Family Day Trip to Burlington, Vermont & Link Up On the Edge #307
In yesterday’s post, 5 Tips for Making the Most Out of Your Weekends, I shared a few photographs from last weekend when we went on a little family road trip to Burlington, Vermont. Now I will tell you about our trip.
We reserved a hotel room in Plattsburgh, New York, which is approximately a 3 1/2 hour drive from our house and just a short ferry ride across Lake Champlain into Vermont. I have gone on many ferry rides but this was my first one where you take your car with you. I really got a kick out of sitting in the car while we floated across the lake to the other side. It almost felt like we were driving on water! Sometimes the simplest things bring the greatest joy.
When we exited the ferry, it was about a 30 minute drive into the city of Burlington which is home to 45,000 residents as well as the University of Vermont, Champlain College, and the ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain. The ECHO is a science museum which focuses on the joy of scientific discovery, the wonder of nature, and the care of Lake Champlain and it was our first destination upon arrival in Burlington.
The museum was fun but it was much smaller than we had anticipated. We went through the whole thing, taking our time at each exhibit, and we were finished in about 90 minutes. For the price of admission, I would say we were pretty disappointed. Admission is $18 for adults and $14.50 for kids ages 3-17, so a total of $65 for our family of four. However, military families pay $0 in admission so it was totally worth it! It was a cool place and I enjoyed the exhibits, but I definitely did not get $65 worth of enjoyment from it. The staff was wonderful, super friendly and accommodating, and everything was very clean and well kept. I do recommend it but only if you can get discounted admission!
When we finished at the museum, we walked down to a little restaurant on the water called The Spot on the Dock, where Ralph had a Smash Burger and the rest of shared fried calamari, white truffle and parmesan fries, coconut shrimp, and avocado fries. It was all so amazing. Until…
…all that fried food started tearing up my guts. And I needed a bathroom…fast. But guess what? Burlington has very few public restrooms and stores that you patronize will not let you use their restroom. I was close to having a really serious bathroom accident when a bookstore employee directed me to City Hall Park (about 5 blocks away) as the nearest public facility. When we got to the park with me having to break into a jog at certain points, there was a line at the one public toilet.
I was quickly reminded of a recent post that Rena wrote about the lack of public restrooms when literally every member of the public needs to use a restroom at some point. You should read her post. It is entertaining and informative.
Anyway, I was very irritated by the lack of bathroom facilities as I stood waiting in line, clenching my teeth, and squeezing my cheeks. Then a mom came over from the fountain with her soaking wet kid who had to pee. She literally was pleading with me with her eyes to let her kid go in front of me. I guess she thought she would play on my mom sympathies when she said, “She’s about to have an accident.” I quickly replied, “Yeah. So am I. And I promise you that my accident will be a lot messier than her accident. Plus she’s already in a wet swimsuit. Sorry. I’m going in next.” So the mom and her little girl got a front row audio show of just how bad my accident would have been! But seriously, Burlington, where are all the damn bathrooms?!
After I found relief in that metal box in the park, we headed to the Church Street Marketplace which is filled with shops, eateries, street vendors, artists, and performers. Ralph found this axolotl painting by a local artist, Kimberlee Forney. His best friend Emma’s favorite animal is the axolotl and her birthday is on Monday so this is what he got for her. The artist put it in a black frame for him but I didn’t take a picture of it. Kimberlee’s tagline for her art is “Creating Art that Creates Smiles!” and it really does exactly that. She offers guided instruction on her YouTube channel, Let’s Paint with Kimberlee! where you can learn how to paint this adorable axolotl, too!
We stopped in the Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop while we were strolling around but we never made it to the factory to do a tour. By the time we started planning our activities for the day, the Ben & Jerry’s Factory Tour was already sold out. So if you do plan a trip to Vermont and want to tour the ice cream factory, be sure to schedule it in advance!
Ben & Jerry’s allows you to use their bathroom but it is under lock and key. So you have to track down an employee who isn’t too busy helping the huge line of customers. But I got the key and then I graced B&J with a similar sound show as the one from the metal box in the park!
We also stopped in the Saratoga Olive Oil Co. to replenish our stock of truffle oil and salt. We seem to always seek out olive oil shops when we travel. It is a common souvenir that we bring home and enjoy thoroughly.
After a few hours of walking around and shopping with our very full bellies and churning guts, everyone was getting tired so we began our drive to the ferry around 7:00 p.m. Back at the hotel, the kids took advantage of the pool while I had a relaxing shower, and the next morning we headed to Lake Placid, New York, to visit the 1980 Winter Olympics Stadium, the site of Miracle on Ice. Come back next week for more about our day in Lake Placid. Until then, have a wonderful weekend!
