Burlington, Vermont
A little over a week after visiting New Orleans, we took a trip to Vermont. Our final destination was Burlington, but on our way there, we made stops at the beautiful Quechee Gorge (Quechee), which many refer to as "Vermont's Little Grand Canyon" and the Ben & Jerry's Factory (Waterbury), where we took a short tour and learned about the history of the iconic ice cream brand.
During our four day vacation, we stayed in a charming Airbnb that was located in the Five Sisters neighborhood of Burlington. It was beautiful and one of the nicest Airbnbs that I’ve stayed in. It featured a private deck that overlooked a garden and orchard as well as a view of Lake Champlain. Just eight blocks away from downtown, it was also really convenient as we were within walking distance from the two places where we spent most of our time: Church Street and Lake Champlain.
Packed with shops, places to dine, live music, and street entertainment, Church Street isn’t as active as other cities’ downtown areas, but there was still plenty to do. We mostly spent our time there, eating meals at restaurants like Red Onion and Farmhouse Tap and Grill and taking in live music and the nightlife at Red Square.
During the daytime, we were mostly at Lake Champlain. Saturday afternoon, we walked around Lake Champlain before deciding to rent kayaks for a couple of hours and paddling around the lake. The following morning, we returned and biked the Lake Champlain Bikeway. In all, we rode about 20 miles, taking in breathtaking views of one of the city’s main attractions. It was the perfect summer activity for what was a really nice day.
On Monday, we concluded the trip with a hike up Camel's Hump in Huntington. Standing at 4,081 feet, it's the third-highest mountain in the state. Featuring 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains, it’s no surprise why it’s one of the most popular hiking destinations in New England. Despite it being somewhat of a tough hike especially from being sore from biking the day before, I was happy to finally say that I’ve been hiking in the Green Mountain State.
As I had heard from others, Burlington during the summer is a great time. I really enjoyed the city because there are enough things to do to keep you busy, but, like most New England states, it also has a relaxing atmosphere.
