I haven’t spent much time in Vermont. I’m not a skier and neither is anyone else in my family, so the typical tourist draw to visit the Green Mountain State wasn’t really something that captured me. That being said, Vermont has been on my mind a lot recently. I visited a friend a few years back on New Year’s Eve/Day and was completely enamored by the place by the time I left. So, I decided that I needed to visit again.

This time around I focused on Burlington - tacking my visit onto the front end of a three-week vacation. Having never visited before, I relied on the internet and my Uber drivers for most of my recommendations on what I should do and where I should eat (or drink).

My first day was *technically* only a half day in Burlington seeing as I landed at BTV around noon. And to be honest, I was so tired when I arrived that I immediately passed out for a two-hour nap in my hotel room. I guess staying up all night packing for my trip was exhausting enough to put me out for a while?

When I finally got up and got myself together I walked from my hotel towards the downtown Burlington area. I ended up booking my stay at the DoubleTree hotel, which is somewhat of a hike from the city center. But don’t fret - if you’re looking for a place to stay that’s closer to downtown there are plenty of other places to stay. Although, by making the choice to walk I was able to roam through parts of the UVM campus, which is enormous and sprawling and beautiful. I was also able to take in all of the big, old houses on Main Street and get a glimpse of the city in front of Lake Champlain. A very pleasant introduction.

I really took my time walking, so when I officially made it into the town center it was time for dinner. Everyone recommended that I go to Honey Road for dinner and I’m so glad that I did. The restaurant is marked with a bright pink neon sign and by its patron-packed patio. I went inside and took a seat at the bar - my preferred place to sit in a restaurant. The interior is small-ish but feels fairly open due to its high ceilings and modern furnishings. This place has the look. The staff at the bar was great - recommending all sorts of favorite entrees and appetizers that would be best for a vegetarian like me. After mulling it over with a Heady Topper in hand, I decided to go with a few dishes: the baba ganouj, kale salad, and summer green beans. A total 10/10 meal in my opinion.

After dinner I walked up Church Street to grab some ice cream at the “original” Ben & Jerry’s. Apparently the real original was torn down but the existing storefront is credited with where it all began. I grabbed my favorite B&J flavor, The Tonight Dough, and walked back up Church before heading back to the hotel for the night.

Day two in Burlington was a bit more eventful than day one. I made the decision to spend my day exploring the city on foot, but unfortunately my plans were compromised after the weather shifted and it ended up raining for most of the day.

Not willing to be defeated, I dodged raindrops on my walk to the town center and found myself at August First, an airy, warehouse-type cafe, for a cup of coffee and a dry place to wait out the weather. As the sun finally started to peek through the clouds, I started hunting for a place to grab a late breakfast. I decided on Monarch and the Milkweed where I dined on a veggie and egg breakfast sandwich (at the recommendation of my waitress) and a green salad - always need the greens IMO. After finishing my meal but before leaving the restaurant, I grabbed a few CBD goodies from their glowing dessert display case. Then, on to the next.

Stop number three of the day was the lake-side park at the end of Main Street, where I picked up one of the available rental bikes to ride around a bit. The bike path that runs alongside the lake shore was closed for maintenance while I was there, so I ended up riding down Pine Street to seek out the World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet. I eventually found it and it was really tall.

After a half hour or so, I turned the bike around and started to head to my next stop: Foam Brewers. The interior of the brewery is cozy, with steel and deep blue accents throughout. The vibe all around was kind of similar to that of a backyard brew project - friendly, tasty, relaxed. The rain was still at bay so I decided to sit on their patio where I sipped on a hazy IPA and pet a yellow lab puppy. Sublime.

I had worked up an appetite on my bike ride and decided to head over to American Flatbread for some pizza and another beer. I arrived almost immediately after they had opened for dinner, so the place hadn’t filled up yet but the smell of pizza was already wafting through the air. I cozied up to the bar and ordered a veggie and pesto flatbread and another local beer on tap. I liked the dark, classic bar feel of the place and took my time finishing my beer. When I finished up at A.F. and it was time to head out, I found that it had started to rain again - this time even harder than before. I was weighing my options, deciding whether or not to call an Uber and head back to the hotel or wait it out once again. Standing on the stoop of the restaurant, the sign for Monarch and the Milkweed caught my attention again. I figured I could wait out the rain with some dessert and a cocktail in hand.

What was supposed to be a quick stop along the away turned into an evening chatting with local restaurant-goers and the restaurant wait staff. Although I was a stranded stranger who took up a space at the bar for most of the night, the bartenders were very kind to me by offering great company and a few tasty drinks.

My full day of touristing finally got the best of me and when I arrived back at the hotel I fell asleep almost immediately. The next day would be a full eight-hour travel day on the Vermonter Amtrak train into New York City - a trip I was looking forward to purely for scenic reasons. I needed to rest up for a full day of sitting on my ass.

I found myself enamored with Vermont after my time in Burlington and would absolutely love to visit again. If you find yourself up that way, don’t hesitate to walk around and stumble into whatever draws your attention. Odds are you won’t regret it.