Featured Favorites
Reader Favorite (Most Clicked): Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
Fashion Favorite: Emma of Style Splash
Other Favorite: Patrick of Adventures in Weseland
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
My outfit details: Romper-Torrid, Earrings, and Necklace / Shirt-Thrifted / Sandals-Target
By the way, how cute is this Always Proud Romper? It is currently on sale for $19.99. For size reference, I am wearing a Torrid Size 0 (US Size 12/Large).
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
32 Comments
Joanne
My husband and I were actually very disappointed in the “factory” tour at B&J’s so you probably didn’t miss much there. We had to hoof it to our hotel in Burlington everytime we wanted to use the bathroom and were accidentally there on UV graduation weekend so everywhere was just mobbed. But we did think it was such a cute town and I’d love to go back again one time when it’s not pouring rain and over crowded! LOL.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh that is really great information to have, Joanne. Thank you for sharing it! What is with their lack of bathrooms though? And the lack of compassion from other humans? We are a very insensitive species. Burlington is super cute though and my kids loved it. I would go back again but with a better plan!
xoxo
Shelbee
Ellie
Sounds like a nice family getaway minus the bathroom situation! Always thought Vermont would be a great place to visit some day, now I’m not so sure!! Not having access to a bathroom when needed would make for a terrible situation and it’s not like it’s in anyone’s control when we need to go!!
The museum does look like lots of fun! Glad you got in free with the military discount. We had a similar experience recently when we visited an Art museum. Entry would have been a lot for a small-ish art museum but were lucky to go during their “Free in July” offer. The food does look delicious, sorry you didn’t tolerate something, but you just never know! Taking the car over by ferry sounds like a fun adventure!
Thanks for the linkup!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Ellie, thanks so much! It was a wonderful weekend despite the bathroom issue! And the food was really delicious, particularly the avocado fries. Oh my goodness. That’s probably what tore my guts up, too! I would still eat them again though but maybe only take out so I know I have bathroom available. My kids loved Burlington so I think we will probably go back again but with a better plan. I hope you have a lovely weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Di
That is the cusest romper ever on you! I love the retro look and bright rainbow colors. Sounds like you all enjoyed a perfect fun family weekend getaway, except the lack of public bathroom facilities!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you so much, Di! I feel so happy every time I put this romper on! We did have a wonderful weekend and the bathroom problems just added to the silliness of the story. I may have thought differently about that last statement if I actually had a bathroom accident though. Haha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Claire Justine
Looks like a fun day, loving everyone’s t-shirts 🙂
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Claire! I like when we all wear bright colors so we can spot each other easily in crowds!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lauren Sparks
What a fun place to go!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Lauren! We had a wonderful trip.
xoxo
Shelbee
Mica - Away From The Blue
It looks like a fun trip even if there were a few low points – and I love all of your bright outfits! That playsuit is so cute on you 🙂
I’m always surprised there are so few public toilets in the US – never thought about it before but as you said Rena shared about it recently too. Can’t think of any place we’ve been that wouldn’t have a toilet! Even if we are going for a hike there’s usually toilets at the car park!
Hope you are having a good weekend 🙂 Thanks for the link up!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Mica! We are definitely really weird here with the public bathroom situation. And we have very little compassion for one another when there is an emergency. Nothing makes sense to me these days! If they can put one metal box in the park, couldn’t they just as easily put three? I hope you have a wonderful weekend free from bathroom emergencies!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lizzie
This looks like so much fun!! The museum looks really cool. Also I LOL-ed at bathroom debacle! That conversation was too funny because I’ve totally been there. But really, there should be more public restrooms 😕 Looking forward to seeing your day at the lake!!
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Lizzie! Poop stories always make me laugh! I am glad I could pass some humor and laughter along at my own uncomfortable expense. Haha. There definitely needs to be more bathrooms and more people need to learn how to recognize when someone is having a true bathroom emergency vs someone who is going to trash your bathroom. Then they can follow up with some compassion for the true emergencies. The people who turned me away have certainly been in the same situation, so why turn someone away?! More public bathrooms would solve the problem and take the burden off shop owners. I hope you have a wonderful weekend with no bathroom emergencies!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
Oh my goodness, I read to Gerben about your audio show, lol. I laught my socks out. But that was a expensive visit indeed for such a short time. Btw, here places that serve food need to have a restroom. And in the UK you always find a public one, which is great because I always pee a lot! Looking forward to read more! And thank you for the feature. Couldn’t link up, but I will try again later.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Hahahah, thanks so much, Nancy! I am so glad you and Gerben had a good laugh! Laughter was my intention in sharing that story. I think all the food places have bathrooms for their patrons which is why I was able to use the Ben & Jerry’s bathroom, but that one metal box in the park was not enough for all the people! They have so much space out there, couldn’t they put 3 metal boxes?
