Entertainment

Movies

The Village Picture Show - Routes 11&30. Manchester, VT. Call 802-362-4771.

Plaza Movieplex 9 - 9 Rutland St., Rutland, VT. Call 802-775-5500

Westway Cinema - Westway Shopping Plaza, West Rutland. Call 802-438-2888.

Live Professional Theater

Dorset Playhouse - professional theatre in a building constructed from pre-Revolutionary War barns. 104 Cheney Rd., Dorset, Vermont. Twenty minutes south. Call 802-867-5777. Tickets $10-40. Credit cards accepted for phone orders. Curtain 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, Saturday at 4 and 8 p.m., Wednesday at 2 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.

Weston Playhouse - 703 Main St., Weston, Vermont. About 40 minutes south. Call 802-824-5288. Tickets $28-47.

Concert Series – The Castleton Summer Concert on the Green. Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Castleton, Vermont. About 25 minutes north.

Personal Care

Green Door Spa - Manchester Village, VT. 802-362-1528 or greendoordayspa.com.

The Equinox Resort & Spa - Manchester, VT. Call 802-362-7872 or www.equinoxresort.com.

Attractions

Ben & Jerry's - tour their world-famous ice-cream factory and have a sample in Waterbury, Vermont. About a two hour drive north.

Billings Farm and Museum – first-rate family fun, instructive on farm life and animals, well-maintained. In Woodstock, Vermont. An hour north.

Fly-Fishing - Learn Fly Fishing at the Orvis Fly Fishing School or visit the American Museum of Fly Fishing in historic Manchester village. A half hour south.

The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom – a multi-acre outdoor park on Route 9 between exits 19 and 20 of Interstate 87 in Queensbury (Lake George), New York. Visit sixflags.com/parks/greatescape/.

Hildene - the Lincoln Family home and grounds. See also this article on Hildene from Yankee Magazine.

Six Flags Great Escape – An Adirondack theme 38,000-square foot indoor water park in Queensbury, NY. Open year round. The waterpark is called White Water Bay and features a unique Texlon roof of transparent, lightweight material that allows Ultraviolet light penetration and tanning. Air and water temperatures remain at 80 degrees year-round. White Water Bay includes a unique beach setting and eight attractions. Visit sixflagsgreatescapelodge.com/indoor-waterpark.asp.

Guided Tours – Lara Bitler, Certified Hunter-Safety and 'Let's Go Fishing' Instructor. Call 802-235-1400 for rates. Guided hiking, hunting and/or fishing tours can be arranged -- for all levels from child to expert.

Hicks Apple Orchard – 18 Hicks Rd., Granville, NY. Call 518-642-1788. Apple grower, U-Pick, farm market, cider, cider doughnuts, gift boxes.

Merck Forest and Farmland Center – Rupert, Vermont. Call 394-7836 or visit www.merckforest.org.

Miniature Golf – Cones Point Miniature Golf - Route 30, in Wells. Open 9 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. daily. Call 287-9925. Adults $5, children $4.50. Discount for a group.

Simon Pearce Glass – world famous glass, watch them blow the glass or eat at their gourmet restaurant in Quechee, Vermont. Visit simonpearce.com.

Summer Alpine Slides - Neighboring winter ski resorts Killington, Pico, Bromley and Stratton offer summer alpine slides and scenic chair lifts. Vermont Farms – tour working farms…farmer’s markets…pick your own berries…go on hayrides. Call Vermont Farms! Association, Call 802-362-4771.Comprehensive information on Vermont - vermont.gov

Attractions

Bennington Museum/Grandma Moses in Bennington - Vermont. Where Grandma Moses lived and painted. The Bennington Museum is known as the trusted caretaker of the largest collection of Grandma Moses art and memorabilia available to the public. Its Gallery evoke the rich heritage of Vermont with collections of paintings to pottery to historical objects and fine furniture. 75 Main St. Bennington, VT 05201. Call 802-447-1571 or visit www.benningtonmuseum.com

The American Museum of Fly Fishing - home to the world’s largest collection of angling art and angling-related items, brings the history of fly fishing alive for anglers and others. On Historic Route 7A in Manchester, Vermont. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on major holidays. $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 5 to 14.

