I would try to connect with locals in person so you can get an idea of if you would jiive with the community!

Depends where and when you're visiting.

For food and drinks: Breweries are obviously a big thing and everywhere. Many good restaurants in Burlington area, especially around Church St. The Winooski Circle is a short drive from there, which is an up and coming downtown area. Waterworks is the main restaurant there, plus it has a great atmosphere.

Live music is also fairly abundant, depending what you're into. You're in luck if jam bands. Higherground is the main venue. But shows often happen at bars like Nectars, Monkey House, or even Shelburne Museum.

Swimming in different falls and gorges or floating down rivers are great in the summer.

Montreal is a short drive away depending where you live.

Vermont has also been great about developing great small town vibes. I've enjoyed visiting the town centers of; Montpelier, Waterbury, Stowe, St. Albans (recently), Shelburne, and Vergennes.

Don’t visit in the fall if you’re thinking of a move. It’ll be like a first date - lovely and on its best behavior. Instead, visit in March or April when it’s outrageously muddy and maybe your car gets stuck somewhere. Bonus if you can visit during one of the last blizzards of the winter when people are perilously close to losing their minds because the winter will just not end.

Or, um, I mean, just visit in the fall and adventure around and see what you find. That’s often the best way.

Excellent idea, thank you :)

Honestly, hiking and farmers markets are the only Vermont-y activities I do in the fall. Even sticking to that will give you a decent sense of what people do here.

Edit:

I do have one place you have to go, though! Yates Family Orchard in Hinesburg (?) sells something called the Dreemee, which is a maple cremee (what the rest of the country knows as soft-serve) on top of a super fresh cider donut. You can upgrade to the Supremee by adding apple pie filling and caramel sauce. It's mind-blowing.

Any favorite restaurants you’d recommend?

Edit: thanks for the extra info!

Lol yes, I have had this debate in my head, I am fairly sold on Vermont, my husband is a little concerned about living in a smaller state (we’re from Texas). So I told him about muddy season and asked if he’d prefer to see it at its worst or best and he opted for “best.”

I’m even tacking on a train ride to NYC (he’s never been) to show him the cities that are driving distance to sweeten the deal.

Oh yes, this is quality information.

Yes, the Dreemee is a must do. Yates is in Monkton, just south of Hinesburg (technically Monkton Ridge)

I'm mainly from the Chittenden area, so I've got lots from there. Do you have certain foods or vibes you like for restaurants?

I like: Waterworks, Barrio Bakery, Pizza 44, Folinos (Also pizza), Honey Road, Bistro de Margot, The Meltdown (Artisan grilled cheese in Montpelier).

I realized I could keep going, but might be information overload.

Edit: Also Pho Hong. That's very popular.

Thank you, that’s very helpful :)

Feel free to reach out with other questions or more specifics! Hope you two have a good trip :)

It's going to be verrrry different from Texas. And a hell of a lot better.

It's really about the place you visit, it's not just all "Vermont" there are nooks and crannies specific to each locale. It takes years to get into a place, I know you're just looking to check it out, I think you should generally see how you vibe with the place, do some local stuff, drive to a few other things that interest you, the drives are always beautiful in and of themselves. Give some ideas of what you're into and I bet you'll get a lot of local suggestions.

Sounds like exactly what I’m looking for.

It's like a different country.

The Great Vermont Corn Maze is a very serious labyrinth (usually takes 2.5 hours) if you’re into that sort of thing.

Thanks for the suggestion, I’ve updated the original post to include or interests. :)

Lol. I laughed at gay activities. My gay friends like the same activities as I do. But I agree about visiting off season. It’s cheaper, too. There are interesting galleries and museums and tours you can take if you want to venture off the beaten path.

Currently live in Sharon and work in/around Woodstock, White River Junction, Hartford, and Lebanon, NH. For board game/comic books check out The Fourth Place in Hanover, NH or Black Moon Games in West Lebanon, NH (oth just across the river from VT).

For gay stuff, def check out Babes Bar in Bethel, VT, so cool. Other things I'd recommend include: Artistree in Pomfret, VT Distillery in Quechee, Long Trail Brewing or Harpoon.

Towns I'd consider living in now that I've been here a bit: White River Junction, Wilder, Windsor, Springfield (VT, not NH), South Royalton, Bethel. Woodstock is the quintissential New England town, but avoid in peak tourist season (foliage, wassail weekend), it's uncomfortably crowded and too overpriced to live.

I moved here from Texas last year, can confirm.

A lot of people move here assuming it’s going to be a postcard when the state does have plenty of problems. There’s a lot of poverty, drug abuse, it’s very difficult to find a doctor and the roads are often shit during winter. It is a genuinely rural state, too many stories of people moving here during the pandemic and freaking out because they smell cow shit or their neighbor target shoots. Seems like you’ll probably be fine with the second if you move someplace rural.

