Burlington calmly
hosts liberal politics and was the birthplace of an American
entrepreneurial success story.
Ben and Jerry's
Ice Cream, the creators of Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia flavors,
began here, and typifies the dynamism of Vermont's largest city (pop.
40,000). With the University of Vermont looking down on its picturesque
downtown, Burlington offers a casual, student-centered lifestyle.
Monster hunters
(the kind armed with video cameras) flock here in hopes of spotting
"Champ" -- a creature sighted 400 times since 1609 in Lake Champlain.
But it’s a safe place: in fact, Vermont is the safest state according to
the Crime State Rankings. Besides, you're more likely to see the serpent
on the sign of the Champ Car Wash at the local strip mall.
In addition to
Champ-watching, the Lake -- which separates Vermont from Upstate New
York -- offers fishing, sailing and scuba diving in the summer, plus
ice-boating, skating and sleigh rides in the winter. Montreal, the
closest thing this side of the Atlantic to a European city, is a short
2-hour drive.
Those who prefer
spectator sports can check out the Montreal Expos' baseball farm team,
the Vermont Expos, whose mascot is -- you guessed it -- Champ.
Church Street
Market Place
The highlight of downtown
Burlington is the four-block 19th-century and Art Deco walkway lined with shops, cafes
and restaurants. You'll find street vendors, live music, children's
entertainment, health juice bars, candle and crafts shops, well-known stores
and plenty of eating places with outdoor seating for people watching.
Lake Champlain
There are lots of
ways to enjoy the beautiful 120-mile-long lake at the base of the 8,000
square mile watershed area between the Green Mountains of Vermont and
the Adirondack Mountains of New York. To list a few:
Take the ferry as
a foot-passenger (or with your car) for the 12-mile
1-hour crossing to Port Kent NY.
Charter Fishing Boat on Lake Champlain
Champ
Charters provides fishing enthusiasts with the only Full-Time
Charter Service on Lake Champlain. Their chartered
fishing excursions begin at Vermont's Burlington Harbor, the
widest and central part of Lake Champlain. This area of Lake Champlain is
noted for its Spring through Fall Fishing.
Vermont
Charter
Boat Captains
Fishing
Charters for
Lakes Champlain and Memphremagog and Vermont's
inland Lakes.
Lake
Champlain Bikeways
Bicyclists are quickly discovering some
of the finest cycling in North America along a 1,187- mile network of
bicycle routes, known as Lake Champlain Bikeways, in the Lake Champlain
Valley of Vermont, New York, and Québec. The network includes a total
of 27 loops and tours ranging from 10 to 47 miles in length, in addition
to the Champlain Bikeway, a 363-mile
principal route around the entire Lake and along the Richelieu River to
Chambly, Québec. Based on a rich array of natural, cultural, and
historic themes, these loops meander along quiet back roads through
extraordinary mountain and countryside scenery.
Local
Motion of Burlington: Trails & Bikeways
Greater
Burlington non-profit organization promoting bicycling, walking, in-line
skating and the facilities that make such travel safe, easy, fun.
An example: Explore
Burlington's history on a three hour casually-paced guided bicycle tour. Tour
guides will lead you to many of Burlington's hidden treasurers along the City
the City loop. There's no better way to discover Burlington's history than by
traveling through it on a bike.
Flynn Theater
The Flynn Theatre was built in 1930 by Burlington businessman John J. Flynn as the city's newest and largest "entertainment palace." Now, the Flynn theater has blossomed into a vital performing arts center, recognized regionally and nationally for its superb technical capacity, beautiful ambiance, historic setting, world-class performances, and important artistic, educational and community outreach services.
ECHO Aquarium and
Science Center
Discover Vermont's premier lake
aquarium and science center on Burlington's Waterfront! Come discover over 60 species
of live fish, amphibian and reptile ambassadors of Lake Champlain!
Experience over 100 hands-on interactive exhibits! Visit the Discovery Place
for preschoolers! Stand next to a 22 Foot Bubble Tower! View "Awesome
Forces," our Multi-Media Object Theater! View animals in the Champlain
Sea Tidal Pool! Explore a half scale replica of the General Butler
Shipwreck! Collect souvenirs for friends and family in the ECHO Gift Shop!
Spend one hour, or all day -- it's more fun than you can fathom!
Shelburne
Museum
Shelburne
Museum, founded in 1947, is one of the nation's most eclectic museums of art,
Americana, architecture, and artifacts. Thirty-nine galleries and exhibition
structures display over 150,000 objects spanning four centuries. Outstanding
collections of folk art, decorative arts, tools, toys, textiles, and
transportation vehicles are exhibited in tandem with paintings by artists such
as Monet, Manet, Cassatt, Degas, Andrew Wyeth, Thomas Cole, Winslow Homer,
Grandma Moses, and many others. The museum's 25 19th-century structures
include a covered bridge, a round barn, a lighthouse, and a 220-foot restored
steamboat that is a National Historic
Landmark.
