Burlington

We arrived in Burlington, VT, on 6/10 (Sunday) and took a mooring ball…one of the last available. It was the final day of the Burlington Jazz Festival and we surmised that many came by boat. We took the dinghy in to explore the city and to scope out highlights in anticipation of family visitors. Our first stop was the Farmhouse Tap and Grill for lunch. We identified our future slip at the Burlington Community Boathouse, co-located on the same pier as Splash Restaurant. (We also found some bike racks so we didn’t need to courier our bikes daily or lift them up to the flybridge every night.) The rest of our reconnaissance would be by bicycle the next day.  

Monday, we rode the Burlington Bikeway as far north as it would take us. Our return included a side trip to the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum. He was the leader of a militia called the “Green Mountain Boys,” and, with the support of Benedict Arnold and his military regimen, the combined forces captured Fort Ticonderoga (a pivotal battle in our Revolutionary War). Ethan Allen is a hero in Vermont for first declaring the territory as an independent Republic, and then fighting for Vermont (“green mountain”) to be an independent state. His homestead, and indeed all of Vermont, is a lush green with fertile farmland that benefits from the long days of summer and fall. 

Tuesday we rode the bikeway south after a couple of errands. The hills here are steeper than those of the Hudson Valley making it a good workout. Wednesday was our “day off,” in anticipation of rain that waited to fall until very late afternoon. Pete barbeque’d our dinner in a parka. Then on Thursday we motored in to the Burlington Boathouse to take our slip. This allowed us a full day and a half to do laundry and provision for weekend company. 

We found a great store called City Market. It is a lot like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, with organically grown fruits and vegetables, artisinal cheeses, fresh breads and many other specialty items. We could have spent a fortune there! 

Danielle and Conor arrived Friday evening bringing an assortment of beers and fresh shellfish from Portland, Maine. They arrived just in time to catch a sunset. We had light refreshments and great conversation until bedtime. On Saturday, we visited the infamous Church Street Marketplace and the local Farmer’s Market before heading out to a couple of breweries. Low and behold, Fiddlehead Brewery was right across the street from Shelburne Vineyards! Of course we tasted at both venues! 

We got back to the boat ahead of Carrie, another niece, and enjoyed a late afternoon snack, then the three “kids” went exploring in the dinghy. When they returned we became a floating gourmet kitchen and prepared our seafood linguine with shrimp and scallops in a garlicky cream sauce, farm-fresh carrots and asparagus, and paired with Conor’s terrific beers. Yum! And, naturally, we dined in the flybridge watching another spectacular sunset. 

Sunday we cruised to The Four Brothers Islands, a bird sanctuary owned by The Nature Conservancy. We turned off the motor to hear the raucous symphony of the thousands of nesting water fowl. We then prepared a fabulous brunch using up our leftover seafood while cruising the lake. Once docked, Carrie, Dani and Conor explored some more of the Marketplace. We met up for a late lunch before they had to leave. They brought exceptional weather with them, and when they left, a new storm was moving in that brought wind, rain, lightening and thunder…and not much sleep that night. 

Monday we connected with more family! Kristin and Gabe LaJeunesse, and their son Josh, got the nickel tour of Reverie before we dined at The Spot, a popular waterfront restaurant within walking distance. (Thank goodness for the break in weather!) 

Everywhere we stop on this journey offers something special, but there’s nothing better than sharing time with family. We’re grateful for those that have gone the extra mile to join us and become part of our adventure!