It happens a lot when you travel to a new place, or a place that has sat a few miles down the road for a number of years, you have no idea what to do when you get there. Modern technology makes this dilemma easier these days, but there is still always the age old question, what is there to do, and if you have an idea, what is there to do after the first place? Well, if you’re travelling on Route 100 and decide to go onto Route 15 towards Johnson, Vermont, here are some things that you could do for a beautiful, off the beaten path, kind of day.
If you are an occasional ‘I could go for a bike ride today,’ or avid biker you could take a ride on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. The LVRT is a 93-mile trail that cycles up Northern Vermont from the Connecticut River Valley and continues on to within two miles of Lake Champlain.
As you bike (or drive) along, you’ll see an old barn that houses one of our Vermont Flannel™ locations (162 E Route 15 Johnson). A flannel lover’s haven, the store is packed with a variety of “flantastic™” goods to keep you in perpetual comfort, as well as other made in USA items from a variety of vendors!
Current Hours:
Mon-Thurs 9:00-5:30
Fri-Sat 9:00-6:00
Sun 10:00-5:00
Moving along, don’t be afraid to check out the different Farmer’s Markets that are cropped along the road. Fully established and small stands, depending on the day, will provide you with locally grown and fresh products, ranging from vegetables and fruits to pies and jellies.
If you are not hungry, you could please your mind with other people’s reminiscences of the past with a few of the antique stores that plot the road into town.
If you’re feeling one with nature, stop at Scribner Covered Bridge, one of Vermont’s many wooden covered bridges (one of Vermont’s claim to fames). Right in the middle of nowhere, something this beautiful state has in abundance (Rocky Road Johnson, VT 05656).
Once in town, I highly recommend that you find a place to get a creemee, and a maple one at that, another only-in-Vermont specialty. A Creemee is not soft serve, it is rich creamy deliciousness, and the maple flavor is like none other.
For the end of the day, you could take the scenic route and drive up and through Smuggler’s Notch Route 108. Labelled as one of Vermont’s most dramatic roads, enjoy the overarching trees, the many twists and turns, and boulders along the way.
Enjoy your ride on the Flannel Side!