Month: August 2018
Location: Burlington
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| The beautiful State of Vermont |
When I lived in Connecticut, there were many
mornings in the Fall when we would drive up to Vermont to see the
foliage. There was a place called
Bellow’s Falls where we would board a train – after getting some pancakes and
maple syrup of course – for a small town of Ludlow. It was a short ride, but on the way, we could
see the beautiful sights of New England.
Then, after spending an hour or so exploring the small town, we would
take the train back to Bellow’s Falls and then back home. That was the only time I visited
Vermont. Now I was headed back, this
time all the way to the North – this is a long state – to the shores of 'Lake Champlain' and the town of Burlington.
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| Busy afternoon in Burlington |
I did not have a direct flight and had to connect in New
York. That meant that it was Friday
afternoon when I arrived and took a ride to my hotel to drop of my bag. It was summertime and all the hotels in
downtown had been well out of reach in terms of prices, and so I was staying a
a couple of miles away. I did not spend
much time in my room and left immediately. I called for a ride and my driver dropped me off in the middle of the downtown – a very busy
downtown. At the center of everything
was a small park and the streets around it were full of people, many sitting
outside restaurants and bars, enjoying the afternoon. Some of the streets were made of bricks and
closed to traffic, with vendors having set up station in the middle. There were boutique shops and art galleries
and basically everything that makes a town charming.
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| The modest 'Burlington City Arts' |
My first stop was a place called ‘Burlington City Arts @ The BCA Center’, which had an exhibit made of colored paper and that was pretty
much the highlight of the place. There
were a couple of other galleries with photographs, but I was done with the
place soon. I walked through the busy
streets and soaked in the ambiance, which was growing on me. This was a lively place that was celebrating
a beautiful summer’s day and I loved it.
I was also about to start my cocktail visits, meaning I was rushing to
my first destination, which was a block away from this busy street.
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| My first stop of the evening |
I entered ‘The Daily
Planet’ – the bar, not the place where “Superman”
works – and saw that it was empty. It
wasn’t so much the time since I had seen plenty of other bars that were full,
so I wondered if I had made a mistake coming here. I ordered a drink called “The Homesteader”, which was bright red
and based on the taste, this was absolutely the right place to start. Plus, I had a great conversation with the
bartender, Rio, who was studying to be a “Anesthesiologist”
at the nearby ‘University of Vermont’. I enjoyed talking about the cocktail bars
across the nation and I mentioned that he might make the best drinks by a
medical professional! Before leaving,
Rio told me about a “speakeasy” style
hidden bar which I had not found during my research.
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| Cozy interior of 'The Whiskey Room' |
The next set of bars that I would be visiting this evening,
were all spread on the streets surrounding the park. I would literally be visiting bars on all 4
sides! First up, was a place called ‘The Archives’ which besides serving
craft cocktails, also housed a collection of arcade video games. However, all the patrons were at the bar and
I ordered a brilliantly titled drink called “Black
Gold”. After a brief stop, I crossed
the street to go to a place called, ‘The
Whiskey Room at Ri Ra’, which was a bar within a bar. ‘Ri Ra’
appeared to be an “Irish Pub” and
through a door was an elegant “wood-paneled”
room called – you guessed it – ‘The
Whiskey Room’. The menu was on an “iPad” and I ordered an interesting
sounding drink called, “Szechuan
Manhattan” and because they had it, “Blue
Cheese Bacon Chips!”. Both were
worthy selections and I enjoyed my time here.
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| The informal 'Drink' |
Next stop was a place called ‘The Gryphon’ and it seemed like a popular dining spot based on the
crowd that was present at this time. I
took my time with a drink called “Mad
River Daiquiri”, which helped recharge my battery for the rest of the
evening. I was now on the 3rd
side of the rectangular park and visited a place that was appropriately titled,
‘Drink’. It appeared to be more of a coffee shop than
a bar and I ordered a drink called “Wexford”
and took a seat at a tall table, looking at all the pictures and posters on the
wall. While this place looked like a
coffee shop, my next stop, ‘Monarch and
the Milkweed’, was one.
