Homes & Holidays: Travel - Home from home

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Mar 7, 2004 | by MEL BRODIE

IN the autumn tourists flock to Vermont to see the red, yellow and golden leaves of fall. But America's third smallest state has just as many charms in the spring and summer when the colours are lush green...and it is much less crowded. Vermont is incredibly warm and welcoming. It is mom's apple pie America - all white clapboard buildings, maple syrup, covered bridges and, of course, Ben & Jerry's ice-cream. The best way to see the state is to hire a car and stay a night or two at inns or B&Bs along the way. The people are charming, the pace is sedate and the scenery is breath-taking. This is where we go off the beaten track for the most romantic stays in some of our favourite inns. With the dollar at an all-time low there's never been a better time to visit America. There's only one thing to worry about in New England - your waistline. Breakfast in Vermont is a serious affair, discovers MEL BRODIE...

GOSHEN/GREEN MOUNTAIN

RELAX and get freshly-aired. From the number of "Beware Moose" signs on the roads, you'd think the forests would be full of the beasts, but sadly we failed to see one. However, hiking around Romance Mountain and Rattlesnake Cliffs surrounded by such beautiful scenery more than makes up for it. Griffin, the enormous resident wolf-hound at the Blueberry Hill Inn, where we were staying, will happily accompany you on moose-seeking expeditions, or just up the hill to the beaver dams. A short drive away is the Robert Frost Trail with poems to read along the way. It takes about an hour and is delightful.

WHERE TO STAY: Blueberry Hill Inn (www.blueberryhillinn.com). A room for the night, including four-course dinner (you bring your own booze) and breakfast, costs from pounds 55 per person. Outside flutter a Dominican Republic flag and Union Jack, which is upside down. "I've explained how the bloody thing hangs at least three times but they just don't get it," says expat owner Tony Clark, who owns 132 flags and flies a relevant one for whoever is staying. BREAKFAST: Home-made granola, pancakes...the works.

LUDLOW AREA

VENTURE down the hill to Weston's two competing stores chockfull of vintage Americana. From soda fountains to maple mustard to woolly hats, these are general stores in the most general sense and you should set aside at least an hour for each. A little further afield is Woodstock. Not the hippy New York Woodstock, but a smart, wealthy town which is home to both Rothschilds and Rockefellers, and brimming with galleries and antique shops. Have lunch at the amazing Simon Pearce Glass Blowing Studio at Quechee, then take the 15-minute walk along the Quechee Gorge, 170ft above the Ottauquechee River with dreamy views.

WHERE TO STAY: Inn at High View, Andover

(www.innathighview.com). Rooms from pounds 75. Our favourite place. Friendly vibes simply ooze out of this beautiful, cosy home- from-home. Greg and Sal run the inn and nothing is too much trouble. Chipmunks chatter in the trees outside the bedroom window, two mad spaniels play inside and the huge grey sofa that curves round the log fire is irresistible.

BREAKFAST: Pancakes, blueberries, raspberries, maple syrup and sausages.

The Wilburton Inn is a real treat

TAKE a trip down the 7A highway to Bennington, a picture-perfect Vermont village, and catch the lift up the tallest building in the state, the Bennington War Monument, for fantastic views. On the way stop off at Hildene, the home of President Abraham Lincoln's son (Robert Todd Lincoln), an amazing house in Georgian revival style built overlooking the Battenkill Valley. Manchester is a shopper's paradise. There are designer outlets all over town that offer great bargains on clothes from fashion houses like Armani, Ralph Lauren and Versace. When you've finished, recover in one of the local pubs. And then try and leave before closing time.

WHERE TO STAY: The Wilburton Inn (www.wilburton.com). Rooms from pounds 60. A grand 20-acre Victorian estate at the end of a winding country road. The traditional bedrooms in the old house are delightful. The sculpture garden is remarkable - this is not just a random collection of objets d'art, it is an intellectual tour de force.

BREAKFAST: The choice is enormous (bread is home-baked) and the spectacular views from the dining-room are enough to put a spring in the step of even the grumpiest "I hate mornings" person.

Chill out at the Stoweflake Resort

IN the end, we didn't even go ice-cream sampling at the Ben & Jerry's Factory here ...we had discovered so much else to see in Vermont. However, we did sneak in a luxurious Couple's Retreat Spa Treatment at The Stoweflake Mountain Resort. It felt really naughty as we were left naked together in an aromatherapy bath before the therapists returned for a candlelit massage (from pounds 230 for two). After a scenic 5.5-mile cycle ride along the Mountain Road we collapsed at Ye Olde England Inn for a little piece of real England in New England. There is a roaring open fire and a selection of English beers. The boyfriend declared his Boddington's the best he'd ever tasted outside of Manchester. Chris, the English-born landlord, is proud of his cellar, and will entertain you with stories of Deep Purple boozing into the early hours here.