Shelburne, Vt., offers history
Reaching inland from the shores of Lake Champlain, this New England town combines some of the most sweeping vistas in Vermont with some of the Green Mountain State’s most annoying traffic. Shelburne is a short drive south of Burlington, Vermont’s largest city, on Route 7, which can be clogged at busy times on weekdays. But slip off Route 7 to the west and rolling farm fields open to views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains in New York. Sunsets are not to be missed. In town, sample Vermont history, revel in a teddy-bear picnic, and savor a range of dining options, from down-home to upscale, all of it infused with Vermont flair.
STAY
Rising from the shores of Lake Champlain like a mansion out of “The Great Gatsby,’’ The Inn at Shelburne Farms (1611 Harbor Road, www.shelburne farms.org/comevisitus/inn. shtml, 802-985-8686) is tucked deep inside Shelburne Farms, a picturesque 1,400-acre working farm and National Historic Landmark. Originally the summer home of Dr. William Seward Webb and Lila Vanderbilt Webb, the inn has rooms and cottages that go for peak rates during summer and Vermont’s fall foliage. A price list at the front desk last week ranged from $165 for a pastoral side room, if you don’t mind sharing a bath, to $475 for a supreme lakeside room. Cottages are $390. You can find most chain hotels heading north on Route 7 out of Shelburne, including the family-friendly Econo Lodge Inn & Suites (3164 Shelburne Road, www.econo lodge.com/hotel-shelburne- vermont-VT017, 802-985-3377, doubles start at about $90), which features a seasonal outdoor pool, free WiFi, and free continental breakfast.
DINE
Start the morning at the Dutch Mill Family Restaurant (4309 Shelburne Road, www.dutchmillvt.com, 802-985-3568, breakfasts $3.75-$10.95), which is only open for breakfast and lunch. Try the breakfast wrap of scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, and a choice of ham, sausage, or bacon with home fries. Shelburne breeds unusual restaurant names. For lunch, try Barkeaters (97 Falls Road, www.barkeatersrestaurant.com, 802-985-2830, sandwiches $7-$11), which serves up salads, sandwiches, burgers, and entrees for carnivores and vegetarians — don’t miss the fish taco with mango pico de gallo. For a dinner of eclectic, upscale American fare, head to the Bearded Frog (5247 Shelburne Road, www.thebeardedfrog.com, 802-985-9877, entrees $19-$29, though you can order pub menu meals for as low as $12) and consider the all-natural bison flank steak, with a chickpea and black bean salad, priced at $28. If you plan to stay at The Inn at Shelburne Farms, or if you’d just like to drive out to enjoy the mansion, don’t miss the inn’s restaurant (entrees $27-$34), which specializes in local, seasonally based dining. When I stopped by last week, the staff noted that specials and regular offerings change frequently, so the online menu is only the starting point. That said, at $15, the Shelburne Farms beef short ribs with kohlrabi slaw and spicy romesco sauce is a fine appetizer. For $30, try the crispy Cavendish quails entree with a millet waffle, marinated collard greens, and tomatillo ketchup. For dessert, the Vermont butter and cheese chevre cheesecake with honey-graham cracker crust, candied hazelnuts, and raspberry coulis is $9.
DURING THE DAY
The town’s main attractions are the Shelburne Museum and Shelburne Farms, but if children are in your entourage, you might want to start at the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory (6655 Shelburne Road, www.vermont teddybear.com, 800-829-2327). Yes, you’ll end up buying stuffed animals, but step inside, and you’ll lapse into giddy Dr. Seuss-speak: pink bear, yellow bear, blue bear, black bear. Factory tours — $3 for those 12 and older; under 12 free — run every half-hour daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Shelburne Museum (6000 Shelburne Road, www.shelburnemuseum.org, 802-985-3346, adults $20, 5-18 $10, under 5 free) has exhibits for all ages. Through Oct. 28 the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; doors open at noon Sunday. Current exhibits include snowmobiles dating to the early 1900s, quilts from the Civil War onward, and firearms from 1790 to 1880. Children will like the carousel and the Ticonderoga, a 220-foot landlocked steamboat that used to ride the waves of nearby Lake Champlain. Don’t miss the paintings by Monet, Manet, and Degas, displayed in the Electra Havemeyer Webb Memorial Building, which features six rooms that replicate the 1930s apartment where Webb and her husband and Vanderbilt heir, James Watson Webb, lived in Manhattan. Also on the wall is a framed document signed by Abraham Lincoln. Created in 1886 by William and Lila Webb, Shelburne Farms (1611 Harbor Road, www.shelburne farms.org, 802-985-8686, adults $8, seniors $6, 3-17 $5, under 3 free) offers walking tours of historic barns and a children’s farmyard. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
AFTER DARK
Bear in mind that Vermont towns of about 7,000 tend to turn in early. The only late-night establishment I found was The Old Shed Bar-Grill (80 Shelburne Shopping Park, 802-489-5579), which has a homey, dive-bar feel. The bartender says The Old Shed stays open past midnight if there are customers to serve. The good news is that Shelburne is less than 20 minutes south of Burlington, a sort of mini-Boston college city that offers many opportunities for live music, other arts performances, and drinking establishments that range from very quiet to very loud. An online site such as www.yelp.com/c/ burlington-vt-us/nightlife is a good gateway for listings.
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