Green Mountain College Fine Arts Center - Poultney, VT. Call 802-287-8398.

Norman Rockwell Exhibition - where Norman Rockwell's models are your tour guides, at the Arlington Gallery in Arlington, hometown of Norman Rockwell 1939-53, on historic Route 7A. 45 minutes south.

The Robert Frost Stone House Museum - Frost's house is in Shaftsbury, Vermont on Historic Route 7A, a short distance from his gravesite in Bennington. The museum features Gallery in the house where Frost lived and the rooms where he wrote some of his finest poetry. His fourth book was published during this period and for it, he won his first Pulitzer Prize. Frost wrote "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" on a hot June morning in 1922 at the dining room table. The grounds include stone walls, birch trees, fields and woods and even some of Frost's original apple trees. Call 802- 447-6200.

Shelburne Museum – World-famous multi-acre huge museum beside Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont. Visit www.shelburnebuseum.org. About a hour and a half drive north.

Southern Vermont Arts Center - Vermont’s Premier Home for The Visual and Performing Arts on 407 acres. West Road, Manchester, VT. The Elizabeth de C. Wilson Museum exhibition space in 2006 presents From Cassatt to Wyeth: American Masterworks from the Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Memories of World War II: Photographs from the Archives of the Associated Press and Rosita Marlborough – Recent works: After Morocco. The Arkell Pavilion features in 2006 The Manhattan Transfer, Bucky Pizzarelli and Family, jazz cabaret singer Jane Monheit and the Tommy Dorsey Orehstra, Walter Cronkite, Marine Colonel and author of Thieves of Baghdad, Mathew Bogdanos. The Yester House Gallery features major annual and invitational exhibitions. Also, the Madeira Education Center for art classes and workshops year round, the Sculpture Garden throughout the grounds, the Boswell Botany Trail, the Garden Café and the Gift Shop. the Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, 12-5 p.m. Admission: non-members $8, students $3, members and children under 13 free. Phone: 802-362-1405, www.svac.org. Box office 802-362-2522. 30 minutes south.

The Sterling and Francine Clarke Art Institute – Noted private collection. In Williamstown, Massachusetts. Visit www.clarkart.edu. An hour and a quarter south.

Vermont Institute of Natural Science - Woodstock, Vermont. www.vinsnaturecenter.org. An hour and a quarter north.

Restaurants

Wells Country Store – coffee/tea, wonderful home-made muffins, breakfast sandwiches, regular sandwiches, home-made pies. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Scottie’s – Route 149, Granville, NY. Inexpensive country breakfasts, lunches, dinner.

McDonalds – Intersection of Route 149 and Route 22, Granville, NY.

The Barn Restaurant and Tavern – good dinners, $10 specials. Pawlet, Vermont. Call 802-325-3088 or visit www.barnrestaurant.com.

Rathbun’s Maple Sugar House Restaurant – Great breakfasts. North Granville, NY. Call 518-642-1799. Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mach’s Brick Oven Bakery Wood Fired Pizza – The best pizza around. Pawlet, Vermont. Call 802-325-6113.

No. 1 Chinese Restaurant – Take out or eat in, 70 Quaker St., Granville, NY. Call 518-642-3281.

Whipple City Pizza – Take out, in Granville, NY. Call 518-642-2472. Pizza, subs, burgers, wings, etc. In Poultney (7 miles north on Route 30)

Tot’s Diner - Main St., Poultney.

The Trolley Stop - Recommended by Rye Chalet guests from France. 143 Main St., Poultney, VT. Call 802-287-5858.

Perry’s Restaurant - Main St., Poultney. Inexpensive, family fare. In Castleton (14 miles north on Route 30)

Iron Lantern Restaurant & Tavern – Excellent food. Try their flat iron steak. Old Route 4A, Bomoseen (Castleton) VT. 802-468-5474 Lunch and dinner.

