Whenever I get asked where I am from, I always get one of three reactions. Typically, I get made fun of for living in the middle of nowhere. Every once in a while, I get the odd duck who asks if it’s a part of Canada. I can never contain my excitement, however when I talk to someone who has actually visited because they always say the same thing:
“Burlington, Vermont?? I love it there!”
It’s very different being here in Boston, because I’m so used to living in a town where I know everyone (Vermont population: 621,760, Burlington population: 42,417). As much as I like that there is always so much going on here, I wouldn’t trade my summers in VT and everything I get to do there for anything in the world. I bet most of the things we do however, people from out of state have never even heard of- a lot of times people who visit miss out on the greatest places the Green Mountain State has to offer. Everyone knows Vermont has great skiing, a trip to the Ben and Jerry’s Factory is a must, and the fall foliage is beyond amazing, but summer is the true love of any Vermonter, and to really experience our great state to the fullest, you need to check out the spots that you’re not gonna read about in a tour book. Of course I would love to show anyone around that decides to trek up the four hour drive to my beautiful city, but in the meantime, here is some motivation, as well as the answer to the question I receive all too much, “What do you even do for fun in Vermont?”
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Shelburne Farms
Technically, I live in Shelburne, Vermont, a suburb only a few minutes from Burlington, but it holds one of Vermont’s best attractions, Shelburne Farms. I take everyone who visits here because I mean, if you come to Vermont you gotta go to some kind of farm, right? There is a huge petting zoo with all kinds of animals, they have products for sale right from the farm, there are hay rides, fireworks shows, and concerts all summer long. It’s always funny to take visitors here and watch them attempt to pick up a chicken or milk a cow. The best part about it though is going for runs in the evening when all the tourists are gone. The place is huge and you can explore new paths through the woods and the fields, and the farm is framed by amazing mountains. It’s the perfect place to just get away from it all to think for a while, and watch the sunset over the lake.
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Al’s French Frys
If you’ve taken Professor Snyder’s Econ 111 class, you have heard his example of the restaurant Al’s French Frys. I have to sit in his class twice a week and not pay any attention because all I can think about is the best, greasiest fries and burgers in the world. My greatest summer memory is sitting in the huge booth in the corner, with about 8 of my friends, watching all the people we know walk in the glass doors. We stay every night until it closes, even if we’ve been done eating for an hour. It’s just what you do at Al’s, and I beg any person who comes to Burlington to PLEASE visit this great restaurant, buy a burger fries and a creemee, and just chill in the 50s style red and white booths for a while. It’s a great time guaranteed.
Church Street
There is one place in Burlington, however, that really makes the city  special. It’s called Church Street, and I would spend every day there if I could. It is a brick walking-only street full of cute local stores and restaurants for every taste and budget but even if you don’t have a dollar to spend you can still easily spend a whole day on Church Street. The walkways are lined with beautiful sculptures (such as the famous Burlington Painted Cows), and amazing street performers who need to audition and pay for a permit to work (So you know they are legit). It is also the central point of the Vermont City Marathon, Vermont’s biggest annual event.
Walk a block down the street and you will be on the waterfront of Lake Champlain, full of bike paths, restaurants on the water, and just beautiful romantic views (Literally every girl from Burlington has been taken on a date there at some point in their lives, seriously ask anyone).
A little further down the road and you’ll be at Red Rocks, an area for cliff jumping with heights ranging from 15 to 75 feet. Even if you are too scared to jump (like me…) it is always exciting to watch those crazy kids attempt to show off and just relax with some friends.
I love my city and take any opportunity I have to talk about how great it is. However, it turns out I’m not the only one who thinks so, since it was voted third best downtown in the nation!