Blazing hues begin to adorn the New England landscape, and our thoughts turn to Vermont. Here, a mountainous countryside dotted with sugar houses, dairy farms, and hay bales provides a most exceptional look at the changing fall foliage. Why not take a drive up north this season and stay at one of these five Vermont Bed and Breakfasts? Each of them offers rooms for under one hundred dollars, and if you’re lucky you’ll start your day with a plate of pancakes smothered in the freshest maple syrup in the world.
1824 House Inn, Waitsfield
www.1824house.com
I’d love to snuggle up in one of this elegant inn’s eight rooms. They feature antique headboards and fluffy featherbeds, and each one is named after a county in Vermont such as Chittenden and Caladonia. The inn itself sits at the heart of Mad River Valley, and offers guests easy access to picturesque villages filled with art galleries and antiques shops.
Johnnycake Flats, Roxbury
www.johnnycakeflats.com
Wthin this creme colored, red-shuttered house, four pretty rooms feature wide plank wood floors and handmade quilts. This B&B offers a tranquil escape with its sixteen acres of land covered in gardens and forests, but it is also just a short drive from the shops, restaurants, and cultural attractions of Montpelier, Northfield, and the Mad River Valley.
Nye’s Green Valley Farm, Jeffersonville
www.nyesgreenvalleyfarm.com
Llamas, goats, and sheep greet guests as they arrive at this colonial farmhouse thirty minutes from Stowe. A stagecoach tavern in the early 19th century, the house was purchased by the inn-keeper’s great-grandfather in 1867, and its classic, country interior has been lovingly restored. Antique rockers, cupboards, and a piano decorate the living room, and patchwork quilts cover the three beds upstairs.
The Hidden Garden’s Bed and Breakfast, Hinesburg
www.thehiddengardens.com
Surrounded by twenty-six acres of woodlands, this Champlain Valley retreat offers the perfect escape for those who like to hike, fish, canoe, or simply be immersed in nature. The contemporary Post & Beam home lies just south of Burlington, within close proximity to Shelburne Farms, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, and the shops and restaurants of scenic Church Street.
Silver Maple Lodge and Cottages, Fairlee
www.silvermaplelodge.com
This 18th century farmhouse has been an inn since the 1920s. The main house includes seven cheerful rooms, but I’d opt for one of the pine-paneled cottages that surround the property. Three include working fireplaces, providing the perfect place to cozy up after a brisk fall day exploring Quechee Gorge, Maple Grove Maple Museum, the Calvin Coolidge Homestead, and other Hanover area attractions.
