Blissful Burlington

Growing up with a camp on a lake means that I live for lake life. The adorable little towns littered along their shores are so fun to explore; Burlington, Vermont is no exception. Lake Champlain is very large, so we saw a number of colorful and quaint towns on our drive up that were full of character! If you're anything like me(a puppy-addicted, fruit and veggie loving, hippy-at-heart), then Burlington will be right up your alley!

Our first stop on our weekend getaway was straight to the lake shore. We parked in a public church parking lot and took a footpath down to the water. About 10 minutes later, we stepped down through the forest to find a secluded and private little rock beach oasis, as opposed to the populated beaches. I always prefer finding the road less traveled, so I was happy my friends showed us this spot!

All of the meals we had were enjoyable and I can't wait to return to try the restaurants we missed! We had dinner at The Radio Bean for our first night, which had a great atmosphere and live music! The menu was unique and allowed us to step out of our comfort zones and order something we wouldn't normally order; my travel buddy tried seitan for her first time and loved it! The following night we ate at Pho Hong, which is a delicious little Vietnamese gem with outdoor seating and great prices. For breakfast one of the days, we walked over to August First Bakery & Cafe. This isn't too far from the water if you want to order to-go and eat by the shore. You order at the counter and then sit where you'd like, which is great for a more flexible and relaxed day. There are large garage doors on each side of the front door that they open to let the fresh air and sunlight in. I had trouble deciding on a menu item because they all looked so good!

The Burlington Farmer's Market is held every Saturday year-round from 8:30am-2pm. The location during the summer is City Hall Park & Saint Paul Street. Strolling around, people watching and enjoying the beautiful weather was a highlight of my weekend. We took our time as we browsed around, stopping first for cold brew coffee from Northern Bayou Cold Brew Co. and then for veggie potstickers from Green Mountain Potstickers. It was hard to stay in control because every single booth had something amazing to offer! We moved on to a delicious green drink from Northern Spirulina. I also bough two pairs of unique, lightweight earrings; I love adding new items from my travels to my growing collection! I was impressed with this jewelry from Marie Davis Designs because it's all handmade with layered polymer clay. I absolutely love the feeling of supporting local businesses. There's something very special about making a physical transaction with the actual owner, who puts their heart and soul in their company day in and day out. It feels good to get something useful and beautiful while supporting a fellow entrepreneur's dream, vision, family and hard work.

One of my favorite things about Burlington is the ease of getting around on foot or bicycle. Parking is limited anyway, which encourages physical activity. I loved that no matter where we were, we could walk down to the docks or to get late-night Ben & Jerry's within minutes!

~Grateful Travels~