Early leaf peeping in Vermont
Day 1 - Travel day
I was looking forward to our visit to Burlington, Vermont. After I graduated college, not knowing what I should do next, I spent a few years in Hanover, New Hampshire. I had taken a few road trips to Burlington during that time. I have “fond” memories of taking my MCAT exam and interviewing for a residency program here years later.
We had an amazingly smooth travel day; we boarded the plane at noon, and by 3pm, we had picked up our rental car (white Hyundai Kona) and checked into our Airbnb! Once we settled in, we walked downtown for a late lunch at American Flatbread. We shared a kale Caesar salad and large pizza with sausage and roasted garlic. For dessert, we walked to Lake Champlain Chocolates. I had a dark chocolate truffle, and Cody had a delicious apple cider caramel. We also bought different types of chocolate bars that we devoured later!
Church Street (downtown) is not so different from what I remember. It still has its small-town appeal, brick streets, old New England architecture, with colorful banners lining the walkway. Surprisingly, many of the shops have stayed the same over the last decade. Unfortunately, there also seemed to be an increase in homelessness and substance use. There was a bleak juxtaposition of high-end shops and restaurants, intermixed with marijuana dispensaries and smoke shops. There were needle collection bins throughout the area. We passed by quite a few people actively exchanging and using illicit substances.
Later in the evening, we went to Red Rocks Park, going on a short walk and enjoying views of Lake Champlain.
Day 2 - Biking the Colchester Causeway
We started our day at a local shop for coffee and an interesting cherry apple fennel soda for Cody. We rented bikes and rode along the greenway and Colchester Causeway that bisects Lake Champlain. There’s a gap in the causeway for boats to cross. For bikers or pedestrians, there is a ferry you can take to continue onto the other side. The ferry was already closed for the season, so we had to turn around a bit earlier. I loved biking this trail! It was flat and mostly paved. There was minimal contact with vehicular traffic. We were surrounded by the dark blue waters of the lake and had beautiful views of the early autumn leaves. The crosswinds made it a little more difficult to bike back, but it was still very manageable. We stopped for a little while on a bench overlooking the water, so I could listen in on my mom’s doctor’s appointment, before returning to town.
We ate lunch downtown at a casual poke bowl restaurant. We also went into a couple of the shops and bookstores. Later on, we drove to Shelburne Farms, sampling their cheddar cheese and walking around the grounds. We also stopped at another nearby farm with an ice cream shop, Sisters of Anarchy. Almost all of the ingredients are produced at their farm. Cody had maple ice cream. I had a berry ice cream with chunks of dark chocolate brownie.
As we were heading back to town, we went to Red Rocks Park again. We loved the peaceful views, sitting against the rocky cliffs, catching some of the sunset.
Day 3 - Stowe Pinnacle Trail and revisiting the Upper Valley
It was drizzling this morning, with the forecast predicting more rain to come. Cody and I decided that we would still hike the Stowe Pinnacle trail. The trail is about 4 miles long, and it didn’t seem too technical, that we would be endangering our safety. We had our morning caffeine and drove about one hour to the trailhead. Despite the relatively low mileage, the trail was a tedious and challenging hike up the side of the mountain. Although the path was well maintained, we had to carefully watch our steps as rocks and tree roots were plentiful. The trees gave us some shelter from the rain; however, we were still getting soaked. Once we reached the peak, 1800 feet of elevation later, we had some glimpses of the fall foliage muted by the fog. Cody tells me this hike was reminiscent of our first backpacking trip together in Pisgah National Forest, where we were pummeled with rain and flooded trails for 4 days straight. At least, this hike lasted 4 hours, instead of 4 days, and we could go back to the comfort of an AirBnB versus a soggy tent. We rewarded ourselves with hot apple cider and apple cider donuts at a nearby farm.
We still had a full afternoon planned and drove to Hanover, New Hampshire. First, we walked down Main Street, and I was happy to see that many of the shops and restaurants were still there from my grad school days. We had lunch at Molly’s. I was excited to show Cody my favorite libraries on campus, the Tower Room at Baker-Berry Library, the Orozco murals, and the Rauner Special Collections Library.
