Places to Visit in Vermont
Vacation Ideas

How many villages are a major stopping point on the Amtrak rail system as it connects Washington DC & New York City with Northern Vermont?

What small town has three major skiing areas conveniently nearby?

Many of the local buildings are architecturally diversified and worth study and appreciation.

Every fall the village celebrates the Annual Glory Days Festival which is a fun day of celebrating their roots in railroading.

Part of this celebration includes a day long round trip train ride to the Norwich Montshire Museum of Science.

If your vacation takes you any where near Shelburne, take a day at their museum and you won’t be sorry. There is something for everyone in the family.

First off, they have an old steamboat named The Ticonderoga. There are only a few of these iconic boats left and this one has been awarded the status of National Historic Landmark. The story of how the Ticonderoga was moved overland from Lake Champlain is fascinating for young and old.

Do you like dolls? The Shelburne Museum has hundreds of antique dolls. Or how about hand-carved miniature circus figures and loads of circus memorabilia. There’s a huge collection of old horse-drawn carriages and sleighs. From artwork to hooked rugs and historic house to old duck decoys, the Shelburne Museum is chock full of interesting things.

In nearby Quechee you will find a grand old mill transformed into a showroom for the famous Simon Pearce’s Irish glass and pottery. Not only can you see and purchase this excellent work but you can watch the glass blowing and clay molding as it happens. This same old mill houses the Simon Pearce restaurant which is cantilevered out over the top of a water fall and that’s no exaggeration. Now that sounds like a great place to lunch or maybe a moonlit summer evening - maybe even an “enchanted evening“.

Of course biking and hiking are super three season sports and there is plenty of room for enjoying these pastimes in the Burlington Region. This region is also blessed with a plethora of good skiing locations, so if you visit in the winter you’ve just got to bring your skis. Now if you can’t find a place for good skiing in the Burlington environs, you just aren’t looking hard enough.

This area is also blessed with two excellent museums. First, there is the Birds of Vermont Museum in nearby Huntington. You will see hundreds of wood carvings of native birds and watch live birds via a glass enclosure, plus many walking trails around the museum. Secondly, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in nearby Vergennes emphasizes the marine history and archaeology of the area including the many ship wrecks on the Lake.

The Rutland region is gem #1. Starting with the Norman Rockwell Museum with it’s very large collection of his art. The body of work includes originals, over 2,500 magazine covers and illustrations in many advertisements. Mr. Rockwell’s art is really a beautifully subtle history of America. The Vermont Marble Company in the nearby town of Proctor does not manufacture little round marbles for children to use in games. No, they are nationally known for their high quality marble for buildings, sculpture and decorative items.

For many years their local museum has been a bright light in showing the history of the use of marble. That light will shine even brighter in the summer of 2010 with the opening May 31st of a new exhibit honoring the marble sculpture of the Tomb of the Unknown soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The museum is quite large with many examples of marble in use. The most exciting display, however, is the “Hall of Presidents” where you’ll find a bust in marble of every U.S. president.

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