(Published in 7 Nights 2008-09)

Addison County is a biker’s dream come true. The terrain ranges from flat, open expanses along the lake to rolling roads dotted with dairy farms.

(Published in 7 Nights 2007-08)

In the tradition of Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck, Michel Mahe likes to keep multiple irons in the fire. A Cornell grad, the French-accented chef left Ferrisburgh's Starry Night Café to open Black Sheep Bistro in Vergennes. He also designed the initial menu at Montpelier's Black Door Bistro and recently opened The Bearded Frog in Shelburne.

Visit Dakin Farm! See how time-honored skills and century-old tradition combine with the most modern smokehouse facilities to produce ham, cheddar cheese, Vermont Maple Syrup and other specialty foods that have been nationally recognized by publications from Boston to San Francisco for their unique flavor and quality. Free Samples.

Button Bay is one of the best beaches on Lake Champlain: The water’s clean, and you can rent canoes and kayaks right there. If neither swimming nor boating appeals, there’s always the area’s unique geology: flat round “button-like” rocks along the shoreline are great for skipping. Seventy-three campsites and 13 lean-tos beckon if you feel like staying over. Samuel de Champlain, Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold and Ben Franklin all did. PHOTO: CAROL DINGLEY