Cumulative Official Town Count | Unofficial Town Count |
94 | 42 |
You don't need to go very far afield from Burlington to reach small town (aka "real") Vermont, tourist Vermont, and suburban Vermont, as evidenced in this episode of my VT 251 exploration. The towns of Essex, Essex Junction (a newly sanctioned official town), Fairfax, Colchester, Westford and Cambridge comprise the official towns in this post, and the unofficial town of Jeffersonville (home to Smuggler's Notch Resort) is also covered, along with their combined 5 covered bridges.
ESSEX & ESSEX JUNCTION
Essex, VT (pop. 11,251 in 2023) is a town just outside of Burlington and it, along with its neighbor Essex Junction actually make up some of the only towns in the state with a suburban feel, in my opinion (lots of families and young professionals live there). Until recently, Essex Junction was a village within Essex but it has now been determined to be its own town (with a population of nearly 11,000). Aside from the typical suburban amenities, there are a few destinations of interest to visitors. The Essex Resort & Spa is a good place to relax and take a cooking class should you be looking for that. And, for the beer enthusiasts out there, First Republic Brewing is located in Essex Junction, and is on the (long) list of breweries I still need to try. There is an Amtrak station in Essex Junction (on the line which goes through MA and CT, before terminating in NYC), making it accessible (although you'd probably want a car in Essex Junction in order to explore). And, should you be in town and in the mood for a good sandwich, I highly recommend Martone's Market.
FAIRFAX
Fairfax is a typical small town (pop. 5,014 in 2020) in Vermont. As the town sign communicates, this is farm country. The town happens to be located on the Lamoille River, which translates to a covered bridge as well as a hydro electric dam.
COLCHESTER
Like Essex and Essex Junction, Colchester is a bustling town just outside Burlington (pop. 17,544 in 2020) with a suburban vibe. However, Colchester is located on the shores of Lake Champlain and offers some very nice real estate, lots of shopping (like Costco), and a wonderful (and popular) causeway for walking or biking across part of the lake (the Island Line Trail). In fact, in spring and summer, there is a bike ferry to bring you all the way across, to South Hero in the Champlain Islands. Despite the suburban trappings, Colchester is also a farming community, and Sam Mazza's market (along its corn maze in the fall and pick-your-own berries in season) is a delicious place to visit should you be in the area.
WESTFORD
Westford, VT (pop. 2,062 in 2020) may not have a welcome sign that I saw, but there is clear pride around the green in the center of the town. Everything visible from the town green was in excellent repair, as was the town's covered bridge.
CAMBRIDGE (& JEFFERSONVILLE)
Cambridge, VT (pop. 3,839 in 2020) is the official town in which the villages of Jeffersonville and Cambridge are located. While the village of Cambridge is very rural, Jeffersonville is the "town" associated with Smugglers Notch Resort, and, as the resort brings lots of tourists to this beautiful area all year long, I would describe the area as touristy. The country store is very much geared to tourists as there is an impressive selection of alcohol and souvenirs without many of the more useful-for-residents items. Aside from the resort (huge, family-friendly, amazing), there is a road, aka The Notch Road (or VT-108), which connects Smugglers Notch/ Jeffersonville to Stowe in the summer and fall, just to the south. The road is spectacular, but hairy (curvy and narrow) and each year, despite many signs warning that the road is not appropriate for big trucks, there are several which get stuck. (Each year the signage and fines become more obvious with the hope truckers will heed them, but so far no luck.) The entire area, though, is beautiful farm- and forest-land, and a veritable playground for hikers and skiers, with a myriad of trails ranging from flat and easy (like the rail trail) to exceptionally challenging (up Mount Mansfield). Oh, and should you be a dog person, there is a Golden (retriever) Dog Farm that you can visit in Jeffersonville -- the adorable factor is off the charts! If you are looking for natural beauty but want the creature comforts, I highly recommend this area, which, like so much of Vermont, is most spectacular in the fall.
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