City on the Hill

It doesn’t look like much of a hill from the waterfront, but Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace pedestrian mall, the place to be and see, is a breathtaking hike uphill from the marinas. We made the climb once or twice a day in our five day mini-vacation and have the calf muscles and lung capacity to prove it.

The photographs belie the fact that we were belayed for five days due to high winds. We had intended to anchor out off several of the islands in the northern part of Lake Champlain, but thankfully made the right call to stay put in Burlington. What a great city! The Burlington Harbor Marina which opened last year is architecturally cool, comfortable and linked to the parks and greenways that connect the city. We wined and dined at many creative restaurants; August First, Leunigs, Pascolo, Splash and Spot on the Dock. We missed many more that we will need to catch on the next visit.

Our side trip out of the city included the Shelburne Museum, a collection of buildings, boats, art and ephemera amassed by Electra Havemeyer Webb. She fortunately had the means to share her love of collecting with the rest of us. I have become a aficionado of decoys based on the collection at Shelburne. The craftsmanship is fantastic!

As I write, I am watching the sun set in the northwest sky, the highest compass point that the sun will reach in the northern hemisphere. We also watched the Strawberry (super) Moon rise in the southwest, over the city, upon our arrival. The park system, the city’s commitment to net-zero energy use by 2030, city-owned rentable electric-assist bikes, clean air, clean water and healthy living made the city shine. But most of all happy, gracious and content people made our visit most memorable.

It was welcome to have this urban(e) experience. Next such prospect: Cleveland or Chicago!