Everyone knows Vermont’s Woodstock, Stowe and Norwich as the more famous “classic New England” towns near Hanover, but a bunch of hidden gems can be found in our lovely neighbors to the South: “the Lebs” — Lebanon and West Lebanon. Next time you find yourself with a Saturday to kill, why not explore all that both places have to offer?
10:30 a.m.Start your day heading from campus out of South Park Street. Follow this road toward Route 120, and before going over I-89, make a left on Heater Road. You may wonder why you’ve stopped at a gas station, but this place doesn’t just have fuel for your car. It has fuel for your stomach, too. The Fort, or Fort Lou’s, as it’s lovingly called by many Dartmouth students, is one of the best breakfast places around. The decor is rustic, with wood panelling, checkered curtains and a real back roads American diner vibe. While it doesn’t have quite the same pizzazz as Lou’s Restaurant in Hanover (where breakfast specials can be as unconventional as raspberry chocolate chipotle pancakes), The Fort serves classic breakfast specials like bacon, scrambled eggs, toast and black coffee, and it does them well. And head baker Katrina Knot is in early every morning making muffins the size of your face, as well as delicious-looking carrot cakes, cream pies and crullers.
11:30 a.m.Once you roll out of The Fort, you might want to work off that bacon with some physical activity. Lebanon offers dozens of miles of hiking and biking, largely in the form of the Northern Rail trail, which crosses back and forth over the Mascoma River. The trail starts at the Witherell Recreation Center and ends in Danbury. For those who aren’t super hiking-inclined, don’t fear. This trail is listed as “family friendly,” which one could infer to mean easy. For more seasoned hikers and bikers, the trail’s beauty still makes it well worth the trip.
1 p.m.Once you’ve built up your appetite again, head over to Lebanon’s quaint town square and find Three Tomatoes Trattoria, an Italian restaurant located in the heart of downtown Lebanon. The lunch portions are cheaper than the larger dinner portions, so it won’t break the bank if you go there in the afternoon. If you’re in the mood for Mexican cuisine, stop by Gusanoz. Don’t let its location in a strip mall fool you. The restaurant has great ambiance and serves up some delicious enchiladas, burritos and guacamole made table-side. Our favorite dish, however, has to be the chicken quesadillas. And as an added bonus, it’s less highly trafficked by Dartmouth students, so unwanted facetime is kept at a minimum.
2:30 p.m.After lunch, head into West Lebanon — only a few short minutes away by car. We’re pretty accommodating, so here we’ll let you choose your own adventure.
Option one: Pull into the Home Depot parking lot and stop to play mini golf or hit some balls at the driving range at the Fore-U Golf Center. The course isn’t too difficult, but it’s a great way to challenge your friends to a little springtime competition. And afterwards, we dare you not to stop at famed hot spot Ice Cream Fore-U. Considered to be the holy grail of ice cream for post-sophomore summer Dartmouth students, this Upper Valley staple offers dozens of flavors of ice cream and soft serve, sundaes and floats. Be warned though — the “small” is the average person’s double scoop!
Option two: If it’s a super hot day (what are the odds of that?), you might be more inclined to stop by the Ledges, a local watering hole located on Trues Brook Road. Although the stop seems inconspicuous, after a short trek through the woods, you’ll be surrounded by beautiful waterfalls, natural pools and rocks to tan on. You’re going to have to wait a few months for this one — we can’t even imagine a time when our skin wasn’t transparent from paleness.
6 p.m.Finally, end your day in West Leb right next to the Home Depot (who would have guessed a hardware store would be a mecca for town attractions?) at Koto, a Japanese restaurant very similar to Benihana. To fill up a whole table, go with a large group and be amazed as the chefs chop up, flip, stack and fling ingredients from a flaming stove onto your plate.
If you’re not tired after a packed day on the town, stop back in Lebanon at the Entertainment Cinemas movie theater. If the new movie you’ve been dying to see isn’t at the Nugget, chances are you’ll be able to find it in Lebanon. It really is the “big city” in these parts, isn’t it?