SUMMER
This is the time when the Green Mountain state really shines. Every color green imaginable can be seen on the landscape. Like winter, there is every outdoor activity available.

Golf - There are several nearby golf courses and we are happy to assist you with tee times. Equinox, Stratton, Lake St. Catherine Country Club and Manchester Country Club.

Tennis – Equinox Tennis Center offers court time and instruction. There are free outdoor courts in Dorset and Manchester.

Hiking - Many hiking trails, including the Appalachian Trail, Long Trail and Mount Equinox are nearby. Check out Vermont Hiking Guide on line or click here for more info. Just a short drive from the inn is Merck Forest with over 2,900 acres of woodlands, meadows, ponds and streams.

Biking - There are many back roads and trails for biking in the area. Vermont Mountain Biking & Cycling Guide is a good resource. Look for trails in the Southern Vermont area. Battenkill Sports sells gear and also has group rides throughout the season.

Fishing – There are fishing opportunities everywhere…ponds, lakes, streams. Fly-fishing is nearby on the Battenkill or Mettawee Rivers. Get updates and licenses at Take Me Fishing. And the best part, Manchester is home to the world headquarters of the renowned Orvis with teaching ponds and the American Museum of Fly-Fishing. Private guided fishing trips with some of America's top instructors can be arranged with www.vtflyfishingguide.com, www.bissieux.com, www.thereelangler.com, www.outdoorswithjohnmorawski.com, or www.vermontfishingtrips.com.

Swimming is available at the nearby marble quarry, Stratton Pond, the snowmaking pond for the mountain, Emerald Lake State Park and Lake St. Catherine State Park both offering refreshing swimming and picnic sites.

Canoeing & Kayaking – Rentals for both are available at BattenKill Canoe Ltd. in Arlington and at several local lakes.

Fun for Kids & the Family – Bromley Thrill Zone offers alpine slide, mini golf, rides for all ages & many other thrills.

Horseback Riding - For seasoned riders or beginners alike at Horses for Hire, Kimberly Farms and The Mountain Top Inn & Resort.

Need more extreme? Extreme Adventures of Vermont can arrange all manner of exciting outdoor activities including unusual hikes, kayaking, rock climbing and much more.

DAY TRIPS FROM DORSET
Weston – This town is really a most charming rural Vermont village that sure comes alive in the summer.

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  The Vermont Country Store anchors the town with its many buildings of great merchandise treasures. From penny candy to house wares to clothing, it offers everything and fun for the family. Have lunch next door at The Bryant House.
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  Offering world-class professional summer stock theatre is the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company. A charming building, the playhouse also offers pre-theatre dining and a post theatre cabaret act.
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  All are welcome to visit The Benedictine Monks of the Weston Priory and to join us in our celebrations of common prayer each day. Our chapel, visitors' center, and grounds afford an atmosphere in which quiet reflection and prayer are accessible to all.
  
  

Manchester – The epicenter of most local activity and day-to-day conveniences, Manchester’s Main Street offers an abundance of activity and a shopper’s paradise. In addition to cafes, galleries and unique artisans and boutique shops, the Manchester Designer Outlets offer world class designer shopping at such stores as Ralph Lauren, Coach, Theory, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Escada, Kenneth Cole & many more…

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  Robert Todd Lincoln's ancestral home, Hildene, is preserved as a museum with spectacular views and beautiful surrounding gardens.
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  Offering the work of numerous Vermont (as well as others) artists the Southern Vermont Arts Center is located in a lush setting with gardens with ample space for a relaxing picnic lunch.
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  Drive the beautiful road to the peak of Mt. Equinox on the Equinox Skyline Drive, the highest mountain in the area at approximately 3500 feet. From the observation area at the summit there are breathtaking 360-degree views of beautiful southern Vermont, the White Mountains and the Adirondacks.
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  For the avid fisherman the Orvis Flagship Store is a dream come true with indoor and outdoor ponds with instruction. Also beautiful home and pet furnishings and men’s and women’s clothing.
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  British School of Falconry – Learn the art at nearby Hildene meadows.
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  Land Rover Driving School – Featuring off road course with instruction.

Woodstock & Quechee – Woodstock is a wonderful Vermont village with great shops and galleries, a large village green and a covered bridge in the middle of town. Four miles to the east is the town of Quechee with a number of attractions of its own.

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  The gateway to Vermont's rural heritage is the Billings Farm & Museum, a working dairy farm. Open daily, May - October. Watch the master glassblowers at Simon Pearce as they create the many pieces in the Simon Pearce collection, then shop for the pieces in their shop and gallery upstairs. Have lunch in the Simon Pearce Restaurant, a glass structure cantilevered out over the river and waterfall with breath-taking views.
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  The Vermont Institute of Natural Science is a raptor center where the nature of these magnificent birds is demonstrated in shows several times daily.
• A walking bridge over the river the Quechee Gorge is a gorge about 250 feet above the river. This can be hiked to from VINS.