VERMONT TRAVEL GUIDE: Ultimate Burlington VT Summer Guide!

     Ah- Vermont! Best known as the Green Mountain State, for being one of the smallest states both geographically and population-wise, and the home of beloved ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's. Lesser known as the home state of Annaliese from April 2017-March 2018. While Vermont didn't work out to be my long-term home, I definitely have a new appreciation for it as a special type of vacation destination. Vermont really is its own unique state- it's also quite different from other New England states! I'm originally from Maine, so I thought moving to Vermont would be an easy transition. While both states do have very rough and long winters in common, I'd say overall they are quite different culturally.


     Anyways, Vermont is a popular winter vacation destination for skiers, but if that's not your thing then summer would be a great to visit! This could be a lovely summer vacation spot if you're from a large city, a very different part of the country geographically and looking for new scenery, or just used to living a fast-paced lifestyle and needing a few days off from that. Vermont is a place to slow down, enjoy nature, enjoy local cuisine, and just... breath. Definitely a great spot for a unique type of summer vacation!


     I had written a few posts previously during my time living in Vermont with some local recommendations, but I'd never officially written a full travel guide! I figured now was the time to do it, with the summer travel season just kicking off, and things still being fresh in my head from recently living there. This guide will focus specifically on the Burlington area, since that's where I lived and worked! A few travel facts: Burlington is Vermont's largest city, although it's the smallest biggest city out of all 50 states! The population of Burlington is under 50,000 people- isn't that crazy?! Burlington is located directly on Lake Champlain, in the northwest corner of the state, just under an hour from the Canadian border. Southern, central, and northeastern (called the Northeast Kingdom) Vermont are also popular vacation spots, but I'm obviously most familiar with the Burlington, Chittenden county, and Lake Champlain areas, since that's where I lived during my time in the state.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training!

     Travel:


     Burlington is in the northern part of Vermont, right on Lake Champlain. If you're coming from outside of New England, flying is probably the easiest way to get to Vermont. The Burlington International Airport is actually the only commercial airport in the state! It's pretty small as far as commercial airports go, and therefore can be expensive to fly into, but it's definitely the most convenient option for flying. They do offer direct flights to most major airports on the East Coast. (The next closest airport is actually international- in Montreal!) Driving to this part of Vermont is also an option- Interstate 89 runs through Burlington, and Route 22A is another popular way to get up to northern Vermont from where the southern part of the state meets New York.
      Where a lot of things in Vermont are spread apart from each other (it's a very rural state), if you do fly in, I highly recommend renting a car! There is Uber and Lyft in Burlington, but they don't run too far outside of the city limits.

     Stay: 


     So, since I lived in Burlington and didn't vacation there myself, I've actually only stayed in one of these hotels (the one I stayed at during my job interview trip). But thanks to working in media in such a small city, and also having friends and family visit during the year I was there, I was able to become familiar with a lot of the local hotels in the area. So here are my recommendations for lodging:

•      Courtyard by Marriott Burlington Harbor, Burlington: This is one of the nicest hotels in downtown! It's in walking distance to Church Street Marketplace, (where most of the downtown shopping, restaurants and bars are), and many of the guest rooms have stunning views of Lake Champlain. Since Burlington is such a tiny "big" city, this is also one of the tallest buildings in both Burlington and the entire state- fun fact! I haven't stayed here myself as a guest, but I am quite familiar with the hotel as I have rapelled off of the building! I did a rapelling event for charity (representing the radio station I worked for in Vermont) last September, and this took place at the hotel! 
•      Hampton Inn Burlington, Colchester: This is the hotel that I stayed at during my job interview trip! Colchester is the quaint lakeside town located just north of Burlington, and hotel prices can be a bit cheaper staying here since it's not right in the city. This hotel is located right on I-89, so it's conveniently located to get to downtown Burlington, the airport, or destinations north or south for day trips. 
•      Green Mountain Suites Hotel, South Burlington: My friend Shara stayed here when she visited me last fall, and I visited her there and we swam in the pool together! I didn't even know this hotel was here before she told me she booked it, but I was so impressed with it. The lobby of the hotel has a cozy ski lodge vibe, and it's a huge property! The indoor pool was also really nice. This hotel is located in South Burlington, very close to the mall and the University of Vermont, about 10 minutes from downtown Burlington. 
•      The Essex Resort and Spa, Essex: This is a luxurious inn, with a full service spa and restaurant on the property! It's located in the nearby town of Essex, which is about 20 minutes from Burlington. I haven't stayed here as a guest, but I did go visit the spa for a manicure last summer, so I got to see the hotel up close and personal, and it's very nice! It's not cheap to stay here, but it would definitely be a relaxing and nice experience! 

