This is probably the greatest page about Vermont ever created.
Ben and Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard
Ben and Jerry makes some of the most interesting and tasty store bought ice cream available. The ice cream is made in Vermont, and if you visit the factory you can take a tour (not free), and get samples. The coolest thing about visiting Ben and Jerry’s is their Flavor Graveyard, featuring tombstones with the names and descriptions of dead flavors.
All things considered, they should bring back Economic Crunch:
Here’s a tip for ice cream freaks visiting Vermont: after you check out Ben and Jerry’s make sure you sample a maple syrup flavored “creemie” (soft ice cream). That’s the local’s favorite ice cream. If you see a shack like this, stop for a creemie.
Vermont Food Fest
I would be remiss if I didn’t do a post about food in Vermont.
First day I got to Burlington, I had gravy/cheese fries (disco fries) at the Vermont Pub & Brewery. They were totally satisfactory, particularly after drinking 10 of their beers.
I had breakfast or lunch about 4 times at the Magnolia Bistro in Burlington, and the meal was tasty every time. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They’re also one of the few certified “green” restaurants in America.
American Flatbread, also in Burlington, serves very tasty and creative pizza, and delicious apple pie.
The Alchemist in Waterbury VT has delicious jalapeno fries.
Oh, and how can I not mention my first consumption of red meat in 10 months at the Derby Cow Palace in Derby VT. Yes, elk burgers are delicious. I guess I look a vacation from being a vegetarian.
Along the way I ate plenty of maple flavored things: ice cream, candy, plain old syrup. And then there was old timey candy, like Violet mints and Clove Gum purchased at the Inside Scoop in Brandon VT.
Last, but perhaps most was Dinky Donuts — the non-corporate (and proudly so) doughnut shop on RT 7. Legend has it that they make bacon flavored doughnuts, but I only sampled the chocolate frosted, maple, strawberry homer, and others. There’s a doughnut shop in Cali called Psycho Donuts that people are offended by — well psychos are offended by the name at least. I hope people with dinky body parts don’t protest Dinky Donuts.
Donuts…. yummm….
Downtown Burlington Sculpture and Art
Leaping frog sculpture hanging above a shop in the Church Street Marketplace. I wish I remember the name of the store or what they sold. Update: the store is called Frog Hollow — see Kate’s comment for more information.
A mural featuring tree huggers and a man shaking hands with a patriotic egg.
Bear sculpture. The cub has a cartoony face.
Leap Frogging:
Clark Derbes installation at the Firehouse Gallery:
Click the images for more information and larger versions.
Lakeshore Sculptures in Burlington VT
Here’s some out of the ordinary sculptures you can see near the shore of Burlington Vermont.
Marble chains on stairs:
Random marble blobjects:
“Mushroom” and gnomes:
Decapitated Amphbian:
See my post on Winged Monkeys of Burlington Vermont too.
Giant Gorilla Holding Up a VW Beetle
Why am I holding a VolksWagon Beetle over my head? Just kidding — that isn’t me — it’s a giant gorilla on RT 7 in Leicester – Salisbury, Vermont.
Read more at Roadside America.
Vermont Beer Fest
I spent last week road tripping around Vermont, visiting brew pubs and a brewery, sampling lots of delicious American beer (don’t forget, even Budweiser is owned by a foreign company now, so it’s important to support the true American beers).
First, is The Magic Hat brewery in South Burlington. The Magic Hat brewery features tours of the brewery, a bar where you can sample their beer for free, and a massive gift store. Magic Hat is worth visiting even if you don’t drink beer — the inside is painted black, lit up like a spooky gothic night club, and filled with wickedly-creative Mardi Gras themed art. I enjoyed Lucky Cat and the beet-colored Wacko.
You can find Magic Hat in most liquor stores.
American Flatbread is a restaurant in Burlington that brews its own beer (about 19 varieties from what I saw), and offers dozens of other brands. Their pizza (they call it flatbread) is dynamite too — tough for a Jersey pizza snob like myself to admit. I enjoyed many of their beers, but their blueberry and porter were my favorites.
My first night in Burlington I sampled all 10 beers offered by Vermont Pub & Brewery. My favorite was their Burly Irish Ale. Their gravy and cheese fries are a treat too.
I can’t remember the beers I tried (killed those brain cells), but I visited The 3 Needs Brewery & Taproom. First time was cool, the second night they drove me away by playing the Red Hot Chili Peppers at painful levels (come on guys — it isn’t 1992 anymore).
The Alchemist in Waterbury is a real treat. They have great pub food, and awesome beer — even sour ales if you’re up for the challenge. Vermont locals say the Alchemist is the best brewpub in Vermont, and I can’t disagree.
I didn’t visit the brewery, but Switchback seems to be the favorite/default brew of Vermont. I drank many, and it is good.
Winged Monkeys of Burlington Vermont
Do you remember the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz? Burlington is infested with this creatures, but sadly, they aren’t alive — they’re statues.
There’s two types. The ones on Union Station, 1 Main Street are black and have feathers…
And the ones father down the street (across from the Hilton) are copper-green and hairy:
The Winged Monkeys on Union Station, 1 Main Street are by sculptor Steve Larrabee. These monkeys were originally made for a waterbed store called “The Emerald City of Oz” (wow — that’s some name for a water bed store), but they were later moved to their current home.
Read more about the Winged Monkeys at Roadside America.
Whales in Vermont?
Vermont is a land-locked state, meaning it doesn’t have an ocean coast. So, what are whales doing in Vermont? If you drive along interstate 89 you can see the two huge whale tales, making it appear as if the two whales were diving into the field along side the road.
The sculpture is called Whale Tails and the sculptor is Jim Sardonis. They’re granite molds made for a bronze statue planned for a museum in Alaska. The museum, couldn’t pay the costs, so the molds ended up in Vermont. It might not be easy to tell from my photos, but they are massive!
Read more at Roadside America.
Derby Vermont Cow Palace
There's restaurant in Derby Vermont (near the Canadian border) called the Cow Palace. They're called the Cow Palace, but their specialty is elk burgers.
Check out the huge archway of elk antlers in front of their entrance:
Don't worry, their antlers fall off naturally (they aren't force-ably removed).
Click the image to view a larger version.