West from White River Junction, US-4 climbs upstream into the valley of the Ottauquechee River (auto-KWEE-chee) near Quechee, a second-home community to country-clubbing executives from Connecticut and Boston. You cross Quechee Gorge almost without warning, but adjacent parking on both sides of the gorge gives you a chance to take a longer look at the dramatic little canyon or to stretch your legs along the rimside hiking trails. East of the gorge there’s a tacky Quechee Village souvenir shop, which boasts a tiny train and a well-preserved streamline-style 1946 Worcester pre-fab that’s been incorporated into the Farina Family Diner (802/296-7911), a retro all-American roadhouse serving up the usual standards.
West of the gorge, you can turn north into old Quechee, a quaint town with a lumber mill-cum-art gallery selling Simon Pearce glassware. A Norman Rockwell-esque rope swing hangs under a covered bridge, and on lazy summer afternoons, local youths drop from it into the river below.
East of the gorge, Quechee State Park (802/295-2990) provides access to the Ottauquechee River and also has camping with hot showers. Next to the park is the new nature center of the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (daily; $8; 802/457-2779), an outdoor museum dedicated to local wildlife, especially raptors: Enclosures let you get up close and personal with hawks, eagles, owls and falcons.
