With the exception of couple of college ski trips, neither Suzanne or I had been to Vermont despite living one state away for over 65 years. In concert with our recent trend of doing “state-wide” visits, we planned a Vermont tour this October and made five-day stays at four locations. Our stops included Morristown in the North, White River Junction in the Middle, and Morristown and Brattleboro in the South.
At the risk of sounding like the Vermont Tourist Bureau, the state just takes your breath away. Of course, the autumn foliage was pretty spectacular. However, it’s also filled with picturesque mountain towns with rivers flowing through them, covered bridges, lakes and ponds, farmhouses and the iconic white steepled church. We spent a good portion of our time in uncrowded small towns that each had their own vibe and personality. The bigger towns generally have scenic downtown areas, but still lack chain stores/restaurants, billboards, and strip malls. We saw virtually no large housing developments – nearly all the houses were spread out, modest, quaint, and well-kept. It’s clear that the environment is a high priority for the great state of Vermont.
As you drive through the state, you encounter curvy and hilly two-lane roads that provide seemingly endless New England vistas. The place has a serenity to it that hard to explain but seems to be reflected in the locals. We found them to be friendly, helpful, and hard-working people.
During our stay we hiked, visited towns and villages, stopped at farm markets, and explored the areas around our campgrounds. There are a lot of excellent parks and hiking trails that we took advantage of. Also, Vermont is famous for maple syrup and cheddar cheese. Both are found all over the state in small locally owned farms that are tightly regulated by the State. As a result, they are very tasty and the quality is reliably consistent throughout the state.
