Vermont’s Hidden Gem: Bennington

Vermont’s Hidden Gem: Bennington 【Accessible by Public Transit】🚍🌿 Scrolling through posts about Vermont on the bus one night, I was instantly hooked! No overthinking—off I went～ ✨ The town of Bennington is incredibly welcoming—you can get there and back entirely by bus and train, which is a total lifesaver for New Yorkers who don’t drive but want to visit Vermont! 🚌🚂 Here’s the route: Take an Amtrak train to Albany, then switch to an Amtrak bus to Bennington. Just note there’s no Uber or Lyft in town—you’ll be exploring on foot👟—so I recommend booking a hotel in the town center to save time and energy～ 🏨 Day 1: Afternoon Among Fall Leaves and a Monument I set off from the hotel at 2 PM, wandering west toward the Battle Monument, passing First Old Church along the way🏛️. The streets were carpeted with crisp, clean fallen leaves, crunching underfoot, and the autumn vibe was so thick you could almost touch it🍂—every snapshot felt like a cozy postcard. For $8🎫, you can take the elevator to the top of the Battle Monument. Throw open the windows, and the surrounding mountains, forests, and fields stretch out before you, with colors as vibrant as a spilled paintbox—it’s stunning!🔭 Day 2: Hiking and Slow Town Vibes I dragged myself out early to hit White Rock Trail～ Along the way, there were gurgling forest streams💧, and I even spotted an adorable little rodent (sort of like a chipmunk!🐿️). Pro tip: Stop at the white rock overview viewpoint halfway up⚠️—going further gets you nothing but trees, no views at all, so don’t bother! By the time I hiked down, it was noon, so I took it easy with lunch in the town center. Highly recommend the outdoor seating at Benner’s Bagel and Pizza🥯! The autumn breeze, warm sun☀️, and distant tinkle of wind chimes🎐 made it so relaxing I could’ve napped. Strolling around downtown afterward was pure bliss: tons of hidden gem antique shops🏺, and a chocolate store so fragrant I could barely tear myself away🍫! If you’ve got energy left, swing by Apple Barn Country Bake Shop—their fresh-pressed apple cider is crisp and sweet🍎, and the apple pie is flaky enough to crumble🥧—definitely try it! The town is also dotted with artist-made wildlife statues🦌🗿, tucked into corners like little surprises—I wanted to snap a pic with every single one. The biggest “challenge” of the trip? Exploring entirely on foot, which was tiring👣. But that’s exactly why I got to experience “immersive travel” for the first time—wandering past houses, checking out locals’ yards and lawns🏡, peeking into street stores I’d never notice otherwise. In two days, I covered all the main streets, and it truly felt like I’d the town—so satisfying😁. Even better were the kind people I met: a family who gave me a ride to the monument just as the rain hit👨👩👧👦, the front desk guy who upgraded my room for free because the neighbor’s dog wouldn’t stop barking😉, the bus driver who ran a block to show me another stop🧍♂️… Their kindness made me love this town even more～ ❤️ #NewYorkTravel