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| A pleasant evening in Burlington |
My research indicated that this place was one of the better-known
ones, not only for cocktails, but also for coffee and breakfast. When I had seen that, I wasn’t sure if I
should invest much time in it, since I did not want to go someplace that wasn’t
serious about their drinks. Well, it wasn’t
masquerading as a coffee place at this time of the evening and I quite liked
the place. Plus, they made a mean drink
called “Escape Artist” and I was
definitely glad to have come. It was a
pleasant evening when I stepped outside and since I had some time before
dinner, I set-off to locate the “secret”
bar that Rio had mentioned to me. It was
called ‘Deli 126’ and the entrance was
through a refrigerator door inside a, well, deli. Unlike some of the other “speakeasies”, it had a very relaxed ambiance on the other side
with most of the tables and bar area occupied.
After a drink I went next door to my dining destination, ‘Bistro de Margot’, which – no surprise
– was a “French” restaurant. It was a nice dinner capped off by a “Chocolate Mousse”, after which I called
a ride back to my hotel and retired for the day.
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| A beautiful day for a wagon ride |
It was a beautiful day as I took a ride south of town to a
place called ‘Shelburne Farms’. They offered guided tours of the property while
riding a wagon and I wasn’t going to miss out on that! I got a ticket for the full tour, which would
take almost 2 hours and would also include “cheese
tasting” at the end. There were a
few other folks besides me in the wagon, that was being pulled by a truck, and
we set off. If I thought that it was
beautiful day earlier, being in that wagon with rolling hills around me, elevated this
to another level. As we went through the
farm, our very capable guide pointed out different landmarks, such as the
barns where cows were housed. One of the
main products of this place is cheese and the cows are well cared for, with
wide open grazing areas which would put a Vegas buffet to shame!
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| It was a picture perfect property |
We drove past the shores of ‘Lake Champlain’ and as beautiful as it looked, our guide told us
how infrequently it has frozen over recent winter’s, thanks to “global warming”. Our next stop was an Inn on the premises, and
it was a fantastic looking brick building with warm, wood paneled
interior. It was a historic building,
from the 19th century, that had been restored in the late 80’s. Our guide told us some of the stories of the
family that built this, and then we went outside. I haven’t stayed in too many resorts or
manors, but from what I have seen in movies, there is usually a pristine lawn
where people can stretch out on comfortable “pool
chairs”. Then there is a garden, a
pond with lilies, all leading up to a lake.
This place checked all these boxes and spectacularly.
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| The inn on the banks of the lake |
Our guide told us to walk around and assemble back in 15
minutes to continue the tour. I made
full use of that time to revel in the beauty of the place and once again, it
was a perfect day to be here. The vista
of the lake against this backdrop could have been a location in Europe. I took some pictures and walked about in the
garden, before meeting my group and boarding the wagon. Now, I would always choose to stay in
downtown of any city that I visit.
However, for those coming to Burlington for some relaxation, staying
here would be the best way to experience Vermont.
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| Cheese making at the farm |
With Vermont being one of the primary producers of “Cheddar Cheese”, it was no surprise
that we would be seeing that over on this farm.
Sure enough, our next stop was at the farm to see cheese making. We were taken to a room and behind a glass we
saw the cheese making process in a mini-pool sized vessel. The truck comes in with the milk and we saw a
pipe fitting on the outside of the building where the milk could be transferred
inside, thus starting the process. The
cows over here provide 50 pounds of milk daily, so there is a lot of cheese to
be made.
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| I was glad to have come here |
Our next stop was a termed as “Sustainability Classroom”, where kids, well all visitors really, learned
about sustainable farming. ‘Shelburne Farms’ proudly stated its
mission as a nonprofit organization that wanted to “inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future”. They want to educate the next generation on
what it takes to improve the quality of life on our planet and as a part of
that, invite students to come and learn over here. We saw some posters and material on the same,
as well as some “hands-on” activities
that they can take part in. It was a
fantastic place and made me appreciate the tour more.
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| Brunch at 'Penny Cluse Cafe' |
There was more to the farm here, including a café, and most
of my fellow visitors choose to stay behind.
It was just me and another person, besides the guide, who returned on
the wagon to the starting point. The
last part of the tour was “cheese
tasting” and only I chose to do that.
So, the guide and I sat at a picnic table and enjoyed some “cheddar” from the farm we had just
visited. I talked to her about the place
and how much I had enjoyed myself here, and then it was time to call a ride
back to the downtown. The lady who
picked me up was chatty and we talked about the restaurants and bars and she
told me to visit a brewery she worked at, and even gave me a note for 6 free
samples! I said that I would try to make
it there, though my evening was quite busy.
