Ludlow Vermont restaurants

Some of the rolling grass hills of Vermont. (Photo: Vermont Summer image by bzphoto from Fotolia.com )

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Ludlow, Vermont, is a small resort town in the central part of the state that dates back to 1761. The town is home to Okemo Mountain Resort, one of Vermont's top family ski resorts. In addition to skiing in the winter and resort activities like golf and hiking in the summer, Ludlow is a picturesque New England town set in the Okemo Valley, amid the backdrop of the Green Mountains. Ludlow and the greater valley pride themselves on small, locally owned shops and galleries, where you'll find a collection of goods and services.

Step 1

Stop by Vermont Mountain Sugar House. While snow is Ludlow's main winter resource, visitors and residents turn their attention toward maple sugaring in the late winter and early spring. Vermont Mountain Sugar House is one of Ludlow's more famed shopping destinations. Here you can find locally made products like maple syrup, fudge, maple candy and gifts. Any shopping trip to Ludlow should include a stop here.

Step 2

Spend time shopping Main Street (Route 103) and Route 100. These adjoining arteries of Ludlow provide the town's main shopping, which includes such stores as Blue Sky Trading Company for gifts and jewelry, ClearLake Furniture for hand-crafted furniture and home decor, and Ludlow Country Store.

Step 3

Stop by the Ludlow Farmers Market. Each Friday during the summer and early fall, a farmer's market is held on the front lawn of the Okemo Mountain School on Main Street Ludlow. The market runs in the evening from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and includes local produce, artisan food products and crafts.

Step 4

Drive up Route 100. This classic Vermont thoroughfare allows you to travel between resort towns like Ludlow, West Dover, Rutland and Stowe, and to stop at local shops, attractions and restaurants along the way. Many of the shops and retailers listed by the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce are located on Route 100, and the road provides both a scenic drive throughout the year and a shopping road trip where you'll find antiques, crafts, sporting goods, home decorating shops and other retailers. Rutland, the largest city in the valley, has a variety of shopping, including a traditional shopping mall. Gorp.com listed Route 100 as one of its "Top 10 Scenic Drives in the United States."

Step 5

Head to Manchester for outlet shopping. One of Vermont's most well-known shopping areas, the Manchester Designer Outlets are located just 30 miles southwest of Ludlow. Here you'll find discounted outlet shopping for such name brands as Ann Taylor, Coach and Giorgio Armani. Brattleboro in southern Vermont also offers outlet shopping.

Tip

• Ludlow is a scenic destination year-round. Consider autumn travel to enjoy fall foliage, summer travel for warm weather and lush vegetation, early spring travel for maple sugaring and winter travel for skiing and snowy mountain scenery.