In short, there's not much one could want and not
find here.
Regardless of the season, you'll not be
in want for places to eat. The area offers everything
from candlelight dining to steak and seafood houses, Chinese, a Subway shop and
several great pizza places. Likewise, choices of accommodations are virtually endless and range from
full-service hotels and country inns to motels, B&B’s and campgrounds.
There are also rental
homes and condominiums of every variety, available for any length
stay.
During the warmer months the five lakes
immediately north of town along Route 
100 become the center of attention.
Here you can
swim, sail,
canoe, water-ski, fish…or BBQ dinner lakeside in Camp Plymouth State
Park. You can rent a canoe for a day, or
a lakeside home. Rent a mountain bike and
explore the countryside. Or play 18 holes on the 6400 yard, Par 70 Okemo
Valley Golf Course without ever leaving Ludlow.
Picnic, shop, visit the nearby Calvin Coolidge Homestead, or enjoy an outdoor
concert. It is all here in Ludlow, or within a few short minutes!
The village is also home to a number of craft shops, an antique barn,
and the Fletcher Farm Crafts School.
Also make sure to check out the history
of the area, it includes everything from gold mining to incredible train
wrecks! A good place to take a look back in time is at the Black River Academy Museum.
Today’s Ludlow
exists to serve the visitor! This has not always been the case, and
because of this, the town and the surrounding communities evidence quite
varied architecture. Prior to the Okemo
Mountain Resort becoming
the popular ski area it is today, Ludlow was very much an industrial
town. In its early days it was a mill town, and then became the home of
a General Electric plant until 1977. This is all long-gone, but makes
for a better understanding of everything from the architecture of a Main
Street condominium hotel to what might be assumed to be abandoned
railroad tracks.
Read below for a look at some neighboring
villages.
Plymouth, Plymouth Union, Tyson (Pop. 440):
These towns and villages are located along Route 100, north of
Ludlow. You won’t find Plymouth Union because the village no longer
exists even though some folks will tell you they live there.
Other
no longer existing villages in this area include Gold Brook, Money
Brook, Pinney Hollow, Hale Hollow, Weaver Hill, Frog City, Ninevah,
Kingdom, and Dublin. The first (but not the second) was named in the
days of the gold rush…in Vermont. And there’s still gold in them
there hills. Try your hand at panning while here…the supplies can be
readily found in downtown Ludlow.
If
you travel Route 100 North as far as Plymouth (at the intersection of
Route 100A), you will have passed four lakes on your right…Lake
Pauline, Lake Rescue, Echo Lake, and Lake Amherst. All are accessible to
the public for boat-launching, fishing, and the like.
Camp
Plymouth State Park on Echo Lake just north of Ludlow is a great
recreational site. It has a sandy beach, rental boats, wooded picnic
areas, and a refreshment stand. The park is immaculate and couldn’t be
in a more beautiful setting. Slide
Show
of Camp Plymouth State Park
Five minutes further north on Route 100 is the nationally renowned
Hawk Inn & Mountain Resort. Its many recreational facilities are
available to the public on a fee basis, This includes everything from
sailboat rentals during the warmer months to ice skating in winter. Its
River Tavern is also open to the public.
Even non-museum-goers will want to visit the Calvin Coolidge
Homestead in Plymouth Notch, located almost immediately after turning
off onto Route 100A. This is a fascinating village with truly
interesting and historic exhibits, like the collection of unusual
carriages and sleighs. Enjoy!
Mt. Holly, Belmont, Healdville,
Hortonville (Pop. 1093): Most people from out-of-state would not
take note of these very small villages. Except for an extremely popular
small restaurant which serves excellent food and offers a very creative
menu, 
there's not much else in Mt. Holly of interest to visitors.
However, in winter, it's home to many who ski Okemo Mountain, less than
ten minutes away on Route 103.
Belmont is a bit different in that it is more like a village per se,
and it is closer to Route 100 than 103. And although it too attracts
skiers, it is also very much a summer place due to its beautiful locale
bordering Star Lake. This is truly a village forgotten by time!
Proctorsville &
Cavendish (Pop. 1323): These small mill towns are very much
identified with Ludlow and Okemo in that they house several popular
lodging establishments; Singleton's, a great general store
widely known for its meats; a fresh produce and fish market; and several
local shops. The villages are on Route 131, immediately east of Ludlow.
If for no other reason, drive Route 131 north from Route 103 to Downer’s
Corners for a ten minute drive along the Black River, a favorite of fly
fishermen. You won’t find many places more beautiful in all of
Vermont!
East Wallingford: East
Wallingford: Although East Wallingford is technically married to
Wallingford, geographically it is part of this area, located just off of
Route 103, the village after Mt. Holly heading northwest. The village
basically consists of a few homes, a general store, and a
wood-stove shop. During the warmer
months you’ll want to take Route 140 West toward Wallingford. This
short drive cuts through the northern boundary of the southern
section of the Green Mountain National Forest. And, for those who wish
to take an exhilarating hike to magnificent views, park at the trail
marker for Vermont’s famed Long
Trail and hike up to White Rocks.
The Area: The Ludlow & Okemo
Valley Area has two distinctly different identities. During summer
and fall it is very much identified with the string of lakes just north
of the village, and as a marketplace for those residing in, or visiting,
smaller neighboring communities. In winter, it is thought of as the home
of 
