Kid-Friendly Fun in Vermont: The Great Feast

What a delight it is to wander through Vermont with kids.

The funky college town, Burlington is a good starting point and the biggest town in Vermont. The city sits above Lake Champlain, has gorgeous old homes, and great stores. The original Ben & Jerry’s store is downtown and a must-do kid-friendly spot.

Vermonters celebrate their independent and entrepreneurial spirit. We spent the day driving through the state touring local businesses. First, we took the Ben & Jerry’s Factory tour: a fun, cheap ($4 for adults, FREE for kids) tour where you see the factory and sample ice cream. The factory has a flavor graveyard good for grieving old flavors you miss like Georgia Peach, Sweet potato pie, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough.

Second, we went to Bragg Maple Farm where they make Vermont maple syrup. The 82-year-old owner still helps gather maple syrup the old-fashioned way with buckets and taps. We got to watch an informational video, sample syrup, and the really nice hosts recommended we go to the Cabot Creamery. Why not?

We headed to the Cabot Creamery in Cabot, VT –just a 25 minute drive from Bragg Maple Farm. The facility tour was one of the best we’ve experienced as a family. We walked close to the action, learned how Cabot is a cooperative, and how all the farmers come together in their business model. We even met dairy farmers from Massachusetts and Oregon on our tour. We enjoyed learning about the cheese business and how milk and its byproducts make up a huge and complicated business.

The tour starts and ends in the gift shop. They have tons of samples of every cheese they make, dips, and more. We ate so much cheese! The ice cream, syrup, and cheese throughout our day in the Green Mountain State made for a fun and tasty time.

– Laura Powell