Charming Villages of Vermont

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“The Vermont trip to see the fall color leaves was fantastic. Mountain after mountain displays of red, yellow, purple, etc. leaves provided a week of scenic beauty. On top of that we were privileged to meet many new friends…A PICTURE PERFECT TOUR!!” Carol & Roger – Plymouth, MN 

THIS R&J TOUR IS AN ULTIMATE AUTUMN EXPERIENCE. 

“If you can pick and choose, there is no better time for a motor trip through Vermont than in autumn,” Abner W. Coleman wrote in the very first issue of Vermont Life published in 1946. Coleman continues to say, “Vermont during the autumn months offers delights indescribable.” 

This is the absolute prime time to journey through the Green Mountain State with R&J Tours! Vermont is a unique and special place, especially along the back roads, in the villages and small hamlets where quality of life and being a good neighbor is a priority. It is a place of mystical mountains, rolling hills, green valleys, picturesque farms, scenic rivers and color. The autumn woods run the entire color spectrum from the blazing reds of the maples, the yellows of birch and beech to the violets of the ever present mountain backgrounds. But it’s the Charming Villages that bring it all together and give life and character to a time and era we all so fondly remember. 

Join us as we explore the 

CHARMING VILLAGES OF VERMONT! 

Day 1 – Home to Lansing, IL 

A travel day thru beautiful Wisconsin to Lansing, IL will begin our adventure to the charming villages of Vermont. Coffee & lunch breaks are planned along the way. Dinner will be on your own. 

Hotel: Holiday Inn Express or similar 

Day 2 – Lansing to Erie, PA 

Travel day across Indiana & Ohio today where the scenery & color begin to intensify east of Cleveland as we journey along Lake Erie into NW Pennsylvania. Coffee & lunch breaks will be enjoyed at convenient stops. Dinner will be on your own. 

Included Meals: Breakfast 

Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn

Day 3 – Erie to Bennington, VT 

Today we will travel across southern New York. This section of freeway will be a colorful introduction to the days ahead. Our entry into Vermont and the Village of Bennington is a pleasant preview of what is in store. Our “Welcome to Vermont” dinner will be served up special for you tonight! 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Hampton Inn (2 Nights) 

Day 4 – Bennington 

This morning is all about the beautiful scenery, both outside and in! We’ll take a scenic drive through the autumn woods and see some iconic bridges along the way. Taking the backroads, we journey to the Sugar Shack in Arlington, which features the setting for most of Norman Rockwell’s classic Saturday Evening Post art. After some great sightseeing, we have a privileged visit to Hildene, the Lincoln family home of Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abe Lincoln. This ancestral home sits on 412 acres with breathtaking views of the Vermont landscape. Here we enjoy an included lunch with our hosts before continuing on where we’ll make a stop at the incredible Bennington Museum. Here we will experience a definite highlight of the trip, the Grandma Moses Gallery! Later we’ll gather for dinner at a local favorite restaurant. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Villages: Bennington, Manchester Depot, Manchester, Arlington & North Bennington 

Day 5 – Bennington to White River Junction, VT 

Breakfast at our hotel begins another day in autumn paradise. We’ll make a stop this morning at Quechee Gorge Village where we can shop a bit. We’ll have an opportunity for a short hike to Quechee Gorge for some great photos as we look down 163 feet to the cascading waters of the Ottauquechee River framed in stunning fall color. Just down the road and across the Quechee River is the Simon Pearce Glass Gallery. You’ll have time to browse the shops viewing the magnificent glass pieces. In the lower level you will have an opportunity to watch the glass blowers making their glass treasures…it’s an amazing display of skill! We’ll also enjoy a delightful lunch in the restaurant right here at Simon Pearce! Then we will be on our way to Weston, a mountain crossroads village that embodies all we envision when we think “Villages of Vermont.” Weston is home to the world reknowned Vermont Country Store, Vermont’s number one nostalgia outlet. The oval common is shaded with majestic maples that surround the village bandstand. Don’t miss the old mill on the bubbling mountain stream that runs through town. Next comes Chester, “hometown Vermont.” We’ll enjoy dinner on our own tonight while checking out the local area. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Villages: Bondville, Peru, Londonderry,Weston & Chester 

Hotel: Hampton Inn (2 Nights) 

Day 6 – White River Junction 

Viewing a map of Vermont, distances look formidable until we realize that it’s really not very far from place to place. We’ll travel only about 80 miles today with so much to see and do. This morning we’ll spend some time at the Billings Farm Museum, a “Gateway to Vermont’s Rural Heritage.” We’ll enjoy lunch on our own along the way. A little further down the road is Plymouth Notch and the birthplace of President Calvin Coolidge. This historic village, a National Historic Landmark, is virtually unchanged from the early 1900’s and is a fascinating step back to a time gone by. The Florence Cilley General Store is a favorite of visitors. Back on the coach, we’ll take a late afternoon drive that will take us past Echo Lake and the Village of Tyson. Ludlow, the ski capital of Vermont is next with its flag adorned bandstand in the little city square! Cavendish is a town just out of a movie set and just up the road is the Downers covered bridge…it’s picture perfect! Then we head back to our hotel for a good night’s sleep after this amazing day! 

