We had a great stay at Alpine Lodge in North Creek. We rented two rooms -- the 2-bedroom Eagle's…read moreNest and the 1-bedroom suite -- and both were great. Daphne, the manager, was very helpful when I called and also with all of our back-and-forth texts. At one point, my niece accidentally double-locked the bathroom doors, and housekeeping couldn't get them open. Totally our fault, but the hotel still refunded our late checkout fee without me even asking, which was really nice of them. It's honestly such a charming place. This was my second time staying there -- I was there about 10 years ago and loved it then too. I'm already looking forward to going back next year. The location is also perfect if you're rafting with North Creek Rafting Company. It's about a 5-minute walk, which made things really easy. The Eagle's Nest had plenty of space for breakfast and just hanging out comfortably. I really don't understand the 1-star reviews. I guess you can't please everyone, but we had no complaints at all. Thanks again, Daphne!

Staying at the Alpine lodge gives you a big ole welcome home Adirondack style. The owner took a…read moreclassic Adirondack motel and updated everything with great attention to detail. The rooms were extremely comfortable and quaint. We enjoyed the common spaces that included a fire pit with a charcoal grill. There was a lovely outdoor structure with a stone fireplace and seating area that was being used by another couple. The lounge inside had a lot to offer and made us feel at home. If I'm Back in the Adirondacks I will be seeking out the other venues that the Weekender company has to offer.

Painted high on a brick wall, this artwork was done by artist Mary Lacy in Summer 2015. It is a…read morefemale ruby-throated hummingbird and it is 28 feet tall, more than 100 times the size of an actual hummingbird. She extends across the building at the corner of St. Paul and College streets. The artwork was commissioned by the American Flatbread, the craft beer and pizzeria place that is on the other side of the wall. As it's overlooking a parking lot, you can't miss it. [Review 1643 of 2024 - 132 in Vermont - 22666 overall]

Oh dear, decisions decisions about the wonderful potential of The Shirt Factory. An old warehouse…read more type facility, multiple floors transformed into close to 50(?) smaller spaces that could be a retail gem! Many unique art spaces, photo studios and (maybe overly specific) shops all with highly varied hours leave this huge spot feeling eerily empty. You can walk around the entire space and literally there may be 5 or 6 places open out of 50. Uggh!!! They do have a wonderful gallery that showcases the best art from local school children and young adults which is surprisingly awesome. ALso Food Truck Thursday is pretty neat outside on the grounds (although we could seriously do without the county fair fried dough and cotton candy trucks). Social distancing enforced with divided picnic tables that are effectively wiped down between seated parties. Oh and craft beer- beer is good! Ultimately, what could really help would be hours 2 days a week where all shops were guaranteed to be open, say Thursday's and Saturday's 2-6pm and A SMALL MARKETING BUDGET for the building as a whole, standard signage on the OUTSIDE of the building letting potential customers what's INSIDE... Come on people, I know I'm not the only person who has drove past this place and thought, "What's up with that big building- is it open? what's inside? Common sense stuff could fix that issue. The potential is HUGE here because right now it's just a big boring building filled with interesting retail thats never open...

Almost 9 months later, I came back for another food truck rally this summer. Boy has this place…read moregrown! They now have 3 different outside areas packed with vendors selling food, creations, & services & it's incredible to see how much it's grown. There's still not a lot of signage though, especially inside, so it's extremely easy to get lost and confused inside the building, or even outside if you're looking for a certain vendor at the pop ups. I do wish that more consistent hours would be implemented here. When I went to this most recent food truck rally, I of course poked my head inside too to check out the shops and almost every single shop on the second floor was shut up, and a good majority in the basement as well. Nearly the entire first floor was open, and about 1/2 of the third floor. These businesses are missing out on a great opportunity! Why isn't it required for them to be open during these events? As a buyer it's disappointing, and as a local it's frustrating when you're trying to buy local yet the locals aren't taking advantage of such a great opportunity. Parking has become a bit of a nightmare during these events, which just goes to show how popular they've become, but on a regular day it's pretty easy to find parking here or right on the streets nearby.

Beautiful and well maintained park in Saratoga springs. I enjoyed walking around and taking in the…read moresights. Lots of ducks on site and they came up to us, as it seems they may be used to people feeding them. I didn't have anything to give them so they were curious for a moment and then let us be. Enjoyed the fountains and gardens on display. If you're brave try a sip of the mineral water.

Congress Park is beautiful year round. It's well maintained and just a lovely place to rest as well…read moreas walk around. It's very picturesque and it's located in downtown Saratoga Springs. It's pet friendly and a great place to come alone, or with friends and or family. Where else can you have a picnic as well as shop nearby? I also highly recommend stopping into the Saratoga History Museum located in the Canfield Casino right inside the park. It's a very interesting place to spend an hour or so. A must do when you're in town!!!

