Who doesn’t enjoy spending every minute outside in the colorful foliage and crisp air brought with the fall season? Being that this is my first northern autumn in four years, I had full intent to soak up every aspect of the season’s beauty and activities. And what better way to do so than spend a weekend outdoors in the crisp mountain air of Vermont? Taking a weekend trip to Burlington was an ideal little getaway and the perfect amount of time to fit in all the activities we desired to partake in. Instead of rambling on about how picturesque Vermont is, especially during this time of year, I’ll spare you what Google Images can show you and share my own experiences! Below you can find a glimpse into our three day trip to Burlington, Stowe, and Shelburne and take note for your next travels to the New England area.
Day One: Burlington
Upon arriving in Burlington around noon, we decided our first stop would be a quick bite to eat and obviously, a cup of coffee to warm the chills brought by the change in temperature. We dined at August First, a cute locally owned cafe and bakery, where we enjoyed a delicious sandwich with grilled chicken, spinach, tomato, mozzarella, and pesto on a warm baguette. Sounds delish, right? The sandwich and small brewed coffee was exactly the fuel I needed to charge me up before our afternoon activities.
Following lunch, we headed to the waterfront area for a bike ride along Lake Champlain on the Island Line Trail. This trail is a mix of a paved and gravel path that goes on for 14 miles and is lined with full-bodied trees and views of the glistening lake in between the leaves. About seven miles into the trail, bikers will reach the causeway that becomes the tail end of the trail which is a paved path on a jetty that cuts through the lake. With waterfront views on both sides, your bike ride, jog, or walk is certain to be a picture perfect one. The landscape’s charm will also distract you from how much of a workout you’re getting, and trust me your muscles will be a little sore the following day. If you're a visitor to the area and need a bike to rent for the ride, be sure to contact Local Motion Bike Rentals. Not only is this a super convenient place to rent from being that it's located at the southern tip of the trail, but also the staff is super helpful and will set you up with everything you need for your journey.
To end the day, Sam and I had planned to enjoy a sunset sail on Lake Champlain through a sailboat charter company called Whistling Man Schooner Co. For just $55, you can set sail on the lake for a relaxing two hour cruise with watercolor painting views. Although ours was cancelled due to inclement weather and too harsh of winds, I highly recommend checking this activity out and adding it to your itinerary! We were super bummed we couldn’t experience the sail for ourselves, but we hope you have better luck on your trip.
Due to the opening this caused in our schedule, we decided to replace the nautical scene with one involving brews and hops (and absolutely no one was surprised by that). Burlington is known for having a growing beer scene, and that was all we needed to hear before checking it out for ourselves. Being that bars and restaurants close up early due to pandemic related restrictions, we were only able to visit two breweries before closing times. First, we stopped at Foam Brewers where we sat outside under string lights in the rustic backyard of the brewery enjoying good company. Sam and I tried the Champlain Valley Hops Cascade IPA which was just the right amount of both hoppy and sweet. Following Foam, we went to Zero Gravity Brewpub attached to the restaurant American Flatbread, where we enjoyed personal pizzas for dinner. Whether it was the smooth amber Oktoberfest beer in my hand, the mouthwatering flatbread, the live guitar music or all of the above, the ambiance was spot on and made for a wonderful first night out in Burlington. When the bars called it a night, we decided we weren’t quite done with ours. Heading back to the hotel, we grabbed a drink at the bar on site where I tried a beer from Switchback Brewing which was a smooth reddish-amber ale and my favorite of the evening. We also had purchased ciders from Citizen Cider earlier in the day to enjoy at our leisure or bring home as souvenirs, which were also a nice beverage - perfectly sweet and tangy. Wishing we had more time to explore the nightlife scene, we recommend starting your pub or bar crawl a bit earlier, especially if you plan on visiting while businesses are adhering to pandemic regulations and curfews. Check out this link to get more recommendations on breweries to check off while in Burly!
Day Two: Stowe
On our second day in Vermont, we were greeted with the perfect cool and sunny weather to spend our time outdoors. We began our morning with an early stroll down Church Street Marketplace, a strip home to many small businesses, retail stores, restaurants, and cafes. Stepping in and out of apparel stores and accessory shops, we found it best to step away from the scene or else we’d drop a pretty penny on some cute new pieces for our wardrobes! Although you’ll probably end up walking through or driving past Church Street during your stay, definitely make it a point to stroll up and down this street as it is bustling with locals and guests and shops worth checking out. Once we scoped out the scene here, we set foot east toward Stowe where we would spend our afternoon exploring the great outdoors.
