Vermont

Ahh, the land of Bernie Sanders. There’s a certain kind of hippy, peace and love, tie-dye vibe in Vermont. I came at the perfect time, fall had just started and leaves had turned from green to crimson. It was just beautiful.

DAY ONE

I started my trip in Burlington. From the airport, I took an Uber to the center of town and grabbed lunch at American Flatbread where I got a flatbread pizza topped with local cheese and pork from a local farm. Vermont takes its dairy and meat seriously, and most restaurants will proudly tout that their ingredients come from local farmers. After, I walked through town to my Airbnb, which was in a small apartment. The host wasn’t there, but her passion for animals was everywhere. She was a lawyer for PETA and each room was themed after a different animal. The bathroom was adorned with horse decor, the bedroom was full of elephant motifs, and the kitchen was splashed with zebra print. It was cute. After resting for a spell, I walked to The Farmhouse Tap & Grill and had some dinner, capping it with sugar on snow, a local dessert where maple syrup is poured over shaved ice and topped with cinnamon.

DAY TWO

Breakfast the next day was a crepe from The Skinny Pancake. I got the sugar shack, a crepe cooked in Vermont butter and topped with maple sugar and maple syrup. With the amount of maple that I consumed on this trip, you’d think I’d end up sick of it by the end, but I truly can not get enough. The restaurant was right on the Burlington Waterfront, and after eating I took a nice stroll around the beautiful park enjoying the sunlight glittering over Lake Champlain.

Next to the waterfront park was the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, a science museum dedicated to the lake’s ecosystem. There, I learned about Champ, Vermont’s own version of the Loch Ness monster. Reports of a mysterious presence in the lake date back to the early 1800s. The Abenaki (local indigenous tribe) have lore about Gitaskog, a water serpent. Over many years, there have been various sightings, blurry photos, and tales of Champ. There were exhibits steeped in solid scientific facts as well, about the lake’s geology, engineering efforts, and wildlife. The latter was my favorite portion, of course. There were displays on local water fowl, fish, and other critters living in and around Lake Champlain. I met some very friendly turtles, who came right up to the glass, and seemed to yearn for pets. Maybe that’s just projection on my part.

It was now time to explore town. Burlington was full of cute shops and galleries to check out, particularly on Church Street. The only thing to be aware of is that there is a large unhoused community in Burlington, many who appeared to be suffering from mental illness and/or drug addiction. I saw people get into verbal altercations on numerous occasions during my visit and saw people being harassed and yelled at. Unlike Portsmouth, New Hampshire, I did not feel safe walking alone after dark in Burlington. This is not meant to discourage anyone from visiting or to condemn those individuals. It’s just something to keep in mind when traveling alone. After window shopping, I grabbed a really nice lunch at Leunig’s Bistro & Cafe. I got the Vermont Sliders Trio. It was Lamb with peppadew compote, venison with cinnamon aioli, caramelized shallots, apples and Vermont cheddar, and duck with sour cherry spread and seared foie gras each served on a brioche bun. It was so freaking good.

DAY THREE

The next morning started with a hearty breakfast at The Friendly Toast, a colorful and fun diner. Then I headed somewhere I was very excited to explore: The Ethan Allen Homestead. Yes, I am a huge nerd. Once home to Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen and his wife, the 1785 home has been turned into a museum and the surrounding acres of land have turned into beautiful nature trails. When I got there, a tour was just kicking off and I rushed to join it. Dressed in colonial garb, Tom Sharpley, the estate’s head gardener, was describing the garden outside. It was Frances “Fanny” Allen’s (Ethan’s wife) garden. She was a passionate gardener and is considered Vermont’s first botanist. Over 200 of the specimens she collected now sit in the Pringle Herbarium at the University of Vermont. I would come to learn what an amazing woman Fanny was during my visit. Tom also showed us how the flax that was grown in the garden would be weaved into linen. It was all very interesting. After the garden tour, I continued to explore the grounds on my own. There was an area with a large teepee, a recreation of a 19th-century Abenaki hunting village made in partnership with Alnôbaiwi, a non-profit dedicated to preserving Vermont’s indigenous cultural heritage. After, I headed to the actual house, a small brick-red colonial structure. Inside, there were exhibits about Allen, his role in the Revolutionary War, the Green Mountain Boys, and how his wife fought to keep the estate after he passed. When Ethan died, his brother Ira claimed that the home should go to him. Freshly widowed, Fanny was in a predicament. But she wasn’t going to lose her home without a fight. She wound up getting remarried to a prominent lawyer, who helped her keep her family’s home. Atta girl.

