Your tours of Vermont country inns begin here. Remember vacations when you were a kid? A time when you could enjoy a carefree time among the trees, or near a lakeshore, or just lay in the grass on hillsides. Vacations were undistracted, relaxing, and simple. Welcome back to those days at The Combes Family Inn.
This beautiful hillside farmhouse Inn sits in the middle of a 50-acre field, on a quiet dirt road near Lake Rescue and Echo, just off Route 100 North of Okemo Mountain. Route 100 is a Vermont Scenic Byway. Sample Bills country breakfast and Ruth’s delicious home cooking. There are 11 cozy country-inspired guest rooms in the farmhouse and attached wing. This Okemo area lodging accommodation is the perfect place to begin a Southern Vermont vacation.
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Brief description of the tour:
Weston Priory to Rowell’s Inn - 9.6 mile route
Today’s walk, the first on this walking tour of New England, will take you through the Village of Weston, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is recognized as one of the prettiest villages in Vermont. You will see the Weston Playhouse, the oldest professional summer theatre in Vermont, the Ferrar-Manson House, an historical museum with primitive portraits and murals, the Old Parish Church of 1803, a variety of country shops, and the original Vermont Country Store.
The start of the trail will depart from the Weston Priory, a Benedictine Monastery and home for the monks who are famous for their music and activism. The trail will be a mixed dirt road and asphalt road variety leading through stone-lined fields and roads & spectacular rural views of the valley below.
Rowell’s Historic Inn
Built in 1820 as an original stagecoach stop, the Inn later served as an underground- railroad safe haven. F.A. & Nana Rowell converted the property to a country Inn in 1910. Walking into this magnificent part of history is a unique and delightful to experience. Much of the original stagecoach era remains in the mailroom and front desk area. This lodging is beautifully furnished in the grand tradition of inns with prosperous hosts, Rowell’s features four antique decorated rooms, and two suites, all with private baths. The common front parlor invites a cheerful sun through the original antique glass of yesteryear. The library contains old books and records of the old days one can read in front of the fireplace. Enjoy a refreshing beverage from the full-service, English-style pub in a comfortable Adirondack chair by the creek. Rowell’s inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Brief description of the tour:
Popple Dungeon Creek to Inn Victoria - 11.2 mile route
Today's walk will take you along the length of Popple Dungeon, a dirt road that travels through the old original farm settlements. The road gets its name from the large groves of Poplar trees that once grew here. They were very dense and close to the road, blocking out much of the light and giving the feel of being in a dungeon. The walk will initially take you by a hill-top Championship Golf course owned by Okemo Mountain Resorts called Tater Hill Golf. The trail will continue through the old farm settlements showcasing Popple Dungeon Creek, which meanders across the road at least a dozen times before you arrive at Inn Victoria.
Inn Victoria
Inn Victoria is an award-winning romantic Chester, Vermont bed and breakfast of 1859. The building sits on the Green in the center of Chester Village, amid several restaurants, bookstores, and antique shops within walking distance of the Inn. This elegantly appointed English-style Victorian is a centerpiece of the Chester Village architecture. The main street is like walking through a Norman Rockwell Painting.
After a full day of walking, relax in the grand parlor, or on the front porch. Enjoy the hot tub on the quiet back deck where you can gaze at brilliant stars, so bright that you can see constellations you’ve perhaps not seen in a long time. The bedrooms are elegantly appointed with antiques and luxury baths.
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Brief description of the tour:
Flamestead Road to Old Town Farm Inn - 9.1 mile Route
Today's walk takes you through the Chester Green through small bookstores, antique shops, the old rail Depot, past the old grist mill, and on the road to country fields and vistas. Once on Flamestead road, you will walk a few miles on a very quiet asphalt road that takes you up along the ridgeline of a hill, which allows for incredible views of the valley below. Horses, wild turkeys, deer, and spectacular views are the charm of this area. The sky is bigger than big, and you’ll wish you could live here! Eventually you will walk onto dirt roads most of the distance and ranging through fields, ponds, very old cemeteries, and more.
Old Town Farm Inn
Imagine a farm stay Bed and Breakfast owned by a world-class Japanese Chef, in Vermont. This twenty-room, 1861 Classic Revival farmhouse, has been restored to a seven-room guest country Inn. The grounds feature a stocked spring-fed pond and the farm atmosphere to go with it.
Enjoy a welcome beyond compare with Michiko’s hospitality; afternoon fruits and juices to replenish your body after the day's walk are plentiful. Later in the evening enjoy a traditional Japanese meal that you will remember forever. Relax in the parlor or by the fish pond….either way, you’ll love the hospitality, food, and atmosphere of a real farm country Inn.
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Brief description of the tour:
The Lakes Walking Route - 10.7 mile Route
This very scenic route offers several lakes and streams to walk around - the views are spectacular, and there is abundant opportunity to cool down in the fresh clear water. The trails will take you across route 100, a Vermont Scenic Byway, an old Revolutionary War cemetery, and Camp Plymouth (a 1777 soldier encampment for the Battle of Ticonderoga). You’ll want to take some time to sift for gold in Gold Brook. Gold was discovered here in 1855. You won’t want this day to end.
