Archive for the 'Vermont Quality of Life' Category

Winter is the longest season in Vermont, and this winter in particular epitomizes the typical Vermont winter experience: lots of snow. But in the Burlington area, the weather does not drive people into hibernation; they find fun and creative ways to stay fit and celebrate the colder months.

Vermont is known for skiing, but there is plenty of other winter recreation on hand for those not up to speeding down the slopes. Vermont has a patchwork of trails for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and riding snowmobiles. Sledding, skating and just playing in the snow are favorites of all ages. It’s hard to resist the urge to pack the generous offering of powdery white into a snowman or snowball.

Burlington itself offers two wonderful celebrations that help lift the post-holiday doldrums. The first is the Burlington Winter Festival, which takes place in February. This celebration of all things winter offers snow sculpting competitions on Church Street, and the famed Penguin Plunge on the waterfront in which teams of bold Vermonters jump in the lake as a fundraiser for the Special Olympics. The second is the annual Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade, which takes place in early March. The event combines New Orleans cuisine, costume contests and other revelry culminating with the parade from Main Street to the waterfront. It’s a celebration of Mardi Gras intended for all ages to enjoy (conveniently situated on the weekend) and once again, the funds raised go to a good cause.

Vermonters don’t get the long winters get them down; on the contrary, they find ways to make the most of every snowy moment. Perhaps that is one reason Men’s Health recently ranked Burlington in the top ten “Least Angry” cities.

More Resources:

Vermont Tourism Website

Vermont Winter Festival

Penguin Plunge

Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade

Vermont was recently named the most environmentally sound state by the website 24/7 Wall St. Examining 49 metrics from various sources, the state came out on top once again. Vermont “releases the fewest carcinogenic toxins and has the smallest carbon footprint in the country. Vermont’s success as a green state isn’t limited to pollution, however: the “Green Mountain State” ranks in the top 15  in 20 out of 28 ranked categories. Vermont has a number of policies to promote efficiency, alternative energy, and reduce pollution, and so far it has succeeded better than any other state.”

The governor’s office was proud to note that this is the third time the state has been awarded a similar honor. In 2007, Vermont was named “America’s Greenest State” by Forbes magazine, and again in 2009 by an Earthsense Eco-Insights survey. That same year, Republican Governor Jim Douglas was recognized as one of the top ten green governors in the country by green resource website Greenopia. This has been a culmination of years of efforts by Vermonters who recognize that the state is a unique asset worth preserving. It wasn’t that long ago that the Burlington waterfront we know today as a park, trails and science center was a dingy industrial rail yard!

To Read More:

Vermont Governor’s Press Release

24/7 Wall St. Article

Forbes – America’s Greenest States

Greenopia – Greenest Governors