FALL GETAWAYS IN VERMONT

Peak color usually hits Burlington in early to mid October, though the lake has its own opinion about that most years. Some people plan their whole weekend around a single hike, a trip around a Brewery for Oktoberfest, a mountain biking trail, or a family-friendly day at one of our local orchards. Others want a good bakery, a slow walk down Church Street, and a bench with a view of the Adirondacks across Lake Champlain. Both work. There's more than two ways to spend a weekend here, too.

EXPLORE VERMONT IN FALL

Downtown Burlington sets the tone no matter who you brought with you. Church Street Marketplace is easy to wander solo with a coffee in hand, just as easy to fill an afternoon with friends ducking in and out of shops, and there's no shortage of restaurants nearby when it's time to sit down. Walk down to the waterfront after, where Waterfront Park has room for kids to run and benches made for a quieter moment with someone you love. Duck into the ECHO Leahy Center if the crew includes curious kids, or skip straight to a sunset Lake Champlain cruise, which somehow works for a first date, a family outing, and a solo trip all at once.

Then get in the car and let Vermont do the rest. A short drive out of Burlington puts you in full foliage, hillsides doing their thing on both sides of the road, easy alone, easy with someone, easy with a full car and a shared playlist. Stop at a maple stand along the way. Get the maple creemee (it could be the last one of the year), grab a jar of syrup, a fresh loaf of bread, whatever's on the table that day. For a date that doesn't require much planning, the drive up Mt. Philo, Vermont's oldest state park, ends at a summit view over the valley and Lake Champlain that does most of the romantic heavy lifting on its own. Ready to stay a while? Here's where to find places to stay close to all of it.