Blog

As the temperatures drop and the sunlight is all but gone, we thought we'd make a list of places to go during Vermont's winter months. Photo courtesy of Bolton Valley Bolton Valley- We would not be Vermonters without suggesting locals and visitors alike hit the slopes this winter. Bolton Valley is our personal suggestion for a ski resort in the area. Bolton is conveniently located between Burlington and Montpelier, Vermont. While it may not be the largest mountain, it has one perk that can be hard to come by; night skiing. Let’s face it; waiting in long lift lines on the weekends or during vacation can be frustrating. You find yourself spending the majority of your day trying not to trip and cause a domino effect of fallen skiers. The whole time you’d rather be plowing through the fresh powder. Well, have no fear! Head on over to Bolton Valley after 4 pm and you can ski until 10 pm for only $20. That’s right, $20! During the day, you can tackle up to 5,000 acres of skiing on a variety of trail levels ranging from beginner to glade. After a session on the slopes, enjoy a variety of food ranging from Belgian waffles to flatbread pizza! Photo courtesy of Groennfell Meadery Colchester's Mead Hall- Why not escape the cold of winter inside a hall that serves up Scandinavian food and craft mead? What is mead you ask? The brilliant minds at Wikipedia describe mead as “an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water, sometimes with various fruits, spices, grains, or hops.” There is no doubt that the craft beer scene in Vermont is exceptional, but why not broaden your pallet with craft mead as well? The Mead Hall is home to Groennfell Meadery, Havoc Mead, and Lord Colchester’s. All three brands brew up some creative and tasty beverages for all adults to enjoy. From sour, to sweet, to slightly spicy, you can find a mead that’s just right for you. Our personal favorite mead is the Nordic Farmhouse. Families are also welcome, as the Mead Hall serves up a unique food menu fit for a Viking. Some highlights from the menu include bratwurst, herring, and a Scandinavian cheese plate! Photo courtesy of Higher Ground Music Higher Ground- Continuing with the tradition of escaping the cold, we suggest heading over to Higher Ground for some live entertainment. Higher Ground is a music and performance venue in South Burlington, Vermont. The space has been known to host a number of artists just before they break into the mainstream (Macklemore comes to mind). From a small local band to one of your favorites, Higher Ground is a go-to spot for live music. Some upcoming acts that we are excited for include The Wood Brothers, Rough Francis, The Griswolds, and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. Photo courtesy of Lake Champlain Chocolates Lake Champlain Chocolates- Church Street in Burlington, Vermont is beautiful in the winter. Meticulously hung Christmas lights make the trees and shops glow, and create many an Instagram photo opportunity. Despite the beauty, it can be pretty chilly outside with winds whipping up from the lake below. To make your stroll far more pleasing, warm up with a hot chocolate from Lake Champlain Chocolates. Their delicious, creamy, chocolatey cup is hands down one of the best hot chocolates around.

The foliage is out and the weather has been amazing this fall. Along with apple picking, rocking a flannel, and carving the perfect pumpkin, there are plenty of other fall and Halloween related activities that await! Here are a few things to do in Vermont before October ends. Photo courtesy of Nightmare Vermont Nightmare Vermont- Since 2004, Nightmare Vermont has been scaring guests who dare enter their haunted houses. This year you can get scared out of your boots at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction. The haunting runs from October 21-22 and October 27-29. Tiptoe through the expo starting at 7pm on Thursdays and Fridays and 6pm on Saturdays. Their Facebook page challenges you to, "Enter the maw of a desperate and haunted circus. Beware of clowns! Escape from monsters!" Rocky Horror Picture Show- Photo courtesy of Stowe Theatre Guild While Fox may have just released their take on the horror comedy musical, there is nothing like seeing Rocky Horror live. Just look at the description (horror-comedy-musical). A three for one special! There's singing, dancing, wild costumes, and fan interaction that you can only get at a live performance. What more could you ask for? The Stowe Theatre Guild will be performing the musical sensation October 21-22 at 7:30pm in Stowe. Tim Curry is not included. Mountain Biking- One advantage of the weather being so nice this fall, is the extended mountain biking season. While some Octobers can make it too cold to grip the handle bars, this year has been great to get outdoors and on the trails. Check out Single Track's list of the best mountain biking in Vermont. Need a ride to the mountain with plenty of room to store your bike? It's as if Volkswagen had Vermonters in mind with the new 2017 Golf Alltrack. With 4Motion all-wheel drive, the Alltrack is perfect for hitting the Vermont roads this fall. Photo courtesy of Waterworks Food + Drink Trivia- Love trivia but hate those  ridiculous categories like Theoretical Physics or the History of the Macedonian Empire? Waterworks has the solution for you! Every Tuesday at 7 pm, the Winooski restaurant runs a themed trivia night. That's right, each week has its own theme making it easy to pick and choose which event to attend. Keeping with the spirit of Halloween, on October 25th the theme will be The Walking Dead. For all of you die hard zombie fans, this night is for you. For those who are not such big Rick Grimes supporters, the following week's theme is entitled Everything's Connected. Trivia at Waterworks is worth a try for the food alone. Their spicy pork and rapini flatbread is amazing, even if we're still not sure what rapini is. Vermont Filmmakers' Showcase- From animation, to fiction, to documentary works, Vermont's growing film scene will be on full display this weekend. As technology continues to advance, and drop in price, it's amazing to see what independent filmmakers can produce. Forget going to Los Angeles or NYC, here's a chance to see what Vermont's very own artists have made. Check out the films October 21-22 at the Main Street Landing Black Box Theatre in Burlington. Oh and don't forget, Skinny Pancake is right below the space! Photo courtesy of VT International Film Foundation

