Oh! The Places I've Been - "B" is for Burlington

Burlington, Vermont is one cool place. And not just in winter, when the city celebrates the cold. Hey, it’s Vermont, of course it celebrates winter! Summer is pretty much relegated to the month of July.Burlington is home to the original Ben and Jerry's, established in 1978 in a renovated gas station. And while the best ice cream in the world is now a division of the Unilever conglomerate, its headquarters remains in Burlington (and its main factory in nearby Waterbury).And just because it’s in northern Vermont, don’t think it doesn’t get hot in the summer! Burlington can be oppressive with heat and humidity; it just doesn’t last.Much like Austin, Burlington is a university town, which means it is vibrant, energetic, and alive. The Church Street Marketplace houses shops, bistros, and is the destination for the Festival of Fools (street theatre and circus arts; and Waterfront Park hosts the Vermont Brewers' Festival and the Giant Pumpkin Regatta.My favorite restaurant is Leunig's, on the corner of Church and College Streets. It serves some classic French dishes, but has an expanded menu to suit other tastes. Their Beef Bourguignon is so good that I’ve been creating a reasonable facsimile at home for the past few years.These photographs were taken by my college friend Judy (Bratton) Quiet, who lives in South Burlington and is a native Vermont girl. Aren't they gorgeous? Don't they make you want to go? Well, that was the idea!