Upper Green Mountains in the Spring
Top Picks in the Upper Green Mountains
In the spring, Vermont’s landscapes wake up from their long winter’s slumber into the riot and color of renewal. Maple sap flows in forests, warm days make for sunny spring skiing, and trees and flowers begin to bud. Hand-picked by the editors of Yankee Magazine, these 5 highlights are just some of what the Upper Green Mountains offer as the Green Mountains come alive.
Warren, Vermont
Pond Skimming at Sugarbush
Olympic organizers have so far missed out on the chance to liven up the Winter Games with a homegrown sport that hits the heights of goofy fun in Vermont—namely, pond skimming. But who needs the Olympics when you’ve got the nation’s oldest continuously running pond skimming tournament? In early April, just when ski season is winding down, spectators cheer as skiers and snowboarders attempt to skim across a 120-foot-long pond as an annual rite of spring. The idea: to see just how far across the water’s surface they can skim before they slow down and plunge in. Prizes are awarded for overall style, best costume…and, of course, biggest splash.
Waitsfield, Vermont
Canteen Creemee Company
Sweet, rich, and thick with milkfat and local maple, there’s no arguing that this soft ice cream is pure Vermont. You’ll find it everywhere from ice cream stands to sugarhouses and diners, but one of the best places to dig in is Waitsfield’s Canteen Creemee Company. The roadside snack stand is so popular, it’s been known to serve more than a thousand creemees in a single day. Its combination of fresh Vermont cream and real maple syrup is simple and divine. However, if you like going over the top, try the infamous Bad Larry, a towering sundae of maple creemee with maple drizzle, maple cookies, and maple cotton candy.
Jeffersonville, Vermont
Lajoie Stables
Touted as Vermont’s largest and only year-long horseback riding stable, this family-run business lets you experience the beauty of the Green Mountains from a new perspective. Experienced riders and novices alike can mount up here for guided trail rides along Black Creek and into the scenic foothills, with Mount Mansfield and Smuggler’s Notch visible in the distance. Rides are available daily by reservation, and routes and pacing are matched to the skill level of each group. While you’re at the stables, take a moment to say hi to the stables’ friendly miniature donkeys, Chippy and Vegas.
MADSONIAN MUSEUM OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
– Waitsfield, Vermont
From toys to typewriters to toasters, tricycles to telephones, the Madsonian celebrates the extraordinary in the ordinary. This quirky little museum is the brainchild of architect and inventor David Sellars, who assembled a collection of more than 2,000 artifacts that show the harmony that can exist between form and function. World-famous designers such as Raymond Loewy and Norman Bel Geddes, along with architects including Frank Lloyd Wright and Eero Saarinen, are represented in a range of objects that often provide brilliant solutions to the requirements of everyday life. Open most weekends and select days by appointment; call ahead to confirm.
THE CURRENT
– Stowe, Vermont
Founded in the early 1980s as the Helen Day Art Center, this Stowe institution rebranded in 2021 to better reflect what it’s become and where it’s headed. The result? The Current, which focuses on presenting contemporary art by creators from wide-ranging backgrounds, and creating a community space that’s welcoming and inclusive. In addition to year-round visual art exhibitions, it hosts an annual townwide outdoor sculpture show and an engaging lineup of public programs and workshops. For those looking for an artsy, upscale night on the town, The Current Gala in April is always a highlight of Stowe’s culture calendar.
More to See and Do
Places to Visit In the Spring
Yankee Magazine’s editors hand-picked 5 places to visit in each Vermont region. Explore things to do in spring statewide.