There are so many fun things to do during the summer and there is no place like Burlington. There are so many  fun activities, museums and festivals to go to, the possibilities are endless in the Burlington area. Below are a few fun summer things that should be on everyone's to do list this summer!. Every Saturday during the summer the Burlington Farmers Market is held outside at City Hall Park on Saint Paul street right in the middle of downtown Burlington from 8:30am - 2pm. Enjoy lots of local vendors selling all kinds of homemade products, produce, artisan cheese and much more!. The Big League right at home. Baseball is a summer time favorite but you don’t need to make the long drive down to Boston or New York to see some great ball being played this summer. The Vermont Lake Monsters are a single A Short-Season Affiliate of the Oakland Athletics playing at the historic Centennial Field. http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t462. School may be out but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn something new this summer. The ECHO Center is located on the Burlington waterfront, overlooking beautiful Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains. There are 70 species of live animals in pristine water displays, 100+ interactive exhibits and activities daily, plus animal feedings and more. http://www.echovermont.org/. Get out on the water and enjoy Lake Champlain this summer! One of the best ways to do that is on a paddle board. The stand up surfing is a great family activity for all ages and skill levels. Paddlesurf Champlain offers rentals, lessons and guided tours from Oakledge Park and Beach. http://paddlesurfchamplain.com/Stand_Up_Paddle_SUP_Vermont.html#Guided_tours

There is no better place to enjoy National Physical Fitness & Sport Month then in Vermont with its natural surroundings. Here are a few great places you can go in Vermont to be active, enjoy the nice weather and everything Vermont truly has to offer. Hiking: Mansfield Mountain - Sunset Ridge - Long Trail Loop (Underhill) Rated: Moderate Distance: 5.7 Mile Camel's Hump (Waterbury) Rated: Difficult Distance: 7.4 Mile Hunger Mountain (Waterbury Center) Rated: Difficult Distance: 4 Mile Stowe Pinnacle Trail (Stowe) Rated: Moderate Distance: 3.2 Mile Long Trail North to Sterling Pond Trail (Jeffersonville) Rated: Difficult Distance: 3.4 Mile Mount Elmore (Wolcott) Rated: Moderate Distance: 3.4 Mile Other Hiking Trails Biking: Snake Mountain (Middlebury) Rated: Moderate Distance: 4 Miles Haystack Mountain Trail (West Rupert) Rated: Moderate Distance: 4 Miles Burlington Waterfront (Burlington) Rated: Good For All Skill Levels Distance: 7.5 Miles Pine Hill Park (Rutland) Rated: Moderate Distance: 16 Mile Loop Huntington Gorge (Richmond) Rated: Good For All Skill Levels Distance: 14 Mile Loop Other Mountain Biking Trails Trail Running: Camel's Hump State Park (Huntington) Rated: Difficult Distance: 8 Mile Loop Mount Tom and The Pogue Trail (Woodstock) Rated: Moderate Distance: 5 Mile Loop Weathersfield Trail (Perkinsville) Rated: Difficult Distance: 4 Miles Haystack Mountain Trail (West Rupert) Rated: Moderate Distance: 4 Miles Pine Hill Park (Rutland) Rated: Moderate Distance: 16 Mile Loop Other Trail Running Trails Walking Trails: Burlington Waterfront Bikeway (Burlington) Distance: 7.5 Miles Shelburne Pond (Shelburne) Distance: 0.5 Mile Loop Stowe Recreation Path (Stowe) Distance: 5.5 Miles Other Walking Trails Paddling: Waterbury Center State Park (Waterbury) This park offers great opportunities for paddling, swimming, fishing and picnicking. Camp Plymouth State Park (Ludlow) The park has canoe, kayak and pedal boat rentals.  Because the lake is so long and narrow, it makes for some interesting paddling. Burton Island State Park (St. Albans Bay) Accessible only by boat or passenger ferry, Burton Island sits just off of St. Albans Point in the northern reaches of Lake Champlain. Burton Island has tent, lean-to and paddlers-only campsites. Lake Carmi State Park (Enosburg) Lake Carmi, with a 1375-acre surface area, is the fourth largest natural lake entirely within Vermont. It is 7.5 miles around, averages about 20 feet deep, and is 33 feet at the deepest point. Wilgus State Park (Ascutney) is situated on a peaceful stretch of the river in Southern Vermont, where paddlers of all abilities will enjoy a single or multi-day float.  The park has cabins, tent and lean-to campsites as well as a group camping area.  Hot showers, wood and ice, canoe and kayak rentals are available.