From the beginning of my trip research into things to see and do in Burlington, the Echo Leahy Center for Lake Champlain was at the top of my list.
What first attracted me to the Center was the announcement on their website of Butterflies Live! Indeed they do have many beautiful butterflies! Being in the aviary with them was a totally delightful experience!
The highlight of the Butterfly exhibit was when a large, gorgeous blue beauty landed on my cousin's purse strap! It was evidently attracted to her orange coat. It rested there for several minutes before it started walking up the strap. She was relieved that it flew away before it got up to her face!
The other huge attraction for me at the center was the large collection of Turts! I love me my turts! The Echo Center has a rescue program for the soft shell turtles that are native to Lake Champlain. They bring them inside the center to over-winter them in a safe environment and let the babies hatch, then they release them into the wild in early summer. We missed this year's release by 2 days.
2 DAYS!!
Here are the soft shell turtles that we got to see. The big guy has a shell the size of a dinner plate, and he seemed quite content to let the other turts in his tank walk around on him:
Click here to see more of my photos from the Echo Center
Click here to go to the Echo Center's informative website
As we left the Echo Center, it was time for Brunch, so we stopped at The Skinny Pancake on our way back up the hill to our hotel. This restaurant is very "Vermonty" - very interested in locally sourced ingredients and healthy eating. Here is the website where you can see a photo of the one we stopped at and look at the menu: Burlington's Skinny Pancake
I enjoyed my food there, but the atmosphere was a little hectic which was sort of disappointing. You order at a counter (kind of like at Panera Bread), but if you are not familiar with the large menu, it is a bit of a challenge to order quickly when people are waiting behind you. The interior was also a little dark and noisy. I had a Ramble Panini: Local ham, Cabot cheddar, apples, red onions and chipotle aioli on housemade focaccia with a side salad. It was very good. Also, the Spinach/Artichoke Dip that my cousin and I shared was yummy.
After lunch, a stop at the shop next door, again, was very "Vermonty" - The Peace and Justice Center - where I picked up a few interesting finds.
We walked back UPHILL to our hotel where we regrouped and headed back UPHILL, through an indoor mall and ultimately to the Church Street Marketplace. If you don't like walking uphill and downhill, don't plan on walking in Burlington. All roads that are perpendicular to the lake are hills (down to the lake), and some of them are very steep. To a girl who has lived and walked in Ohio all her life, this whole "hill" thing is kinda new! My knees complained a bit, but they survived! (Thank you Ibuprofen!) Yes, I know, my favorite state of Vermont is very hilly and mountainous. I GET IT!
The Church Street Marketplace is THE place to shop in Burlington. It is a 4 block long street that is closed to traffic and is lined on both sides with the most interesting shops! There are also many restaurants which have outdoor seating when the weather cooperates.
My favorite stop was Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Center. All of the merchandise displayed inside is artwork by Vermont Artists. I could have spent a lot more time and money than I did!
I also discovered a local musician named Spencer Lewis and I will be getting some of his music as well. Click on the link below to listen to a few samples.
Dinner this evening was at a lovely upscale restaurant called Bleu Northeast Seafood. We knew it was close, but we sort of got lost trying to find it because we didn't realize it was IN the lobby of the hotel next to ours - the Courtyard at Marriott. DUH! Anyway, the search was worth it because dinner was amazing! I started my meal with a lovely seafood chowder which had bacon on top - reminding me that everything really IS better with bacon. Then, I got adventurous and tried swordfish steak for the first time. It was grilled, and it tasted almost exactly like steak! I LOVED IT! It was on a bed of tomatoey and olivey goodness as well!
Then what has to bring a lovely end to a lovely upscale meal but a lovely decadent chocolate hazelnut cake? (I ate every bite and I loved it - eat your heart out Weight Watchers!)
Notice the small glass of Bailey's Irish Cream which I poured in my coffee. MMMMMMMM.
Here is a link to the restaurant's website if you want to look at the menu further
Bedtime..... ah, sweet slumber after another enjoyable day in The Green Mountain State!
:)Amy
No comments:
Post a Comment