by Vicky Tebbetts
In March and April, Vermont wakes up. There’s a certain sweetness in the air... stirring to a new beginning, the freshness is unmistakable.
After many months of snow, early spring is special here in the Green Mountains. Give Vermont a try in March and April and you’ll find one-of-a-kind experiences, great lodging, and dining deals. The pace slows, and the prices fall, in this so-called “shoulder season” between winter and the onset of spring’s warmer temperatures. It’s a unique time, with exceptional opportunities, that deserves to be a season all its own!
Vermont’s fifth season is synonymous with maple sugaring. Produced in early spring when the snow is still deep and warm days and cold nights inspire the sap to flow from Vermont’s plentiful maple trees, maple syrup is the first agricultural harvest of the New Year. The little state of Vermont is the largest producer of pure maple syrup in the country, making more than 40% of all of the syrup produced in the U.S.
Originally discovered by indigenous Native Americans, Vermont’s maple sugaring tradition has evolved to be a high-tech, booming industry that is still very much rooted in the past. Many sugarhouses hold “Sugar on Snow” parties; warm maple syrup drizzled over chipped ice firms to a consistency that is somewhat like taffy. Accompany your treat with a fresh raised doughnut and a dill pickle to cut the sweetness.
Pick up a Vermont Ski Resort & Maple Syrup Guide, which includes detailed directions to many of Vermont’s sugarhouses, as well as highlighting lodging, dining, and ski resorts. The Guides are available at all Vermont Welcome Centers or by calling the Vermont Chamber of Commerce (802-223-3443). Maple Open House Weekend, where hundreds of Vermonters open their rural sugarhouse doors to the public, is March 24-25, although Vermont’s larger sugarhouses offer maple products, tours, and gift shops loaded with local products year-round.
If you are looking to burn some energy, how about snow golf or croquet? Perhaps conceived with a touch of cabin fever, snow golf or snow croquet are also time-honored northern New England traditions. Imagine slugging a ball on chunky rutted snow. In this game, there are no rules!
Events abound... whether community-driven or hosted by one of Vermont’s many premier winter resorts, as the season draws to a close Vermonters let it all hang out with features such as pond skimming and music festivals. Not sure you can picture it? Peruse online video libraries to whet your appetite for pond skimming celebrations in Vermont!
In April, spring green begins to dot our hills. Take a drive through our rural communities and back roads, with sweeping vistas of delicate new leaves. As the trees awaken, so do the birds, with many unusual migrating bird species stopping in Vermont as they make their way from their winter homes to summer nesting grounds.
Consider Vermont’s fifth season – our awakening from winter to spring – and experience time-honored traditions, some new traditions, and great deals. Sweet!
Spring 2012 Maple Events
Vermont Maple Open House Weekend, March 24-25, at sugarhouses around the State.
Lunenburg Maple Festival, March 24, www.topofthecommon.org
Poultney Maple Fest, March 24, www.poultneyvt.com
St. Johnsbury World Maple Festival, mid April, www.worldmaplefestival.org
Vermont Maple Festival, April 27-29, St. Albans, www.vermontmaplefestival.org