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Burlington Journals

Burlington

A January 2003 trip to Burlington by cr008k

Quote: College Weekend Trip

Burlington

Overview

Quote:

I went on a trip to Burlington while I was visiting colleges in Vermont. I only got to stay for a weekend, but I really loved the city in the time that I was there, and I hope in this review to give you an idea of why.
First of all, the city was quite beautiful and picturesque. Vermont is referred to as "The Green Mountain State." It is a city that really loves the outdoors and makes the most of the great environment that they are set in. People are very eco-conscious and eco-friendly and there are tons of great outdoors activities to do. First of all, Vermont is located on Lake Champlain and you can get absolutely beautiful views of the Lake from Battery Park, conveniently located near downtown. If you go in the fall, you can take a fall foliage tour (obviously something we missed because we went in January- but something I'd like a chance to do when I go back because Vermont has lots of beautiful old treats). You can also pick your own apples- a really great country experience especially if you are from the city. If you go in the winter, as we did- then you can enjoy Vermont's skiing. You can go to www.skivermont.com to learn more about the different ski opportunities that are offered. In mid-January there was tons of snow- that great white powder that is so much fun to ski in. There are a few different resorts and you can stay in one that meets with your budget- you can find it on the website.
If you get too cold outdoors (and yes it is cold) there are plenty of fun things you can do inside as well. If you like chocolate you can visit Lake Champlain Chocolates factory store to learn how chocolates are made, get some free samples and buy some chocolates. Vermont Chocolate isn't as good as say, Swiss Chocolate, but its definitely still really good, and it's always fun to see how chocolate is made. I wouldn't go really far out of your way for this but if you happen to be near it or driving by then try it out.
You can also go rock climbing at the Petra Cliffs center- this isn't as cool as some of the outdoor rock climbing you can do in the summer, but its good for winter time.

Quick Tips:

Unless you like skiing, try to go in the summer or fall because that is when most of the cool stuff happens here (October especially- you can see the famous winter geese migration, pick apples and have the fall foliage tour if you go in October). If you do like skiing then go in the winter and stay right at one of the ski lodges- its convenient and they have a package deal (see the website above).
I would recommend you stop in and get a meal at Shanty on the Shore- this is a delicious restaurant with beautiful waterfront dining and an extensive menu that is sure to please any pallet (albeit it may not please your wallet quite as much because its a bit expensive).
If you like wine, stop at the Wine Bar (802) 951-9463. This is a great place to go for tastings or sipping wine by the glass, to relax after a hard day of skiing. If you taste something you like, you can stop in at the store next door and purchase.
There is decent, but not great shopping here- mostly cute little places and boutiques- no big name chains or outlet malls or anything like that.
The main purpose of visiting Vermont is to enjoy the great outdoors- so make sure that's your plan if you come here.

Best Way To Get Around:

You can walk or bike if you go in the summer/ fall or warmer times. Otherwise plan to drive because you will be too cold to walk and there's not a lot of public transportation. Our hotel offered a number of different day trips so try to look in to that (I'm sure they will have some kind of tour for apple picking and for the other main attractions). Read Less