Real quick since we’re on the topic of guns state law allows people to hike fish and hunt on private land unless you specifically post it otherwise per state regulations. Let’s say you move here and buy some acres, somebody being on your land is not illegal. the most you can do is ask them to leave because it’s not even trespassing until you do. It’s the opposite of Texas where are you sure shoot first ask questions later.

I came here before that and made an effort to integrate, if you’re looking to do so you’ll be fine or if you never leave Burlington you won’t encounter any of this anyways. but don’t be like my new Masshole neighbors who call the cops on people doing legal things on their rural property and who death glare at you instead of waving. It’s easy to fall in love with the place when you’re a tourist. It’s more difficult when it’s six months without sun and plenty of subzero nights. If that doesn’t bother you you can probably find peace and happiness here. It is a genuinely beautiful state and the people here are kind although not super quick to you become best friends if you feel me. If you love the outdoors there’s few better places to be.

I’ve lived in Dallas for most of the last 25 years but I spent my early years in a rural area so I don’t think most of that would be a problem. I tend to not call the police eventif folks are doing something illegal on their own property unless it’s hurting someone else. I like to wave at folks when I pass them on the road.

The bit about the doctors I didn’t expect, is that because like any rural area, doctors set up shop where there are enough people so you might have to drive half an hour or so? Or is there a doctor shortage?

Lol I was worried about my DMs when I wrote that.

Don't visit in the fall, we get enough visitors in the fall. If you really want to see what Vermont is like come when it sucks. Come mid April and see if you can deal. Also it seems like most of your hobbies are indoor stuff and it doesn't really matter where you live

Docs set up shop mostly where they went to school. They're lured away to other areas by big money. There's no big money in Vermont. There are barely any docs here. Expect to wait 6 mos to a year for any appointment, maybe 3 mos if it's a important. Otherwise it's the ER or urgent care and they won't be too happy to see you. Then they'll reference you somewhere for a followup in 6 months. It's insane - I say that coming from Raleigh where you can get in same day or week to see most docs.

idk probably opiates

There is a serious shortage of healthcare practitioners in this state largely because doctors and nurses don’t get paid much here. This is something you should factor in before moving, jobs pay for shit here. If you and your partner don’t have any serious medical conditions you’ll probably be fine but this is not a good state to move to if you have serious health problems and intend to receive treatment in state.

Keep in mind that if you're near the northern part of the state (Burlington) you are a quick drive to Montreal. I love NYC, but Montreal being so close is a huge bonus.

My doctor just left the area, and thankfully, I've been a patient with this practice for 30 years, so they have me seeing other doctors or the LPN, otherwise, I've been told an eight-month wait with priority to existing patients like me. Some practices are no longer taking new patients at all because of the lack of staffing. When we moved my mom closer to me (Alzheimer's) only one practice of the ten I called would put her on the waitlist.

We're here right now doing your last comment. Might not be a blizzard, but about 2ft of snow has given us an appreciation of the work we'll be signing up for to make it back around to Fall.

I moved here about 20 years ago. Visited on a gorgeous sunny bluebird weekend. People were outside. Dogs were happy. Somehow even ice cream tasted better than normal. It was great and I often joke it was false advertising because it is most definitely not like that all the time. The two feet of wet cement snow we got yesterday is a great example.

Everywhere has its good and its bad, it's important to us to experience both before we decide to move anywhere. You have to determine whether you're willing to deal with the bad to experience the good.

I didn't notice the middle paragraph until just now, but that is interesting to know, thank you

This is all good information....We'll definitely make another trip before we decided for sure, we'll make the next one in April

I forgot all about that....I may adda a day to the trip to spend in Montreal.

Welcome, I didn’t assume it would be a problem since you seem like a nice person but not everybody is.

As a physician, let me say this. If you require any kind of specialist care, particularly psychiatry or dermatology, do not move to Vermont. It is very hard to get my patients into see certain specialties in a timely manner.

It is not just doctors. You need a massage, acupuncture, reiki, cleansing, any yoga discipline under the sun, hypnotist, tarot reading, rife machine hookup, an exorcism? choices abound....

But doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and damn near any profession that you need to satisfy your basic needs are sparse, difficult to find, overbooked, and usually far far away. Which is why most like to visit their 2nd home here, but don't want to actually live here. You have to be willing and able to do most things, if not everything, for yourself. Even if you have money, money can't buy everything. There are simply not enough tradespeople, medical professionals, housing, etc etc to go around. And locals are continually either being pushed out because of costs or aging out.