Making a Calorie-Loaded Food Loop

Should you choose to abandon calorie counting for a single day, you could visit Jeffery Hamelman at Hamelman’s Bakery in Brattleboro, Vt., or you could start a modified tour of bakeries and other food shops in Burlington, several hours north on scenic Lake Champlain.

In Burlington, visit Champlain Chocolates (grab a truffle while you’re there), then stop nearly across the street at Champ’s Chips, Vermont’s all-natural potato chip factory.

Head south along U.S. Route 7--Vermont’s most endowed collection of shops and food factories. About 10 minutes out of Burlington are two bakeries--Lilydale and Stewart’s--which are about five minutes apart. Further down Route 7 you will come to Vermont’s grandest estate: Shelburne Farms, a beautiful restored country estate that produces and sells Shelburne Farms Cheddar and also includes the O’Bread Bakery, one of the best in the state.

A few minutes south in the village of Shelburne, stop at Harrington’s, a shop known throughout Vermont for its outstanding corn-cob smoked hams, turkeys and meats. Following Route 7 for about 45 minutes will take you into the beautiful rolling farm lands of Addison County and into the college town of Middlebury, chartered in 1761.

Middlebury is home to several fine restaurants, including the Otter Creek Cafe, which many consider to be one of the finest cafes in the state. (Don’t miss the breads made with Vermont-grown grains produced by the state’s only grain farmer.) Middlebury is also home of the Vermont State Craft Center, which exhibits and sells work by the state’s finest crafts people.

Your return trip to Burlington could take you to other tourist attractions in the area, including the Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge, just a few miles from Middlebury. A little bit of Kentucky rustic, Vermont-style, Morgans is a working horse farm that can be toured.

And while you’re touring, dream fond dreams of your next bakery visit.