Playing “I Spy” at the Vermont State Capitol
Vermont, the 14th state in the union, chose Montpelier as the state capital because of its central location and accessibility to the nearby Winooski River. The first State House, a traditional wooden meetinghouse, was open from 1808-1835, and then moved and expanded to a nearby, larger space from 1836-1856, until a fire destroyed most of the State House in January of 1857. The third, and current, State House was completed in 1859, built in an Italian Renaissance revival style, with all features made from masonry and cast iron; only the dome (57 feet high and covered in gold leaf) is made of wood. (Even the doors and staircase railing were painted to look like mahogany!) The Vermont Senate Chamber, which has 30 members, is the oldest senate chamber in America that is still actively used and still has all of the original furniture and lighting from 1859 (except for two filing cabinets and a computer). The 150 member House Chamber is the largest room in the State House. Vermont legislators have no private offices at the State House; they conduct business at their chamber desks or in groups in large committee rooms on the first floor. And unlike most state Capitols, there is no rotunda inside the Vermont State House, the dome is an exterior ornament. Hubbard Park, located behind the State House, is home to walking trails, a fitness trail, an interpretive trail, a 54 foot stone tower, and picnic shelters. The State House complex welcomes visitors all year and encourages exploration of its grounds.
20 Reasons Kids Will Love ECHO Leahy Center in Burlington, Vermont
The ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, a 34,000 square foot science and nature museum located right on the waterfront of Lake Champlain, has over 100 interactive exhibits, experiments and activities and is home to over 70 species of fish, turtles, frogs, and snakes. There are tons of hands-on activities for all ages, a special toddler space, a weather forecast television studio, a resource library room, rotating exhibits and tons of aquarium tanks. On a recent trip to Burlington, Vermont we enjoyed exploring ECHO think it is a must visit spot in Burlington.
10 Kid Friendly, Springtime Activities in Burlington, Vermont
One of the most popular parts of the “Green Mountain state”, Burlington is located in the north western part of Vermont, on the shore of Lake Champlain, the largest freshwater lake in the United States (after the five Great Lakes). Burlington is home to Champlain College and the University of Vermont (with St Michael’s College and CCV Winooski nearby) and has over 500 acres of open, recreational space and almost three dozen parks. There are tons of biking and walking paths (see #10 on this list) and three sandy beaches (Oakledge Park, North Beach, and Leddy Beach) open to the public. The Sand Bar State Park and Mount Philo State Park are great options for swimming, boating, picnicking, and hiking. There are tons of family friendly attractions for each season (tons of winter recreation options and plenty of ways to explore in the summer sunshine), but this week on the blog, we’re highlighting 10 spots families can enjoy all year.
8 Ways to Explore the Ben & Jerry’s Factory in Waterbury, Vermont
Started in 1978 in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream has become one of the most popular ice cream brands in the world, now with over 500 Scoop Shops worldwide (more than 200 in the United States alone!) and almost 100 varieties of ice cream. Ben and Jerry’s has three factories which produce their famous ice cream: two in Vermont (Waterbury and St. Albine’s) which distribute ice cream throughout the United States, and one factory in Hellendoorn in Holland, which distributes ice cream throughout Europe. The first factory opened in Waterbury in 1985 and guided tours began in 1986. The Waterbury Factory, the only factory open to the public, produces 300,000-400,000 pints a day and welcomes close to a quarter million people each year (up to 800 people on a busy summer day!). Even cooler? Every employee is allowed to take home 3 pints a DAY!
10 Things to Do at the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory in Shelburne, Vermont
We just returned from a quick trip to Burlington, Vermont and enjoyed exploring many of the popular attractions. One of our first stops was to the Vermont Teddy Bear Company in nearby Shelburne, Vermont. Vermont Teddy Bear Company founder John Sortino first stitched a bear for his son in 1980. That same year, he stitched more teddy bears and began selling them at a local farmer’s market. The bears were so popular, and sold so quickly that Sortino started a mail order teddy bear company, calling the orders “Bear Grams”. The first Vermont Teddy Bear Company opened a factory in 1985 and quickly expanded it in 1995 in its current location. Today, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company is one of the largest teddy bear companies in the world, making up to 700 teddy bears, using 200+ yards of fur, every day during peak holiday season. The factory is open for tours year round and has a massive gift shop and design studio where guests can make their own teddy bear souvenir. Owner John Sortino first stitched a bear, by hand, for his son in 1980. That same year, he created more bears for his children and eventually began selling them at a local farmer’s market. Later that year, when he had sold 200 bears in one week at a local farmer’s market, he decided to start a mail order teddy bear company, calling the orders “Bear Grams”, The first Vermont Teddy Bear Company opened a factory in 1985 and quickly expanded it in 1995 in its current location.
10 Reasons to Love Smugglers’ Notch Resort in the Winter (even if you don’t ski!)
Smugglers’ Notch resort in Jeffersonville, Vermont is well known for being one of the top ski resorts in America and routinely received accolades for being a top ski resort for families, a top New England fall destination, and one of the best adventure and vacation spots for kids. Known as “America’s Family Resort”, Smuggs is located less than an hour from both Montpelier and Burlington Vermont, and less than four hours from Hartford, Connecticut and Boston, Massachusetts.