PHOTO: Vermont's deliciously pristine natural environment is mostly unnamed and unspoiled, and nourishing to the soul. (Photo by David Cogswell)
Vermont is a strange place any way you look at it. Strange and beautiful. The name of the state is a slight bastardization of the French phrase "vert mont," meaning "green mountain," named after the state's most spectacular feature, the Green Mountains, a northern extension of the Appalachian range.
The earliest documented use of the name "Vermont" was April 11, 1777, when Thomas Young issued a proclamation addressed to "The Inhabitants of Vermont, a Free and Independent State." But the name surely pre-dates that usage and probably reflects the French colonial presence in the state before the English.
Thomas Young may have chosen the name to honor Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, a militia group that resisted New York's attempts to control the territory. New York had won a legal territorial dispute with New Hampshire for the control of Vermont, but Vermont refused to be controlled by either New York or New Hampshire.
Vermont's independent spirit was established from the beginning. Vermont borders Canada on the north side, and New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire stateside. So close to Canada it still seems to retain some of its dual ancestry, as well as much of its original independent spirit.
Vermont was recently the first state to enact a single-payer health system. The state also recently became the first state to pass a no-strings-attached GMO labeling bill. The list of ways Vermont distinguishes itself from other states could go on and on. Not much time ever goes by without some news story reminding the world that in politics and public affairs, Vermont stubbornly goes its own way.
Rudyard Kipling's Naulakha House. Usually associated with India, where he grew up, or England, where he became a literary sensation, Rudyard Kipling actually has significant roots in Vermont, where he lived from 1892 to 1896.
A house in Dummerston, Vermont, is where Kipling wrote Captains Courageous, The Jungle Books, A Day's Work and The Seven Seas. He also worked on Kim and The Just So Stories at that house. Kipling had the house built to his specifications by a Canadian builder and named it Naulakha, after the Naulakha Pavillion at Lahore Fort in Punjab in what is now part of Pakistan, but was India in Kipling's day.
The name also reflects the title of Kipling's first published book: Naulahka, A Novel of East and West (though the spelling is slightly different). Naulakha was named a National Historic Landmark in 1992. The house can be rented for $275-425 a week or so. It is a little-known treasure of Vermont.
Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour. Ben & Jerry's ice cream has been around so long it's easy to forget how completely unique and refreshing their approach to the ice cream business was when they started. There was nothing like them, and still isn't, with their strange conglomerate flavors with their catchy, punny names.
They reflect well the creative, rebellious and free character of Vermont. If eating their ice cream and fro-yo is not enough craziness for you, you can go to the source and see where and how the stuff is made and learn something about the genesis of this unique product.
Outdoor Sports. In winter, Vermont is one of the top skiing destination in the U.S. There are popular ski resort areas in Stowe, Killington, Mount Snow, Warren and Stratton Mountain. For a listing of ski resorts see trails.com. But less well known is the fact that Vermont is a haven for a variety of other outdoor sports.
In summer there are many outdoor sports to choose from in Vermont. Canoeing and rafting are great summer activities in Vermont. Because the state is relatively far north, the summer days are very long. In summer the water temperature on the rivers is moderate and nice for swimming. Canoeing and rafting are popular along the Rock and West rivers in southern Vermont where there's a current, though the rocky river beds can produce rapids that must be handled with all due respect.
Kayaking is another alternative and it is popular in the still waters of the lakes and reservoirs, of which there are many in Vermont. There are a dozen state parks in the small state that have lakes that are good for kayaking or canoeing.
Hiking is likewise great in the Green Mountain State. For a listing of hiking trails, see trails.com.
Other popular outdoor sports in Vermont include fishing and fly fishing, biking, tubing and camping. Vermont is also great for scenic driving, especially in the fall when the foliage breaks into bright yellows, oranges and reds in the Green Mountains. In summer the mountain landscapes are deep green and in the winter they turn to dramatic compositions of snow, evergreens and frozen waterfalls.
Arts and Culture. This is another multi-category. Burlington has its Discover Jazz Festival going on this week (May 30-June 8), with a lineup of performers including Tony Bennett, Ron Carter and Benny Golson, Linda Oh and the Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band.
The Dorset Theater Festival has a full calendar of performances through the summer, including "Travels With Mark Twain" by Ron Crawford, "The Mousetrap" by Agatha Christie and "Red" by John Logan.
The Weston Playhouse will run performances of Checkov's "Uncle Vanya," "A Chorus Line" and "The Marvelous Wonderettes."
The Brattleboro Museum and Art Center has exhibits and activities throughout the summer, including "Opposing Forces, New Paintings" by John Gibson; "Cloaked and Revealed, Sculptural Paintings" by Marela Zacarias; and "Flora, A Celebration of Flowers in Contemporary Art."
Guided Tours. Some specialty tour operators will guide you through some of Vermont's lesser-known attractions. You can tour Vermont's most wild and remote corner, its northeast section between the Connecticut River and the Green Mountains, with Northeast Kingdom, which will guide you through selections of camps, lodges, bed-and-breakfasts and cabins and help you achieve your own perfect Vermont experience.
Backroad Discovery Tours is based in Manchester and will tailor an itinerary to suit clients in search of Vermont's "best-kept secrets," including fall foliage tours, Revolutionary War and Civil War tours and tours designed to reveal the hidden Vermont, its people, its stunning natural features and its history. There are tours for the exploration of working farms, the oldest marble quarry in the U.S, artisans' studios, a woodworking factory and explorations of country backroads and mountain vistas.
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