Where to stay for a weekend in mid-April? (Ideally: stargazing/low light pollution, on a train line, scenic bike ride, tasty dinner)

Submitted by t-shirt-questforlove t3_11av5vh in vermont

Hiya, Vermont redditors! I'm a Rhody gal looking to surprise my partner for his birthday with a weekend trip not with a specific location in mind, but some hopeful elements. I've been up near Brattleboro last winter loved it (and the drive there!), but I'm otherwise unfamiliar with your beautiful state, so I'm seeking any help with concocting this gift. We're both recent transplants from the PNW and were spoiled with geologic marvels out there lol

Here's what I'm hoping to nail down:

  • Where's somewhere 11/10 excellent to visit mid-April? I can imagine it's a funky time weather-wise, but I'm looking for daytime nature sights that take your breath away
  • Dream scenario is: we take a train up to a stop in VT, then bike the rest of the way to an Airbnb/cabin where we can stargaze at night. I know it's tricky to nail down both a convenient train stop and somewhere feasibly bikeable this time of year due to the weather, but I'm being realistic — we're pretty resilient cyclists, but if it's gonna be a miserable ride, I don't mind knowing!
    • Aiming for 20 miles or less — I'm hoping to not have the whole day eaten up by travel, just looking for a pretty ride :)
  • Great stargazing locations accessible by some combination of transport that allows us to bring bikes. If we've gotta drive, so be it — we both just love taking the train, so it'd be really special to incorporate this!
  • Stargazing locations near-ish somewhere good for dinner? We're both foodies but not snobs — a good meal can be had anywhere. I know having food options/businesses available conflicts with low light pollution, though!

Any leads/suggestions are very appreciated! I love a good scheme, hoping to make this one special :^)

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Fantastic_Painter_15 t1_j9ub8j2 wrote

Probably won’t be as dreamy as you imagine. Vermont isn’t exactly the epitome of utopia in April

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t-shirt-questforlove OP t1_j9ubz6n wrote

Yeah — it's a tricky time of year, for sure. I'm not looking for dreamy so much as someplace with 1) a dark sky at night, should the weather be clear (oy) and 2) y'know — an ounce of variation in elevation, which RI simply does not have :(

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SilverKelpie t1_j9ufvz0 wrote

Draw up the plan and surprise him with it on his birthday, but choose another month to actually celebrate his birthday with the trip. April here is ugly. It’s too cold to be comfortable, but too warm for snow. The plants haven’t started blooming yet so everything still looks bedraggled from surviving winter. Literally any other month is better (although November is pretty dismal and its only advantage is being on the front end of winter instead of the back). Late spring/early summer you will have to bathe in bug spray.

I don’t know that a train will get you where you want to go. There isn’t much in the way of trains here, and they go to populated areas. Probably should drive.

I hear a lot about Kingdom Trails for biking. Willoughby is close if you want to play around at a big lake and hike.

You can use Dark Site Finder to help find the best places for stargazing. (Cool-colored areas give you the best possibility for seeing the Milky Way, the cooler the better.)

I don‘t having any particular recommendations for restaurants. Variety and fancy places are going to be in populated areas, away from the stars, but you can find a place to go wherever you land if you aren’t picky.

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StarstuffWildflowers t1_j9uh4n0 wrote

If you are able to drive, I absolutely second the NEK. Willoughby is breathtaking, and the NEK is just a unique little section of VT. Parsons Corner in Barton is a good place for a nice foodie meal, and Parker Pie in West Glover has excellent localvore pizza and beer. If you are able to come after Memorial Day, the weather will be nicer and lots of hiking and biking trails open.

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Unique-Public-8594 t1_j9u9yp7 wrote

> Hiya, Vermont redditors!

Hello.

> I'm seeking any help with concocting this gift.

There is a NewToVermont sub.

> Where's somewhere 11/10 excellent to visit mid-April?

Not Vermont. Vermont is dreary and ugly in mid April.

> I'm looking for daytime nature sights that take your breath away

Not in mid April.

> bike the rest of the way

Snow is not uncommon here in April.

> I'm being realistic

Not really.

> if it's gonna be a miserable ride, I don't mind knowing!

Unpredictable. Could be great could be awfully muddy.

> looking for a pretty ride

It will be dreary. Things don’t pretty up here til about June 1st but then black flies are brutal til about Father’s Day.

> we both just love taking the train

That’s cool. Not a lot of train stops I’m aware of

> Stargazing locations near-ish somewhere good for dinner. I know having food options/businesses available conflicts with low light pollution, though.

Yup.

> I love a good scheme.

Not sounding good though.

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t-shirt-questforlove OP t1_j9ubfj9 wrote

Hey! I caught that r/NewToVermont exists and checked it out, but the Visiting Vermont flair also was available. If this kinda question truly is inappropriate here, I'm down to relocate it.

I did mean that I'm being realistic — if it's not the place to be during that month of the year, so be it, but I'm not really seeking out beautiful weather. We're mountainless down here, so y'all do have that going for you year-round! Thanks for the input — I appreciate it.

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hotseltzer t1_j9uluu4 wrote

It's not just the weather that's subpar in April, but the scenery too. Just a bunch of bare sticks and lots (and lots) of mud, if there isn't snow. The mud can get pretty bad, so much that cars can get stuck on dirt roads, so I can't imagine what that'd be like on a bike. There are also guidelines in place regarding hiking during mud season to protect the trails and vegetation.

The trip you're planning sounds lovely, really, but as others have said, if Vermont is the goal, it's better suited for a different month.

