Hello, Everyone! We’re very excited to be hosting all of you Aug. 2-6 here in the Green Mountain State. This year’s convention promises to be a great event for the whole family, so, come one, come all! There is so much to see and do near our convention site.
BURLINGTON AND THE LAKE CHAMPLAIN WATERFRONT
Burlington is a beautiful and lively town, with its fabulous waterfront on Lake Champlain, featuring gorgeous mountain views and every water-related activity imaginable. You can boat, swim, fish, or even dive and explore our underwater shipwreck state park at the Vermont Maritime Museum. Enjoy the views while cycling the lake-front bike path. Take a sunset cruise on the Spirit of Ethan Allen, named after the original Green Mountain Boy. The Lake Champlain ECHO Center and Aquarium provides a scientific and hands-on look at the Champlain Basin, perfect for children and the professional researcher.
Downtown boasts the Church Street Pedestrian Marketplace, a vibrant social center, buzzing with activity. It features an exceptional selection of fine and casual dining, pubs and microbreweries, unique shops and boutiques, and a lively and entertaining cultural, and live music scene, including art galleries, theatre, dance, film, and street performers. We even have the Vermont Lake Monsters minor league baseball team – single A affiliate of the Washington Nationals - and they will be in town during the convention.
It’s also a great family town, with plenty to do for people of all ages. Burlington has been designated America’s healthiest city, and often tops the list of our most livable cities. It’s extremely bicycle-friendly, so consider renting some for the week to enhance your experience. Hike, bike, and swim at any of the city parks – especially North Beach, or Red Rocks – which has spectacular views of the Lake and the Adirondacks from the top of it’s red sandstone cliffs. Vermont is one of the best places in the world to raise children and for year round outdoor fun!
Burlington Links:
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center: http://www.echovermont.org/
Church Street Marketplace: http://www.churchstmarketplace.com/static/page/churchstreetmarketplace/shop.html
Red Rocks Park: http://www.sburlrecdept.com/redrocks.htm
North Beach: http://www.enjoyburlington.com/northbeach.cfm
Spirit of Ethan Allen Cruises: http://www.soea.com/lake-champlain-cruises.html
Vermont Lake Monsters: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t462
FOOD
What about food? For those cooking at their campsite on the EXPO grounds, Mac’s Market and Deli is immediately adjacent. For an idea of restaurant fare in Essex, including a bunch of fast food establishments directly outside the EXPO, go to: http://www.takeouttonight.com/menus/vermont/essex%20junction/index.html. For dining in Burlington, there is literally something for everyone – from the numerous sidewalk cafes to the gourmet, and every flavor of international cuisine you could want. Check it out here: http://hungryburlington.com/search/all.php
BEER, WINE, CIDER
While there will certainly be beer at the Convention, you will likely want to do some exploring on your own. For a guide to Vermont’s finest micro brewed beer, wine, and cider: http://www.vtliving.com/breweries/microbreweriesarticle.shtml
CAVING
The Vermont counties of Rutland and Bennington contain a sizable belt of marble that outcrops on the eastern flanks of the Taconic Mountains. Most of the caves are solutional. Across Lake Champlain, the Precambrian rocks of the Adirondacks contain significant marble, tectonic and talus caves. Both these areas will be described in the convention guidebook and detailed directions with GPS coordinates will be available at the registration desk. Most involve hikes of a mile or more, although several are closer to the road. Dolomitic limestone caves, talus caves, and ice caves are close to the Convention.
Across the Lake, Natural Stone Bridge and Caverns is a caver-friendly show cave complex with one of the largest marble cave entrances anywhere.
See the caving link on the left column for more details on caving trips.
HIKING
There are numerous hikes in both the Green Mountains of VT within a short drive from the convention center. Please see the hiking page on the left column link for details and directions on specific hikes.
Hiking and rock-climbing abound. Families may want to drive up Mount Philo for its spectacular views of the Champlain Valley farmland and across Lake Champlain to the Adirondack Mountains of New York: http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/philo.htm. More serious hikers can attempt Camel’s Hump or Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest.
Everyone will enjoy the spectacular 1000’ cliffs of Smuggler’s Notch, the twisty Notch Road, and the boulder strewn Smuggler’s Caves. Yes, there are going leads (ask Ken Moore for directions). Or you can keep going through the Notch to Stowe and ride the Gondola to the top of the Mountain. Vertical cavers can do the same, and then walk a very short distance down the trail to the challenging Cave of the Winds (take a 250 foot rope for the multiple drops).
