain and is just gorgeous and fun. Great restaurants are coming and going all the time, but a few I know about are: Honey Road, Bistro Margot, Hen of the Wood, Duino Duende, Penny Cluse Café, Pingala Café, Monarch and the Milkweed, Farmhouse Tap and Grill, Muddy Waters coffee shop, for wine and cocktails, Dedalus, and the amazing Farmer’s market down on Battery Street. There are local music shops, local chocolate, local brews, fun shops all along Battery and up through Church Street. There are also real hotels here. It’s 45 min drive from New Haven.
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Shelburne: Shelburne is shi-shi but pretty and a bit farther south than Burlington. Shelburne Farms is a worthy trip– it’s a working educational farm that has some of the most beautiful antique barns and buildings you’ll see in the States. I highly recommend having cocktails on the lawn of the Shelburne House Inn (with incredible views of the lake), and if you aren’t watching your pennies, dinner here will also be totally worth it. There are other shops and restaurants, such as the Bearded Frog, and the Shelburne Museum is quite interesting.