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The best things to do in Vermont.

We went on a whirlwind tour of Vermont this weekend and saw so many things we want to revisit for a longer amount of time.

Therefore, this post will be more of a travelogue and less of a regular post. Hopefully, we will make it back sooner rather than later and be able to flesh some of these places out.

If you want to see more of Vermont here are 60 things to do in every season.

What to do in Burlington, Vermont

 

I have been wanting to go to Burlington since I saw pictures of friends on Church street! It looked like my kind of place with hanging flowers, people meandering around, shopping, and cobblestone streets. We got the chance this weekend, a few years after I put a pin on the city.

Church street did not disappoint. It is a lovely 4-block cobblestone pedestrian street that looks to have revitalized the city. There are restaurants with outdoor seating on either side, and the charming sounds of dining are audible as you walk by. Boutique stores, along with some well known ones, are interspersed among the restaurants. There is a Starbucks, Ben and Jerry’s and Dunkin Donuts to name a few.

Most of the buildings still bear the marks of their previous lives. Look up as you walk along and you will find old banks and stores on the nameplates of the buildings.

Visit the Crow Bookstore

When you are there don’t miss the Crow Bookstore at the high end of the street. We spent a long time lingering over the books and enjoyed the feeling of book-lover solidarity that came from the other patrons. The children’s section, while not big, made up for it with well-selected books both used and new. We left with way more books than we intended, and everyone was happy for a while.

 What to see at the Burlington, Vermont Waterfront

We then headed to the waterfront to see what needed to be seen. There is a wide promenade along the waterfront that makes for a beautiful walk–maybe a romantic one if you didn’t have the kids with you!

 

The kids liked watching the boats coming into the wharf, and I enjoyed the people watching. Definitely a low energy event, but still one worth the time.

We were sad that we didn’t bring our bikes with us and would have rented them from Local Motion on Steele Street–right near the waterfront–if we had had more time. The bike trail went along the water and then to places unknown, but as we drove around Burlington we kept seeing bike paths. They are very extensive.

Next time…

We also had to bypass the Shelbourne museum, an extensive outdoor air museum, which was on my must-see list, but my husband deemed it too high of a time commitment.

What to do in Waterbury, Vermont

We had to stop at the Ben and Jerry factory while we were in the area. It was a mad house! I couldn’t believe how many people were there, but the staff were organized with parking and getting information out to people in line.

We wanted to go on the factory tour, but the tour was sold out for the day. (I almost didn’t even include this because it was a non-event. However, I want you to know that even with the best planning things won’t always work out.) We had some sad boys, but they were appeased when we stopped at another scoop shop on the way home. My guess is that a weekend is not the best day to go and that winter might be a slower time of year. (Don’t say “who wants ice cream in winter” because I always want ice cream!)

An afternoon in Montpelier, Vermont

I want to move here! My husband just rolls his eyes at me because every beautiful place I see I want to pack up the family and move. But seriously, this place is gorgeous! It is tucked into the hills and all of autumn around us made it all the more appealing. The main street reminds me of other preserved main streets of bygone days. You will want to get out and stroll!

 

Visit the Vermont State House

The Vermont State House is very recognizable due to its gilded dome. It is impressive as you drive toward Montpelier and you can see it glimmer through the trees.

There are free self guided tours of the Vermont State House and guided tours in summer months. I recommend the self guided tour as you can go at your own pace (or the pace of impatient kids) and still see the beautiful interior. The statue of Abraham Lincoln is reason alone to go on the tour!

What we ate in Montpelier

We ate at the Skinny Pancake after seeing a line out the door at the one by the wharf in Burlington. They have savory and sweet crepes with a variety of fillings, plus they have gluten free crepes! The food was good but not great. However, the kids were so happy with their crepes that I would go back again and again.

In conclusion

Our quick weekend trip to Vermont has caused us to fall in love with Vermont leading to tons of other trips to Stowe, Woodstock, Brattleboro and more. If you want to read about our day trip to Brattleboro click here. 

Or check out the fun things to do in Vermont at Christmas in this post.

New England