Included Meals: Breakfast 

Villages: Windsor, Ascutney, Downers, Cavendish, Proctorsville, Ludlow, Tyson, Plymouth Union, Plymouth Notch, Bridgewater, Woodstock, Taftsville & Quechee 

Day 7 – White River Junction to St. Johnsbury, VT 

This morning after breakfast we’ve got some more beautiful scenery and small villages to see, but first we have the opportunity to visit with a local business owner and tour his 12,000 sq. ft. restoration shop where he specializes in pre-war era automobiles. The Bugatti is their favorite marque. We might even see some post war Alpha Romeo, Ferrari, and Lotus cars. Once you’ve been awed by the work they do, head next door to another local shop for your fill of tasty candies made right there! But don’t spoil your appetite before we enjoy lunch together in the quaint village of Cabot. We just might find some Vermont cheese along the way as well! Now on to St. Johnsbury, the heart of what Vermonter’s proudly call The Northeast Kingdom. We settle in at the beautiful Comfort Suites of St. Johnsbury for the night and enjoy a pizza party together. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Villages: Norwich, Thetford, Bradford, Cabot, Danville & St. Johnsbury 

Hotel: Comfort Inn & Suites 

Day 8 – St. Johnsbury to Stowe, VT 

This morning our adventure takes us through the city of Barre to the Rock of Ages Quarry. Be amazed as you stand on the edge of a 600’ deep granite quarry and hear the story of how this rock is mined. Next we visit Montpelier, with 8,000 residents. It is the smallest capital city in America and the only one without a McDonalds. We’ll make a stop in the heart of downtown for a chance to view the beautiful state capitol building before we journey on to Waterbury. After lunch on our own, we’re in for a special treat at a maple syrup-making farm nearby. Then, we’ll make a stop at the Cold Hollow Cider Mill for an afternoon snack. The best is still ahead as we make our way up a gentle winding mountain road to the Trapp Family Lodge. This gracious European styled mountain retreat is located at the original homestead of the von Trapp family. Famously chronicled in the musical “Sound of Music,” the von Trapp Family has been welcoming guests here since 1938. Experience Vermont hospitality at its best at this dreamlike resort lodge overlooking the magical mountain landscape only Vermont and this location can offer. We dine this evening in the relaxed luxury & comfort of the lodge dining room overlooking the valley below. This evening view “The Real Maria” story in the lodge theatre while still having time to stroll the retreat pathways. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Exquisite Dinner 

Villages: Groton, West Groton, Orange, Websterville, South Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury & Stowe 

Hotel: Trapp Family Lodge 

Day 9 – Stowe to Rutland, VT 

Enjoy a fabulous “Trapp Family Lodge” breakfast before we head over to Ben & Jerry’s for a tour and ice cream tasting! Who says ice cream isn’t for morning? This is another day of unsurpassed vistas as we travel through the Vermont countryside and wind our way down the mountainside through the classic village of Stowe. Stowe is the most famous and widely recognized village in all of Vermont. Stowe has it all: charming village streets, country stores, classic Victorian inns, and white spired churches. Just about every magazine and brochure you’ve ever seen on Vermont features this picturesque town. Then we’re off to Burlington, Vermont’s largest city and home to the University of Vermont. Burlington has an almost seaside feel. Here we board the Spirit of Ethan Allen III for a delightful luncheon cruise on beautiful Lake Champlain and experience the beauty of the mountain horizons. Next an amazing Vermont experience awaits us – Shelburne Museum – One of the nation’s finest, most diverse, and unconventional museums of Americana. Thirty nine exhibition buildings set in a village on 45 very relaxing acres. Degas, quilts, tools, toys, gardens, Steamship Ticonderoga, covered bridges, and so much more. This promises to be an experience unlike you’ve ever had. This afternoon we travel more back roads south through Morgan horse country to Middlebury, another classic Vermont village. An evening drive in the Vermont countryside and into New York gets us to Lake George for a wonderful dinner and our restful home this evening. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Villages: Stowe, Burlington, Middlebury 

Hotel: Hampton Inn 

Day 10 – Rutland to Corning, NY 

Enjoy breakfast as we contemplate our drive in the beautiful countryside of New York State. Soon we will be on interstate highways but you will continue to have the feel of a backroads tour as we will travel one of the most picturesque interstates in our country! After a lunch stop we will make our way to the Corning Museum of Glass! It’s not just about casserole dishes! This museum covers glass as though it were art and you will enjoy yourself as you make your way through the many displays and of course find some time to enjoy the gift shop! After checking into the hotel, have a relaxing included dinner with your traveling friends. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Radisson Hotel or similar 

Day 11 – Corning to Middlebury, IN 

Today is a travel day but the view out your motorcoach window will be wonderful. The countryside in western New York State is beautiful as we travel over hills, around lakes, and past streams, enjoying the fall beauty. We continue along Lake Erie as we make our way towards Cleveland and then on into the farm lands of Ohio and Indiana. We’ll enjoy our time together and find a restful stop tonight in Middlebury, IN at the quaint Essenhaus Inn where we’ll dine together before a good night’s sleep. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Essenhaus Inn 

Day 12 – Middlebury to Rockford, IL 

Morning breaks on another great Fall day! Our first stop is at the Jayco RV manufacturing plant where we will have the opportunity to see how beautiful 5th wheel RV’s are constructed. You’ll be amazed as you watch the construction from start to finish! Then why not take a look inside some of the finished products! Who knows…you may just have found your new winter retreat! We continue our travels west and through the heart of Amish Country and then enjoy the countryside as we skirt around Chicago and stop tonight in Rockford, IL with dinner together along the way. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Radisson Hotel 

Day 13 – Rockford to Home 

Our journey concludes today as we motor across Wisconsin to our lovely home state of Minnesota. We’ll enjoy one last lunch together, then a short drive will get us to the Twin Cities and home after a fabulous trip to Vermont in the Fall! 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch