3 Best Sights in Northern Vermont, Vermont

Recognized as one of the world's leading craft-beer producers, Shaun Hill runs his brewery out of a bucolic Greensboro farm. Though it's off the beaten path down a relatively empty dirt road, beer lovers find their way here to sample and buy whatever is available. Many restaurants and pubs throughout the state serve some of Hill's offerings, but this is the only place to buy bottles, cans, and growlers. The selections change regularly—check the website for details. This one's a must for craft brew aficionados.

The 30-minute tours at the famous brand's factory are unabashedly corny and only skim the surface of the behind-the-scenes goings-on, but this flaw is almost forgiven when the samples are dished out. To see the machines at work, visit on a weekday but call ahead to confirm if they will indeed be in operation.

Routes 14, 5, 58, and 100 make for a scenic drive around the Northeast Kingdom, so named for the remoteness and stalwart independence that have helped preserve its rural nature. You can extend the loop and head east on Route 105 to the city of Newport on Lake Memphremagog. Some of the most unspoiled areas in all Vermont are on the drive south from Newport on either U.S. 5 or Interstate 91 (the latter is faster, but the former is prettier).