Family Friendly Gravel and paved road routes in Vermont ...

[IFRider]

Folks,

Just booked vacation in July in Woodstock VT, Stowe VT and Shelburne VT. with the family. We are taking the tandems (Co-motion Periscope) to ride with our 9 year olds. We have been running them in gravel grinder mode with Ritchey Cross tires for some rail to trail riding with great success and I am planning on bringing the cross tires for dirt road and regular Gatorskins for road. I am looking for recommendation for rides with scenic and interesting stops for lunch and kids. Kids are good for 15 - 40 milers. Any recommendations for good loops in the area are much appreciated.

Also, any insight in the mountain biking at Von Trapp Family Lodge is appreciated? Are the trails more double track, carriage road or hard core single track.

Finally, bonus points for dining recommendations for dinner also appreciated.

Thanks,

Warren

[572cv]

Folks,

Just booked vacation in July in Woodstock VT, Stowe VT and Shelburne VT. with the family. We are taking the tandems (Co-motion Periscope) to ride with our 9 year olds. We have been running them in gravel grinder mode with Ritchey Cross tires for some rail to trail riding with great success and I am planning on bringing the cross tires for dirt road and regular Gatorskins for road. I am looking for recommendation for rides with scenic and interesting stops for lunch and kids. Kids are good for 15 - 40 milers. Any recommendations for good loops in the area are much appreciated.

Also, any insight in the mountain biking at Von Trapp Family Lodge is appreciated? Are the trails more double track, carriage road or hard core single track.


Finally, bonus points for dining recommendations for dinner also appreciated.

Thanks,

Warren
Well, I'll have to try to tool up a few rides for you in the Champlain valley....

Burl since most of our rides include a bakery at at least one point, I'll start with a ride from Vergennes to Middlebury and back. It's about 26 miles. There is a bakery at either end. In Middlebury, the Otter Creek Bakery. The chocolate chip cookies with candied orange peel are bomber. The olive twists are notable, and, well, you can't go wrong most anywhere on the menu. In Vergennes, other Vergennes Laundry is not a laundry, though the location was one previously, but it has been reincarnated as a wonderful bakery. Mouthwatering. French. It is, basically astounding. Oh, and the ride between, yes. Go south on green street, from the light in the center of town by the green. There is a long hill after you get out of Vergennes, but not too bad on grade, and that is the worst you will encounter. Go straight, over hill and dale, past the morgan horse farm and on to Midd. Ontheway back, head out to weybridge (rt 23) and take that all the way to rt 17. Hang a right, cross a bridge and then an immediate left on maple st, all the way back to Vergennes. Take the kids to the second bakery. It will be their best bike ride ever.

I'll think through my list of kid friendly restaurants for you and post again.

Cheers!

[alessandro]

What Deux Chevaux said.

In general, avoid Rt. 7 in Shelburne and Rt. 100 in Stowe-lots of traffic.

In Shelburne-Charlotte, there are plenty of quiet paved roads, and some gravel.

Here's a paved 25-mile loop with lake views, a covered bridge, Green & Adirondack views... everything except an obvious lunch spot:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2685441
Lunch thoughts: You can stop for a creemie or cookie at Vermont Cookie Love, at the corner of Stage Rd. and Rt. 7, at mile 13.4. An alternative for sandwiches/baked goods is the Old Brick Store in Charlotte--at mile 7.8, turn left at Ferry Road and go to the store at Ferry Rd. & Greenbush Rd. Then continue the route by going south on Greenbush.

For dinner, I usually stay in Burlington, so I am not so familiar with Shelburne restaurants. I highly recommend American Flatbread in Burlington, but you have to go early to get a table, and parking can be hard on summer weekends. But the kids will love it, and a visit to the B&J's scoop shop on Church St. afterward.

Ask the folks at Trapp Family Lodge about mellow dirt rides. There is a lot of gnarly singletrack in the Stowe-Waterbury area, and much of the road riding is uphill. For a bakery, go to Black Cap Coffee on Main St. in Stowe.

For dinner, go to Frida's Taqueria in Stowe: www.fridastaqueria.com
(http://www.fridastaqueria.com) Good food, reasonable prices, and they don't have punitive reservation policies, unlike a lot of places in Stowe. Just across the street from Black Cap Coffee.

Don't know about Woodstock. I found this gravel route, but no idea on how lumpy it might be: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Pomfret-Dirt-Ride

[alessandro]

Here are some ideas for Stowe: http://bikestowe.com/bike-maps/

Look at the 21-mile and 13-mile road loops. On the 13-mile loop, on the east side of Rt. 100, at Gold Brook/Stowe Hollow/Covered Bridge Rd., is Emily's Bridge: http://www.emilysbridge.com/

Also, the Stowe Rec path is 5.5 miles long, and is very pretty, offering great views as it crosses and re-crosses the river. But it is a multi-user path.

Another thought for dinner: A half-mile up Rt. 108 from the upper end of the rec path is the Matterhorn, a restaurant & bar that has all of these things: a classic skier's bar; a pool table and live music; a separate dining room; good burgers etc.; and very good sushi. Really.