Manchester, Vermont

Atmosphere:

Manchester, Vermont is hands down one of my favorite places in the world. At first glance, it is just another tiny New England town with nothing more than pretty foliage and quaint barns. However, once you delve deeper, you will find a unique town with a vibrant art scene, wonderful cafes, and your new favorite bookstore.

Dining:

Having never actually sat down for dinner in this town, I cannot attest to its restaurants. However, a short drive away is the Red Fox Inn, in Bondville. The food and atmosphere is great, but reservations are needed and it can get pretty pricey.

The only place to go for lunch is the Spiral Press Cafe. Attached to the Northshire bookstore, this cafe has friendly service, fantastic food, and even lets you bring a book you picked up in the adjoined bookstore to read while you eat before buying the book.

Breakfast in Manchester doesn't get any better than Up for Breakfast. The name derives from its top floor position on a small building on one of the main streets.

http://www.redfoxinn.com/

Shopping:

For a tiny town, this town has great shopping. While there are weird artsy clothes you would expect from Vermont, there is also designer outlets for Pac Sun, Kate Spade New York, Vineyard Vines, Michael Kors, Coach, J.Crew, Betsey Johnson, Giorgio Armani, and many others.

The real reason to bring cash to Manchester is no doubt the Northshire Bookstore. This store is the type of place where a book worm can camp out for days. It has every book you can imagine, as well as lots of DVDs, CDs, gifts, and little knick knacks to brighten your room. The staff gives great suggestions, instead of the usual "Oh, you're a teenager? How about Twilight?". They're also very friendly and allow dogs! My favorite part is the massive cast-iron staircase that leads up to the children's sections.

http://www.northshire.com/

Entertainment:

Like a lot of family-centered towns, the majority of Manchester's activity happens in the summer, with concerts and events. However, there are year round art galleries that I would strongly recommend you take advantage of.

Overall:

The best part of Manchester is its proximity to the area. You're a short drive away from nature trails, The Green Mountains, historic mansions such as Hildene, and if you're a nature geek like me you'll want to stop by the VINS (Vermont Institute of Nature and Science), which is kinda like the Raptors Trust here in New Jersey. It has a lot of owls and hawks being rehabilitated, and also has nature walks. As you can see, Manchester is best for the nature-oriented. If you're in the area, it's a great day trip! Overall I'd give it an 8 out of 10.

http://www.hildene.org/

http://www.vinsweb.org/

Photo credit: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/15/53/55/manchester.jpg