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kaya-jamtastic t1_j9uhh4o wrote

It’s called mud season for a reason! Also the ticks in April and May have been truly terrible the last few years

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reverievt t1_j9ylck1 wrote

April is mud season. Many hiking/biking trails will be closed. Stick to paved roads.

But most of all, don’t come in April. Sorry.

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RZRPRINCESS t1_j9udfd6 wrote

Unfortunately, this plan may be best suited in the summer or fall months. April is definitely one of the worst months here; that's why the majority of us try to go on vacation for April. Once the ski areas shut down for the season, restaurants typically will take a little break until warmer weather and things ramp up for the summer season. It's honestly just a really hard time to gauge here, mud, snow, rain repeat, bare trees, super cold nights. Unless are those the conditions you enjoy? idk I'm not trying to burst your bubble about April, I just want you to have the magical trip you are searching for but being realistic about the time of year.

I can promise you any month from June to October will give you the amazing trip you are searching for. Good luck with your planning! :)

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mmartino03 t1_j9ubzt1 wrote

Vermont is pretty miserable in April. I wouldn’t count on dry bike paths, clear nights for stars or some restaurants even being open. Wait at least until early June if your want a trip anywhere like the one you described.

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butt3rbuck t1_j9v1cbu wrote

All my homies leave Vermont in April.

All jokes aside, you know what you’re getting into with April now. If you must come then, I second the Montpelier to Waterbury zone as the best train stop + bikeable terrain. There is an off-grid, bare bones Airbnb up on Scrabble Hill Rd in Duxbury, roughly an 8 mile muddy ride from the Waterbury station. Maybe it would fit your needs. And no I don’t own it, I’m just aware of it.

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StarstuffWildflowers t1_j9uacn0 wrote

You could look for a place in Middlesex. Close enough to the Montpelier train station to bike, and you would find good restaurants in Montpelier. Just be mindful that you are aiming to visit during mud season, which may make for a harrowing ride if you are using dirt roads.

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t-shirt-questforlove OP t1_j9ubp6x wrote

This is great — thank you so much! Yeah, it sounds like we'll need to have fenders on...or just drive 😅

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soscru t1_j9udrr0 wrote

I second this- Middlesex, moretown, and Montpelier are biking distance from the Amtrak station in Montpelier. There’s lots of hiking and trails around this area and breweries and restaurants in Montpelier and Waterbury area. You’ll definitely be able to see the stars if the sky is clear. I’m sure there’s AirBnBs around there too.

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littlebirdl t1_j9ujw2e wrote

Mud season here means you may be walking your bikes, because the mud can be like a foot deep on some dirt roads.

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NevilleTheCactus t1_j9v2eth wrote

I think enough people have pointed out that April isn't going to give you the ideal scenic excursion that you're looking for, and can be quite unpredictable with weather. So that being said, here's what I'd recommend:

Take Vermonter Amtrak to the Waterbury station. Explore Waterbury (amazing restaurants - Hen of the Wood, Prohibition Pig, plus Ben & Jerry's factory and Lake Champlain Chocolates factory) and then bike the 10 miles to Stowe. Again, more amazing foodie options in Stowe (Harrison's, Doc Ponds, Piecemeal Pies, etc.) plus Stowe has some of the best bike paths in Vermont, and cute Vermonty places like Cold Hollow Cider Mill, the Von Trapp Lodge, etc. If you want great views, perhaps hike up Mount Mansfield or take the Stowe gondola.

Or, take the Ethan Allen Express route to the Middlebury Amtrak station. Middlebury is a super cute college town with lots of food options and boutique shopping. From there I would bike the 19 miles to Brandon, which is a quintessential Vermont town that basically looks like Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. There isn't a lot of entertainment, but there are a few great eateries (Cafe Provence), art galleries, gift shops, and really beautiful scenery. Lots of trails and parks, and will be a bit more affordable than Stowe.

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adhdmamallama t1_j9vv9re wrote

As a native flatlander and frequent Vermont visitor, I can confirm that the mud in springtime Vermont is intense. Do not underestimate it. Deny the impulse to think “it’s just mud.” This is not the stuff of messy childhood mud pies. This is the stuff of bike devouring nightmares. My suggestion: make a cute Vermont themed birthday card that says “Surprise! We’re going to Vermont in June!”

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hagemeyp t1_j9v6jfc wrote

Mid April is still ski season!

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Meatloaf0220 t1_j9vjx49 wrote

Honestly don’t come in April. Still coldish, and usually muddy. Trees aren’t quite bloomed yet. It’s a very mediocre time in Vermont besides winter being over.

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drossinvt t1_j9wchl7 wrote

Id suggest Waterbury but Ben & Jerry's lights up our sky like Disney with their ridiculously bright and unneeded quasi stadium lighting.

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ztl123 t1_j9wok86 wrote

Take the train to the Middlebury Amtrak stop and ride out to East Middlebury. Stay at the Waybury inn and enjoy clear skies up on Middlebury Gap.

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devinettedelavie t1_j9x6ac7 wrote

Supposedly Hancock VT is 20 miles from Middlebury which has a train station. It’s a teeny town but fun area with a wicked neat air bnb I stayed in a few years ago.

https://abnb.me/aUeHxJTjHxb Could be worth checking out and adding to your list of possibilities.

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Aesopscorp t1_j9vrtfj wrote

Connect with stellafane group think out of Springfield.

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quinnbeast t1_j9wybht wrote

I think you want to go western Ireland, not Vermont.

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BiggusDickus46 t1_j9y2gis wrote

You may also be interested in the planetarium in St. Albans, in addition to what you and others have said.

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