In the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire, Norwich is known as an Ivy League bedroom community for professors at Dartmouth College, across the Connecticut River in Hanover, N.H., and doctors at its affiliated hospital. But the sprawling town, with miles of hiking and skiing trails, the country's oldest flour company, and a renowned children's museum, also draws visitors for its own virtues. The town had an early military connection: In 1819, Norwich became home to the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy, the country's first private military academy. Granted a charter by the state in 1834 as Norwich University, the school moved to Northfield, Vt., in 1866, after a fire devastated the campus.
River runs near it
Vermont town offers hiking, skiing, and may cultural attractions
Recreation in Norwich tends to be of the outdoors variety. The Upper Valley Land Trust maintains about 4 miles of cross-country skiing and hiking trails on the old Cossingham Road Farm (603-643-6626, uvlt.org) as well as other trails in town. The Appalachian Trail cuts through Norwich and heads across the Ledyard Bridge into Hanover, N.H. Pick up local trail guides in Norwich town offices in Tracy Hall (300 Main St., 802-649-1419, norwich.vt.us). For children (and adults), the Montshire Museum (1 Montshire Road, 802-649-2200, montshire.org, adults $9, children ages 3-17 $7) is a hands-on paradise. You can learn about physics by balancing a beach ball on a blast of air; or observe a glass-enclosed honeybee colony; or find out how long you would need to pedal a bike to power the museum's elevator one story. The museum also has a two-acre outdoor Science Park, which includes a walking tour of the solar system, with scale models of the planets, and miles of trails on its property and along the Connecticut River.
For the kitchen conscious, King Arthur Flour (135 US Route 5 south, 802-649-3361, kingarthurflour.com), the country's oldest flour company, offers classes in its Baking Education Center, from Beauty and the Baguette to the Twelve Days of Cookies. There are also a few farms that sell vegetables, including Killdeer Farm Stand (163 US Route 5 south, 802-649-2852, killdeerfarm.com), open mid-May through October and weekends in November. The stand sells produce and plants from the farm, as well as locally produced cheese, maple syrup, and meat. If you're in town on a Saturday between May and October, swing by the Norwich Farmers Market (Route 5 south, norwichfarmersmarket.org, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.). Local producers sell their vegetables, fruit, plants, honey, and cheese, often there is live music, and you may get to see a sheep shearing.
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