    Eat:

       I have previously shared a guide to my favorite Burlington and Chittenden County restaurants on the blog! You can check that out here. 

     Play:     

     *Hiking and nature trails: There are lots of different types of hiking trails in drivable distance from Burlington! Everything from walking trails to more strenuous hikes. I shared some of my favorite trails in this blog post! 

      *Explore Church Street Marketplace: Church Street in Burlington is the heart of downtown, and it's also a pedestrian-only walking street filled with local shops, restaurants, and some nightlife. This was one of my favorite parts of Burlington (I did a lot of my blog photos here!), and whenever I had company in Vermont I'd usually take them to eat at a restaurant on Church Street, or at least for a walk up there and to window shop at some of the stores.

     *Eat the best maple creemee in the state: Here's some weird Vermont slang for you: Vermonters call soft serve ice cream "creemees." ...Weird, I know!! That name never really grew on me. Anyways, the most special type of Vermont creemee which really can only be found there are maple creemees, made of course with local Vermont dairy products and maple syrup! I had my fair share of maple creemees during the summer I lived there, but I truly believe the BEST maple creemee to be found is at a little off-the-beaten-path place called Palmer Lane Maple in Jericho (about 30 mins from Burlington). This place is 100% worth the drive, and their homemade maple soft serve is unreal!! They also sell maple syrup there and other maple products.

     *Have a drink at a waterfront bar: I don't think either of these made my restaurant guide, so I'll include them here! Burlington is located right on Lake Champlain, and this part of the lake has beautiful views of the Adirondack Mountains on the other side in New York. You'll want to spend some time gazing at the lake, and enjoying an evening at one of the waterfront bars is a great way to do that! My two favorites were Splash! At the Boathouse and The Spot. Both of these bars are seasonal and only open in the spring/summer! I also wouldn't really recommend the food at either- both have very overpriced and limited menus since they're lakefront bars. However- the drinks are fabulous at both! The Spot makes one of my favorite mojitos of all time. Splash! is located on a floating dock attached to a boathouse so it has a real nautical and casual feel, and The Spot almost has a very modern city rooftop bar vibe (except it's right on the lake and near the ferry terminal).

    *Visit the Burlington area breweries: Burlington and surrounding towns are a huge area for craft beer! I didn't really take much advantage of this while I lived in the area- I only visited Citizen Cider in Burlington and Goodwater Brewery in Williston. Other notable ones in the area are Queen City Brewery, Switchback Brewery, Zero Gravity Brewery, and many more!

     *Take a lake cruise on the Spirit of Ethan Allen III: Continuing with our Lake Champlain theme, going for a lake cruise would be a great vacation activity! This had been on my bucket list last summer, and I finally got to do it with my dad on one of his visits. The Spirit of Ethan Allen cruise company offers daily lake cruise excursions- some offer meals, and I think some are even themed! We did the standard sunset cruise. I really enjoyed getting to see unique views of Burlington and the mountains from the middle of the lake!

      *Rent kayaks or canoes: Another way to experience Lake Champlain by boat is to paddle yourself around! There are many companies in the area that offer canoe or kayak rentals. My dad stayed in Colchester visiting me for a week last summer and his rental home came with kayak usage, so we spent a morning kayaking on the lake which was so much fun! I wish I'd gotten the chance to do more of that while living there.

     *Beach day at Sandbar State Park: Lake Champlain sadly isn't known as the cleanest or best lake for swimming and beaches, due to a variety of factors including its sheer size, boat traffic, and its other uses. However- one great beach that I fell in love with last summer (and is one of the safer ones for swimming!) is Sandbar State Park, on the Colchester/Milton town line. There is a beautiful sandy beach here, and you can see amazing views of both the Champlain Islands and the mountains. This state park is located right off of US 2, which I talk more about further down in regards to doing a drive through the Islands- so you could combine both of these things into one day!

     *Waterbury food activities: Ben & Jerry's Factory, Cabot Annex and Cold Hollow Cider Mill : The little town of Waterbury is about 45 minutes south from Burlington on I-89. Waterbury is a pretty small community, but there are a lot of unique Vermont food opportunities to be found there, so it's worth spending an afternoon there! Most notably, the Ben & Jerry's factory is located in Waterbury, which you can tour! The factory is open seven days a week, and has tours running throughout each day. The tours are brief but fun, and would be a great family friendly activity. They also have a gift shop and ice cream shop on site! Just about a mile or two down the road from Ben & Jerry's is one of my favorite places in Vermont- the Cabot Annex store! Cabot Cheddar is one of Vermont's most famous cheese companies, and one of their factory stores is in Waterbury. It offers unlimited samples of 20-30+ of their cheeses... so if you're a cheese enthusiast like myself, this store is a dream! Cabot cheeses are sold at chain grocery stores nationwide, but the Cabot Annex store does have some special varieties of cheese that most grocery stores don't carry, and the prices are great! And lastly, Cold Hollow Cider Mill is also located in Waterbury! Their peak season is fall when the apples are ready to be picked, but Cold Hollow's store is open year round, and sells all sorts of local Vermont food items (they have tons of maple items!). Most notable to me are their apple cider donuts!