She also approved my choice for brunch – ‘Penny Cluse Café’.
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| A busy "Farmers Market" |
The restaurant was located inside, what looked like a house
from outside. There was a wait for a table,
but I spotted an opening at the counter and pounced on it. It was a nice brunch and I could see why this
place was so popular. I was headed
towards the waterfront but wanted to stop by the “Saturday Farmers Market”, which was being held on park around
which all the bars and restaurants were located. There were several vendors selling fresh
produce as well as other goodies and I just couldn’t pass up on freshly made “Maple Cream Soda” at “Rookies Root Beer” stall. Based on the long lines, they seemed to be
popular with the locals. It was
delicious and a perfect cure for a hot day.
I do enjoy visiting “Farmer’s
Markets”, for there is something so relaxing about walking amongst people
who always seem to be in a good mood.
Maybe its all the flowers and the smells.
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| Next stop was the "Science and Nature Museum" |
On the lakefront was ‘ECHO,
Leahy Center for Lake Champlain’, which was the local “Science and Nature Museum”.
It has usually been my practice to visit such museums in different
cities and while this one had a fantastic location and a modern building, it
was fairly modest in its content. There
were the usual areas for kids for “hands
on stuff” as well as educational material on the history of the region and
its topography. For me, the best room
was a life-sized recreation of a 1876 boat called “The General Butler”, a ship that was caught in a storm and sank
just off-shore from Burlington. That was
just one of hundreds of sunken ships in ‘Lake
Champlain’ and make up Vermont’s “Historic
Underwater Preserve”. There is also
an early 17th century legend about a large creature that lives
beneath the waters, which I am sure spooks the kids.
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| A walk along 'Lake Champlain' |
I walked through the rest of the museum and then strolled
along the trail that made up ‘Waterfront
Park’, which followed the lake shore.
While not quite same as the one in Chicago, it was a nice to walk while
watching some sail boats in the lake and other people enjoying the day. There were other places that I wanted to
visit this afternoon, and so I called a ride to go to ‘Fleming Museum of Art’, which was located on the campus of ‘University of Vermont’. Having visited the art museum last month at ‘Princeton University’, I was looking
forward to seeing another one that was affiliated to a University. My driver dropped me and left, only for me to
discover that the museum was closed. And
then it took 15 minutes for another car to get here.
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| The grounds of 'Ethan Allen Homestead' |
A few miles outside of town was ‘Ethan Allen Homestead’, a historic house and museum from late 18th
century. I arrived there, just after the
last tour of the day had departed, meaning that I wouldn’t be able to visit the
house. However, they said that I was welcome
to watch a short film about the place and then walk about the grounds. Since I had nothing else to do, I decided to
stick around. I learned that Ethan Allen
was a 18th century public figure who helped Vermont achieve
Statehood. Well, since I wasn’t going to be learning much about the house, I set off on a walk around the estate. There was a trail going past some fields and
into the woods. I eventually reached a
pond and then walked back, just as the museum was closing. Then started one of the more alarming
episodes of my travels.
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| I thought that I would have to spend the night here! |
I have been using “Uber”
and more recently “Lyft” extensively
to get around and it has rarely let me down.
But today, I was struggling to get connection and when I did, I was
unable to find a ride. Plus, there was
no one to help me make a call to nearby cab companies. Furthermore, this location wasn’t exactly
accessible by foot. After what seemed
line an eternity, I finally found a ride and while I would have frowned at the 15-minute
wait, today I was grateful. I was
certainly ready for a drink.
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| The main street of Winooski |
I was going to a town called Winooski, which was just outside
of Burlington, for my first couple of stops.
I arrived at a place called ‘Mule
Bar’, where I got a drink called “Jungle
Fever”, which was a good start. Next
door was a place called ‘Misery Loves
Co.’, which was another one of those “farm
to table restaurants” with descriptive menu’s and "tweezer driven chefs”. In other words, my kind of place. They also made great cocktails, as was
evident by my drink, “Satin Sheets”. I enjoyed this place and this town
wasn’t a bad detour.
