Vermont is the great land of maple syrup, Ben and Jerry’s, and the ultimate destination for leaf peeping. At least these are the things it’s known for according to flat landers (We say it with love.)
While the generalization of Vermont is true, Vermont is filled with all sorts of oddities and wonders that are off the beaten path of the tourist spots. Don’t get me wrong, there are some pretty awesome tourist spots. But Vermont is weird and Vermonters are just as weird as the culture they are cultivated from.
So if you’re an out-of-stater and you plan on visiting or come across someone from Vermont in your state, here are some things you need to understand.
1. Vermont is weird.
Being from Vermont means you have a certain view on life. We’re an odd mix of hippies, farmers, and country folk. We all just kind of blend together in a strange mix because we all have the same mentality and strong roots. We all have a deep love for the 802. We all eat our Ben and Jerry’s one scoop at a time.
2. Local means everything here.
You won’t find many chains here. We didn’t get our first Walmart until 1996 and still only have five throughout the state. We still remain the only state that doesn’t have a McDonald’s in our capital, Montpelier. While it can be a bummer to see ads for Wendy’s or Sonic and not have any located here, we’d much rather have our local taverns, farmer’s markets, and delis.
3. Even our big chains are local.
Ben and Jerry’s, Cabot Cheese, Burton Snowboard, Vermont Teddy Bear, Eat More Kale. Just to name a few. These are all from Vermont and we take deep pride in them. To say anything negative about them would be fighting words.
4. Speaking of Ben and Jerry’s…
It’s perfectly normal to pay your respects to your favorite flavor that was lost and buried in the Flavor Graveyard. We’ve all lost one at one point. I’ll never forget you Creme Brulee!
5. We take our food seriously and our agriculture even more.
There’s no doubt that Vermont is a foodie paradise with so many eclectic and diverse places to choose from. But we just became the first state to legalize the labeling of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) in products. Much like the all natural sap that flows from our maple trees and our Artificial Growth Hormone free cows, we like things the way nature intended. Natural.
6. We were built for the cold.
This particular winter has been a long and brutal one with temperatures well below -10°F on a daily basis. But once that thermometer showed 30°F or higher, we were switching our parkas to short sleeves and shorts. It’s a real thing.
7. Another thing you won’t see in Vermont: billboards.
We want to keep our pristine beauty free of distracting advertisements. Personally, it’s a bit of a shock and a fascination to see billboards when I travel out of state. Vermont has outlawed the eye sores since 1968.
8. We have a language all our own.
Call that soft ice cream on a cone anything but a creemee (pronounced creamy), and you probably won’t get any service. “Wicked” takes on a whole new meaning in Vermont. In example: “The Maple Syrup Fest was wicked awesome!” It’s an adjective, but it means so much more. The term “down the road” could mean well beyond a mile.
9. We have our own awesome legend.
You’ve probably heard of the Loch Ness Monster. We have her cousin from across the pond, Champ. Champ resides in Lake Champlain alone with fresh water dolphins, massive lake sturgeon, shipwrecks and other deep lake mysteries. While the Discovery Channel launched an investigation based on the famous photograph below and claimed it was a log, countless local still have eye witness accounts of the beast.
10. If you like craft beer, this is your kind of state.
With one of the highest number of breweries per capita in The States, Vermont boasts 29 craft breweries alone. This doesn’t even count the microbreweries, pub breweries and countless locals who brew their own beer. Besides beer, Vermont is also leading the way in hard cider. Woodchuck and Citizen Cider are both fantastic Vermont based companies that are making their names known.
Vermont is it’s own unique place and there is so much more to it than this list. It’s hard not to fall in love it. The best piece of advice I can give: always ask a local.