     *Ride the Mt. Mansfield Gondola in Stowe: If you're a lover of the mountains, Stowe is a must-visit! It's the most charming little village town, right smack in the Green Mountains, and about an hour from Burlington. It's also the same highway exit as Waterbury, so you can make it a day trip and also do the food activities mentioned above! My favorite activity in Stowe is riding the gondola up Mount Mansfield, which is the tallest mountain in the state of Vermont. The views are breathtaking, and it's a really unique thing to do! My mom and I did this on Labor Day last year when she came to visit for my birthday, and it was such a great day.

     *Shop at Pink Colony in Stowe: If you make it to Stowe for some mountain adventures, you must stop at my favorite Lilly Pulitzer specialty boutique! They're bringing preppy, colorful style to Vermont, and the store is absolutely adorable. I did two blog collaborations with Pink Colony while I lived in VT, and now love keeping up with the store via Instagram!!

     *Drive US 2 through the Champlain Islands: Lake Champlain has several large islands in the middle of it, in between Vermont and New York. The largest ones are connected to the mainland via US 2, and do have some year-round residents! This is also where Vermonters go to pick up the ferry to go across the Plattsburgh, NY. Anyways, the Champlain Islands are absolutely stunning. The landscapes are completely different from the rest of Vermont and upstate NY, and driving through in the summer is unbelievable! When my friend Ciera visited last summer, we took the scenic and longer route coming back from Montreal, and drove through the entirety of the islands. We were in so much awe that we just drove and drove and barely even spoke during the drive- our eyes could barely contain the natural beauty we were seeing!! Honestly - I really do wish I'd had the chance to drive through here one more time before I moved.

     *Cross the border - day trip to Montreal or shopping at Dix30: If you have a passport or live in a state with the enhanced license program- take advantage of this if you're visiting Vermont!! Burlington is just under an hour from the Canadian border, and Montreal is just under two hours away. Montreal is the most amazing city- I wish I'd explored and visited more times while I lived there! I have a Montreal Travel Guide here, and a guide specific to my favorite shopping center near the border, Dix30, in this post! Dix30 is the most amazing outdoor mall and lifestyle center- it's only about an hour and a half from Burlington and so worth a trip, especially since shopping in Canada is to the US dollar advantage right now!

     Whew!! Alright being totally honest- I didn't realize I did this many things during my time in Vermont last year, haha! I guess I definitely did more things last summer than I thought. All of these activities would be awesome summer vacation activities in the Green Mountain State.



     Have you visited Vermont before? Or are you planning any New England trips soon?



     God Bless,


    xoxo Annaliese
   

Ultimate Vermont Bucket List.

     I've mentioned having a "Vermont Bucket List" a few times on the blog since I moved last April- but I've never actually shared it.... that's changing today! I've always been a big bucket list maker- I love the idea of setting goals, both professional ones and fun ones, and working towards accomplishing them. (I wrote a big bucket list blog post in my first year of blogging, and since then I've accomplished many of the things on that list, which is so cool to me!)


     I decided to make a specific one for life in Vermont, as a way to try and get excited about my time here in my new home state. It's probably not a surprise to you if you've read my blog for awhile that transitioning to life in North Carolina for college was much easier for me than re-adjusting to New England life here in Vermont. Even though my current location isn't what I see as my forever home, I'm all about keeping a positive attitude, and the best way to do that is by celebrating the cool things around you. Every place has something to offer- I truly believe that! (Trust me... if I can find cool things here in Vermont, you can definitely find them wherever you live!) Without further ado, here's my list of things to accomplish, try, and experience while living in Vermont. Some of these are seasonal, and some things can be done at any time of the year. The items crossed off are things I've already done in the past 10 months!

