Bennington is 143 miles NW of Boston and 126 miles S of Burlington. Manchester is 24 miles N of Bennington.
Southwestern Vermont is the turf of Ethan Allen, Robert Frost, Grandma Moses, and Norman Rockwell. As such, it may seem familiar even if you've never been here before. Over the decades, this region has subtly managed to work itself into America's cultural consciousness.
The region is sandwiched between the Green Mountains to the east and the rolling hills along the Vermont-New York border to the west. If you're coming from Albany or the southwest, the first town you're likely to hit is Bennington -- a commercial center that offers up low-key diversions for residents and tourists alike. Northward toward Rutland, the terrain is more intimate than intimidating, with towns clustered in broad and gentle valleys along rivers and streams. Former 19th-century summer colonies and erstwhile lumber and marble towns exist side by side, offering pleasant accommodations, delightful food, and -- in the case of Manchester Center -- world-class shopping.
These outposts of sophisticated culture are within easy striking distance of the Green Mountains, enabling you to enjoy the outdoors by day and goose-down duvets by night. The region also attracts its share of weekend celebrities, as well as shoppers, gourmands, and those simply looking for a brief and relaxing detour to the elegant inns and B&Bs for which the region is widely known.
Bennington, Vermont's third largest city, owes its fame (such as it is) to a handful of eponymous moments, places, and things: The Battle of Bennington, fought in 1777 during the American War of Independence; Bennington College, a small, prestigious liberal arts school; and Bennington pottery, which traces its ancestry back to the first factory in 1793, and is prized by collectors for its superb quality.
Today, visitors will find two Benningtons. Historic Bennington, with its white clapboard homes, sits atop a hill west of town off Route 9. (Look for the miniature Washington Monument.) Modern downtown Bennington is a pleasant if no-frills commercial center with restaurants and stores that still sell what people actually need -- not so much a tourist destination as a handy supply depot. Downtown is compact, low, and handsome, boasting a fair number of architecturally striking buildings. In particular, don't miss the stern marble Federal building (formerly the post office), with six fluted columns, at 118 South St. The surrounding countryside, while defined by rolling hills, is afflicted with fewer abrupt inclines and slopes than many of Vermont's towns.