If you don't know
about this museum, and have an interest in any of the
major collections (Quilts, Decoys, Weathervanes, Carriages, Sleighs, Wagons,
the Steamboat Ticonderoga, New England Homes and their Antique Furnishings,
Tools, Farm Implements, Circus Pared carved Wooden Model, ect.)
plan not to
miss it!
Museum History
At
Shelburne Museum elements of both history and art are fused into a lively
combination which has been described as "a place of the
imagination." The central vision which unites this rich variety
originated with the Museum's founder, Electra Havemeyer Webb. She was
fascinated by the unexpected and often unintended beauty of utilitarian
objects. In a lifetime of passionate collecting, she collected those objects
made for both home and workplace which exemplified the ingenuity and
craftsmanship of the pre-industrial era. When she decided to create a museum
to exhibit her collections she sought an approach that would astonish and
delight visitors.
Lake
Champlain Maritime Museum
A special small museum, providing insight into the
maritime history of Lake Champlain, and also preserving the boat building
craft, through instruction programs for children and adults.
Special Feature at the
Maritime Museum:
Scheduled to be
launched into Lake Champlain July 2004 and subsequently taken through the
Champlain Canal and sailed down the Hudson River to Manhattan.
The
Burlington Schooner Project
At the
shipyard you can watch, or lend a hand, as experienced craftsmen and
volunteers fashion timber, iron, cotton and canvas into a working schooner.
There are interesting exhibits and hands-on activities for everyone. There are
courses and workshops offered in boat building and traditional maritime
skills.
Burlington
Schooner Project Timeline
|
2001
Shipyard
opened to public. Sternboat building and spar making began. Courses
and workshops offered through summer.
|
2002
Schooner
building continued. Courses & workshops offered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fort Ticonderoga
"The strength of the Fort
exceeds ye most sanguine imagination. Nature and Art are joined to
render it impregnable."
by Eli Forbush, a Massachusetts soldier, 1759
A very large and
impressive fort which had a major influence on the Revolutionary War,
and may have determined its outcome. Special event dates are noted on
the Web site. Take the Fort Ti Ferry (one of the oldest
continually-operating ferries in the country, guided by an underwater
cable) to ease into history and slow your pace. A cruise aboard M/V
Carillon enables you to see the fort from Lake Champlain, and also
provides a wonderful narrated history lesson by Mahlon Teachout, the
Captain.
The view of the Fort from
across the lake
The Vermont Mozart Festival
The Vermont Mozart Festival began in 1974 as a summer series for the UVM Lane Series. Inspired by the many beautiful sites throughout the Vermont countryside, the Festival was conceived in the European tradition - a variety of locations and a variety of events, all interrelated. Now the festival is held in summer and winter.
Highly recommended!
Lake Champlain Ferries
The Charlotte-Essex Ferry
approaching
Essex, New York on Lake Champlain
A ferry trip on Lake
Champlain is special, at any one of the five ferry-crossing points. The
Fort Ticonderoga Ferry is one of the oldest continually-operating
ferries in the country and is unusual because it is guided by a cable in
its 5-minute crossing. The Charlotte VT - Essex NY ferry offers a
beautiful 20-minute trip on the middle section of Lake Champlain. The
views are spectacular, with the Green Mountain backdrop on the East and
the Adirondack Mountains to the West. Longer ferry trips can be taken
farther north on the lake.
Mt. Philo State Park
The 168-acre park is
located atop Mt. Philo (968' elevation) and overlooks the Lake Champlain
Valley and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. A narrow, steep road
(not recommended for trailers) provides visitors access to the top of
the mountain. This is Vermont's oldest state park, created in 1924.
A spectacular view is
available, and it can easily be combined with a ferry trip from
Charlotte to Essex, NY to make a great day of natural beauty. Check out
the other Vermont State Parks as you look at this one.
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
Factory
Nestled in the heart of
the Green Mountains is the famous Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory which
sits on a rolling pasture overlooking the Worcester Range, just north of
the small town of Waterbury. The guided factory tour is fun &
educational for all ages. Guests will learn about the ice cream
production process and how the Company’s 3-part mission statement is
incorporated into day-to-day business decisions.
They start with a
7-minute “moovie” shown in our Cow Over The Moon Theater. You’ll find
out how two childhood friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, turned a
$5 correspondence course on ice cream making into a very successful
business that shares its success with its employees and with the
community, and has fun doing it! From there they take you to a
mezzanine, where you’ll get a bird’s eye view of “Vermont’s Finest” in
action and an explanation of the ice cream manufacturing process.
Then it’s off to the
FlavoRoom for delicious samples of the day!
