Yes, Orvis is a pricey retail store, but it’s so much more. Its flagship store in Manchester has the ambiance of an Adirondack lodge, but one where you can buy all the outdoor clothing and gear you would ever need. Beyond that, Orvis runs fly-fishing and wing-shooting schools from its Manchester operation, and the price includes all the equipment you need to make it happen.

If you’re curious to know what a little drug money can do for you, make a trek to the Merck Forest and Farmland Center in Rupert. The center, comprising more than 3000 acres of field and forestland in the southwestern corner of the state, is a nature lover’s paradise with its hiking trails and campsites. In keeping with its mission to promote sustainable farmland and forest management, the center runs workshops on trail tending, identifying wild plants and managing small herds of livestock.

The Vermont Country Store is not so much a retail experience as a trip down memory lane. The store, which takes up much of downtown Weston, sells things that nobody else does anymore: antique-style gadgets, soaps and powders that no longer appear on drugstore shelves, candies that were once sold in a glass jar for a penny or two. If you’re over 50, this will bring you back. If you’re under 50, well, you can Tweet about it.

The Dorset Playhouse — in a renovated historic barn on Cheney Road — has hosted the Dorset Theatre Festival for more than three decades. The professionally produced plays are not your typical summer fare: This year, they’re doing St. Nicholas, Merton of the Movies, The Hollow, Marry Me a Little and Alice in Wonderland. Speaking of ideal settings, Dorset is a picture of summer wealth.

The Manchester-based multifaceted arts center is a sophisticated enterprise comprising the Wilson Museum, the Yester House Gallery, a sculpture garden, an education center and a café, among other things. The Arkell Pavilion has been hosting musicians, singers, dancers, actors and writers for 50 years — don’t miss the Ellis Marsalis Trio on July 24. The setting is the 400-acre Manchester estate of Gertrude Divine Ritter, and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The galleries and gardens are closed on Monday.

His father was born in a log cabin and later became the 16th president. One generation later, Robert Todd Lincoln built his ancestral home in this scenic village. On a promontory in a quintessential Vermont landscape it has breathtaking views of the valley and mountains. Home, exhibits, gardens, and trails on 412 preserved acres. Gardens, walking trails, farm animals, exhibits. Open daily June - Oct. from 9:30 to 4:30. November - May: 11:00 to 3:00, Thursday - Monday. Closed Tuesday, Wednesday and major holidays. Cross-country skiing mid-December to mid-March weather permitting: 9:30 to 4:30.

For thrill seekers and family entertainment Vermont’s largest summer fun park is exhilarating for all ages. America’s longest Alpine Slide, Vermont’s largest waterslide, minigolf, trampoline things, Pig Dog’s fun park for toddlers, a multifaced climbing wall, café, special events throughout season for entire family.