     *Go apple picking



     *Visit one of the Burlington area breweries (Goodwater Brewery in Williston and Citizen Cider in Burlington, both June 2017)



     *Find a new church home in Vermont (June 2017)



     *Learn my way around Plattsburgh, NY (biggest town in Upstate NY across Lake Champlain) (First visited in May 2017, learned my way around in September 2017)



     *Drive all of Route 2 through Champlain Islands in Lake Champlain (July 2017, when my friend Ciera from Charlotte was visiting Vermont)



     *Ride the Gondola up Mt. Mansfield in Stowe (September 2017, with my mom on Labor Day)



     *Go downhill skiing  (January 2018)



     *Go cross-country skiing



     *Visit this library/opera house in Derby, VT that is half in the US, half in Canada



     *Visit The Vermont Country Store (October 2017)



     *Attend an event to celebrate maple sugaring season (between March-April)



     *Tour the Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory (April 2017)



     *Tour the Cabot Cheese factory 



     *Visit a Vermont winery 



     *Shop at the Manchester, VT outlets 



     *Day trip to Middlebury, VT



     *Do the sunset cruise on the Spirit of Ethan Allen III boat on Lake Champlain (August 2017 with my dad)



     *Walk the entire Colchester Causeway path along Lake Champlain (June 2017)



     *Visit the Champlain Valley Fair for fun/not for work (All employees at my radio station have to work a few shifts at the fair)



     *Day trip to Lake Willoughby



     *Day trip to Greensboro, VT in the Northeast Kingdom region to visit the bed and breakfast I grew up vacationing at with my parents (June 2017, with my dad for Father's Day)



     *Go on a solo drive to enjoy the foliage during "peak week" in the fall (October 2017)



    *Watch a movie at the drive-in theatre in Colchester (preferably on a date)



    *Go sledding



    *Visit the Burlington Farmers' Market



    *Have a full night out in downtown Burlington with new Vermont friends (I went to karaoke in November with a few new friends but it was only for a couple hours so I'm not counting this one just yet!)



     *Go kayaking on Lake Champlain (August 2017, with my dad)



     *Discover a state park (July 2017, Sand Bar State Park)



     If I'm adding all of this up correctly, that's 13 items checked off out of 28! Not bad for just 10 months here in Vermont. I definitely have some more things that I can work towards this winter, especially the seasonally appropriate things like cross-country skiing, sledding, and the local maple sugaring season events which will be coming up soon!


     I don't think I ever shared my bucket list for my years living in Charlotte- although I did have a virtual one for my time there as well. I'd be happy to still share that if y'all are interested! I'd love to know as well if you have a bucket list for life in your city or state. Let me know in the comments!




     God Bless,



     xoxo Annaliese

Subscribe to Southern Belle in Training's Monthly Newsletter!

Vermont Red Barn + Wearing White in Winter.

     What are the top three things that I associate with the state I've been calling home since the spring of 2017? Maple products, cheddar cheese, and classic red barns. I've done my fair share since moving to Vermont of consuming the first two, but the I hadn't had much exposure to that third item: the red barns! Vermont as a state has tons and tons of beautiful and classic red barns, some being used for traditional purposes as farming barns, and some restored into event venues, like the one you'll see in today's photos. The thing about finding a classic red barn is that the majority of them are in other parts of the state, either in the NEK (slang term for "Northeast Kingdom") or in Southern Vermont- both of these regions are about 2-ish hours from the Burlington area. I told one of my photographers, Melissa, that I wanted to try and find a beautiful red barn to visit within an hour radius to Burlington, and we were able to do just that!! I'm excited to share our visit to West Monitor Barn with you in today's post:

Photography by Melissa Lynn Studios. Thank you to West Monitor Barn for letting us shoot here! 

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training! 

Sweater {not online, very similar linked} // Vest {not online, very similar linked} // Scarf {Not online, very similar linked} // Jeans // Boots // Sunglasses c/o // Coat {old, this year's version linked} // Gloves {sold out, similar linked} // Lip Gloss //

      It was a mere six degrees outside when these photos were taken!! Hopefully I don't look too frozen here. 😊 I was so excited to finally do a photoshoot near a big red barn that I think my joy kept the freezing cold at bay at least for a little bit! I decided to style this classic white sweater and vest combo with bright pops of color in my accessories. I had fun pairing my pink Hunters and favorite blue DIFF sunglasses with this bold striped pom pom scarf. I think everything came out well for the finished product! That's the great thing about wearing "winter whites" like sweaters and vests, you can have so much fun adding color with your accessories. I've said this before on the blog, I am one of those people who follows the traditional rules about not wearing white after Labor Day. However- that applies to summer whites! Winter whites are awesome, I love my white sweaters especially. 

     The barn that Melissa and I went to is called West Monitor Barn, and it's about 45-ish minutes from the Burlington area. It's owned by the Vermont Youth Conversation Corps, but it can be rented out in the warmer months for weddings and other functions. This is literally the image I've had in my mind when I think of "classic Vermont barns," so I loved getting to visit here.

