My 3 days in Vermont Sept22-24 trip report. Weather was nice thankfully, but foggy in the morning. It's a long drive to Vermont from NYC, but you get to see some nice sites along the route. If you are interested to see Fall foliage wait till October, as it was too early. And, ifcourse, it wasnt skiing season either. Thus, that leaves nature trails, flea markets, street fairs, various arts&crafts and antique shops, photos selling for hundreds, syrup and jam tastings, wines, museums, etc...
...And some strange local sporting event in which people run down the mountain and over burning coal, which delighted all of us. It proves when there is nothing to do in the country, and peoples is bored, they'll do anything nutty for fun.
We stayed at a Super8 motel in the middle of nowhere, no fast food joints(KFC, Wendy's) for miles, only a gas station with a mini-mart, and a small grocery store staffed by a single teen girl... at 10pm. Luckily I was able to grab their last roastbeef sandwich.
As for the towns and street fairs, well, I got the feeling I had seen all that before, in places such as Maine, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and many other small towns and country markets in other states. As for the antiques, fact is if there are so many of them, they aint antique at all. Antiques worth collecting or buying have to be rare, but Vermont is full of them... as are all New England states. Ifcourse, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico are full of wild west antiques; Virginia and N/S Carolina, Alabama are full of southern antiques, Hawaii and Alaska is as well, you get the point. Each U.S. region has its history, culture, and art; if you want to go around the entire U.S. of A. collecting artifacts, sketches, prints, and "antiques", be my guest.
We took a cruise on Lake Champlain. I must say it was the most boring cruise I've ever been on. There is nothing to see but water all around and some islands and rocks. I say skip it. The Norman Rockwell Museum is an insult to the man's memory. It's too small, and the collection is made up of mostly mag covers and posters. Too few original art works and paintings. Oh, and ifcourse there is an overpriced shop.
Thus, overall, to get away and breath fresh country air and go to places I've never been before is always fun; However, Vermont is known for skiing and Fall foliage and I didnt get to experience either one. If I do go back, I'll go in peak season.
Vermont trip report
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Next time do more research and plan better. Vermont USA beautiful state with much to offer....you just didn't find it.
ditto what rizzo said. You should have stopped at the Brattleboro Farmers Market for an interesting lunch or Humble Kitchen food truck in the downtown area for a bahn mi sandwich (yeah, I know you can get them in NYC but this is a made in VT version). (Thank gawd there's not a lot of fast food places.) You could explored places on the wine or cheese trail. Or visited King Arthur Flour in Norwich to stock up for winter baking. You could have tried to find Pizza on Earth IF it was one of the days they were serving. Since I'm a gardener, I would have visited (again) Gardener's Supply just north of Burlington.
Maybe a different weekend would have been better. I think this coming weekend is Vermonster but you have to like big tires and mud. Actually, I don't understand it myself but it was people with jeeps etc like this who were able to help out in a big way when VT was devastated by the hurricane and so many roads were washed out.
I think I like VT best in warmer weather when you can find an interesting swimming hole with a waterfall. You should have seen some color, it's early this year and there's quite a bit here in NH.
From Lake Champlain you have beautiful views of the Adirondacks to the west and Mt. Mansfield to the east. Vermont has worked very hard to keep national chain restaurants and stores out of the state thus fewer fast food places, no billboards, all making it very special.
"Vermont has worked very hard to keep national chain restaurants and stores out of the state thus fewer fast food places"
Aha! So that explains it! The only places to get a sandwich are the gas station marts, or small markets. I did see an Applebee's and a Wendy's, but the tour took us to a buffet.
Overall, I am not into farms, antiques, cheese and jam tastings, cruises which go nowhere, etc.
VT is for skiing or Fall foliage; it was too early for both.
VT supports local food purveyors as well and has a strong artisian food culture, cheeses in particular. You see them on menus in NYC frequently.
Wasn't it nice not seeing tacky billboards? And for every acre built on, two are put aside and protected. This is why VT remains beautiful and is a place many love to visit. The western states should take a look at how to protect an area's natural beauty by not overbuilding.
Did you try a General Store for a sandwich or a locally owned sandwich shop? They are the best. And the ice cream is another whole category. Being near dairy farms has it's advantages.
If you enjoy fly fishing, Orvis' HQ are in VT, tons of things to do in the summer.
You can go the places like Wendy's almost anyplace (well, maybe not in Wasilla AK) but the reason why I recommended Pizza on Earth is because it's located on a farm. Here's the website, notice in the photo, the chicken running around. Hurrah for Free Range.
http://www.pizzaonearth.com/
For a book about modern VT, I suggest "The Town That Food Saved" by Ben Hewitt. It's about Hardwick VT.
Pomah, sounds like you picked the wrong the wrong place for a vacation. Kayaking and mountain biking are both popular when there's no snow on the ground and the leaves haven't colored up yet.
Wait - you took a TOUR to Vermont? And stayed at a Super 8? I can't even imagine what kind of a tour this was. Next time, do some research and drive yourself. There are lots of beautiful driving routes through VT and NH.
A tour of 37 people on a bus. Cost me $365 for the 3 days.
I've been with this tour company 12 years, and maybe will use them for Chicago.
As for driving that far from NYC... no thanks.
Whatever it cost you it wasn't worth it.
Just curious as to where this Super 8 in Vermont was? There are only a handful in the state and to the best of my knowledge none of them "are in the middle of nowhere".
I think OP experiences all of VT as being in the middle of nowhere.
Obviously, POMAH picked the wrong tour co for VT. It is such a beautiful state any time of yr. Too bad he missed out. Super 8 with all the beautiful B&B's to choose from or condos at scenic ski areas even off season??? Oh, my. How unfortunate.
POMAH, Did you so any research as to what you might see in Vermont? I would not use this tour group to go to Chicago if this what you saw in Vermont. I just returned from Vermont and saw all that you saw and much more. As for food, there were many little diners and local restaurants with great food. I guess everyone has their own idea of where to eat. When I go on vacation it is my goal not to eat in chain restaurants.
I might suggest flying to Chicago and seeing the city on your own.
POMAH, you said: "VT is for skiing or Fall foliage."
Er, no, not just these things. There are also some very worthy museums in the state. Of the ones I've been to, I would strongly recommend above all the Shelburne Museum (Shelburne), and definitely suggest the Fairbanks Museum and the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum (St. Johnsbury). The state capitol building in Montpelier is very good, as is the nearby Vermont History Museum. There are also such things as touring the Ben and Jerry's factory (Waterbury), and the attractions in Woodstock such as the Billings Farm and Museum, Marsh/Billings/Rockefeller National Historic Park, and Woodstock Historical Society.
Have heard good things about attractions in the southwest corner of the state such as the Bennington Museum, Southern Vermont Arts Center, and the historic mansion Hildene, but haven't been. Someday, hopefully.