Things to do in Northeast Kingdom
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Fairbanks Museum of Natural Science
In 1891, when Franklin Fairbanks’ collection of stuffed animals and cultural artifacts from across the globe grew too large for his home, he built the Fairbanks Museum of Natural Science. This massive stone building with a 30ft-high barrel-vaulted ceiling still displays more than half of Franklin’s original collection. Over 3000 preserved animals in glass cases can be seen, including a 1200lb moose shot in Nova Scotia in 1898, an American bison from 1902 and a Bengal tiger. There are planetarium shows at 1:30pm ($3 per person), and also in July and August at 11am.
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Bread & Puppet Museum
Rolling though the Northeast Kingdom, it’s easy to become jaded at the sight of yet another barn. One in Glover definitely warrants a detour – not for its livestock but for the cosmological universe of the Bread & Puppet Museum, lurking within. Formed in New York City by German artist Peter Shumann in 1963, the Bread & Puppet Theater is a collective-in-training that presents carnivalesque pageants, circuses, and battles of Good and Evil with gaudy masks and life-size (even gigantic) puppets. The street theater of its early performances gave voice to local rent strikes and anti–Vietnam War protests as well as an epic parade down Fifth Ave in the early eighties to prote…
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St Johnsbury Athenaeum
Home to the country’s oldest art gallery still in its original form, the Athenaeum was founded in 1871 when Horace Fairbanks gave the town a library. Comprising some 9000 finely bound books of classic world literature, the library was soon complemented by the gallery, built around its crown jewel, Albert Bierstadt’s 10ft-by-15ft painting, Domes of the Yosemite. The rest of the collection consists of works by such Hudson River School painters as Asher B Durand, Worthington Whittredge and Jasper Crospey as well as dozens of copies of old masters. Bierstadt is said to have returned to the gallery every summer until his death to touch up his masterpiece.
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Jay Peak
When it’s balmy in Boston in winter, you can still expect a blizzard at Vermont’s northernmost ski resort, Jay Peak, 8 miles north of Montgomery Center. Bordering Quebec, Jay gets more snow than any other ski area in New England (about 350in of powder). Being so far north, Jay also sees far more Quebeckers than New Yorkers. Black-diamond lovers enjoy the steeper tree runs off the tram, while novices find the trails in Bonaventure Basin to their liking. Add the natural off-trail terrain, and you have some of the most challenging backcountry snowboarding and skiing runs in America.
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East Burke Sports
On VT 114 off I-91, East Burke is a terrific place to start a mountain-bike ride. In the summer of 1997 John Worth, co-owner of East Burke Sports, and several other dedicated locals linked together more than 200 miles of single and double tracks and dirt roads to form a network they call the Kingdom Trails. Riding on a soft forest floor dusted with pine needles and through century-old farms makes for one of the best mountain-biking experiences in New England. East Burke Sports rents bikes and supplies maps.
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River Garden Cafe
This place is true to its name: you’ll enjoy the back porch (open year-round) and summer patio within earshot of the river. This local favorite offers salads, pastas, filet mignon and stir-fried dishes served in a casually elegant atmosphere. For lunch, try the Green Mountain pizza ($7) topped with Vermont goat cheese, mozzarella, pesto and tomato sauce. As you might have guessed, breads and desserts are homemade.
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Elements
The setting in a former mill complements the novel menu, which uses local ingredients whenever possible. Try the polenta lasagna with eggplant over roasted vegetables, or trout cakes with tomato jam, wasabi and crème fraîche. Try to share so that you sample several dishes. Dried cranberries go into the cornbread pudding for dessert – a unique treat. Almost everything is made on the premises.
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Maple Grove Farms
Actually a factory, the farms about half a mile east of St Johnsbury have been making maple candy for almost a century and are the world’s largest producers of the saccharine stuff. Stop by to see how the molding process works and satisfy your sweet tooth – the popularity of the Santa Claus–shaped candies transcends all seasons.
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Burke Mountain
Burke Mountain, off US 5 in East Burke, is relatively unknown to anyone outside the Northeast Kingdom. Locals enjoy the challenging trails and empty lift lines. Burke has 33 trails (30% beginner, 40% intermediate, 30% expert) and four lifts, including one quad chair and one lift with a vertical drop of 2000ft.
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Craftsbury Outdoor Center
Cross-country skiers are bound to end up at the full-service Craftsbury Outdoor Center, 3 miles from Craftsbury Common. The 80 miles of trails – 50 of them groomed – roll over meadows and weave through forests of maples and firs, offering an ideal experience for all levels.
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Miss Lyndonville Diner
Five miles north of St Johnsbury and popular with locals, this place also offers friendly and prompt service. Large breakfasts are cheap; sandwiches cost a bit more, but the tasty dinners (like roast turkey with all the fixings) are a real steal.
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Candlepin Restaurant
A roadside diner, just north of Barton, with surprisingly good fare, the Candlepin serves up juicy burgers and Vermont roast turkey. The pies are especially worth sticking around for.
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Bagel Depot
This Creamery Building eatery serves the freshest bagels in the Northeast Kingdom. Add a cup of Green Mountain Coffee to kick-start your morning or come back for daily lunch specials.
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Anthony’s Diner
While hanging around the large counter, try the mountain-size Vermont woodsman burger. The homemade soups, chowders and desserts are a deserved source of pride.
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Cucina di Gerardo
This Creamery Building place serves hearty Italian fare like mussels marinara and fancy gourmet pizzas.
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