Another interesting tidbit: every depiction of Ethan Allen looks different because we don’t know what he actually looked like. He never sat for a single portrait. After taking in the local history, I went on a two-hour hike on the property’s trails.

Later I treated myself to a fancy schmancy dinner at Hen of the Wood. I figured if I was going to have a true Vermont meal, it would be there where every ingredient was locally sourced. I started with a couple of happy hour oysters while waiting for my seat, which ended up being at a bar looking straight into the kitchen. In fact, the chefs were facing me as they cooked, I could see everything! I then ordered a house roll with cultured butter. I’m normally not big on bread, but it was fantastic. Next, was beef tartare and a cheese plate made up of local cheese, maple crackers, and jam. I always leave room for dessert, and in this case, it was a sweets plate with different small confections and cookies.

DAY FOUR

Coffee and a pastry was my breakfast from Tight Squeeze Coffee Shop, a cool bohemian cafe. Then I was heading to North Beach, a beautiful park with a sandy beach overlooking Lake Champlain. There was a perfect, cool breeze as I plopped down in the sand, allowing the water to lick my toes, as I read my book. I read there for hours, sometimes stopping to chat with the seagulls who frequently got remarkably close to me. An older lady showed up with her border collie, who ran around happily chasing birds and splashing through the water. I said hello, and wound up chatting with the lady a bit as I played catch with her dog. Moments like these make solo traveling worth it. I don’t think I’d talk to strangers much if I had familiar people around.

After chilling and reading all day, I was ready for my last Burlington dinner. It was at A Single Pebble, an incredible Chinese restaurant. They have a Chef’s Tasting Menu that portions out everything perfectly for your party size, even if it’s just one person. Each dish is chosen by the chef and is a bit of a surprise. I sampled dumplings, spicy meats, noodles, and various vegetables, all with a steaming cup of fragrant tea.

OTHER BURLINGTON SIGHTS:

Green Mountain Audubon Nature Center

Burlington Farmers Market

Frog Hollow

Higher Ground

Nectar’s

Radio Bean

DAY FIVE

It was time to make my journey from Burlington to Montpelier. And what an arduous journey it was. But I had a pitstop along the way: Crone Collective Tattoo. If you’ve read my previous travel blogs, you’ll know I love getting souvenir tats. My artist was Shannon Harkey. She took my request for a Vermont dairy cow tattoo and ran with it. The cow is actually so adorable and seems to have life in its eyes. I really liked Shannon, she was effortlessly cool in that way tattoo artists tend to be.

Freshly tatted, I was ready to continue my journey. I took an Uber to the Maple Street bus stop and waited almost an hour for the 86 Burlington bus. Once on the bus, I enjoyed the beautiful scenery out the window. Mountains colored in amber, crimson, and bright yellow. I’d never seen fall look so lovely. Eventually I arrived at the Montpelier Transit Center. From there, I dragged me and my suitcase into town for some much needed dinner. I had a lovely meal at Three Penny Taproom, grilled cheese and tomato soup. It was time to make my way to my Airbnb, but I realized it was about a mile and a half away, up a steep hill. I knew I couldn’t do that, even if I wasn’t exhausted—which I was. So, I decided to call an Uber. I waited, and waited, and waited some more. No Ubers accepted my request. This is when I learned that public transit is greatly lacking in Montpelier. There are no Ubers, no Lyfts. It was dark out and I was starting to panic. I decided to go into this hotel I saw across the street and asked the front desk if she could recommend any taxi services. She gave me the business card of a Steven Scrivens. This would be the man that would salvage my trip to Montpelier. I texted the number provided and he responded immediately. Steve is such a great communicator; he tells you exactly how long it’ll take him to get to you. He’s an older English guy with a dry sense of humor that I would really appreciate over the next few days. He was basically on-call for me my entire time in Montpelier, helping me get places that were too difficult to walk to. We’re actually Facebook friends now! Steve dropped me off at my Airbnb, a cute suburban home in a cute suburban neighborhood. The sweetest older couple was living there, and the host greeted me kindly. She was fostering several puppies, and they were in a play pin in the middle of the living room. Yes, I got to cuddle and play with them every day.

DAY SIX

The next morning, I put on my jacket and made the mile-and-a-half walk into town. The weather was crisp and cool, and it was all downhill. I found the Vermont State House, striking with its golden dome and white columns. Vermont’s State House is different from Virginia’s in that it is fully open to the public. Regular citizens can even sit in while politicians vote. I think that level of transparency is refreshing. There are QR codes all around for self-guided audio tours, so that’s what I did. I learned everything from the symbols in the state crest to how the building’s carpet was a recreation of carpet patterns from the 19th century. It was fascinating, and I really enjoyed it.

