We recently enjoyed a truly beautiful day in Burlington, Vermont.  It was our family’s attempt at a full family vacation since our oldest was unable to join us for our trip to Maine earlier this summer.  And, it didn’t disappoint.  It was a day complete with family car time, yummy food, a scenic walk, and a special excursion.

A family road trip with 3 teenage boys who are getting taller by the minute is exactly what you would imagine, but priceless nonetheless.  My husband drove and it was a pleasant ride the whole 2.5 hours there watching the beautiful countryside and cute villages of Vermont.  Our plan was to hit Church Street as our first stop.  Church Street Marketplace is a pedestrian mall with loads of restaurants and shops lasting several blocks in the heart of Burlington.  We easily found parking in one of the many “pay by plate” lots just down the hill from Church Street.  We inquired about the wait at several places, but continued exploring Church Street until we found Halvorson’s Upstreet Cafe at the north end near the base of the Church.  We were quite pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food here.  We were all happy with our meals, which fortified us for our afternoon adventures. 

After exploring Church Street some more and making a few purchases, we headed back to the car and decided to move it to a parking lot by the water.  When parking by the water, head to one of the lots a bit further south to save yourself some money.  We parked at the King Street lot, which is pay by plate and was much cheaper than the $20 rate at the lot at the end of College Street.  There’s a public bathroom and a playground at the King Street location, as well as several benches for watching the sunset over Lake Champlain.  From here, we walked along the shoreline on the “Island Line Trail,” which provided beautiful views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains.  We walked past some little parks and some beach areas and ended at the Burlington Surf Club.  The Burlington Surf Club is quite a find because it allows day passes to access their beach area, where they have several fun activities.  You can also rent stand up paddle boards, hobie cats, or windsurfing boards.  Definitely planning to check this out more on our next visit. http://www.burlingtonsurfclub.com/

From there, we walked back North to the hustle and bustle of Waterfront Park, where it was time for creemees!  - Vermont’s Maple syrup infused soft-serve ice cream is the perfect summer treat.  Enjoying one sitting on a swing bench overlooking Lake Champlain makes a picture-perfect afternoon.

The highlight of our day was a special splurge – a private sail on Lake Champlain aboard RED, an exquisitely restored 1969 Swan 43 racing yacht.  We lucked out in finding RED because we didn’t even know what we were looking for.  We knew we wanted to be on the water and we knew we didn’t want a big tour boat.  Most smaller boats did not have availability for a party of 5, but then we found RED, which allows you to book a private sail for up to 6 people (https://sailbtv.com/).  At first, we couldn’t find any wind, so we hugged the shoreline and got to see the many spots for rock jumping, the public beach, and some gorgeous homes with amazing views of Lake Champlain.  After our cruise down the shoreline, our captain miraculously found wind and we enjoyed an incredible sail for the next hour.  My husband and I sat on deck chairs towards the front of the boat and at times it felt like we might go sliding off, which was super thrilling!  We highly recommend this sailing experience.

After our Lake Champlain adventure, we were psyched to eat at the Skinny Pancake where we enjoyed super yummy savory and sweet crepes, plus a yummy salad and delicious Vermont cheese curds.  Other fun things to do in Burlington include live music in the park; the ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain interactive museum; North Beach Park; Burlington Surf Club; Leddy Beach; Shelburne Farms; and, of course, the University of Vermont.  Burlington is a great family summer destination.  We are looking forward to returning next year!