THE COMMUNITIES OF THE SHIRES
Hildene Photo by Lorianna Weathers Photography
MANCHESTER
Manchester anchors the North Shire just as Bennington does the south .
The town lies at the base of 3,807-foot Mt . Equinox , the highest peak in the Taconics .
Manchester has been a vacation destination since the mid-1800s . Once a summer retreat , it is now a four-season leisure center .
It ’ s home to a superb golf course , a legendary trout stream ( the BattenKill ), and the Lye Brook Wilderness with its woodsy hiking trails .
Robert Todd Lincoln ’ s historic home , Hildene , is perched on an escarpment overlooking the Valley of Vermont ; don ’ t miss the fully restored Pullman car , queen of the railroading era and a stop on Vermont ’ s African American Heritage Trail .
Manchester is synonymous with shopping . Charles F . Orvis got it started in 1856 when he opened a store called Orvis dedicated to fly-fishing and accessories .
The town is also home to many leading clothing brands , whose easy-toget-to outlet stores make bargain hunting a pleasure . For books and gifts , there ’ s the well-stocked Northshire Bookstore in the center of town , which hosts frequent readings by leading writers .
The snowboard was invented in 1977 by Jake Burton Carpenter in his Manchester garage . The leading seller of snowboards worldwide , Burton , is named after him .
COME EXPLORETHESHIRES . COM 22 FOR INFO CALL 802.447.2456