     I'm keeping today's post short and sweet, but I'm looking forward to the other posts that are coming up on Southern Belle in Training this week! I've been having a lot of fun this month with different types of lifestyle content. With the cold weather this winter, it's reduced the amount that I've been shooting fashion posts for the blog, so it's challenged me creatively in other ways to still provide the same amounts of weekly blog posts for y'all. I hope you have enjoyed what I've been putting together, and as always I love blog post suggestions!

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese  

   

Preparing For a White Christmas...

     I have always wanted to do blog photos where Christmas trees are sold, and it's something that I never got to cross off my photoshoot location checklist while living in Charlotte. Maybe that worked out for the better... because getting to shoot amongst freshly snow covered Vermont Christmas trees for sale was really quite magical! The only thing not so magical was the weather... it was seriously 10 degrees when Amanda and I were out here! But we made it happen anyways, and I think it was worth it! I'm also getting real at the end of today's post about how to get real with yourself when the holiday season is filled with personal anxieties and stress.

Photography by Amanda Rose Photography 

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training!

Coat c/o // Sweater // Jeans {not online, very similar here} // Boots // Earrings c/o // Lipstick: LipSense in Bella // 

      It is very hard to find a winter coat that is still cute and fashionable, but can also keep you warm and insulated in New England's bitter cold winter temperatures. I am so pleased to report that this gorgeous coat  checks off both of those boxes! It actually kept me quite warm and toasty on the freezing morning that Amanda and I were out shooting these pictures, and I think it has the most darling plaid pattern as well! I know I'll be reaching for this coat many more times during the upcoming months of winter. A note on the sizing- this brand does tend to run smaller, so I ordered a M. It is a bit large, so I probably could have gone with a S (my normal size) and been fine. But sometimes it's good to have coats a little larger- that means you can wear a super thick sweater and scarf underneath and still have extra room! 

      I am a fake Christmas tree girl all the way (check out this blog post to see how I decorated my tree this year!), but I do think there is something very beautiful about Christmas tree farms or lots. Vermont is very big on all things local, so it wasn't surprising to me to learn that they have tons of tree farms here! Amanda and I stumbled on this little tree lot set up in downtown Shelburne, a quaint lakefront town near Burlington, and taking these photos there really did get me into the holiday spirit!


      This year could be my first white Christmas in several years! I have gone home to Maine every year for the holiday (minus a couple years where my parents and I have traveled), but the last few years it has been mild in New England for the holiday! One Christmas a few years ago it hit 60 degrees... not even joking (it was also my dream come true). Definitely a warm weather girl! Well- I might finally get to see a white Christmas again this year whether I like it or not! Snow is headed for Northern New England on Christmas Day! I'm just hoping the snow will coordinate itself around my driving schedule so I can make it home safely.... and be able to get home at all!

     

      Getting real for a second about something not related to cute coats and Christmas trees- the past couple weeks have been really rough for me personally. I struggled with anxiety and depression in high school, and honestly I don't remember feeling as awful as I've felt lately since that time in my life several years ago. It seems a bit ironic, to be dealing with lots of anxiety, stress and uncertainty, in what is supposed to be the most magical time of the year, but I guess that's what adulting can sometimes bring. I am trying to make some positive life changes for 2018 following my holiday travels, in hopes that the new year will be one filled with less stress and anxiety, and more joy and peace. I can get much more into detail about all of that in another blog post! But just for right now, I did want to share that it hasn't been the easiest few weeks. Sometimes in this Instagrammable world that we live in (especially at the holiday season I feel like), it's easy to see pretty pictures and assume that all is happy and perfect in someone's life, but that isn't always the case. It's always good to keep it real and speak up and seek support if you're dealing with a lot. 😊   

      Happy Thursday! Thanks so much as always for reading. Y'all's comments always truly make my day! 

      My whole outfit is linked below:

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese

New Must-Have Cardigan + The Hype With Plattsburgh.

    Confession time: my new favorite cardigan came to me by way of LiketoKnow.it! As a fashion blogger, I encourage my Instagram followers to use this to shop my outfits often. In full honesty- I can't say that I use LTK that much to shop other bloggers' looks. (I think LiketoKnow.it is awesome, I just try and put together more unique outfits for my blog!) However- I couldn't like to know the outfit details fast enough when I saw this adorable leopard print cardigan featured on Stephanie from A Sparkle Factor's Instagram a few weeks ago! Thank goodness for LTK - and the cardigan was on its way to me soon. 😊 I'm styling it in today's blog post, and sharing a bit about why Vermonters like to venture over to the region of New York called the "North Country," and to Plattsburgh, which is the biggest town there!