I used to live and work at a non-profit, residential care facility for older adults near campus. I knew they closed in 2019, but I wasn’t sure what became of the building. We walked by and saw a completely rebuilt house. I was disappointed, as my time at the Outreach House was very formative for me. I feel so grateful for the staff and residents that became my family and encouraged me toward a career in medicine. [As I am doing research for this post] I learned that the Board of Directors of the Outreach House donated the property for the development of supported housing for people with physical and developmental disabilities. I’m so glad that although the function has changed, it is still giving back to the community. 11 South Park Street is a special place.
We had a few other exciting stops before heading back to Burlington. We went to Norwich VT, stopping at the King Arthur Baking Company flagship store. I wish Cody’s mom could have been there with us! We were impressed by all the different flours, mixes and baking tools. We also went to Dan and Whit’s, a family run, classic Vermont general store, who’s motto is “If we don’t have it, you don’t need it!”
Overall, it was a fun day of reminiscing for me. I enjoyed my time living in New Hampshire, but it was also challenging. I worked multiple jobs, made very little, and had no idea what I was doing. Looking back, maybe this is a common struggle for those in their mid-20’s. I am still glad for this time of exploration.
Day 4 - Camel’s Hump
A chance of rain was still in the forecast, but Cody and I were still determined to tackle another challenging hike, Camel’s Hump, the third-highest peak in Vermont. We decided to take Long Trail followed by Dean Trail up to the summit and descend on Monroe Trail. Cody and I enjoy rock scrambling and find navigating up is easier than going down, especially if the rock might be slick from rain.
On the ascent, we learned that Vermont trails were designed very different from the trails out west. Like the Stowe Pinnacle Trail, although the mileage was relatively low, it was an unrelenting ascent to the summit. There are no switchbacks. As we did not see any other hikers on our way up, Cody had the distinct privilege of being the inaugural trailblazer for the day, walking through all the spiderwebs that were formed throughout the night.
The conditions at the summit were unpleasant – lots of fog, wind and rain. Even though Cody was only a few feet away from me, I could barely see him. We saw our first fellow hikers for the day hanging out at the top, but Cody and I didn’t stay for very long, and started our descent. We encountered a thru hiker who was asking us about the availability of water further along the trail. Despite the rain over the last 2 days, there weren’t many water sources to filter from. Fortunately, Cody carried extra and was able to give her a liter of our water.
It took us over six hours to hike 8 miles with 2800 feet of elevation gain. We had some trail snacks, but we didn’t eat much throughout the day. We went back to Cold Hollow Cider Mill, hoping to get a sandwich and cider for a late lunch. Disappointingly, when we arrived, the café had closed early for the day! Instead, we shared a hot cider and donuts.
We went to a small Chinese restaurant down the street for lunch. It seems kind of silly, but when we walked in, I didn’t expect to be so excited to see another Asian person. I hadn’t really thought about how culturally homogenous the towns are here. It was a family-owned restaurant, with the mom cooking in the back, and her children taking orders and serving food. We enjoyed our generous portions of steaming hot sesame chicken and chicken with string beans.
For dessert, we went to the Ben and Jerry’s factory. We decided not to do the factory tour (I have seen it in the past, but Cody wasn’t that interested). We walked around the lobby, the retired flavors “graveyard,” and shared a yummy, salted caramel blondie ice cream. I appreciate the company’s activism and progressive values. I also love the origin story of Ben, the failed potter, and Jerry, the medical school reject, how they took a $5 ice cream making course, which lead to the creation of Ben and Jerry’s (simplified story).
Day 5 - Last day
Today was our last day in Burlington. We had a slow morning: we took a walk around the neighborhood (scoping out a 1900s Victorian home that was for sale). We went to Lake Champlain chocolate store, ordering coffee, hot chocolate topped with a fresh pillowy marshmallow, and a few apple cider caramels. For lunch, we tried to go to a local cidery, however we learned that their tap room wouldn’t be open for another week. We went next door to Burlington Beer instead, having a burger and pizza slices, with Cody finally getting a Vermont Shacksbury cider.
All in all, we loved Burlington. It’s not surprising that Cody and I talked about what it would look like if we moved here. The area isn’t perfect, long winters and sadly, a very evident problem with addiction and homelessness. I hope that things will turn around for the town. We liked being able to walk or bike to most places. Lake Champlain and the local parks are beautiful. Great hiking is nearby. I’m sure that we’ll be back.
