Vermont - Day 1

Our first day in Vermont, we visited Magic Hat Brewery, the University of Vermont, and the Lakeside Boardwalk. Magic Hat Brewing Company essentially started the microbrewery revolution in Vermont. It puts out 400+ bottles a minute and includes 48 beers in its repertoire. You can tour the brewery for free and sample their seasonal and in-house beers on tap afterward. When we went, they had eight beers to sample: Single Chair, Number 9, Circus Boy, Hocus Pocus, Elder Betty (their summer seasonal), Dream Machine, Humdinger, and Big Hundo (their in-house special). You can try four samples for free, but because my boyfriend and I were together, we got to try them all :) It was an interesting experience as Magic Hat's vibe is definitely eclectic. Their tour includes a unique video, and local art adorning their walls as well as music posters from venues they've been featured at. While it was cool sampling their beer and talking with our "bartender," a factory is a factory is a factory. It was neat to see, but it looked like every other factory I've been in.

We went to the University of Vermont next. Burlington has, like, four colleges in its vicinity, which makes for a packed town during the school year. However, we came at just the right time. School had just gotten out and the tourists hadn't come in for the summer, which was wonderful. We felt like locals walking around. The University of Vermont is pretty cool, if you enjoy seeing colleges (which I do). Their bookstore and gift shop is in the Davis Building, which you can see from Route 7, I believe. It was founded by Ethan Allen's brother, Ira, in 1791. If you see the abbreviation UVM around, which you will, it stands for its Latin name, Universitas Viridis Montis - the University of the Green Mountains.

After that, we found a meter along College Street and walked down to the lakefront. It had a neat boardwalk that you can walk along the lake. We grabbed a Maple Creemee from Bob's Ice Cream and admired the Adirondack Mountains of New York from across the way. If you're a local baseball fan, the Vermont Lake Monsters have a tucked away gift shop by the ferry. Look for the green lake monster outside. There is also fun little shopping places a street up. We stayed by the water, but the walk is certainly worth it. People take lunch along the boardwalk, or sunbathe in the commons. There's a bike path, so make sure you keep aware of what's in front and behind you. If you enjoy biking, there's a suggested bike path around Burlington, and bike rentals are all along the water. North Star Sports is probably the most popular. There's also a cool Naval memorial and the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center through UVM. The Burlington Community Boathouse serves as the city's marina, and also has a restaurant, Splash, that serves food and drinks and has excellent views of the sunset over the lake.

Because we started our days around 9 AM, we never really ate in the towns we visited. We made food at our place and saved money that way. There are a lot of cute places to eat in Burlington, so if you'd prefer that route, it would be worth your time. Especially if you enjoy trying new restaurants. After we explored the Lakefront, we went back to Smuggler's Notch. The scenery is stunning, and I never quite got over the views. We didn't really push ourselves the whole time we were there, and we ended up coming back to Burlington on Wednesday. There's a never-ending selection of things to do.