Upon arriving in the Hallmark-looking town, we were gushing with admiration for the movie-like scenery. Seriously, if Hallmark or Lifetime hasn’t hopped on board to set a holiday romance film in Stowe, I’ll happily send over a pitch deck with reasons why they should. With views of mountains lining the horizon that falls behind the buildings on Main St. in the Historic Downtown region of Stowe, you will feel like you’re in a postcard. Heading down Main St. towards our brunch spot, we passed small country stores, boutiques, and sweet shops with guests flowing in and out of. Knowing we would spend quite some time in one of those stores, we hurried along to our meal so we could get to shopping quicker. We ate brunch at The Butler’s Pantry and my oh my was our meal mouthwatering. The maple sausage alone was exquisite and something I could eat probably every day for the rest of my life. We ordered egg sammies with cheddar and maple sausage on biscuits with an extra side of maple syrup to satisfy our sweet teeth. A great meal to kickstart our afternoon, that’s for sure. Digesting the meal we so quickly inhaled, we found it best to walk off the carbs a bit and exercise our credit cards as well in the local country store, Stowe Mercantile. Everything from flannels and beanies to cookware and home decor could be found in these general shops, which means that you are bound to find something to splurge on. It took all my self control not to leave with more than I did, but I happily purchased what I originally set out for - a bottle of real deal maple syrup to bring home for my family (you’re welcome, guys).
Our last stop in Stowe was the main attraction itself - Stowe Pinnacle. About a 3.5 mile moderate hike, this heavily trafficked trail will lead you to breathtaking views of Vermont’s Green Mountains and Worcester Range at the summit. Although a relatively short trail, this hike has a handful of steep inclines, but nothing a beginner wouldn’t be able to handle. To get a better understanding of whether or not this trail is for you, we passed countless children, teens, young adults, and middle aged men and women, so it really is for all to enjoy! And if you’re looking for a way to exercise while being immersed into the wildly colorful fall foliage, then this is the activity for you. We stopped countless times along the way to take photos and mental memories of the scenes we were exploring, because how couldn’t we?! What’s also important to mention about this hike is that there are two golden retrievers that belong to a local neighbor who complete the trek to the top of the mountain often. Prior to our trip, we heard about these pups, Samson and Baylor, and were so excited that one greeted us about halfway to the top and the other welcomed us at the summit. They made the hike that much more enjoyable and were so photogenic and friendly that we just had to stop and hangout with them. All in all, we truly enjoyed spending our afternoon exploring Stowe Pinnacle and after looking at a fraction of the beauty captured in the pictures below, i’m sure you’ll want to spend some time there as well.
After returning to Burlington, we did a quick 180 from nature vibes and hiking attire to downtown booties and glam. Since we explored Downtown Burlington the previous night, we chose to dine in Winooski, the neighboring city just across the river. Ravenous for a hearty meal after hours of walking around, we set out to McKee’s Irish Pub and Grill for filling American food. Chatting and laughing with friends and enjoying truffle pesto thick cut fries to start (which were so yum) and a juicy burger as an entree, I had a full heart and stomach. Following dinner, we settled into a table at another nearby business, Mule Bar, for cocktails. Among a table sprinkled with margaritas and daiquiris, we were having ourselves a fun time and concluding the nightlife portion to our trip with many laughs.
Day Three: Shelburne & Charlotte
Our last day in Vermont was spent south of Burlington in the Shelburne and Charlotte areas. However, before we left we had to indulge in a hot spot for breakfast in Burly at a small local chain called The Skinny Pancake. We tried coming here for breakfast the previous morning, but they were all booked up which meant the place was no joke and we needed to dine there. I ordered the Early Riser, which had fried eggs and Cabot cheddar carefully tucked inside a warm, fresh crepe and y’all...mouthwatering. Of course I ordered the maple sausage on the side because why would I have any meal without Vermont’s special syrup? If you’re in Vermont and a Skinny Pancake is located near you, try it for breakfast one morning!
Leaving Burlington, we headed to our next stop at Shelburne Orchards. In typical fall fashion, we went apple picking here and for just $20, we loaded a pick-your-own bag with as many Empire and McIntosh apples we could get our hands on. Apples are one of my favorite fruits, so I was a woman on a mission here searching for the perfect ruby red apples high and low. Sam and I also lost the remains of our self control upon spotting sweet treats and ordered a half dozen of freshly baked apple cider donuts coated in cinnamon sugar. I brought them home to my family and they didn’t last more than 24 hours without being devoured - they were so damn good. And just minutes down the road from Shelburne Orchards was Philo Ridge Farm where we stopped in hopes of seeing some farm animals and horses, only to be in awe by the beautiful view of the rolling fields and backdrop of the distant Adirondack Mountains in Upstate NY miles away. Definitely a place people would book a fancy celebration or wedding, Philo Ridge Farm has a pretty barn and outdoor seating area, as well as, expansive well maintained grounds. Trees decorated with warm colored leaves danced in the wind on the farm’s property and yet again, we were looking at a scene from a movie set. You can sure find a lot of those in autumn in Vermont!
All in all, we had a wonderful few days in New England exploring the outdoors and enjoying the seasonal festivities. I hope to be back to Vermont in the near future and to the New England area in general even sooner. I hope your itch to travel here is as strong as mine and if you are planning a trip or have any questions, please drop them in the comments below or message me! Now close your laptop, admire the fall foliage, and go pick some apples before the season ends. :)