Planning a Trip

Getting There -- It's easy to get to Rutland. By car, the city is at the intersection of two old U.S. highways, U.S. Route 7 and U.S. Route 4. Burlington is 67 miles to the north and Bennington is 56 miles to the south via Route 7; Woodstock is 25 miles east on Route 4, across the mountains. Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL; www.amtrak.com) offers daily train service from New York City via the Hudson River Valley; the ride takes about 5 1/2 hours. Surprisingly, Rutland is also served by daily direct flights from Boston on Continental Connection (tel. 800/523-3273; www.continental.com); the flight takes 1 hr.

Visitor Information -- The Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce, 256 N. Main St., Rutland, VT 05701 (tel. 800/756-8880 or 802/773-2747; www.rutlandvermont.com), staffs an information booth at the corner of Route 7 and Route 4 West; it's open daily from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. The chamber's main office is open year-round Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm.

Festivals -- The Vermont State Fair (tel. 802/775-5200; www.vermontstatefair.net) has attracted fairgoers from throughout Vermont and beyond for more than a century and a half. Expect clowns, carnival rides, live music, cows (and lots of other agricultural exhibits), and plenty more; admission is about $6 per adult per day, with discounts for kids. There's also a small charge for parking. It's held from late August through the first week of September at the expansive fairgrounds on U.S. Route 7, just south of the city center on the right-hand side as you leave town. Gates open at 8am daily.