Burlington, VT

Our last and final stop on our Northeastern road-trip adventure was the city of Burlington, VT. The city had been on my travel wish list since watching a documentary about Ben and Jerry's on Netflix over a year ago. Aside from our love of Ben and Jerry's, I loved seeing the clips of the town where it was founded and all of the pretty Google images that came up when I searched "Burlington, VT". It was the longest leg of the journey since we had to drive back towards mainland from the coast. However, the drive was amazing and filled with rolling hills, farmland, and mountain ranges galore.

Our first Burlington stop was to none other than Ben & Jerry's factory. While the original Ben & Jerry's is downtown, the factory is where some of our favorite ice creams are created and made. The tour was short and sweet (pun intended), especially since it ended with a free sample of the day's flavor- Cookies and Milk.

It was then straight to another Lyles' favorite for another tour, Magic Hat Brewery. It turns out that the brewery also doubles as an art space and arts school program. So, in addition to seeing how some of our favorite beers are brewed, we got to taste them and admire some fabulous original art in the process.

We then made a quick walk through downtown, including the Church Street Marketplace, an outdoor pedestrian mall. It was a little rainy. So, we ducked into American Flatbread for some warm and toasty flatbread before heading back out to the waterfront for Grand Point North.

Grace Potter, a Burlington native, started the music festival a few years back and we were so happy that our vacation time allowed us to be there for it. In addition to seeing Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, we also caught one of our favorite acts- Lucius. We saw them earlier this year back in Birmingham and I became obsessed. They are fun enough to listen to on vinyl, but seeing them in real life is a whole new ballgame. There were only 2 stages. So, the festival was pretty small, but that meant that we got to listen to every act of the day including, but not limited to: Lake Street Dive, The War on Drugs, and Rayland Baxter.

It was a short trip, but I absolutely loved the geography of the state and the small town feel of Burlington. Even though it was a bit more chilly than my Southern blood was used to, I would go back in a heartbeat. It was a perfect vacation and I am so thankful for the memories that were made.