This post contains affilliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training!

Cardigan // Top {mine from Marshall's, similar here} // Leggings {my favorites- back in stock for this year and on SALE} // Coat {old, similar here} // Boots // Purse // Earrings c/o // Necklace c/o // Lipstick // 

      First up- the details about this cardigan. It totally exceeded my expectations, which is always something great to have happen with an online purchase!! It's thick, soft, and super warm and comfy. And I love the darling leopard print!! Wearing this cardigan with jeans and riding boots would be like my ideal winter work outfit over the upcoming months. If you're looking for a cute and casual cardigan, I definitely recommend this one! I styled it for this weekend look with my favorite faux leather leggings, fun jewelry, and one of my favorite coats (which I've had since 9th grade and still adore!). 

      On my Instagram Stories and in past blog posts, you might have heard me mention taking a ferry, or going to a place called Plattsburgh in New York. These photos were taken in Plattsburgh, so I though it would be fun to share a bit about this town on the blog today, as it's quite an important place to most people who live in the Burlington Vermont area! As I've shared before, one thing that really frustrates me about Vermont is the huge lack of retail presence here. One of the malls in the area is currently undergoing a renovation project that will take a couple of years, so pretty much all of the stores closed and vacated for the time being. The other mall in the area is supposedly the largest mall in Vermont... but it makes me so sad every time I say that, haha. The shopping options there are really quite dismal (I really only go there for Bath and Body Works candles, lol!). Vermont will be getting the state's very first Target next fall, in October 2018, which will be a new anchor store in the larger mall. But up until then, we don't have Target, and the Burlington area doesn't even have a Super Walmart! Other things that Vermont doesn't have that I love: Ulta, a full-sized Sephora, LOFT (it closed since I moved here), Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack, Forever 21, DSW, Ann Taylor, J. Crew, Hobby Lobby, At Home... and many, many more retailers. 

      Plattsburgh, New York to the rescue for the Vermonters! The Adirondacks region and the area north of it that borders Canada in (very) Upstate New York is considered the "North Country" region, and Plattsburgh is the largest town/small city in this area. It is a little bit smaller than Burlington. New York state however has a lot less regulations about retail and development, so they have a lot more shopping options! Plattsburgh is home to a large Target, a super Walmart, DSW, and as of recently, a HOBBY LOBBY (my very favorite store). It is weekend day trip-worthy to do some shopping at the big box stores across the lake. The only hard part is crossing the lake! The only bridges that go over Lake Champlain are at the Northern and Southern ends of the lake, neither which are near Plattsburgh or Burlington. The Lake Champlain Ferry system is really the only method to cross with. The most convenient ferry is the one that runs from the Champlain Islands (which you drive to) right across the Plattsburgh. There's so much traffic and commerce between the two states that the ferry amazingly runs 24/7! I've never had to wait more than 5 mins to board one. You drive right on with your car, and the perk is that you get to see some amazing lake views from the boat. The major downside is the cost. For one person, round trip ferry service is about $20, and for two people it's about $30. Plus factoring in the gas to Plattsburgh (the whole trip is just under an hour from Burlington, ferry and driving included), that's not the cheapest day trip! But it can be worth it every once in a while- especially if you're a big shopper like myself! I think Plattsburgh also has a kind of cute downtown, there's a river that runs through it (where some of these photos were taken), and I always have a soft spot for downtowns of cities and towns with rivers! 

     

     Anyways, if you live in a place where you don't have to pay $20+ to access Target, Hobby Lobby, and more, know that a lot of Vermont people are jealous of you!! I definitely took a lot for granted when I lived in Charlotte... and heck, even Maine. Haha!

      

God Bless,

      xoxo Annaliese 

      

      

      

     

VERMONT TRAVEL GUIDE: Best Trails Near Burlington.

     One thing that often surprises people about me is that as much as I am a fashion-loving girly-girl, I also love the outdoors. Hiking, visiting botanical gardens, going on scenic drives, water activities in lakes, enjoying sunshine... all things that I love doing!! I wouldn't say that I'm a huge outdoorsy person.... I have my limits, and those limits end at camping. I am NOT a fan of camping- I had some bad experiences with that growing up with scarred me for life! But if outdoor activities are happening in daylight and guarantee I'll be back in my home by that night, I'm all about it! 

Vintage Lace Dress + 10 Things I Like About Living in Vermont.

