West Meadow Bakery in Essex is gluten free, and other places have GF options. The Champlain Valley and Addison county are home to a number of Apple orchards with their own cideries so it is worth a drive down to check out Shacksbury Cider and Champlain Orchards, you can also go to Woodchuck in Middlebury (which is a big operation but their tasting room is nice). Stowe is always a mob scene in the fall, if I venture that way in October I’ve found an early start helps with the crowds. If you are in the Mad River Valley check out Lawsons.