Episode Transcript
Welcome back to Exploring America State by State, the podcast where we roll down the windows, skip the fast lanes, and discover what makes each corner of this incredible country worth the detour. Today we are heading into one of the most quietly beautiful places in America. A state with no billboards literally. This State banned them back in 1968. It is a place where maple syrup is serious business, the cheese is world class, and the villages look like the perfect version of a New England postcard brought to life. Today, we are exploring Vermont. Vermont has a way of slowing you down without ever asking you to. The roads curve through the mountains, the hills roll endlessly into the distance, and before long you realize you are no longer rushing. You are simply enjoying where you are. This is not a state you speed through. It is one you experience. Let's find out why. WHAT VERMONT IS KNOWN FOR Vermont produces more maple syrup than any other state in America. Its fall foliage is considered by many travelers to be the finest in North America. More than one hundred covered bridges still stand across the state, and Ben and Jerry's was founded here in a renovated gas station in Burlington. The craft beer scene is world famous. Beer enthusiasts travel from around the world just to visit Vermont breweries. Vermont also remains the only state in the continental United States without a Walmart something locals mention with quiet pride. The Green Mountains run straight through the center of the state, shaping nearly everything around them ski towns, hiking trails, farms, river valleys, and tiny villages with white church steeples rising above the trees. Vermont may be small, but it has held onto its identity in a way that deserves real respect. THE SCENEIC DRIVES Route 100 is Vermont’s signature drive and may be the most beautiful highway in New England. The road stretches more than two hundred miles along the eastern slopes of the Green Mountains, passing through towns like Stowe, Waitsfield, Warren, and Weston. There are no interstates cutting through the scenery and very few distractions. Just mountain views, dairy farms, covered bridges, and general stores that feel frozen in time. If you only drive one road in Vermont, make it Route 100 and take your time. Route 9, also known as the Molly Stark Byway, crosses east to west through the Green Mountain National Forest with sweeping mountain views and incredible foliage during the fall season. Then there is Route 108 through Smugglers' Notch. This narrow mountain pass squeezes between massive cliff walls carved by glaciers thousands of years ago. It is one of the most dramatic drives in New England, but definitely not recommended for large RVs or oversized vehicles. NEXT LETS TALK ABOUT ICONIC ATTRACTIONS Stowe is the Vermont most people picture in their minds, and honestly, it earns the reputation. The white church steeple, the covered bridge, the mountain backdrop it all feels almost too perfect to be real. Nearby in Waterbury, the Ben and Jerry's factory remains one of Vermont’s most famous stops. The tour includes a free sample at the end, but the real highlight may be the Flavor Graveyard outside, where retired ice cream flavors are memorialized with surprisingly funny headstones. The Shelburne Museum outside Burlington holds one of the finest Americana and folk art collections in the country spread across forty-five acres. And yes, the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe really is connected to the family that inspired The Sound of Music. The property remains family-owned today, and the mountain views from the terrace are unforgettable. DONT FORGET VERMONT's HIDDEN GEMS Lake Willoughby in the Northeast Kingdom may be one of the most beautiful places in the state. Surrounded by steep cliffs and crystal-clear water, it feels more like a Norwegian fjord than anything most people expect to find in Vermont. Quechee Gorge near White River Junction is another hidden gem. The canyon drops one hundred and sixty-five feet below the bridge above it, with hiking trails leading down to the river. Then there is Warren Falls one of the best swimming holes in New England. Natural rock slides, deep pools, and smooth granite ledges make it almost impossible to leave once you settle in for the afternoon. NOW LETS TALK ABOUT TOURIST TRAPS TO KNOW ABOUT Stowe becomes extremely crowded during peak foliage season in late September and October. Hotel prices often double or even triple during those weeks. The good news is that places like the Mad River Valley and the Northeast Kingdom offer nearly the same beauty with far fewer crowds. The Ben and Jerry’s tour is fun, but it only lasts about thirty