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I'll be in Montpelier VT this summer for an internship... Anything I should do while I'm there?

  1. ffej4 Survey Man Apr 14, 2017

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    Hey guys,

    I'll be interning in Vermont this summer, and it'll be my first time ever on the east coast. Any recommendations for stuff I should do? I'll be down there from mid-May till mid-August.

    I'm already planning on visiting Boston for a John Mayer concert, NYC for a Yankees game, and Maine (my brother teaches at Colby College there). Other than that, I'm planning on consulting TripAdvisor and locals for further recommendations.

    Thanks in advance, and happy Friday!

    Jeff
     
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  2. Drawarms Apr 14, 2017

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    go to montreal
     
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  3. Jwit Not a doctor, but plays one on ΩF Apr 14, 2017

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    Not too versed in stuff to do in Vermont, but definitely don't waste your time at the Ben & Jerry's factory/museum. Not worth the time or money.

    If you like hiking you are just a few hours from Lake Placid which has some cool touristy stuff but there are plenty of the "Adirondack High Peaks" within driving distance for you! http://visitadirondacks.com/recreation/hiking

    A few more hours West you will find the Thousand Islands at the northeast end of Lake Ontario. Gorgeous area with phenomenal fishing.

    If there is one thing you do in Boston it has to be getting Mikes Pastries!

    If you wanna take the ~9 hour trek to Buffalo/Niagara Falls I would love to show you around.

    That's about all I can put in at the moment.

    -Jake
     
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  4. ffej4 Survey Man Apr 15, 2017

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    @Jwit Thanks, Jake! I'm intending to visit the Falls either on my way down or my way back. I don't know if I can effectively squeeze in the trip on a weekend, as I'll likely not be able to get out of the office until 5:00 or so on any given Friday. We'll see, though. It'd be a pleasure to meet you in person!
     
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  5. Jwit Not a doctor, but plays one on ΩF Apr 15, 2017

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    Just shoot me a PM a couple weeks ahead of when you are planning on coming. As of right now I'll be working mostly weekends in June/August, and weekdays May/July. The beauty of a rotation schedule:oops:
     
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  6. glownyc Apr 15, 2017

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    Couple of notes.

    Montpelier is a very very small city. VT has good local cheeses, jam, bacon, maple syrup etc. Some of it is fake local mass produced for tourist, so look close. I agree with Jwit about the Ben & Jerry's tour, but if you by chance happen to find yourself near by it's worth going to the shop as they some times have flavors they are testing available.

    Maine is probably the cheapest place you can buy lobster. Some places you can buy it right on the dock off the fishermen or just grab a lobster roll at one of the shacks that sit on the dock. The big LL Bean in Freeport is nothing special.

    NYC obviously has a ton of things to see and do depending on your interest. Plenty of watch shops to browse. Time Square is mostly a tourist trap. Unless your going to see a show I usually suggest people do a quick swing by just to see it on the way to somewhere else.
     
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  7. duc Apr 15, 2017

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    Get on your motorcycle and ride down to Lake Champlain Bridge and cross into NY. Once there, take the west side lake road down to the Village of Lake George. Its a great ride and the village is pretty neat. If you are there in early June, Americade will be happening. If you've never been it should be entertaining.

    Can't help you if you don't have a MC.
     
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  8. blufinz52 Hears dead people, not watch rotors. Apr 15, 2017

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    Don't miss a chance to slide a little east into New Hampshire. Take the auto road up Mt. Washington, or better yet, hike to the summit. I prefer the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail.
     
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  9. LawBrk Apr 15, 2017

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    Seek out some of The Alchemists Heady Topper double IPA. Some seriously good beer and near impossible to find anywhere else.
     
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  10. Jwit Not a doctor, but plays one on ΩF Apr 15, 2017

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    YES THIS. Completely forgot about it. A friend of mine brought some around one time and I've had a hankering for it ever since.... except I can't get it!
     
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  11. Larry S Color Commentator for the Hyperbole. Apr 15, 2017

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    Do some cycling.
     
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  12. alam Apr 15, 2017

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  13. yinzerniner Apr 15, 2017

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    I went to school in VT and always regretted having spent so little time there in the summer.

    Burlington is an awesome little city. Amazing food, tons of little shops, gorgeous natural scenery, lots of good imbibing if you're up for it. If you're and outdoorsy type all the ski mountains in the area convert to golfing, hiking and mountain biking for the season so those are a trip. And off the main roads like 7, 25, 100, etc you'll find plenty of small nooks for camping, fly fishing, cliff diving, or just simply relaxing.

    Food in Vermont is incredible. Lots of recommendations you can look up. I haven't been on a few years so I'm sure my go tos are out of date.

    Others can chime in about the rest of upstate ny/ New England. So many recommendations for an entire region it's tough to list them all without some idea of what you're looking to see/experience, or how much time/distance you're willing to traverse. Either way you'll have a great visit.
     
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  14. Deafboy His Holiness Puer Surdus Apr 15, 2017

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    I grew up in Montreal. Terrific city.

    A good time to visit is during the Montreal Jazz Festival. It's a world class event with tons of free shows and ticketed acts. It's titled Jazz but there is in fact a wide variety of music, not just a certain type of jazz.

    I now live in Boston, another wonderful city.
     
    Edited Apr 15, 2017
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  15. yinzerniner Apr 15, 2017

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    Basically any Canadian city in the summer is incredible. Perfect weather, late sunsets, friendly atmosphere and damn near perfect cleanliness and organization. Montreal was my second city growing up and along with jazz fest the Grand Prix is another one of the great weeks to visit. Gets a little overrun but it's worth it.
     
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  16. flw history nerd Apr 15, 2017

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    Start a thread here just for photos of covered bridges. You'll see a ton of spectacular scenery ... enjoy!
     
  17. adi4 Apr 15, 2017

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    Definitely echo in making a trip to Montreal, it's got a great atmosphere to it. There are a couple of skydiving places right outside Burlington if you're into that, but that might be more fun in the fall where you would get to see all the foliage on the way down. The food and beer is great from what I've tried so far. And it seems to be a pretty central place for a lot of great hiking.

    For NYC, definitely see a show, but don't eat in the area. A weekend may be a little too short for a bunch of activities here, but you can use it to get your bearings a bit if it's your first time. Just walk around a lot and visit some of the city parks, and enjoy the people watching.
     
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  18. mikekilo725 Apr 15, 2017

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    Stowe is always a nice place to hike. You can also venture more south and go to Woodstock VT, not the location of the music festival. If you can swing it, I would strongly suggest a visit to Mount Desert Island / Acadia in Maine, but that is a decent drive. Just realized, my avatar is looking a Frenchman Bay from the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia, forgot about that.
     
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  19. ffej4 Survey Man Apr 15, 2017

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    Jeez, thank you for the recommendations, everyone! It's nice hearing stuff from people who have lived in/visited the area. To be honest, I'm a little freaked out to go down, as it is unexplored territory for me and I know not a single soul in the state. This makes it a little better. I'll have stuff to do to keep me occupied every weekend at this rate.
     
  20. Deafboy His Holiness Puer Surdus Apr 15, 2017

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    Indeed, you should watch yourself because Vermonters are known to do cannibalistic rituals using strangers.
     
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