Birdseye Diner - Main St., Castleton. Call 802-468-5817.

Lakehouse Pub & Grille - Route 30 north, Bomoseen (Castleton). Call 802-273-3000. Lunch and dinner.

Angel’s Garden Café - At the Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester. Reservations suggested. Call 802-366-8298. In Manchester (20 miles south on Route 30)

Bistro Henry – Authentic French. Routes 11/30, Manchester. Call 802-362-4982. Open Friday and Saturday for dinner.

The Black Swan - 4384 Main St., Manchester. Call 802-362-3807.

Candeleros Southwestern Grill – Mexican food. 5103 Main St., Manchester. Call 802-362-0836.

Garlic John’s - Italian cuisine in a casual setting, Rts. 11/30, Manchester Center. Call 802-362-9843.

Laney’s Restaurant – Fun atmosphere, good food, great ribs, wood-fired pizza. Routes 11/30, Manchester. 802-362-4456 or www.laneyrestaurant.com.

Manchester Bar & Grill - 1844 Depot St. (Routes 11/30), Manchester. Call 802-366-8282.

Maxwell’s Flat Road Grill - a family restaurant, Routes 11/30, Manchester Center, Bingo and Karaoke. Call 802-362-3721.

Mulligans - Manchester Village, Route 7A near the Equinox Hotel. Call 802-362-3663.

The Perfect Wife Restaurant and Tavern - Chef-owned. Reservations 802-362-2817.

Ralph Liu Sushi Bar - 4971-3 Main St., Manchester, Vermont. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Call 802-366-1888.

Spiral Press Café – funky décor, free wireless Internet, free computer use in the Northshire Bookstore, Manchester, Vermont. Good sandwiches, salads, coffees, teas, soups, desserts. Call 802-362-9944.

Ye Olde Tavern - “circa 1790.” 5183 Main St., Manchester. Call 362-0611 or visit www.yeoldetavern.net.

Zoey’s Double Hex Restaurant – Manchester, Vermont. Call 802-362-4600

Zoey’s Deli & Bakery – Excellent sandwiches, salads, home-made potato chips. Manchester, Vermont.

Sports

Fishing

Fly fish - at world-famous Orvis Fly Fishing School in Manchester, VT or in local lakes and rivers.

Freshwater-Fishing - in Vermont’s many streams and rivers.

Ice fishing - in the winter. There are also several ice fishing derbies in the winter.

Golf

Right here - The Rye Chalet has its own golf pitching area.

The Lake St. Catherine Country Club - 2725 Route 30 in Wells, offers an 18-hole golf course and club house. It is open to the public for golf and for meals. Call 287-4060 or 287-9342.

Stratton Mountain Resort - ranked as one of the top courses in New England by Travel & Leisure Golf Magazine. Call 1-800-stratton or www.stratton.com.

There are numerous other golf courses within driving distance, such as Castleton, Vermont and Whitehall, NY, both about a 20 minute drive. Two PGA 18-hole championship courses are under an hour's drive: Killington's Geoffrey Cornish-designed par 72 course and the Golf Digest award-winning Green Mountain National Golf Course. Most courses are open mid-May through October.

Hiking

Just go out the Rye Chalet door! Wander the trails and brooks on the property. Or hike the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail, which cross Route 30 in both Manchester and Killington, Vermont. Or hike the Robert Frost Trail in Middlebury.

Kayak & Canoe Rentals

Sailing Winds Marina Rentals, on Lake St. Catherine in Wells offers motor boats, kayaks, canoes, sunfish, paddleboats. Call 287-9411.

Skiing

The Rye Chalet in Wells, Vermont is about midway between Killington, Pico, Bromley and Stratton ski resorts. Those skiing Killington or Pico often stop in Rutland for dinner at a wide variety of available restaurants en route back to the chalet. Those skiing Bromley or Stratton often choose to have dinner at one of the many excellent restaurants in Manchester on the way back to Wells.

In the summer, most ski resorts offer alpine slides and scenic chair lifts.