Ingredients are sourced directly from more than 60 local farms, resulting in elevated comfort food dishes such as a regional classic, Cheddar Ale Soup, made with prized cheddar from Grafton Village Cheese and Switchback Ale brewed in Burlington. But I was pretty impressed with the Taconic’s own restaurant, the Copper Grouse, which perfectly fits the New England aesthetic and serves local fare celebrating the Vermont’s farm bounty in all four seasons, with an emphasis on local specialties like artisanal cheeses. The hotel is with walking distance of many of the town’s very best restaurants, including the Reluctant Panther, Silver Spoon and the Chop House. Photos from the local historic society line guestroom and hallway walls, and modern bathrooms have spacious walk in showers. The lobby is inviting, and spills into the Living Room, where the evening wine reception is held in front of a double-sided fireplace. While less than a year old, the Taconic looks like a longtime part of town, with its white clapboard exterior, wrap around porch and residential feel. The hotel has spacious and comfortable modern rooms but they are designed with New England flair and local materials, including oak furniture, with thoughtful touches like locally made in-room walking sticks (for both kids and adults), and there are three free standing cottages in addition to the conventional rooms. All of this comes with no pet surcharges. The concierge was well informed on nearby off leash hiking trails and swimming holes - including plenty within walking distance of the Taconic. Breakfast on the classic outdoor New England terrace was also dog friendly and popular with traveling owners, and Manchester has several other pet friendly eateries with outdoor seating. I have stayed at other Kimpton properties around the country (I’ve stayed at most top hotel brands) but never with my dog, and it lived up to billing, from the warm welcome with lobby water bowls and gourmet biscuits to the retail shop with pet accessories to the in-room dog bed to the chain’s signature lobby wine reception each evening, which was overflowing with dog owners. The 87-room Kimpton Taconic Hotel is Kimpton’s first and only hotel in Vermont, and I recently stayed a weekend as a guest of the brand, mainly because Kimpton is known for being exceptionally pet friendly, and since I have to fly so much for work, whenever I can drive I try to only stay at hotels where I can bring my dog - plus, we don’t get too many high profile new hotel openings here in Vermont, where I live. Manchester also has its own homegrown retail scene, with one of New England’s most popular independent bookstores (Northshire Books), the factory and flagship store of culinary product and cutting board specialist JK Adams, and of course, the huge and gorgeous flagship store of Orvis, America’s oldest mail order retailer, stocked with a vast range of high end fishing gear, shotguns, and every outdoor bell and whistle you could imagine (they also offer fly fishing classes). Instead, the stores here are spread around town, fit more into the landscape than in most other places, and skew higher end, with the likes of Armani, Tumi and cashmere specialist TSE. It’s the closest major tourist town in Vermont to the huge New York metro area drive market, and is renowned for its upscale factory outlet shopping, a world apart from the ubiquitous outlet malls with low end brands and made-for-outlet merchandise. It’s full of attractions, outdoor activities, has one of the best assortments of restaurants in the northeast, and it is well located in an especially beautiful corner of the Green Mountain State. Manchester is one of the top tourist towns in New England, and for many good reasons. spots - but it's also a great tourism spot almost any time of the year. Vermont is world famous for its fall foliage viewing, and Manchester is one of the state's best.
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