xoxo
Shelbee
Amy Johnson
It looks like a great weekend was had, minus the bathroom incident. I find that the lack of restrooms in most small towns is terrible. What do they expect people to do? Yet, as someone who once worked in retail, I get it because people destroy restrooms and use up so much of the supply. I would be happy to pay to use a restroom, that’s what they do in Europe. Many year ago you paid an attendant 30cents to use the restroom. The attendant watched the restroom to make sure no one did any damage, and kept everything supplied. Seems like the perfect answer to me and I was more than happy to pay to go. Oh, and I get sick when I eat fried foods too…so I can totally relate.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Amy! It was a really great trip and such a fun town to visit. But seriously, what do they expect people to do when they have to go?! I have no problem paying to use a bathroom either. In fact, I usually feel terrible using a gas station bathroom if I don’t buy something. So I usually buy something that I don’t need or want which is essentially paying to use their bathroom! I also understand why retailers don’t open their bathrooms to the public, but I think we also need to learn how to recognize when someone is having a real issue and then have some human compassion, you know. I know that profiling people is bad, but I certainly don’t look the type of person who is going to destroy a public bathroom and based on the sweat dripping down my forehead and the way I was dancing around, it was pretty obvious that it was a true emergency. When I worked in retail, I have broken the no public bathroom rule for people in these situations. So I guess my second question after “Where are all the damn bathrooms?” is “Where is all the human compassion?” And those darn fried foods taste so good, but then they purge so fast, don’t they?!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
First of all, the romper is totally adorable! It looks like a fun day – except for the bathroom issues. I mean how can they expect tourists to visit if there are no bathrooms? That is freaking crazy. Jeff and Ralph look very cool in their matching outfits.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Michelle! We did have a super fun day even with the bathroom issue. Although if the bathroom issue had escalated to an accidental poop issue that may have changed my statement from “super fun day” to “worst day ever”!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kym
Looks like a very fun trip, but the lack of bathrooms sounds like a big problem. That’s not right – and it certainly isn’t very tourist-friendly!
Visiting from IMM today!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Kym! The bathroom situation was definitely problematic! I am just glad my problem did worsen! At least I had my suitcase in the car if I needed a change of clothes! Haha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
So very cool. What a cool trip you guys took. Very nice. Love the matching shirts of Jeff and Ralph. Very nice. Thanks for the shout out on the Last Bookstore. Very cool and it put a smile on my face.
Thanks for hosting and sorry if I am a little late.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Patrick! I love my matching hippies! It was a really fun trip!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
Oh, I love that ferry across Lake Champlain! We want to do it again, but I’m not sure if we’ll make it before it ends for the season! Isn’t the April Cornell store amazing? But, that museum looks fabulous! I feel your pain on the bathroom issue. Having dealt with IBS for several years, one of the first things I do is scout the bathrooms. I had a similar incident as you with a mom and her daughter except they were in front of me. I practically begged them to let me go first…nope…made for a very unpleasant ride home…on a motorcycle no less! Still can’t access your site from my laptop…I’ll have to research the error code and see if I can fix it! Thanks for the link party!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
The bathroom issue was so ridiculous. I can’t believe with the amount of people walking around how few bathrooms were available. The Church Street Marketplace was packed with people. Did none of them need a restroom except me?! And your incident with the mom and child just emphasizes my point that most people lack compassion toward others. Oh, how that keeps getting clearer and clearer to me the more people I encounter. But despite my revelations about the faults of others, we did have a great trip. One that would have been much less great had my bathroom issue escalated!
xoxo
Shelbee
Carol
Looks like a fun getaway for the whole family! Love your cute outfit and the guys’ tie-dye shirts. Thank you for participating in Talent-Sharing Tuesdays Link-Up 28.
Carol
http://www.scribblingboomer.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Carol, thanks so much! We had a really great time! We are heading to Pennsylvania this weekend to check out MusikFest and meet up with some old friends.
xoxo
Shelbee
chickenruby
I love the family t shirts and your dress is gorgeous.
Thanks for linking with #pocolo, sorry for the delay with commenting
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Suzanne! I appreciate that! And no apologies needed…I am about two years behind on my commenting!
xoxo
Shelbee
Helen Fern
Thanks for sharing at My Big Fat Menopausal Life’s Share the Wealth party!! Hope your week is fantastic!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Helen! I hope all is well with you!
xoxo
Shelbee