This is their original location on Frog Hollow…read more ++. Ambiance is an interestingly laid out art gallery with a small event space with an iconic view of Middlebury Falls. +++. Well curated mixed media pieces: paintings, potteries, tiny to big sculptures that appeal to traditional as well as fun eclectic collectors. +. Prices are high, reflect quality object of desire. ++. Service is pleasant. =. Parking is street but tight on Mill St.

If you're a Middlebury College student or a resident of Middlebury town looking for a quick escape,…read moreyou might find yourself here. This place is a free art gallery at the end of Merchant's Row that's open to the public. Here, you can walk in and look around at all the art pieces. I reckon that the gallery doubles as a marketplace for art buyers, as there are price stickers attached to all the pieces. The art here is also quite expensive! (I suppose most fine art is. Makes sense.) There's something soothing about walking around the gallery. Perhaps it's just the small town atmosphere that fills the town. Edgewater is just so easily accessible if you ever find yourself wandering around in "downtown" Middlebury. It serves its purpose well as an art gallery, no complaints. (Though, I recall seeing plastic vegetables mounted on a wooden board being sold for several hundred dollars. Everybody's a critic, including me.) This place serves as a great way for local Vermont artists to get their name and work out there. I hope that when I come back, I'll see some new pieces-- otherwise, these artists likely aren't selling their work!

Family gathering (we had 4 rooms in the Lodge) for 3 days, 2 nights. Terrific setting for all ages…read more Our group included grandparents, adult children & 3 toddlers. Loved the Lodge decor & space, coffee station in lobby & daily choc chip cookies in the lobby. We used the game room, the indoor pool, the hang out areas. Favorite spots were the beach, snack shack, deck overlooking the lake. Beach swim area PERFECT for toddlers!! The sand was great & resort provided beach toys, chairs & beach towels (so helpful!). Loved the open grassy areas, fire pits & cute chairs, playground & mini golf. Only gripe was our lower level rooms were musty & water stain on shower ceiling (Rm 211) - would be easy to fix that stain. Daily housekeeping for the rooms is included but slow (I had to request it 3 times in one day; finally done around 4:30pm). Overall we would totally recommend this resort. VERY family-friendly! We made terrific memories & would definitely return. I just think a bit more refreshing of the rooms would elevate the experience to remove the negatives.

The Lodge at Schroon Lake was home for two nights at the start of a trip to the Adirondacks and my…read morehusband and I were pleasantly surprised by our visit. We had plans to ski nearby Gore Mountain but the wind and a -40 degree windchill kept us from the slopes. This turn of events left us with more time than we expected at the lodge. Lucky for us, there were plenty of available on-site activities to keep us cozy and entertained. Highlights included: - Indoor heated pool & jacuzzi: What a luxury in the dead of winter! Spacious indoor area with large windows to house their pool, kiddie pool, and jacuzzi. Lounge chairs, tables, etc. Ample supply of pool towels, easy access to bathrooms, and separate changing areas so you don't have to walk through the lodge in your suit. - On-site activities: Board games available with ample seating near a fireplace. Large bar area. Group activities like bingo. The list goes on. - Comfortable rooms with useful amenities: Large televisions (great as the Olympics were on!), soft beds, mini fridge, Keurig, and the like. - Proximity to Downtown Schroon Lake: Although there was dining available on-site, it was nice to have a number of restaurants to select from 5 minutes down the road (and a stellar view of the frozen lake anytime you're pulling out of their property). - Hot drinks & snacks: I enjoyed some free cookies and hot beverages available in their lobby and main bar area on several occasions. Speaking of their property, the drive in among their towering trees is impressive. Lots of variety in the type of accommodation you can book. Ample parking. Great with snow removal and ensuring guests can get in and out. Staff were very helpful. Only snafu we encountered was right at check in. The heater in our first room sounded like a jet engine taking off with an incurable rattle. It was late but the front desk was very responsive and moved us to another room. Unfortunately, the room was quite a trek and was only accessible via stairs (which was a bummer as we had quite a few things we needed to drag in). To our delight, on trip 2 to our vehicle, the front desk stopped us and offered a 3rd but much closer room that became available after a last minute cancellation (which we gladly accepted). They didn't have to do that but we really appreciated them keeping us in mind. We were also granted a slight extension on checkout given our change in plans. Would definitely stay here again!

One of the larger and more impressive Civil War Monuments, this one simply says "Middlebury, To Her…read moreSoldiers." The monument depicts a soldier in Civil War uniform grasping a flag and standing atop a multi-layered granite pedestal. Figures depicting an artilleryman, a cavalryman, a marine, and an infantryman stand at the four corners of the pedestal's central section. The granite is from the Barre VT quarry and it stands 32 feet tall. [Review 18489 overall - 88 in Vermont - 2011 of 2022.]

Sadly this is another one that bit the dust. There were beautifully crafted works of many…read moredifferent mediums. It will be missed dearly.

Cool place to get Vt crafts. Get unique and beautiful gifts for your friends and familyread more