Our next #veryveryVermont installment takes us to the bustling college town of Burlington. It's the largest city of Vermont and is on the water - Lake Champlain.
We arrived in the evening and after checking into our hotel, we headed downtown. Right downtown is
Church Street -- a pedestrian street filled with shops and restaurants It's the perfect place to stroll and grab a bite. We chose the
Instabul Kabob House. It was such a cute little restaurant, and everything we had was fantastic! We all split the mixed grill and of course, the lavash bread. Highly recommend and they take reservations!
The next morning we had plans to explore Shelburne Farms. On our way -- we had read in our guidebook about a "must-see" attraction, the world's largest FILING cabinet. HA! We knew we had to go by. If you didn't know where you were going, you definitely would not find it, but it was truly a sight to see! (it literally is in the middle of this field beside a shopping area)
After that we headed to
Shelburne Farms. It is a non-profit, educational and working farm on the banks of Lake Champlain. The day was a little overcast and super windy! We opted to take the full tour, so that meant we got a wagon ride around the property too! They provided warm blankets which we absolutely needed! Here are some highlights from the farm tour:
There is also an
Inn and restaurant on site that would be super fancy and fun to stay at! We got to walk through the inn and out into the garden (overlooking Lake Champlain). It was beautiful!
The wagon dropped us off at the cheese and animal farm! We got to see them making cheese and sample some that was super fresh. YUM! We also got to visit some animal friends!
Before we left, we grabbed a bite to eat at the "food truck" in the farm area. So much yumminess to choose from - and everything was fresh and from the farm! We split a roast beef sandwich with Vermont cheddar. Mouth. Watering.
We strolled through the visitor center and store and bought several souvenirs. This farm stop was one of our favorite activities of the whole trip and is perfect for any age. Highly recommend!
We left the farm and heading to check-off another Vermont bucket list item - visiting an apple orchard. We drove just a little ways from the farm to
Shelburne Orchards. You can pick your own or visit the little farmer's stand. They had so many varieties to choose from. They also had an area for cider and brandy tasting. MMM.
We drove around more back roads and found this quintessential Vermont Covered Bridge. If you wanted to - they have covered bridge maps and you could visit them all. Some are considered some of the most haunted areas of Vermont. SPOOKY.
To end the perfect day we had made reservations before our trip at
Trattoria Delila. It's also in the downtown area and such a warm and hospitable placed for amazing food! We'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Everything was SO DELICIOSO. Add this to your list if you ever visit the area.
The next morning we woke up to crystal blue skies. We had not been downtown during the day, so wanted to check out the waterfront before we headed to the mountains.
We ended our Burlington trip with a late brunch/early lunch at the
Skinny Pancake. It's a Vermont Creperie that was very popular! There was a line out the door, but it moved pretty fast. We tried one of the crepes and a burger. Both were scrumptious!
Burlington was such a fun town and completely different than Manchester! For our next and final stop we head to the mountains in Stowe! Totally different again, but one of -- if not our favorite stops! For now...back on the road again....
XO,
