So, this is the place I’ve been hearing good things about for so long. I leave my motel early morning to explore the city. First, though, I’m awed by the view out of my motel window, which I didn’t know existed when I arrived in the dark of night the previous evening. A gorgeous, westward view of Lake Champlain, and the mountains beyond it, all covered in a patchwork of the autumn shades: red, orange, yellow & green. You can see blue skies over the mountains to the west, but gray skies cover Burlington, and an icy cold wind is blowing harshly across the city, not exactly welcoming me. The weather forecast calls for the clouds to burn off by afternoon and temps to rise, but I’m not so sure. As I drive towards the city from my motel on the outskirts, it seems less of a city than, say, a large town. Which is fine with me. I park near what is probably the tourist hub, the Church Street market place, about 5 or 6 city blocks that have been closed off to traffic and feature an open air pedestrian mall with lots of interesting shops. I’m intrigued by all this as I walk around, but it is colder than I’d imagined it would be. Everyone walking around looks like they’re a bit put off by the cold. Luckily, I’m dressed for it. Burlington is a college town; there are 3 pretty large universities right in the city limits. There do seem to be a lot of college kids roaming around, but luckily, I don’t feel as if I’m the only person over 25 in the area. I visit several book stores along the route, also some touristy shops. I chat with a very friendly & helpful bookseller at the Borders bookstore who’s quite interested in Kyle’s B&B. Then I explore more of the city beyond Church Street. Down to the waterfront to see the lakeside mountain views up close. Gorgeous, but here on the water that icy wind is at it’s most ferocious. I walk back up the hilly streets to explore some more, ( I love the hills, and they remind me of 2 of my favorite places….Geneseo, where I went to college, and San Francisco. Both those places were also notable for their, at times, icy winds!). I pass by the city’s lone gay bar, 135 Pearl Street, and plan on stopping by later. Even though I’m not much of a gay bar person, I figure I should go there to make some contact with the city’s gay community. Because, in the back of my mind this whole time, is the thought, “could I live here?”. It’s been sort of a dream of mine for a while to move up north to Vermont, and now that I’m here, I need to find out what it’s like for gay people who live here. I find 2 large, fantastic health food stores, one that’s right near the Church Street market place, and I’m in heaven looking at their selections. By mid-afternoon…surprise! The clouds have burned away, the sky is that crystal Vermont blue again, and the temps are now in the 60s and the wind has died down. It’s a new day. The streets now seem to be more bustling with smiling people. I return to the waterfront for the beautiful sunset over the mountains. The weather now is much more welcoming; I barely need a jacket. After a late dinner, I head over to the gay bar, 135 Pearl Street. It’s an upstairs bar, small, with a pool table room in the back. The bartender and 4 patrons all seem to know each other, and they invite me to join them. They’re quite friendly, and are glad to answer my questions about life in Burlington. None of them were born & raised in VT…seems that many locals are transplants from all over the USA and beyond. They assure me the bar does get a lot more crowded on weekends, (I believe them; I mean, Tuesday nights are not a big gay bar night in any state in the union, as far as I know). I don’t stay too long, as I need to leave early the next morning for Northampton. But as I walk down the gently sloping Church Street market place back to my car, I do have a warm feeling about this whole place.
