Lots to do in Vermont!

Last weekend we took a much needed break from work and headed to Vermont. The four drive was pleasant and arrived in time for dinner. Though still really cold even at the end of March, the Burlington downtown area near the University looked very festive and alive. We had a nice dinner at Sweetwaters and Nelson tasted Magic Hat, the local beer. We stayed at La Quinta for the weekend, which was enough time to do most of things on our must do list. Mirabelle's also located downtown was great spot for Sunday brunch.

Here is a list of fun things we did:

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory Tour: A short fun and informative tour ($2 per person) and a chance to see where American bears were being made and sold.

Dakin Farm Visit: We tasted a lot of cheese, spreads, meats etc and bought a lot of goodies at very reasonable prices. We saw maple syrup being made and a country band was entertaining people having pancake breakfasts.

Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour: An entertaining tour ($2 per person) and a peak at the factory though production was not in progress. Every tour was treated to ice cream
samples as well.

Cabot's Factory Tour: The tour ($2 per person) included a walk through the factory while cheese was being made. Another stop where we treated our selves to plenty of cheese samples.

Trapp Family Lodge: The drive to this lodge in Stowe was completely worth it. The landscape is certianly reminicent of the Austrian hill side where the Trapp family originated. I can imagine how magical this place must look in spring or winter. We had Austrian cuisine for dinner at the main restaurant. The servers were dressed in Bavarian outfits and a piano player in the dining hall added extra charm. Staying here was relatively expensive, so having dinner instead was a great way to experience this unique place.

Vermont boasted of so many local businesses that had orginated and sustained within the state. It was great to see the cross promotion among the companies. The view of the Adirondacks and lake Champlain was beautiful. But the waterfront in downtown was too cold even for a brisk walk. On our way back we stopped at Lake George outlets for shopping. We had dinner at Circus Cafe in Saratoga Springs and spent the night close by. Look forward to coming back and discovering more of Vermont!