Best of Vermont River Sampler


5 day, easy to moderate Inn based canoeing trip
Classic Vermont Inns and exquisite rivers
combine for a classic adventure.

Vermont is a kaleidoscope of rustic and panoramic beauty, nowhere more splendidly experienced than from the vantage point of a canoe. Our Inn-to-Inn Vermont River Sampler is a classic adventure.

Canoe the best of Vermont as part of a free-spirited band of travelers, moving from river to river and inn to inn. Our days are simple and loosely structured, and evenings at the inns are relaxed and laid-back.

The total experience is a tapestry. Some of the threads reveal an outdoors of swimming holes, sunny rocks, soft forests, spectacular waterfalls and exquisite picnics...others describe an indoors of fine table linen, antiques and handmade quilts, fine food graciously served, and surroundings rubbed soft and mellow by many seasons of hospitality.

Sunday
We gather together Sunday evening at the Green Trails Inn in Brookfield Vermont. The village is a hidden treasure that most would never find on their own and not surprisingly, the entire village is designated as a Vermont Historic District. It is pure "Vermont" with one particularly unusual feature: a floating bridge. The atmosphere of the inn is comforting; a place with lots of stairways and halls, antique furniture and clocks, along with rolling lawns and green space. Its secluded location makes it a favorite with our guests.
Monday
Monday after breakfast we head north to the Winooski River, with its deep gorges and fine views. Put in is at a rocky gorge, a place where the water is quiet and the surroundings hint at the magnificent scenery to come. Our paddling begins on easy water, enjoying distant mountain views that include Mount Mansfield and Camel's Hump. Monday evening we arrive in Stowe, one of Vermont's most famed ski towns.
Tuesday
Tuesday we're off to the Lamoille River, with its secluded scenery and comfortable paddling on water that varies from lazy to quick. By mid day we arrive at the spectacular Dogs Head and Sloping Falls waterfalls. The soothing noise of rushing water and the intricate arrangement of crags, gullies, cracks and holes set the scene as we lay back against our canoes, sunning, eating and enjoying.
We continue north into the Northeast Kingdom, an unspoiled area that many consider to be the rural jewel in our state's crown. We immediately begin to unwind at the Village House Inn situated in the small village of Albany. The large wrap around porch is inviting with it's comfortable rocking chairs and porch swing, the perfect place to watch the world go by. The hospitality here is warm and the food simply delicious.
Wednesday
On Wednesday we have some wonderful choices. We can spend the day on one of two stretches of the Missisquoi, a lazy river which loops into Canada, or we may travel to the upper waters of the Connecticut River. Here we find ourselves well north of civilization, with the exception of a few farms. At the end of the day we return to the Village House Inn for another relaxing evening in this enchanted corner of the state.

 






Vermont River Samplers meet at the Green Trails Inn in Brookfield
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Trip Price: $1,475
Requested Single Supplement: $225.
Private Bath: all evenings
Dates:
May 25-30, 2008
June 22-27, 2008
July 13-18, 2008
July 27-Aug 1, 2008
Aug 17-22, 2008
Sept 28-Oct 3, 2008
Oct 5-10, 2008

Canoe Rental: included in trip price
Airport Transfer: $85 one way.

 

photo of Green Trails Inn Bed and Breakfast, Brookfield, Vermont
Green Trails Inn
Thursday
Thursday continues as our "whatever-we-want-to-do" day in the heart of the Northeast Kingdom. The isolated Clyde, if that is our choice, boasts what we think is the finest paddle in the entire state...a section that is gorgeous and magical all the way. We may choose to canoe a section of the Black river as with it's quick water and quiet water passing through quiet forests and a wildlife sanctuary.
We return to the Green Trails Inn for our final evening. Gracious common rooms filled with antiques and fresh flowers await our arrival. We relax in our comfortable surroundings and perhaps take a stroll to the floating bridge on Sunset pond or explore the back roads of this tiny hamlet before gathering for dinner.
Friday
Friday is saved for the White, one of the best loved canoe runs in all of New England. The White is lively and sweet, a clean, bouldery river in an unspoiled valley. Everywhere you look, the White's crystal clear water tumbles between easy ledges and deep pools. By the end of the week, we guarantee that you'll have unwound on the Vermont Sampler. Many guests describe it as a metamorphosis, widening from Sunday's narrow focus of worry and hurry...to Friday's smiles and hugs.