For those people taking a day trip through Smuggler’s Notch and on into Stowe, Ben and Jerry’s Factory Tour, and Cold Hollow Cider Mill, be sure to stop at the headquarters of the Green Mountain Club for the last word on hiking in Vermont. Superb maps are available, plus scale models of Vermont’s Long Trail, which runs from Massachusetts to the Canadian border. Half of the Long Trail is concurrent with the Appalachian Train, which bends East near Rutland and heads over to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Presidential Range.
Green Mountain Club: https://www.greenmountainclub.org/
WATERFALL TOUR
Rick and Kathy Pingree have created a special self-guided waterfall tour just for this convention. In addition to the waterfalls, you’ll see plenty of our mountains and gorges along the way. They have been compiling these locations for a book, so you won’t want to miss this special natural treat. This tour is a fun family outing, including multiple stops on a 100 mile round trip following mostly Vermont country back roads. The tour includes:
• Mill Brook Falls, Joiner Brook Falls, The Potholes (Bolton, VT)
• Moss Glen Falls, Bingham Falls (Stowe, VT)
• Smugglers Notch and Smugglers Cave
• Brewster River Gorge, Jefferson Falls (Cambridge, VT)
• Milton-Lamoille River Falls
See the waterfall tour link on the left column for complete details.
GEOLOGY
Interested in Geology? The formal Geology Tour, of course, takes place Sunday, August 1, (click on the Geology Tour link on the left column for details), but many of the tour sites are available to everyone during the week. A special Granite Quarry tour will take place on Wednesday to Barre (pronounced Barry), the Granite Capitol of the World. You’ll see the quarry at work, and stop at the Vermont Granite Museum and Stone Arts School http://www.stoneartsschool.org/ to watch some of the world’s finest sculptors at work. Again, details on the left column link.
The spectacular Champlain Thrust Fault is right in Burlington on the lakefront, a one-mile walk from your car. The Chazy Reef, the oldest fossil reef in America, is an hour’s drive away, taking you out onto the Champlain Islands. The Milton Gorge below the power dam has huge waterfalls, potholes and caves – and a nice kayak setting.
A little farther away, the Vermont Marble Museum, in Proctor, shows the beauty of this important Vermont metamorphic rock, as well as the history of this mining industry.
http://www.vermont-marble.com/
BICYCLING
Vermont, and the Burlington area in particular, is very bicycle friendly. You may wish to bring your own, but can certainly rent for the day or week while you are here. One of the area highlights is the 7.6 mile Burlington Bike Path, along the shoreline of Lake Champlain. http://www.enjoyburlington.com/Parks/BikePath1.cfm. For rentals: http://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=bikerentals&find_loc=Burlington%2C+VT%2C+USA. For bike routes near the Convention go to: http://www.vt-bikeroutes.com/northwest.html
ROCK CLIMBING
Convention members interested in rock climbing will find Vermont provides a wide range of climbing opportunities. Climbers with all levels of experience will find challenges here from the adventure routes of Smuggler’s Notch to climbing in Bolton or Deer Leap. In addition the spectacular climbing destinations of the Adirondacks in New York with Rumney, Cathedral Ledge, and Cannon Cliff in New Hampshire offer world class climbing a few hours away.
See the rock climbing link on the left column for more details on rock climbing trips.
WATER SPORTS: PADDLING, SAILING, DIVING
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum: Explore our Underwater Historic Preserves http://www.lcmm.org/shipwrecks_history/uhp/uhp.htm
Umiak Outfitters will offer self-guided kayak river tours to the Winooski River Trip on Mondays and Tuesdays, with Lamoille River Trips offered on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
The Community Sailing Center offers sailboat, canoe, and kayak rentals as well as private and group lessons. Both are offering discounts to convention attendees.
See the water sports link on the left column for more details on kayaking, canoeing, and sailing trips.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
In addition to enjoying Vermont’s natural beauty, you may wish to take some day trips to see other Vermont attractions and architecture, like our many round barns and covered bridges. Our beautiful granite State House, with its Golden Dome, in Montpelier, the nation’s smallest Capital, is a great stop on the way to or from Barre, the Granite Capitol of the World, with its huge working quarries, and makes a fine day trip. Civil War buffs will not want to miss the immense Battle of Cedar Creek painting – taking up a full room.
Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory tops a variety of factory tours that will be enjoyed by the whole family. Visit maple sugar operations, the Chittenden Cider Mill, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, and the Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory. For more family fun, check out the Alpine Slide on the way to Smuggler’s Notch, or the Shelburne Farms, a working demonstration where children can be up close with the animals.
Visit the world class Shelburne Museum at the old Webb Estate, with its unique Circus Museum, carriage collection, doll collection, art collection (including Andrew Wyeth’s Soaring), and the original steam paddle boat that you can explore on your own. Go to the University of Vermont’s Fleming Museum of Art and Anthropology, or the Rokeby Museum featuring a major stop on the Underground Railroad. For something a little different, the Vermont Wildflower Farm is beautiful, and a relaxing way to spend an afternoon.
Of course, nearly everywhere you go, you will find a Vermont maple syrup maker and our World’s Finest Cabot Cheddar Cheese, along with many other artisanal cheeses, and wonderful fresh produce at our many farm stands.
Find general tourism info at http://www.lakechamplainregion.com/
Shelburne Museum: A tour of the Cultural History of Vermont www.shelburnemuseum.org.
$15/adult, $10/child with convention coupon (included in goodie bag).
Shelburne Farms: General Admission $8 adults; $6 seniors; $5 children 3-17; Free to children under 3. Walking Trails, Children’s Farmyard in historic Farm Barn, Cheese making in historic Farm Barn, Farm Cart serving lunch at historic Farm Barn http://www.shelburnefarms.org/
Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory Tour: Keeping 60,000 Vermont cows busy, come watch the ice cream being made, taste the best new flavors, or visit the old flavor graveyard. $3. http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/factory-tours/
Vermont Teddy Bear Factory: $2 adults; kids under 12 free. http://www.vermontteddybear.com/Static/Tour-Essentials.aspx
Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory: http://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/VisitUs.aspx
Cold Hollow Cider Mill: Old fashioned rack and cloth press built in the 1920’s; fresh pressed cider, and award-winning cider donuts, apples, cheese, crackers, and honey. Watch the bees (behind glass!). http://www.coldhollow.com/aboutus.html
Vermont State House: http://www.vtstatehouse.org/
University of Vermont’s Fleming Museum: http://www.uvm.edu/~fleming/
The Rokeby Museum: http://www.rokeby.org/home.html
Vermont Wildflower Farm: http://www.vermontwildflowerfarm.com/
Lake Champlain Ferry: between Burlington, Vt. and Port Kent, NY runs each way 8 times a day. The one-hour crossing affords stunning views of the Green and Adirondack mountains. The first ferry leaves Burlington at 7:30 am and the last returns from Port Kent at 6:15 pm. Round trip rates are $32.75 for car and driver, $9.30 each adult passenger, $4.15 ages 6-12, with other rates for vehicles over 19 feet, motorcycles and bicycles. http://www.ferries.com/central_schedule.asp
Ausable Chasm: It claims to be the oldest natural attraction in the USA, established in 1870. A 150-foot deep sandstone canyon is lined with 3 miles of walkways and trails, including the newly developed Rim Trail. Hydes Cave here appears on antique stereo and postcard views. Boat and trolley rides are part of the regular tour, and rafting and tubing are available for $10 extra, as is an “adventure” tour into Devils Oven Cave. The 2009 rates are $16 adult, $9 for 5-12, under 12 free. A special $65 combo rate with the ferry includes up to 4 regular admissions. Follow NY 373 west 3 miles from the ferry landing. http://www.ausablechasm.com
Fort Ticonderoga: The fort is a remarkable window into 18th century military history and has been restored to its 1755 skyline. Built by the French, it changed hands between French, British, and American forces, and has been privately operated for the past century. Open from 9:30 to 5:00, adults are $15, seniors $13.50, youths 7-12 $7, under 7 free (2009 data). From south Burlington, take US 7 south 21 miles to Vergennes, then continue south on Vt 22A for 6 miles to Adison. Follow Vt 17 west 9 miles to the Crown Point Bridge (temporary ferry crossing) over Lake Champlain and continue 4 more miles to NY 9N. Take 9N south 12 miles to stoplight and turn left onto NY 22/74. Follow for 2 miles, turn left at flashing light onto NY 74 east, Fort entrance is 1 mile ahead on right. Total distance from Convention is about 60 miles. http://www.fort-ticonderoga.org/index.htm
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