After a quick and tasty breakfast from Filibuster Cafe, I was ready to call upon Mr. Strivens once again. He took me to Morse Farm Maple Works, a local maple farm that has been owned and operated by the same family for generations. I’ll admit that the frequent taxi rides were costly, but it was either take a taxi or stick to central Montpelier. That felt like a waste of a trip. And Steve was always completely upfront about how much a ride would cost, so I was never taken by surprise. The cost felt worth it, as I would spend almost all day at the maple farm. There was a lot to see, so I started by watching a video about the Morse family, how they tap the trees, the process of turning sap into syrup, etc. I got to see the vats where they temper the sap. All around the farm were these quirky wooden sculptures of faces which added a creepy charm to the place. The entire farm was surrounded by verdant mountains, decorated with fall foliage. There was a wooded trail next to the property, full of maple trees. I could see little tubes stuck into different trees, meant to draw out their sap. I had to remind myself that there was only so much room in my suitcase as I browsed the gift shop. I love maple, so it took a lot of willpower to only buy a few things. I got maple cookies, dark syrup, vanilla-bean-infused syrup, and maple cream. Oh, the plans I had for that maple cream. Scone-related plans. They had a creamee stand, and I got a maple-pumpkin spice swirl creamee topped with Morse family maple syrup and maple sugar. My god, it was incredible. This was probably the peak of my trip, I’m not even exaggerating. Especially when I met the two adorable goats they had. I slipped into the pen and gave them lots of pets and snuggles. They were so sweet, just melting under my hands. They did try to eat my Converse sneakers, but I won’t hold it against them. Best. Day. Ever.

DAY SEVEN

After giving the puppies their morning snuggles, I was off to the Vermont Historical Society Museum. After grabbing a cappuccino and croissant from Birchgrove Bakery, of course. The museum covered all things Vermont history. From the indigenous Abenaki tribes, to Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, to Bernie Sanders’ run for governor in the ‘80s. I spent hours there, reading everything and taking it all in.

DAY EIGHT

I started to slow down a bit toward the end of my trip. I was exhausted and coming down with a bit of a cold. Back in Richmond, it was still sometimes reaching 80 degrees, while in Vermont it was getting down to the 30s. I think the sudden change made my immune system kick in. I spent most of the next day relaxing in my Airbnb, reading, and hanging out in local coffee shops. There was a dive bar that I checked out one night, called Charlie-O’s. I bought myself some whiskey and played pool with this eccentric old man. He asked me if I was a Trump supporter when I told him I was from Virginia, which I thought was hilarious. Out of the two of us, he definitely looked more conservative. But unlike some of the other New England areas I’d visited, Vermont seemed mostly very liberal. I stuck around to hear some live local bands play and wound up chatting up a lot of the musicians and hanging out late into the night. They were all so friendly and kind. Again, thank goodness for Steve who was available to pick me up well past midnight.

DAY NINE

Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about one of the most iconic things in Vermont: the Ben & Jerry’s factory. This was in a small town called Waterbury. I was hoping to take a bus there but was disappointed to find that there really weren’t any stops close to the factory. I once again called upon Steve. Ironically, the day I toured the Ben & Jerry’s factory was the coldest day of my trip so far. It even started snowing. Snow. In October! Unheard of in Virginia, but I was up north. I took the tour, which told us all about how the company came to be, their values, how they make their ice creams, etc. We even got to sample some. After, I went to the gift shop and got myself a magnet and bumper sticker, got my friend ice cream-flavored lip balm, and got my friend’s toddler a stuffed cow. Cold weather be damned, I got myself some ice cream—The Tonight Dough in a chocolate-dipped waffle cone. Shivering, I explored the Flavor Graveyard, full of tombstones depicting retired flavors of years past. Part of me really wanted to explore the town of Waterbury, but between my numb fingers and the incredible amount of money I had already spent on taxis, I decided to just head back to Montpelier.

OTHER MONTPELIER SIGHTS:

Artisans Hand Craft Gallery

Rock of Ages Quarry

Hubbard Park

Bear Pond Books

North Branch Nature Center

North Branch River Park

If you’re planning a trip to Vermont, don’t make the same mistake I did. Either drive there or rent a car to save yourself a headache. Vermont is a beautiful state, with a fascinating history, friendly people, and oceans of maple syrup

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