greetings. i am looking for insight on the following locations: middlebury and other small towns surrounding burlington, vermont; cambridge and baraboo, wisconsin; auburn, california.

i am planning a temporary move to one of those locations beginning in mid-june. i currently live in chicago and am longing for an urban hiatus. i want quaint, country charm.

thank you for your help.

I'll put my vote in for VT. I'm a little biased, as I grew up there. Both Midd and burlington are great! Both college towns. Both have great restaraunts and shopping, and both are in prime spots if you like outdoor activities. Burlington is Vermont's only "city". Greater Bton's population is about 100,000. If you want a smaller town, go to Midd. Check out Middlebury College's website for more info. I believe it is www.middlebury.edu Have fun!

Jennifer, Where/how did you come up w/ Auburn, Calif???

I have lived down the road (I-80)from Auburn since ...well too many years to mention.

If you want quaint, country charm, leave Auburn and go north on Hwy 49 to Nevada City, Downieville...Or go south Down 49 to Sutter Creek, Jackson, Angels Camp.

Auburn has developed too fast and a drunken sailor has been in charge of the traffic design/new business zoning.

There is a nice oldtown section but it's only 2-3 blocks worth.(Shanghai, Bootleggers and Luigi's are good restaurants). The restored courthouse is interesting, too.
I'm coming to Chicago in June. I need a suburban hiatus! Any suggestions?
Good luck.
Kal

Jennifer, there's no quaint, country charm in Auburn. It's spread out (drive or never leave your home), and shopping, etc. is very suburban in character, though there's a cute shop here and there. Good restaurants? Forget it. Access to Lake Tahoe for beautiful outdoor recreation recreation is a plus. Don't know why Auburn's on your list, but for what you're looking for in that area, how about Nevada City? For quaint country charm, you can't get much better than small-town Vermont, though.

Vermont could not be more quaint and charming. Burlington is a fabulous small city. If you want peace and quiet, though, I'd recommend selecting any town not listed in any tour guide as a skiing or tourist destination. Vermont is a small state, so you can easily visit these places yourself at your leisure. If you call 1-800-VERMONT, they're very knowledgable and may have a "relocation package" to send you.

Another vote for Middlebury and/or Burlington. Winters are a little rough (but maybe not for a Chicagoan) but these are prime towns if you're looking for a slower pace, natural beauty to spare, without having to sacrifice access to culture (courtesy of Middlebury College and U. Vermont).
I don't think Baraboo has all that much to offer in comparison unless your first and second priorities are seclusion and seclusion. Though Madison isn't far. Not my idea of 'charming' in comparison to Vermont.
I've not been to Auburn.

Vermont, by all means. New England is wonderful in that you don't have to go far to the big city (Boston, New York, Montreal), the mountains (Green, White, whatever), wonderful lakes, and the ocean (the coast of Maine is spectacular). Burlington is great, as are Stowe, Brattleboro, Manchester and others.

Baraboo is located near Wisconsin Dells which is a major tourist attraction and not a quaint quiet community. Cambridge is a small community and may be to your liking. It is close to Madison but far enough away to enjoy the countryside.

I agree with Nevada City as a choice. Great little town. Close to Tahoe and the Sierras; you can pan for gold in the North Yuba River, and you can hike forever--and you're only a couple of hours or so from the San Francisco Bay Area! (You're even closer to Sacramento, but who wants to go to Sacramento!?!)
Auburn, by contrast, is a dumpy little interstate freeway 'burb. (I always think of Auburn as a frumpy, overweight little girl with mousy hair and too many freckles. That is, when I think about Auburn at all, which is not too often.)

Vermont is a peaceful, charming place with so much to do: mountains, lake. All possible recreational sport activities. I suggest you come for a weekend and decide. My husband and I drive to Chicago once a year from Vermont and we are able to make this long but pleasant drive in one day.

I grew up in Madison and now live in Chicago. Wisconsin is a beautiful state and has a lot going for it, but I'd agree that Baraboo is not high on my list of places to find it.

As your post named specific towns, I got the impression there was a reason for considering each of them. If not, Spring Green, WI is also a lovely place to spend some time.

Let us know what you decide.