According to a2zcamerablog, Vermont is the only New England state without a coast, but borders the shores of Lake Champlain. Canada is to the north, Massachusetts to the south, and New York to the west. The state got its name from the French settler Sa-muel de Champlain: vermont means green mountain. And this describes the landscape almost exactly.
The Green Mountains run the length of the state, dividing it into east and west. 75% of the area is forested. The tourist attraction of the state lies in these natural landscapes. The highest point is Mount Mansfield (1,339 m), the deepest is Lake Champlain (29 m above sea level).
The largest city is Burlington with over 40,000 residents, the capital Montpelier has only 8,000 residents.
Climate and Weather
Summers are short and mild with rainy days and range from May to September. The temperatures fluctuate between 6 and 28 degrees Celsius. Winters are long and cold with heavy snowfalls and temperatures between -13 and +3 degrees. As in the other New England states, fall is the most beautiful season with the Indian summer.
Main sights
Shelburne Museum, Burlington
On Hwy 7 three miles south of Burlington is the town of Shelburne with this extraordinary museum. Historic buildings, painting and American folk art exhibitions are located on over 20 acres. The tour can take a full day. More than 30 buildings illustrate American life over the past 200 years; a general store, a school, a meeting house, a paddle steamer, etc. can be visited.
When it comes to painting, the focus is on French impressionists, including works by Degas and Monet. Open June to October daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., guided tours at 1 p.m., November to May only guided tours. Admission for two consecutive days $ 17.50 (1999).
Lake Champlain
The 1,270 square kilometer lake is located directly at Burlington and forms the border between the USA states Vermont and New York and extends in the north to Canada. To the south is Lake George, at the northern tip of which is the historically interesting Fort of Ticonderoga (open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the summer months). You can take part in boat trips on Lake Champlain. The (car) ferries cross the lake from Vermont to New York State.
State House, Montpelier
The capital of the state, located southeast of Lake Champlain in the Green Mountains, with only 8,000 residents (= smallest capital of a US state in terms of residents) has the State House, built in 1836 (statehouse.vermont.gov), the Capitol. In the vestibule there is a replica of the Hephaestus Temple in Athens. The cupper is gold-plated and has a Ceres statue on its tip.
New England Maple Museum, Pittsford
Pittsford is 12 km north of Rutland. The museum has a display of traditional maple syrup extraction and processing, typical Vermont products and syrup samples. Open from the end of May to the end of October daily from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Entry $ 1.75 (as of 1999).
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, Waterbury
The ice cream factory can be visited. In addition to slide shows, there are also “sample pieces”. The leftover ice cream production is delivered to the farmers in the area, who feed them to their pigs.
