Vermont Travel Guide
One of the smallest of the American states, the Green Mountain State of Vermont is located in the New England region of northeastern America. Known for its scenery, most notably the north-south spine of the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, Vermont has long been a popular destination for those who love the outdoors, in particular skiing and snowboarding.
Possessing a climate similar to that in Stockholm, Sweden, it is no surprise that Vermont is an area of particularly cold winters that boasts some of the best downhill and cross-country ski runs in New England. The rural northeastern section of the state averages more than two meters of snow each winter, with temperatures sometimes 10°C colder than the southern areas of the state.
Spring heralds ‘mud season’, where the frozen paths and rural roads become a quagmire of filth as the winter snow and ice thaws, leading into a mild summer followed by a colorful autumn. A number of soil and climate conditions and the presence of a specific variety of the sugar maple tree cause a dramatic change in the color of the foliage as the cold weather approaches, making fall another popular time of year for tourists to visit which the locals have labeled ‘leaf peeping’ season.
Tourism for outdoor enthusiasts is a large part of Vermont’s industry, with winter ski resorts and summer camps accounting for big contributions to the state economy. Larger cities like Burlington are well-equipped to handle the influx of seasonal vacationers with extensive choices available in the areas of accommodations, dining and leisure activities.
For skiers, the choices are numerous. Nearly a dozen international resorts like Killington Ski Resort, Sugarbush, Stratton, Mount Snow and Suicide Six cater to downhill skiers from around the world. Burlington is popular for its excellent shopping and the Discovery Museum, while Shelburne boasts the Shelburne Museum, a reconstruction of an old village with all of the period shops and services in working order including a paddle steamer and railroad station. Montpelier, the smallest state capital in the United States, features the Vermont Museum, the Kent Museum and the State House.