Hotels near Burlington International Airport - BTV, Burlington

I love the views! Burlington is clean and inviting. I visited local restaurants near the hotel--Chicken Charlie's, because of the Montreal cole slaw. Eco Bean is a favorite. Find a place that sells maple cremees! (I drive to Cookie Love on Route 7.) Navigating Burlington in a car is fairly easy. People tend to be more polite than drivers in larger cities. (I didn't hear the car horn honking that comes with big city driving.) Walking is the best though, especially in the downtown area. Lake Champlain is a nice area, too. Burlington is close to several quaint towns. Each one seems to have thrifts, bakeries, unique shops, and local produce for sale, so park the car and walk around. Access to organic choices, recycling, and electric cars seem woven into the culture, which is surprisingly diverse. Museums, retreats, and open public spaces are everywhere. Ask locals about their favorite spots for a really rich experience.

During our visit, Burlington was a city with many things happening including the Festival of Fools and Dragonboat races. We rented eBikes and rode along the trail/causeway which being an ex railway track was an easy ride. The city has cycle paths which are appropriately sized and located and well used. We also visited Shelbourne Museum which had too much to see in a single visit. The Farmer's Market was also worth visiting. The food in the restaurants that we ate in was very good. The city has an air of comfortable business - many things are happening, but no one is rushed or pressured. However, the heat and humidity in August was draining and prevented us from enjoying our visit fully.

Many interesting areas of this city to explore, including the University of Vermont college campus, and the adjoining neighborhoods, along with the restaurants and shops closer to downtown, all adding much value and beauty. And then there is all the natural beauty in the area itself, with so many options for entertainment and outdoor activities. I do see that the local, as well as the state police, at times, have their challenges, both from shift staffing levels, and the many calls taking place 24 hours a day requesting a police response. These same scenarios I realize are also commonly seen in other even larger cities.

We came to Burlington to use the bike trails and they were amazing, easy to navigate and a lot of fun to ride on. The Causeway was our main destination and it was absolutely beautiful when we arrived at the beginning of it, nice leisurely ride to the end. We ate at the Gryphon, Splash At The Dock, and the Shanty On The Shore, all excellent restaurants, and the prices were reasonable. We walked from our hotel, The Blind Tiger to Burlington waterfront, which was not too bad of a walk, about a half mile. Stopped at the Shelburne Country Store on our way home, prices were too expensive there, not really impressed with it, definitely a tourist trap! We can’t wait to go back to Burlington, there is so much more for us to see.

I enjoyed Burlington and used the buses to get to Stowe and to Middlebury [the latter has a very good college art museum]. Henry"s Diner was a "proper" US diner experience and The Northerner a welcoming bar. Even tough I'd missed "Peak" leaf colour, the trees were still delightful and I was blessed with clear skies.

I’m sure the waterfront is lovely in the summer but way too cold in winter. Church St Marketplace was a fun afternoon with some cool shops and the drive to Stowe was a quick 45 minute beautiful scenic ride but no moose sightings ☹️