minutes. It works best as part of a larger Route 100 road trip rather than a destination by itself. And while some boutique shops in Woodstock and Stowe can feel overpriced, the Vermont Country Store in Weston absolutely lives up to the hype and is well worth the stop. MOVING ON TO RV TRAVEL AND CAMPING Vermont is fantastic for RV travel with one important warning do not attempt Smugglers’ Notch in a large RV. Route 100 is the safest and most scenic option for traveling through the state. Groton State Forest offers some of the best camping in New England, surrounded by ponds, forests, and quiet hiking trails. Branbury State Park and Elmore State Park both provide beautiful lakeside camping that fills quickly in summer. For travelers looking for something more unique, Harvest Hosts locations across Vermont include maple farms, breweries, and working dairies where spending the night becomes part of the adventure itself. IMPORTANT TRANSPORTATION AND CELL COVERAGE TIPS Burlington International Airport serves as the main gateway into the state with direct flights from major East Coast cities. Amtrak’s Vermonter route also provides a scenic rail option through much of the state. Once you arrive, though, having your own vehicle is essential. Vermont rewards travelers willing to explore the back roads. Cell service remains reliable around Burlington, Woodstock, and Stowe, but coverage becomes spotty in more rural areas, especially throughout the Northeast Kingdom. Download offline maps before heading into the mountains and consider the lack of signal part of the Vermont experience. FOR OUR FOOD TIPS, AS WE ALWAYS SAY... EAT LIKE A LOCAL Start with real Vermont maple syrup. Visit a local sugarhouse if possible and taste the different grades side by side. The flavor differences are remarkable. Vermont cheddar from places like Grafton Village Cheese and Shelburne Farms is genuinely world class. The Cabot Creamery Visitor Center is absolutely worth a stop for the free samples alone. Beer lovers should make time for The Alchemist in Stowe, home of the legendary Heady Topper IPA, and Hill Farmstead Brewery, regularly ranked among the best breweries in the world. And then there is the maple creemee Vermont’s legendary maple soft-serve ice cream. Every roadside stand seems to have one in summer, and honestly, skipping it would be a mistake. HIGHLIGHTING SOME UNIQUE EXPERIENCES Visiting a working sugarhouse during maple season is one of the most atmospheric travel experiences in America. The steam rising from the sap, the smell of maple in the air, and the warmth inside the sugarhouse create something unforgettable. The Kingdom Trails network in East Burke offers more than one hundred miles of mountain biking trails through forests and rolling hills. And if you happen to be in Vermont on a Saturday morning, find a local farmers market. The Burlington Farmers Market is one of the best in the country with live music, local food, crafts, and maple products everywhere you look. SUMMER TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS Summer in Vermont is incredibly underrated. June offers beautiful weather with fewer crowds, while July and August bring county fairs, outdoor concerts, swimming holes, and long golden evenings. One of the best summer road trip routes begins in Burlington, then heads south along Route 100 through Stowe and Waterbury before reaching the Mad River Valley and Woodstock. Add in a brewery stop, a maple creemee, and an afternoon at Warren Falls, and you have the perfect Vermont summer day. SUMMARIZING VERMONT: Vermont is a state that has chosen to remain itself. No billboards. No shortcuts. No rush. The farms still operate. The covered bridges still stand. The maple syrup is still made by families who have done it for generations. What you experience here feels authentic in a way that has become increasingly rare. From mountain roads and quiet swimming holes to maple creemees and small-town general stores, Vermont rewards travelers who slow down and pay attention. Take the back road. Stop at the farm stand. Order the maple creemee. Vermont will take care of the rest. ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF EXPLORING AMERICA STATE BY STATE we leave the Green Mountains behind and head into one of the most historically important states in America. Massachusetts. We are exploring Boston’s Freedom Trail, the fishing villages of Cape Ann, the dunes of Cape Cod, the Berkshires in summer, and a food scene built on chowder, seafood, and generations of ambition. If Vermont showed us what America chose to preserve, Massachusetts will show us where America chose to begin. Until next time, keep the windows down,-- the map open, and the coffee hot.
