Happy Thursday, friends! Last week, I shared our 24 Hours in Newport travel guide (see it here) and today we are moving on to another state. We finished off our tour of New England in Vermont last month and it was the perfect spot to take in that small town, New England charm. We did not have a ton of time to spend in the Green Mountain State, but tried to make the most of it. Here is a day in Manchester, Vermont!

The Drive to Vermont

After the wedding in Boston on Saturday evening, we got on the road pretty early Sunday. We had to leave Manchester early Monday morning, so we wanted to get an early start so we could spend as much time in Vermont as possible. To mark another state off our list, we took the longer way (only by a few minutes!) to Vermont from Boston so we could pass through New Hampshire. We actually got coffee and a breakfast burrito at Pressed Café in Nashua, New Hampshire so we could say we set foot in the state. Side note: the food and coffee were delicious! A huge selection to pick from as well. There are locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire if you are ever in the area, I highly recommend it! Nashua is only about an hour for Boston and about 2.5 hours from Manchester, Vermont. The drive from Nashua to Manchester was gorgeous. Up and down mountains, it would be beautiful in the fall!

A Day in Manchester, Vermont

A little background on why we picked Manchester. Vermont had always been a state I wanted to visit. I have heard the fall foliage is absolutely breathtaking! Since we were relatively close being in Boston for the wedding, we thought this was as good of a chance as any to mark Vermont off our list. Originally, I had wanted to visit Stowe, Vermont, but logistically, it was a little too far away to make it work for this trip. Manchester is located pretty close to the New York state line and it was only about 7 hours from home. Geographically, Manchester made the most sense. And bonus: they had a Marriott!

Since we have points with Marriott, we usually try to stay at one of their hotels. After reading reviews and seeing pictures, we decided on Marriott’s Equinox Resort.

Equinox Resort

Although the resort is a Marriott, it was a little outside our comfort zone. It had a bed and breakfast-y type feel. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it’s just not the type of hotel we usually stay at. However, the property was beautiful and rich in history, dating back to 1769. You can read more about the history of this property here. Hint: several U.S. Presidents have visited and there is even an interesting story about President Lincoln. Since we were only there for less than 24 hours, we really didn’t have a chance to enjoy all the amenities the resort offered. However, if we go back, that is something that is on my list to do. We did have a chance to eat at the hotel’s restaurant (see below) which was delicious.

Speaking of dinner, after eating we stopped by the hotel bar to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots game on Sunday night football. Let’s just say it was an interesting experience watching the Steelers in New England! After a less than impressive start to the game for the Steelers, we decided it was best to watch from our room, away from New England fans, where I was free to scream at the television haha! We did stop by the outside fire pit to catch a picture on our way back to our room. These pictures from my phone do not do it justice. It was beautiful!

Where to Eat in Manchester, Vermont

As I mentioned above, we ate at the resort and picked Marsh Tavern for dinner. While the resort offers a few dining options, Marsh Tavern was a little more casual for an early dinner. I had the soup and sandwich and Richard had the burger. The soup and sandwich was a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup and a side salad. It was one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I have ever had!

Before leaving town the next morning, we stopped by downtown Manchester for breakfast. We settled on a real local place (those are always the best, right?!) at Up for Breakfast. Located in the attic of a building right downtown, this small, local hangout was delicious. I had one food on my mind the entire trip and was determined to have it for our last meal in Vermont: maple syrup. While we did buy some at the general store downtown Manchester (see below), I wanted to have it on French toast while there, too. Maybe it was my imagination, but I think maple syrup tastes better in Vermont! One note on Up for Breakfast: it’s a cash only restaurant.

What to Do in Manchester, Vermont

While we didn’t have a ton of time, we did manage to take in some of the sights. The downtown area of Manchester has the quintessential small town New England charm. With shops and restaurants, there are a lot of cute places to discover. Our favorite find in the downtown area was an Italian store, Fortuna’s. We picked up some authentic pasta and sauces and this cavatelli and mushroom quick dinner. We actually tried it last night for dinner and it was delicious! They even have an online store you can shop here.

As for shopping, there is an outlet mall in Manchester that has quite a few stores. We had planned to stop by, but got distracted when we saw the general store. As I mentioned, I was determined to get maple syrup! We picked up a few “touristy” things at the general store, including several types of maple syrup. Let’s just say we will have syrup for the foreseeable future! **And yes, we did a maple syrup tasting! Our last shopping stop of the trip was a stop at the Orvis Flagship store to pick up a toy for Ella. She loves her new squirrel toy!

Traveling to Manchester, Vermont

As I mentioned, we drove to Manchester from Boston (it was a little over 3.5 hours with our detour through New Hampshire). But if you are not within driving distance, I would suggest flying into Albany. It was only a little over an hour from New York’s capital and the drive was gorgeous!

My hope was to see Vermont with the leaves changing, but since our trip was planned around the wedding, we didn’t have much control over it. You could see some leaves beginning to change, but we were a few weeks too early. From what we learned from Manchester locals, there is a fine line between fall and winter if you are planning to trip to see the changing leaves. The first snow last year was mid-October (!!!) so that is something to keep in mind when planning your trip to Vermont!

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Thanks for stopping by, friends! I hope you all have a great rest of the week and weekend. See you back here on Monday for a new outfit post!