Vermont Biking, Hiking, & Beer with Brew Your Own Magazine

DAY 1

We meet as a group after lunch in Burlington, Vermont. After introductions, we'll walk towards the Lake Champlain shore and about two miles along the city’s lakefront trail before connecting with “Pint Street” (actually Pine Street) to visit tasting rooms for Queen City Brewing and Zero Gravity Brewing. On the walk back to the hotel we’ll also stop at Citizen Cider. You can settle in to your room at our downtown hotel before we meet again for a short walk to dinner at Vermont Pub & Brewery. After dinner, we’ll meet up with some members of the Green Mountain Mashers, the local Burlington homebrew club, for anyone who wants to keep talking brewing over a final pint.

Walking Distance: 2.2 or 3.3 Miles

DAY 2

After breakfast, we will get you fitted for a bicycle and go over a few safety precautions. Then, we are off pedaling on the Burlington Greenway, continuing on the Island Line Trail. In addition to the water and mountain views, the highlight is the old railroad bed jutting out into Lake Champlain. You can cycle up to 10 miles and turn around at any point to return to Burlington where we will visit Simple Roots Brewing and then Foam Brewers in the city’s lakefront park. After sampling their beers you will have time for lunch on your own. In the afternoon, we'll shuttle 45 minutes to the small mountain town of Stowe. This evening we'll walk to Idletyme Brewing for dinner.

Biking Distances: Up To 20 Miles

DAY 3

Stowe is famous for its mountain scenery capped by Mount Mansfield, the highest mountain in Vermont and the only place in the state with a true alpine environment. We will shuttle to the mountain where you have four basic options today. You can choose to hike up and back down the mountain on the Long Trail, the oldest long-distance footpath in the US and 273 miles long. (Your portion is much smaller.) You can choose to hike up and take the gondola down, take the gondola up and hike down, or take the gondola both ways and enjoy a superb 4.6-mile round trip walk at the top. Note the terrain this day can be challenging, depending on your choice, but the gondola assist is certainly nice! In the evening we'll shuttle to famous Alchemist Brewing and then to the Von Trapp Brewery for dinner. The Trapp Family Lodge is the original home in the United States of the famous Von Trapp family of Sound of Music fame.

Walking Distances: Distances: 2.5, 5, or 10 miles

DAY 4

We'll start the day with the option to hike or mountain bike on the Von Trapp property to get our last up-close experience with the Vermont mountains. We'll do a morning hike (or optional mountain bike ride) on the beautiful Trapp Family Lodge property. After that, it is a roving travel day with plenty of tasting stops en route. We depart Stowe for nearby Waterbury and a tour and tasting at Ben & Jerry's, a must while in Vermont. We'll then drive to Prohibition Pig Brewing & BBQ for lunch on your own. In the afternoon, we stop at Lawson’s Finest Liquids in Waitsfield. We eventually make our way to Middlebury, Vermont's most famous college town, where we'll check in and then enjoy dinner at American Flatbread.

Walking Distance: 3 or 5 Miles (or optional mountain biking)

DAY 5

Today we switch gears, literally, by jumping back on bicycles. Middlebury is located in the Champlain Valley, which is the best biking terrain in what is considered the best biking state in the country. With rolling hills, flat agricultural plains, small villages, and mountain views, the biking is excellent. Our destination is the small town of Brandon, with a stop en route at Red Clover Ale Company. We'll also try the beers of Foley Brothers Brewing, either at their brewery or at their taco shop in town. Heading back into Middlebury, we'll stop at Woodchuck Cider and Appalachian Gap Distillery - both members of the Middlebury Tasting Trail. This evening we'll walk to dinner at Two Brothers Tavern.

Biking Distances: 15 or 30 miles

DAY 6

On our final morning, we'll walk from our inn through the Battell Woods to Drop In Brewing, home of the American Brewers Guild for an education session with Steve Parkes. Steve is a Brit who owns and runs the Guild, which trains brewers across the country. You can optionally walk back to the inn, where we'll say our goodbyes. You can catch a shuttle with us back to Burlington and the airport or if you have driven your car en route, be on your way.

Walking Distances: 2 or 4 miles