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| Next stop at 'Pizza Verita' |
I took a ride to a place called “ArtsRiot”, which advertised itself as a good place for cocktails,
but appeared to be an “events venue”. As I walked in, I saw a huge room which could
host a concert, and a group of folks having a discussion. They mentioned that the place was closed for
the evening since they did indeed have an event, and so that was that! This place was a few blocks away from
downtown and now that I had time, I started walking back. I came to a place called ‘Pizzeria Verita’, which I had planned to skip, well, because of
the name, which did not inspire much confidence in the quality of their
drinks. I was however mistaken, since
not only was my drink – named “Brooklyn
to Burlington” – good, I liked the overall ambiance. It was dinner time and this place was
packed. It definitely looked more than
just a pizzeria.
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| "Old Fashioned Flight" at 'Mad River Distillers' |
My next stop was ‘Mad
River Distillers’, which was located in the heart of the action and one of
the popular drinking spots in Burlington.
As the name suggests, they were known for distilling all things good in
this world and I saw something called “Old
Fashioned Flight” and that was that.
There were small pours of 3 types – “Classic”,
“New England”, and “Burlington”, which had a maple
flavor. I also got a plate of “Vermont Brie” and that complimented the
drinks very well. I liked this place and
if there weren’t other places to visit, I could have gladly stayed here.
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| The basement of 'Half Lounge' |
Around the central square was a place called ‘Half Lounge’. The name suggested a place with comfortable
chairs and craft cocktails, but to my surprise, it looked like a bar version of
a “Take-out restaurant”, with a small
bar and one bench. I asked if there was
a place to sit and they said that there was a room in the basement. So, I took my drink called, “The Prince” and went to a basement
room, with wood panels wooden furniture.
It looked like something beneath a ships deck and it was as hot as any
basement can get. I was the only person
in there and after hastily having a few sips, I left for the next place.
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| The alley to get to 'Lincoln's' |
In an alley next to this place was another hidden bar called
‘Lincoln’s’, though its entrance was
well publicized. There was a heavy door,
resembling a vault to get in and I was getting ready to take a picture. Just then a gentleman came running outside,
completely out of breath, telling me that photography was prohibited. He would have made Paul Revere proud, and I
respected his wishes. The interior was
like a “Dive Bar” and it reminded me
of its namesake in Portland, Maine. Like
that place, this was “cash only”, and
had simple “mixer” drinks. I got a “Rum
and Diet” and grabbed a seat at a tall table, observing the paranoid
gentleman watch the exterior on a small screen like a hawk.
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| Another fine evening |
It was a beautiful evening as I
walked to my final stop prior to dinner, and it was called ‘Juniper Bar & Restaurant’, located inside the famous ‘Hotel Vermont’. It was by far the most expensive hotel and
all things considered, it looked a bit underwhelming. I got a drink called “Wooden Anniversary” and bided my time till my dinner reservations. It was place next door called ‘Hen of the Wood’ and it was supposedly
the most popular restaurant in Burlington.
That was clearly evident in how crowded the place was, so much so that
my reservation meant nothing. I still
had to wait almost 30 minutes for my table and decided to get a cocktail in the
interim. I saw something called “Northern Exposure”, which is also the
title of one of my all-time favorite TV shows. Alas, the drink was terrible and coupled with
the wait, I was getting annoyed. I
finally got a table and the food was fine as was the service. However, the best part of coming here was that on the next table
was Rio, the anesthesiologist-bartender from yesterday, who was out on a
date. He recognized me and I give him a
report on my bar visits over the last couple of days, saying that his cocktail was
one of the best. After exchanging phone
numbers, I called a ride back to my hotel.
In all of their wisdom, “Jet Blue Airlines”, had decided to
bring forward my flight to New York, ahead by 2 hours, thinking it would be
better for me to wait at the airport rather than get brunch here. So, the only thing I did in the morning was
check-out of my hotel and go to the airport, for a layover which was as boring
as I had anticipated. This trip
concluded my visits to the 6 New England States, all of which had been
pleasant. This was probably 2nd
only to Portland, Maine, and I had enjoyed my time here. Burlington is a vibrant city, with plenty of
fun things to do in downtown, as well as pristine nature on the outskirts. My trip to ‘Shelburne Farms’ yesterday was probably one of the highlights of
all of my visits. If I come back here
again, I am sure that I would enjoy the city just as much.
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