Month: May 2015

With Your Coffee

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Roads at Shelburne Farms.

Afternoon view at Shelburne Farms: sheep on the left, mountains up ahead, traveling along a dirt road.

Welcome to summer, everyone! Happy Memorial Day! Are you ready for a three day weekend? How was your week? Learn anything new? Have fun adventures? I’m looking forward to a weekend of some Vermont explorations and cheering on the runners in the Vermont City Marathon + Relay. Here are some interesting stories from around the internet.

Have the best weekend, everyone. Take pictures, laugh, eat ice cream, enjoy the sunshine, eat locally, all good things. Cheers!

Burlington, Vermont City Guide

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Views in Burlington.

Views in Burlington.

Welcome to Memorial Day weekend, also known as Marathon Weekend in Burlington, VT. It’s the unofficial start of summer (though we have been saying summer for weeks now – as we must take advantage of the too-short season in Vermont), and it’s one of the biggest events for Burlington, home to the Vermont City Marathon + Relay. My love of Burlington runs deep, so when a Twitter friend, @CaitAmirault, asked what to see, do, and eat in Burlington, it inspired me to make a list of my favorite places.

Top of Church Street.

TO SEE & DO

  • Church Street Marketplace is a must and where you’ll find most everyone. Stroll the pedestrian mall for food, shopping, people watching, and the unmistakable giddiness of this time of year in Vermont.
  • Head down to the Burlington Waterfront & bike path, where the marathon will end. You can watch the finish. And when the crowd clears, you’ll be able to see the renovated boardwalk (looks great), as well as the gorgeous Adirondack Mountains set in the background of Lake Champlain. If you’re adventurous, rent bicycles and head down the Island Line bike path, the old railroad line.
  • If you’d like to see some mixed-use areas of Burlington, stroll down Pine Street to the South End Arts District. It’s a mix of artist studios and small shops and restaurants – definitely the fastest growing area in the city. Walk up Marble Street or Howard Street into the Five Sisters neighborhood for walking among adorable bungalows and early 20th century homes.
  • In the mood for more high style architecture? Walk up to South Union and South Willard Street. Champlain College and UVM have beautiful campuses, too.

Arts Riot Truck Stop.

To Eat & Drink

  • Here for the marathon weekend on Friday? Head to Pine Street for the Arts Riot Truck Stop for delicious food and a great crowd. Get there early or wait in long lines! Actually, the long lines are fine. Just eat in courses.
  • Need breakfast? Myers Bagels on Pine Street for Montreal style bagels approved by this New Yorker.
  • Coffee? Also on Pine Street: Speeder & Earls for locally roasted coffee and a good place to get work done or catch up with a friend.
  • Or, August First for more coffee and fresh food and baked goods. It’s a screen free café and it’s located in a rehabilitated service garage.
  • Brunch is a local favorite at Penny Cluse. The scrambled egg tacos are my current meal of choice.
  • The best views in Burlington can be found at the Burlington Bay Market & Café. Grab some ice cream or a beer and enjoy gazing at the lake.
  • And for dinner, go to El Cortijo. Hands down, you’ll find the best margaritas in all of BTV, and the freshest, most local tacos you can eat. Worth the wait, and it’s located in a renovated diner.

Church Street, just before a storm passed by.

Really, there is no shortage of good places to eat and drink in Burlington. It’s what we do best. I could go on and on, but those are just a few places to get you started.

I love Burlington, and I’m excited for marathon watching this weekend (this is one race I prefer to watch, not run). Happy Memorial Day. Cheers! Good luck runners! And visitors, welcome. Have a great time. xo!