Smuggler's Notch (VT-108)

American Flatbread occupies the original farmhouse at Lareau Farm, a 25-acre property on the west side of Route 100 in Waitsfield, Vermont, just south of Waitsfield Village and north of the Mad River crossing. Open Thursday through Sunday evenings, the restaurant bakes thin-crust wood-fired flatbreads (pizza) using local Vermont ingredients in a hand-built outdoor earthen oven. The farm setting — river meadows, gardens, and the 19th-century farmhouse — makes it one of the most atmospheric dining stops on the VT-100 corridor. The restaurant has occupied this location since 1991 and is consistently cited among the best food stops in the Mad River Valley.

Vermont Route 17 crosses the Green Mountains via the Appalachian Gap ("App Gap"), the highest paved mountain pass in Vermont at 2,369 feet, in Buel's Gore. The road runs roughly 40 miles from Addison in the Champlain Valley east through Bristol, Starksboro, and Waitsfield to Mad River Glen. The eastern approach from Waitsfield packs 53 turns into 3 miles of climbing with sustained 15%+ grades through dense hardwood forest. The summit is within the Long Trail corridor; the Long Trail crosses the road here. The western descent to Bristol and Bristol Cliffs is equally technical. Frequently combined with VT-100 to form the classic Mad River Loop.

The Appalachian Gap ("App Gap") is the highest paved mountain pass road in Vermont, cresting at 2,369 feet on Route 17 in Buels Gore. The summit parking area sits just west of the crest and gives immediate access to sweeping views of the Champlain Valley, Lake Champlain, and the Adirondack Mountains of New York on clear days. The Long Trail crosses here, and a short walk north or south yields even wider panoramas. The eastern approach from Waitsfield climbs through dense hardwood forest with sustained 15% grades and tight switchbacks — generally considered one of the finest motorcycle roads in the state. Open seasonally; check conditions in shoulder season.