Vermont is right next door to New Hampshire. They need tourism too. And they hate that. They hate to acknowledge that fact. They will give in to it begrudgingly because it allows them to exist, but only on their own terms. Vermont is the New England hiding place for the eccentric, the unique, and the outcasts. It was the first New England state to support gay marriage. It is the home of the successful independent (not now though) business known as Ben and Jerry’s. The Vermont people love this place because they are free to be themselves, but realize that letting in those who do not appreciate that one part of personal freedom will ruin it for the rest. So when they let folks in, they do it carefully. They make the rules…and those rule makers do not care how you feel about them. Enjoy yourself…if you can.
Outside of the few big cities in the style of Burlington, there are virtually no chain restaurants. I love this part of Vermont. When you eat out, you support their economy and you always pick up that local flavor. Because the shopping facilities are owned by the locals, they close at reasonable hours. 7PM is late…6PM is usually more like it. There are no billboards littering the highway. I love this too. None of the natural beauty is obscured by the flashy signs that are competing for your attention.
So with all these great qualities, why is Vermont frustrating? Because you have to work so hard to enjoy yourself! The residents, even the ones who own the businesses, only give you help when you ask for it. When they DO give it to you, it comes in spurts and only answers the exact questions you asked. It feels like you have to interrogate them to find the activities you want to enjoy on your vacation.
Here’s an example. We went to the Lake Champlain island chain in North Western Vermont. We wanted to maybe rent a boat for a day (captained or on our own) or maybe to bike the many trails highlighted on the map. If they highlight bike trails, you would think they would avail them to the tourists right? First, the information provided is vague. This leaves you to believe you have to be there to get the info. So we drive there, hoping to get it on location at an information bureau. Nothing. No local bike maps there, no signage for bike or boat rentals, no advertising…period. This is suddenly a little different than the ‘no billboard’ mentality. We went to the local Chamber of Commerce, located in someone’s house. They had hundreds of flyers on “things to do.” Take a closer look though…all the businesses were located off island! “Hey, here is something to do, but it isn’t here. Have a nice day!” Someone finally offered that there were boat rentals. We could not see any indication of a boat rental business. They told us it was a few streets over. Ok. We looked. And we looked more. We found it. At a house. With no signage of course. So where was the owner of this business? Another person gave us the cell number of the owner. We called and got an answering machine. How are these people living off of the tourists? They have no idea how to run a business, or they don’t care. They seem very smart in their eccentricity, so I have concluded it is the latter.
All right. I may have leaped to judgement a little quickly, but I never felt like a visitor…I felt like I was trespassing. Here is another indication I noticed. Most islands and island chains that are interested in ecotourism build the roads on the island along the water. The businesses then are built along the water on the main roads and the homes are slightly inland. Not Vermont. Their island chain is just the opposite. Homes are built on the water everywhere with ‘Private Drive’ signs and the roads are straight down the middle of the island. You can see the water, from a distance, but if you want to enjoy it you have to trespass. So you can’t enjoy it as a tourist, only as a resident. “It’s our island. Go away. Or you can also enjoy it, at your own risk. Figure it out, and, oh yeah, have a nice day.” It is downright weird.
Here is another example of the way locals feel about their home vs. your playland. We were going to drive to Montreal from Stowe. There is a fairly good sized road between the two locations. Not a major highway, but a major road of transit. Route 104. Other than taking the highway, for which you have to go 25 miles south and then north, it is the only way to get to the major route to Montreal. As we are driving, there is a sign that the road is out up ahead and that you will be detoured. Where? You got it, 50 miles out of the way. Why is the road out? Bridge work. So I am looking at my technology, an iPhone with Google maps. I can see an alternate route…in fact a few. So, if that is the case, why send the traffic so far out of the way? I stopped at a local store. I asked if there were alternate routes to get to Montreal. He gave me the party line…50 miles of Vermont hospitality. I showed him my iPhone map and asked again. He looked at me and evaluated me. Then he gave me this approving look and said, “you just want to get to 104 North?” “Yes,” I replied. He got in close as though he were telling me the Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream trade secrets, “go to the blinking light, make a left, go under the covered bridge and over the hill, you will be back on 104 North.” So I did. I swear, it was less than 120 seconds around their little town. They would rather send the tourists 50 miles out of the way than detour them through their town. It was more than an oversight, it was downright mean! These people ARE weird.
So I love Vermont, a little bit. It is great if you want to hide out or if you want to do a lot (and I mean a lot!) of research and come here very prepared, for your vacation. Do the research yourself because if you don’t, you will have to rely on the locals, and they will send you to New Hampshire.
If you don't believe me, scroll back up and look closely at the picture. They mean it!
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