Northwest Vermont

See

• The mountains and lakes and perhaps the biggest attractions. Other attractions include museums in Burlington.

Do

• Explore downtown Burlington
• Go sailing on Lake Champlain
• Hiking: Hiking for all skill levels can be found in the region
• Visit the Lake Champlain Islands

Eat

There are many restaurants in Northwest Vermont covering a wide variety of cuisines. Burlington has the highest concentration of restaurants, but most towns will have a few. You can find surprisingly refined dining in some of the smaller towns and villages, especially Richmond. Find a farmers market and buy some fresh produce and sample the wide variety of food vendors. The localvore movement is big in Vermont and Northwest Vermont is no exception. Most restaurants will have at least a few locally sourced ingredients, even some of the chains. Individual restaurant listings can be found on the pages for each town or county. One thing that differentiates Northwest Vermont from the rest of the state is the availability of ethnic food. There are the standard Italian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Middle Eastern restaurants like you can find in the rest of the state, but you can also find Nepalese, Congolese, Afghan, Peruvian, and Jamaican food at restaurants, markets, and farmers market stands in Burlington and Winooski.

Drink

Northwest Vermont has a variety of drinking options. Burlington has many college bars and nightclubs as well as several brewpubs. Outlying areas are full of townie bars if you want to meet some locals. There are several local breweries whose offerings are worth a try: Magic Hat in South Burlington, Switchback in Burlington, Fiddlehead in Shelburne, and 14th Star in St. Albans. Switchback is a somewhat hoppy ale that can be found in nearly every establishment with a liquor license in Northwest Vermont. A pint usually costs $3-$4, which makes it the best value for money beer in the area. In addition to Switchback, most bars and restaurants will have an offering from Magic Hat (usually #9) and Long Trail (usually Long Trail Ale). With so many microbreweries based in Vermont, many bars and restaurants have a very limited selection of out of state beers. Then again, you didn't come here to drink Sam Adams. If for some reason you eat at a chain restaurant, they won't list local beers on the menu, but rest assured they have them. Vineyards and wineries can be found in the Champlain Islands and in southern Chittenden County. If alcohol isn't your thing, many towns will have a local coffee or tea shop.