Jaunted - Burlington

Camp Out in Burlington Airport's Old Control Tower for Prime Plane Spotting

JetSetCD — 2010-10-19T14:00:05-05:00

If big 747s or even 737s are not your cup of tea and you instead prefer to see the smaller regional jets, private jets and a few Airbus A320s scattered in there, then plane spotting at Vermont's Burlington International Airport is for you. Aside from the concentration of regional jets that visit BTV, the airport is unique in that the public can come up to the old Control Tower to enjoy the best view for free.

The trick is to go to the second level of the terminal—don't go through security—and there's a hallway with a simple sign pointing to the "observation tower." Up a few flights of cramped stairs and you're in the old control booth. Now all it's got are stools, but a wise plane spotter will bring the binoculars and professional camera lenses to capture shots of the planes taking off with the mountains in the background.

Proof That the Government is Working to End the Liquids Ban

JetSetCD — 2010-10-08T11:37:57-05:00

Earlier this year in May, we had the blessed news that Europe had put a expiration date on their liquids ban, and that was April 2013. Well, it looks like that longed-for day could come far sooner, even in 2012, if the International Civil Aviation Organization gets their way and US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano backs down. The development that's pushing this change is the arrival of better technology in the airport security and scanning areas at airports, which would allow the machines to decide whether or not a liquid is dangerous.

Surprisingly, we saw proof of this desire to end the liquids ban on actual TSA signs at the security checkpoint of Burlington Airport (BTV) this week. There it is above, snapped with our iPhones, the words "What's next? Future advances to AT X-ray technology will enable our officers to distinguish between harmless and potentially dangerous liquids."

Foreign Grocery Friday: Maple Seltzer in Vermont

JetSetCD — 2010-10-01T15:10:36-05:00

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

What comes to mind when you think Vermont? Lots of pretty trees in the fall and skiing at the rural resorts in the winter, sure, but what aboult foodie culture? We're talking about the land of maple syrup and chocolate and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, so Vermont often surprises with what can be found on supermarket shelves. One such item is Maple Seltzer by Vermont Sweetwater. You'll find seltzers in almost any flavor and maple goodies in almost any form, so why not combine the two? They did.

The Taste:
Looking at the bottle, you'll notice that it's got the typical liquid consistency of regular seltzer, so no drinking viscous maple syrup here. Turn it over and you'll see the plain ingredients of "100% pure filtered and carbonated Maple Sap...no water added." Sip it and you'll find that it tastes like plain seltzer at first, all bubbles and fizz until a slight maple hint hits your tongue as the bubble settle. It's sweet in only a very small way, and it's actually refreshing enough to enjoy on a regular basis, should you be lucky enough to live in Vermont. Plus, it's only got 52 calories for one whole bottle. We'd like to see Coca Cola try that.

Wish You Were Here: Burlington, Vermont

JetSetCD — 2010-10-01T12:34:57-05:00

This is downtown Burlington, Vermont, as seen yesterday from the roof of a public parking structure in the Church Street Marketplace area. As you can see, the fall foliage is absolutely out there already, and pretty soon, those green trees leftover will turn fiery shades as well. It's just the beginning of the fun, as the real swathes of color should happen in about one week. Currently, the weather is rain, rain, mist, rain and more mist, with a few minutes of damp calm to capture images like this.

Still, we wish you were here. It feels like everyone else is, as tour buses chock full of Europeans roll past, keeping up with strict leaf-peeping itineraries. Listening to NPR last night, there was an hour discussion on exactly what turns leaves different colors, followed by something like two hours of locals calling in to confirm whether or not the leaves on their streets had begun the fall transformation. It was riveting in the way that only lifelong Vermonters find interesting. However, it did make us crave a warm breakfast of fresh waffles drenched in real maple syrup and a cup of steaming hot apple cider, so that's our weekend goal.

Going leaf-peeping as well this weekend? What does fall make you crave?

[Photo: Jaunted]

Penguin Plunges Keep Burlington Fit

BS — 2009-01-09T10:45:46-05:00

Don't know about you all, but we've spent the past week in heavy denial that the holidays are over. It's just so depressing--not only the whole back-to-work thing, but transitioning from two weeks of festive eating and drinking into a time when we're all supposed to be dieting and getting fit. Ugh.

So while we're certainly not about to stop writing about chili half smokes and 22,000-pound cakes, we'll at least make an effort to cover some healthy places too.

So where are these healthy destinations? According to the CDC, Burlington, Vermont is the healthiest city in America. Despite its proximity to the Ben and Jerry's factory, a full 92 percent of Burlingtonians are supposedly in good health. So what are all these hippies doing to stay so healthy, and how can we get in on it?

Eat 'n Sleep in Burlington :: Trattoria Delia and Lang House

jnaw — 2007-08-23T16:00:01-05:00

Our Eat 'n Sleep feature profiles a restaurant in a random city and a hotel nearby. It's kinda like that old show "Dinner and a Movie" but you know, with restaurant and hotels. And better jokes.

We love Vermont for its cheese, its beer and its hippie ski bums. But turns out it's a great place to go for summer hikes, too. That got us thinking that mountaineers heading out on the trails will be looking for a place to fill their bellies and rest their heads after a long day spent with Mother Nature. And as you'd expect, we know just the place for both.