Mountain Glow Meadow: Serene Dark Sky Retreat

Escape to a Central Vermont sanctuary for sunsets, moonlight, and stars. Nestled by a swimmable pond in a dark zone, our home offers a front-row seat to celestial events. Wake up to bird song, enjoy dockside yoga, cold plunges, and porch naps. Have a BBQ. Soak in the hot tub under a canopy of constellations, then drift to sleep to the sounds of owls, frogs, and coyotes. A 25 minute-drive from Montpelier on a quiet mountain road with few neighbors, this place will bring you deep relaxation.

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Explore the Area: East Calais, Vermont

You've found your way to one of Vermont's best-kept secrets. East Calais sits at the quiet heart of central Vermont — rural, unhurried, and surrounded by forest, farmland, and mountain views. It's not a ski resort town or a tourist corridor. It's the real Vermont, and from here, nearly everything the state is famous for is within easy reach.

You'll be within close proximity of some of the best outdoor recreation in New England — skiing, hiking, biking, paddling, and Nordic trails — all while keeping you grounded in the quiet, authentic Vermont that most visitors never find. This is your base camp.

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Your Quirky Local Neighborhood

One of the great pleasures of staying here is getting to know the local institutions that make this corner of Vermont unlike anywhere else.

Five minutes down the road sits the East Calais General Store — Vermont's oldest continuously operating general store, dating to the 1850s. Recently restored through a remarkable community effort, it's now a fossil-free gathering place serving breakfast sandwiches, coffee, fresh produce, beer, wine, local art, and fishing supplies. Stop in early, grab a coffee, and eavesdrop on the most Vermont conversations you've ever heard.

Within 15 minutes in any direction, you'll find a constellation of general stores that are anything but ordinary:

The Whammy Bar at Maple Corners — live music and cooked dinners on weekends in the back of a general store in a tiny hamlet. It shouldn't exist, and yet it does, and it's wonderful.

The Den at Harry's Hardware — live music and incredible cakes inside a hardware store. Harry's has become a genuine community hub, and the cakes alone are worth the drive.

The Fox Market — fun events, great provisions, and proudly self-described as "the best gay grocery store in East Montpelier." Welcoming, lively, and worth a stop.

The Adamant Co-op — one of the oldest food cooperatives in the country, tucked in the tiny village of Adamant. A general store, post office, and community hub all in one. Come for the provisions, stay for the spirit of the place.

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Montpelier: Vermont's Eccentric Capital (25 minutes)

On the drive in, watch for Bragg Farm Sugar House in East Montpelier — a classic Vermont sugarhouse that's been in the same family for generations, and the place to stop for a maple creemee (soft-serve maple ice cream) that will ruin all other ice cream for you. It's right on the way and worth every minute.

Montpelier is the smallest state capital in the country, with a population of just over 8,000 — and it absolutely punches above its weight. The gold-domed Vermont State House is free to tour and genuinely beautiful. The Vermont Historical Society Museum is one of the better small-state history museums you'll find. Hubbard Park offers great hiking right from the city center. For maple, Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks is a Montpelier institution — great for syrup, tours, and all things maple (sugaring season runs mid-March to mid-April, when you can watch production in full swing).

The dining scene leans hard into local and seasonal. The Capital City Farmers Market on Saturdays in the warmer months is a great morning stop — fresh produce, local crafts, live music. Wayside Restaurant, Bakery & Creamery has been a beloved institution since 1918. Lost Nation Theater and the T.W. Wood Art Gallery anchor a creative scene that's genuinely impressive for a city this size.

But the single most essential stop in Montpelier is Barr Hill — the cocktail bar and distillery at Caledonia Spirits on Gin Lane. Barr Hill was a James Beard Award finalist for Outstanding Bar (one of five best cocktail bars in the country), and the first Vermont bar ever nominated. Their spirits are built around raw local honey and wild juniper, and the result is something genuinely unlike anything else. The honey gin converted at least one of us from a gin skeptic to a gin devotee. Don't leave without tasting the maple vodka. Reservations are strongly recommended — this place fills up.

