Champlain Valley in the Spring
Top Picks in the Champlain Valley
In the spring, Vermont’s landscapes wake up from their long winter’s slumber into the riot and color of renewal. Maple sap flows in forests, warm days make for sunny spring skiing, and trees and flowers begin to bud. Hand-picked by the editors of Yankee Magazine, these 5 highlights are just some of what the Champlain Valley offer as the Green Mountains come alive.
Ferrisburgh, Vermont
Lu-Lu Ice Cream
Only the most obsessive ice cream makers would go so far as to become officially licensed “milk handlers” in order to pasteurize their own milk in-house. But that’s Lu-Lu. Detail-oriented and hyper-local, this scoop shop makes everything from scratch as it turns out award-winning small-batch ice cream and goat milk gelato. Creative flavors come from locally grown ingredients like sweet corn, beets, and herbs (Lu-Lu’s Garden Basil ice cream was ranked the best flavor in Vermont by Food Network Magazine). Find scoops of these unique creations—as well as classics like Vanilla Bean and Seriously Chocolate—plus custom cakes and to-go pints at Lu-Lu’s petite brick-and-mortar shop downtown.
Rokeby Museum
A National Historic Landmark and one of the best-documented Underground Railroad sites in existence, Rokeby helps show how Vermont got its reputation as the most staunchly abolitionist state in the Union. The museum, which is set on 90 rural acres and anchored by a nearly 250-year-old farmhouse, tells the story of the remarkable Quaker farming family who once lived here. Rowland Thomas and Rachel Gilpin Robinson were fierce opponents of slavery who sheltered individuals escaping from the South. The permanent exhibit “Free & Safe” introduces visitors to two fugitives from slavery, Simon and Jesse, who found refuge with the Robinsons in the 1830s. In addition to the museum education center and the Robinson home, there are nine preserved outbuildings and lovely hiking trails to explore. Open from May to October; trails open year-round.
Maple Landmark
Step inside a working toy factory at family-owned Maple Landmark, which has been handcrafting eco-friendly, educational wooden puzzles and playthings for toddlers and babies for more than 40 years (you may have seen their colorful wooden NameTrains). The 28,000-square-foot Middlebury facility offers a window onto the production floor, as well as regular guided shop tours that are handicapped-accessible, and free for kids under six. Outside, an oversize 45-foot-long toy train makes a terrific photo op. Of course, there are also toys for sale, including a variety of seconds and discontinued items. And you can buy knowing these heirloom-quality pieces are made from sustainable native wood species, including locally harvested maple.
DEAD CREEK WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA
– Addison County, Vermont
Spring migration makes for great birdwatching, and there may be no better place in the Champlain Valley to lift your binoculars than the Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area. More than 200 species of feathered friends, both resident and migratory, have been sighted at this state-owned mix of wetlands, grasslands, and woods that spans nearly 3,000 acres in the towns of Addison, Panton, and Bridport. Ospreys and bald eagles are common sights on recently thawed stretches of water; joining them are flocks of ducks, wading birds, and geese making their way north. Make time for a stop at the Dead Creek Visitor Center, which opens for the season in April, to learn about the property’s history and conservation efforts.
RALPH MYHRE GOLF COURSE
– Middlebury, Vermont
Thanks to its location on the popular Trail Around Middlebury (TAM), this 18-hole public golf course’s scenic appeal is well known to runners and bikers, in addition to golfers. Owned and operated by Middlebury College, it opens as soon as weather allows in April and keeps going seven days a week until November. Golfers of all ages and skill levels can get in some practice swings on the driving range, the sand bunker, or the putting green before hitting the links for a round that counts. Once the course has been conquered, there’s a golf shop and a bar/restaurant, Tavern on the Tee, where you can enjoy a view of the greens and the mountains beyond while you refuel with some chicken tenders or a BLT. Seasonal memberships and day rates available.
More to See and Do
Places to Visit In the Spring
Yankee Magazine’s editors hand-picked 5 places to visit in each Vermont region. Explore things to do in spring statewide.
