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Green Mountain getaway

Culture, history blend well in Manchester, Vt.

The Factory Point Town Green and the former grist mill pond are across Depot Street from designer outlets in Manchester, Vt. The Factory Point Town Green and the former grist mill pond are across Depot Street from designer outlets in Manchester, Vt. (Ron Driscoll/Globe Staff
)
By Ron Driscoll
Globe Staff / October 28, 2009

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MANCHESTER, Vt. - It seems a mix of Robert Frost and J.R.R. Tolkien, this southwest corner of the Green Mountain State with its unofficial designation as “The Shires of Vermont.’’ As it turns out, there is more than literary background to the moniker. A “shire town’’ in the 18th century was the county seat, and in Bennington County, the duties are still split between the “north shire’’ of Manchester and the “south shire’’ of Bennington. Look for the stately county courthouse in Manchester Village, across the road from the Equinox Resort, which was established in 1769.

Stay
The Equinox (3567 Main St., Route 7A, 800-362-4747, www.equinoxresort.com) is at the heart of Manchester Village, a historic district that, though part of the town, also has its own board of trustees. Fresh off a $20 million renovation and with an eclectic array of activities including archery, falconry, golf, spa, and an off-road driving school, low-season rates start at $149 weekdays, $199 weekends, and a current special adds a $50 designer outlet store credit to that rate (see below). The Inn at Manchester, just down the street (3967 Main St., 800-273-1793, www.innatmanchester.com), dates from the 1880s and offers 18 rooms from $155-$295, with breakfast.

Dine
Shopping lures folks from Boston (175 miles), New York City (215 miles), and all points between, so we were pleased to find Ponce Gourmet (468 Depot St., 802-362-4433, sandwiches and salads $6.95-$11.95) in the heart of the shopping outlets. Amber Hamilton and Ron Rodriguez opened their “West Coast-style’’ bistro-bakery in mid-2008 and offer fresh-made soups, pastries, breads, and meals. One recent morning they had caramel cream mascarpone crepes with cinnamon and maple syrup, with fresh fruit, for $6.95. Maple syrup rules in Vermont, no matter the other influences.

Zoey’s Double Hex Restaurant (Routes 11 and 30, 802-362-4600, www.zoeys.com, lunch and dinner $7-$18.95) offers hearty fare on the outskirts of town, including what Vermont Magazine has called the state’s best burger, served on bread baked nearby at Zoey’s Deli and Bakery. By the way, “double hex’’ is a good thing - it means double welcome in Pennsylvania Dutch.

During the day
It’s easy to while away the better part of a day at Northshire Bookstore (4869 Main St., 802-362-2200, www.northshire.com), an independent seller established in 1976. It moved to a former inn at the crossroads of Manchester Center in 1985, and also sells music, cards, and various treats at the Spiral Press Café. There are hundreds of staff book recommendations on cards affixed to the shelves. Upcoming author events include Jan Brett (Nov. 6), Ken Burns (Nov. 30), and Stephen King (Dec. 2).

Manchester boasts more than 40 designer outlets (1601 Depot St., www.manchesterdesigneroutlets.com, 802-362-3736), housed in Colonial storefronts where they promise discounts of up to 70 percent. The deals must be real; you’ll see the telltale shopping bags being carted all around town.

Hildene (1005 Hildene Road, 800-578-1788, house tour $12.50 adults, $5 children, www.hildene.org) is the former home of Robert Todd Lincoln, the only child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln to survive to adulthood, and an important American figure in his own right. The family visited the Equinox when Robert was a youngster and planned to return in the summer of 1865, until his father’s assassination that April. Lincoln eventually returned in 1905 to build his estate, set on more than 400 acres with gorgeous views of the Battenkill Valley. New this year is an agricultural center that shows the cheese-making process, from milking Hildene’s farm herd of Nubian goats through the aging room.

After dark
The Perfect Wife Tavern (2594 Depot St., 802-362-2817, www.perfectwife.com), its tongue-in-cheek name courtesy of chef-owner Amy Chamberlain, bills itself as the premier local source for live music. On Wednesday-Friday and most Saturday nights, the tavern hosts acts playing anything from jazz to blues, funk to rock. Bands such as the acoustic Battenkillers, roots reggae Mo Ambesa, and soulful indie pop Sirsy dot the upcoming lineup.

The Marsh Tavern was the first building erected on the site of the Equinox; it’s where Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys first plotted their role in the American Revolution. Andy Avery plays classic rock on Friday and Saturday nights in the Falcon Bar here.

Ron Driscoll can be reached at rdriscoll@globe.com.

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.