re: Vermont in the fall?

I was in Stowe just a few weekends back. Love that area.

A must eat is Doc Ponds. Best beer list I've ever seen at a restaurant. And it's not even close.

Idle Hands was a cool place to sit outside and have lunch while enjoying the beers from their brewery.

Went to a new place for dinner called Picnic Social and the food was outstanding. Worth checking out one night.

Of course Alchemist is there. Curb your expectations though - the beer is as good as always, but I really didn't like their new facility. It's nice, there's just no character - it's very sterile. And while it's nice to spend less than 5 minutes in line for Heady and Focal, it kind of takes away from the exclusivity allure it once had.

If anyone in your group likes cider, check out Stowe Cider Co. I'm not big into cider, but they had some different ones that were pretty solid.

Fair warning: Uber and Lyft do not exist in Stowe, so keep that in mind whenever you're going out to breweries.

As far as hiking goes, I didn't have a chance to hike, but I know there are lots of great trails in the area.