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Lakes, Ponds & Paddling

We are surrounded by water. The area is dotted with lakes and ponds that are perfect for swimming, paddleboarding, and kayaking — many with quiet public access and no motorboat crowds. Curtis Pond, Mirror Lake, and Nelson Pond are close by (10-15 minutes). Lake Elmore (25 minutes) has a lovely state park beach. Groton State Forest (30 minutes) has multiple swimming lakes — Boulder Beach on Lake Groton is a summer classic for swimming and picnicking, and Ricker Pond is quieter and beautiful. Groton also has a multi-use rail trail (the old Montpelier-Wells River Railroad bed), VAST snowmobile trails in winter, and seven state parks spread across 26,000 acres if you want to explore further. Ask us for local swimming hole recommendations — we're happy to point you to our favorites.

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Hiking

Right in town, the Calais Town Trail network covers over 14 miles through private farmland, forest, and fields — including Robinson Ridge, Calais Town Forest, and the Broadview Farm and Carr Brook trails near East Calais Village.

Marshfield Town Forest and East Montpelier Town Forest also offer beautiful trails, as does the Cross-VT Trail that is accessible from multiple spots within a 15-minute drive.

Chickering Bog (15 minutes) is a rare ancient peatland — an eerie, beautiful landscape of tamarack and spruce that feels genuinely otherworldly.

Mount Elmore (25 minutes) is a local favorite: a fire tower summit at 2,608 feet with sweeping views of the Green Mountains and New Hampshire's Presidential Range. Great for all ages, with swimming at Lake Elmore at the base when you're done.

Groton State Forest (30 minutes) has trails ranging from gentle lakeside walks to multi-peak ridge routes like the Big Deer and Little Deer Mountain loop through 26,000 acres of rolling hills, bogs, and dense forest.

Mount Worcester and Mount Hunger (30–40 minutes) are excellent half-day hikes in the Worcester Range with rewarding summit views.

Camel's Hump (50 minutes) is Vermont's most iconic summit — the third-highest peak in the state, with views spanning Lake Champlain, the Adirondacks, and the White Mountains. A full day out, but one of the best hikes in New England.

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Mountain Biking

Calais Town Trails — ride from the doorstep
Worcester Trails (~15 min)
Millstone Trails, Barre (~25 min)
Bolton Valley (~45 min) — lift-served and cross-country trails
Sugarbush (~55 min) — lift-served bike park
Kingdom Trails, East Burke (~55 min) — widely considered the best mountain biking in New England

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Nordic / Cross-Country Skiing

Craftsbury Outdoor Center (~30 min) — one of the top Nordic centers in the country, 100km of trails
Highland Lodge, Greensboro (~35 min) — groomed trails, lake views, classic Vermont lodge
Camel's Hump Nordic (~40 min)
Bolton Valley Nordic (~45 min) — 100km of trails
Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe (~50 min) — America's first commercial Nordic center, 110km of trails
Stowe Mountain Resort Nordic (~50 min)
Kingdom Trails / Dashney Nordic at Burke (~55 min)
Jay Peak Nordic Center (~60 min)


Downhill Skiing

Cochran's Ski Area (~30 min) — beloved community hill, incredibly affordable
Bolton Valley Resort (~40 min) — high base elevation, great snow, family-friendly
Stowe Mountain Resort (~45 min) — Vermont's premier ski destination
Smugglers' Notch Resort (~45 min) — legendary family skiing
Sugarbush Resort (~55 min) — two mountains, excellent terrain variety
Mad River Glen (~55 min) — skiers-only cooperative, old-school and legendary
Burke Mountain (~55 min) — a hidden gem with a racing heritage
Jay Peak (~60 min) — the most natural snowfall in the East