Many Vermont inns and resorts were offering special travel deals to Vermont residents this summer (Vermont has some of the strictest travel restrictions of any state), so you did not have to ask us twice to take advantage! We haven’t lived here long enough to really get around more of northern Vermont, and we had heard nothing but great things about Basin Harbor.
So I have two words to describe Basin Harbor: Dirty Dancing! If you love the iconic movie, you will be so charmed by Basin Harbor. It’s a series of cottages scattered about, and I think the staff live on the property as well, which is just so neat!
So my husband had super-high expectations of Basin Harbor, he did not understand shabby chic, lol, so understand that it’s not like, a brand-new, pristine property with every amenity like a fancy resort. But that’s WHY I loved Basin Harbor, our cottage was so cozy and comfortable, there are no televisions (thank God!), cute little screened in porches, it reminded me a lot of my in-law’s home and the other homes I’m used to in Savannah, the only sparkling new thing there was the SUVs in the parking lot ha! But trust me, this resort is on-point.
The dining room was closed for dinner because of the pandemic, but my husband enjoyed the amazing breakfast buffet that he raved about all day. And then the first night we were there, we ate at the Red Mill on the property, I had a great lobster roll and it was a little lonely because it wasn’t that crowded, but I imagine in regular times it is super festive, and the food was quite good.
Friday night we signed up for the Argentinian Vermont barbeque, Basin Harbor is known for it’s North Shore dinners, outdoor dinners served right on the lake. I was a little disappointed in the barbeque but I hear that their New England seafood night is amazing, and the view is gorgeous so don’t miss that!
There are all kinds of activities: swimming in Lake Champlain, sailing, kayaking, paddleboats, it’s a great place for kids and families. You can read all about everything they offer on their site, I just had to post because I really loved BH so much, I feel like I’ll be going back year after year!
An extra treat was driving up from Bennington on the Lake Champlain Byway, it is gorgeous countryside with rolling, lush green views! And if you need to take a break, we drove down to Middlebury and had an amazing hike up Snake Mountain, it’s about a 2 and a half hour round trip, and a fairly easy hike technically, the views from the top are spectacular!
And you can of course dine on property at Basin Harbor, it’s part of the experience, but we did hear great things about Black Sheep Bistro in cute little Vergennes (very cute!). And then for a treat we drove down to Goodie’s Snack Bar in Addison – omg! I am a huge fan of dairy bars and this is a great one! So if you need a little treat and a lovely drive on a summer evening, it’s worth the little (and lovely!) drive.
I cannot recommend Basin Harbor enough! Whether you live in Vermont or not, come visit and enjoy Vermont’s little Cape Cod!