     Surprised to see this post on my blog? (Me too!) If you've been keeping up with the post-move updates that I write every two months, you know that my transitions of moving from the bustling metropolis of Charlotte, NC, to the "smallest" biggest city in the country, Burlington, VT, has been quite the transition, and very frustrating at times. It became clear to me quite early on that although I am blessed to have been given the opportunity to begin my radio career in Vermont, this isn't my forever home at all, and all in all will probably be more of a temporary home. I could easily write a post entitled "10+ Things That Frustrate Me About Vermont".... but I'm going to save that for the day that I'm living somewhere else. 😉

     In the spirit of trying to cultivate a positive attitude and grateful heart for all aspects of my life, not just the easy ones, I bring you today's post! There are some things that I do like about living in The Green Mountain state. I often let those things get overshadowed by all that I dislike. It is so good for the heart to try focus on the good in a situation...so that's exactly what today's post is about!! If you currently live somewhere that you don't love, or feel like isn't your forever home, I hope this post inspires you to still seek the positivity in your current living situation, as I'm also trying to! 

     I also thought that today's outfit post was the perfect time to share this- this might be my favorite blog photoshoot yet!! I've always wanted to do blog photos in a river, so this was kind of a dream come true. Thank you to my photographer Melissa for having such creative shoot location ideas! 

Photography by Melissa Lynn Studios

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training!

Dress c/o // Shoes {similar} // Earrings {similar} // Bracelets c/o // Ring // 

      1. Lake Champlain: Burlington is located directly on Lake Champlain! Fun fact: Lake Champlain is in the Top 15 largest lakes in the United States by surface area. It is 120 miles long, and separates Vermont and Upstates New York, and a tiny bit of the lake extends north into Quebec as well. I grew up in Coastal Maine spending lots of time at the ocean, so moving to Charlotte, a city with no ocean, rivers or lakes within city limits was a bit of a shock to my system in college. As much as I loved it there, I did miss being near a major body of water. Much of Lake Champlain is undeveloped and just very naturally rugged and beautiful. It reminds me of a bigger version of Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in neighboring New Hampshire, and one of my favorite places in New England. My biggest regret from this summer is that I didn't meet anyone that owns a boat who could've taken me out for rides on the lake- lol! One of my favorite views of the lake is on one of the only bridges that goes over it, at a southern point on the lake between Addison County in VT and Ticonderoga, NY. When driving over the bridge, you feel like you can see natural beauty forever!

     2. The foods Vermont is known for: I was always a terrible Mainer when it came to food. Maine is known for two famous foods: lobster and blueberries. I strongly dislike both of those. While I did better with traditional Southern foods, there were still a few things that I could never get on board with, like grits. However, I seriously lucked out with the foods that Vermont is associated culinary-wise with: cheese, maple syrup, and Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Heck to the freakin' yes!!! It's literally a state that molded it's famous foods after Annaliese's taste buds. Good cheese is EVERYWHERE to be found here, and a lot cheaper at most grocery stores than it was in NC! (And the Cabot Cheese factory annex store in Waterbury is I swear one of my happy places.) I weirdly don't like maple syrup on pancakes or waffles, but I do love maple flavored things and cooking with maple, and there's lots to be found here! And Ben and Jerry's- who doesn't love that?! I've done the factory tour twice since moving here! (It's conveniently located very close to the Cabot Cheese factory annex store...) The state foods are honestly probably my favorite part about living here. 

     3. No traffic and no tolls: Traffic does not exist in the 49th least populated state in the nation. There is no rush hour. It actually does not exist here. I've had to deal with traffic for a grand total of two accidents in the six months that I've lived here, and I can remember both clearly because they're such an infrequent happening! One weekend this summer, there was some rare bridge work happening on a Sunday, and a main road was closed that my phone's GPS hadn't picked up on. I ended up in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 30 mins, and I about had a road rage attack in my car. It had been so long since I'd dealt with surprise traffic, and it was like I literally couldn't tolerate it in Vermont, ha! But minus that incident, no traffic. And long the same lines with driving, unlike many other parts of New England, Vermont is a completely toll free state! Tolls are probably my biggest pet peeve in the world. Maine has them on our largest interstate, and it always drives me mad when I go home. (For now) the Charlotte area is toll-free, so I was really hoping that wherever I moved for work would be the same. Thankfully Vermont is! 

     4. Close to Canada/Montreal: The closest major city to the Burlington area is actually in another country- that is pretty cool when you think about it! Vermont is also one of four states that allows drivers to get an Enhanced License, which allows for land or sea crossings to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean without a passport. Even though I do have a passport, I paid extra for my Enhanced License and I'm so glad I did! It makes crossing the border easy-peasy. Honestly I haven't gotten up to Montreal nearly as much as I've hoped to, mainly since I work six days a week. But I have been a couple times, and it's such a cool city!! My favorite thing of all about Montreal is the fact that they have quite an impressive skyline- and I'm always a sucker for that! I was actually a French minor in college, so I also love hearing the language all around the city. You can check out my 24 Hours in Montreal travel guide here. 

