Vermont

So much has been said and written extolling the beauties and country virtues of Vermont that its reputation precedes it. Much of it is true, but some is not. Although still a surprisingly agricultural state, Vermont does not have more cows than people. And the upcountry twang has been largely replaced by New York accents as city refugees have taken over town after town. That’s not to say that Vermont is not still a wonderful place, just don’t expect to meet very many seventh-generation Vermonters. A favorite of the back-to-the-landers in the 1960s and ‘70s, Vermont in the ‘90s became front-runner in the movement favoring locally grown foods. ...

So much has been said and written extolling the beauties and country virtues of Vermont that its reputation precedes it. Much of it is true, but some is not. Although still a surprisingly agricultural state, Vermont does not have more cows than people. And the upcountry twang has been largely replaced by New York accents as city refugees have taken over town after town. That’s not to say that Vermont is not still a wonderful place, just don’t expect to meet very many seventh-generation Vermonters. A favorite of the back-to-the-landers in the 1960s and ‘70s, Vermont in the ‘90s became front-runner in the movement favoring locally grown foods. It excels in artisanal cheese made by small farm producers, and steaming sugarhouses are a common sight along its back roads in March. Its inns and restaurants are magnets that draw top chefs tired of city pressures, so fine dining is a way of life in the state. But it is Vermont’s natural and pastoral beauty that continues to attract and enchant visitors. The icons are still there: red barns on hillsides, pastures of black-and-white spotted cows, white church spires and tidy villages clustered around grassy commons.

About the Expert

Lura Seavey is the author of Fun with the Family in Vermont and New Hampshire and she has contributed to several Thomas Cook guidebooks, including Drive Around Catalonia, Travellers Mallorca, and Travellers Barcelona.