     5. Lack of shopping... good for saving money: I definitely also complain about this all the time, and whenever I do write a "10 Things That Frustrate Me About Vermont" this will certainly be on that list also... but this is also a positive! Let me just say that entry level jobs in the radio industry are not known to pay well- people get into this field for their passion, not the paycheck. 😉 Between a low salary, a very high cost of living in this area, and school loan payments... this first year of work has been very "savings" focused. The good thing about Vermont having such a lack of a physical retail presence is that it's less temptation to spend money! I do shop online more now since a lot of my favorite stores aren't here, but I've never been a super big online spender. My temptation with spending has always come from wandering malls when I'm bored, and luckily I pretty much avoid Burlington's main mall most of the time, so this state is actually fantastic for my current financial situation in some regards! 

     6. Beautiful natural locations for blog photos: While Charlotte had tons of cool city backdrops for shooting, sometimes you had to get creative and drive a bit out of the city if you wanted something that looked more natural for blog photos. Vermont is literally a 100% natural and rural state, even in its "cities," so it's been fun to find some beautiful nature based locations to do outfit posts in! Like the river that today's pictures were taken in. Rivers in a lot of parts of the country are unfortunately polluted or too developed to be able to just stand in for a photoshoot, but Vermont is beautifully untouched. While I do miss some of my city shoot locations, Burlington is able to provide what I need to some degree with that, and it has been really fun to get natural with some photoshoot locations! I feel very creatively challenged, in a good way.

      7. Still have Trader Joe's: Very early on in the radio job search process last year.... I remember one night looking on Trader Joe's website at a PDF that had every single store location listed. I thought to myself "I just can't take a radio job somewhere that doesn't have Trader Joe's!" God must have heard that thought - haha!! Vermont may not have Target, Super Walmart, large malls, Hobby Lobby and At Home, Ulta..... etc etc, BUT we do have a Trader Joe's outside of Burlington!! It's actually a pretty good sized one, too.

     8. Driving distance to home: This is the most surprising thing on my list! I obviously went to college quite far from home, and never really experienced much homesickness. I was fully thinking that I'd spend the rest of my life far from New England, and my true home. Burlington is about four hours from my hometown in Maine. Surprisingly- I love being close to home again. Not enough to stay here for good... but it's been really nice in this season! I just wish that my job allowed me more time off so I could go home more, but I am grateful that I was able to be home for two quick weekends this summer. My parents are also able to visit much more often and easily than then did when I was in NC. Can I also just say how much I LOVE having my car at home with me when I go home now? Five years of visits and sharing a car with my parents got old real quick, y'all. 

      9. Xfiniti for cable: It's probably so weird to write a positive attribute about my cable company.... but I absolutely adore Xfiniti by Comcast, which is the cable/internet provider that I have here in Burlington!! In both Maine and NC, they were Time Warner (now Spectrum I think?) markets, and honestly that cable provider is nothing but a hassle. I can't tell you how many times in my apartment last year I was on the phone with Time Warner for various issues! Anyways, I have Xfiniti now, and my apartment actually pays the cable portion of my plan in accordance with my rent. I have this crazy premium cable package- but I totally love it. Especially since I don't have much of a social life here in Vermont- I watch a lot of TV at night now. I think Xfiniti is so user-friendly, has so many cool features, and they've always been helpful when I've had issues! I really hope the next place I move to also is an Xfiniti service area!

      10. Fall in Vermont: I'm really not a fall person- I'm a spring girl all the way (which I talked about a little in this blog post). But I will say- everyone was right about fall in Vermont!! It is stunning. The foliage here is unreal. Maine has some pretty foliage too, but since Burlington and the surrounding towns have mountain views, this is different than anything I've ever experienced. It really is a special time of the year here. Vermont's cute little towns in other parts of the state are especially darling in the fall! If I ever come back to visit Vermont someday, I hope it will be during the fall. 

      

     And there you have it! My favorite things about being a Vermont resident. Have you visited Vermont before and noticed any of these things? (Maybe you have to live here to realize some of them?) Side note: it literally seems like every fashion blogger out there is vacationing in Vermont this fall season!! I've seen so many pictures on Instagram of towns and places that I recognize now- which has been fun! I always knew Vermont was a tourist spot, but I guess I didn't realize just how much of one!

     

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese