Burlington Vermont is located right on coast of Lake Champlain. It is the largest city in Vermont and it is also home to the University of Vermont. It is 45 miles south of the Canadian border, located between the Adirondacks and Green Mountains. The city has a historic yet contemporary vibe with tons of recreational activities from boating to skiing to biking. If you what to shop, browse or be entertained there is tons of shopping, tours and events to choose from.

Campground(s) We Stayed

Lone Pine Campsites in Colchester, VT is a 15 minutes drive from downtown Burlington and 5 minutes from Malletts Bay, Lake Champlain. It is a privately owned campground with 265 campsites, providing a large variety of camping sites from 3-point hook ups to tent camping. They also hold weekly activities starting in May and ending in November. When we were there they had a classic car show in the main pavilion which was really cool.  You can checkout our full campground review here. 

Things to Do

Burlington Discover Jazz Festival – While we didn’t plan this we just so happened to be in Vermont for the 32^nd annual Discover Jazz Festival. It took place from June 5^th – 14th with a great educational cause – “To broaden awareness and appreciation of jazz through quality live performances of national and regional scope; present educational activities that illuminate the art form for students of all ages and backgrounds; showcase Vermont and regional jazz artists, including students; and create a vital city-wide community festival that contributes to the national jazz dialogue” Discover Jazz Mission.

Venues are located throughout the downtown area focused around Main and Church street. You have the ability to walk around and plan your own day of free Jazz listening events or if you want a more traditional show experience tickets are available for sale. We purchased two sets of tickets, one to see the Spanish Harlem Orchestra on the Flynn Mainstage and the second, Wadada Leo Smith’s Golden Quartet at Fynn Space. Both performances, while very different, were excellent. The Spanish Harlem Orchestra was upbeat and fun with people dancing at their seat while the Golden Quartet was deep and touching. We really enjoyed both shows as it opened our eyes to the great range of Jazz music. Next years festival is from June 3-12, 2016. We definitely suggest you plan a trip.

Church Street Marketplace – The Jazz festival definitely made our Church Street Marketplace visit a little more interesting than the average day, this outdoor pedestrian mall was filled will all kinds of shops, restaurants and outdoor entertainment. A few shops we enjoyed was… Kiss the Cook, a locally owned gourmet Kitchen store. We purchased a really nice salt and pepper grinder (gotta season our food in style). Keep Vermont Weird Clothing store, where Erik purchased a hat, and Bluebird Coffee shop a really neat coffee place that was an old ticket booth converted into a coffee and pastry shop. So Fun!

Burlington Bike Path – Per trip advisor this is the number one thing to do in Vermont and they are right! The Burlington Bike Path is a Rehabilitation Project that started back in 2013. It is now an 8-mile multi-use path in downtown Burlington that runs along the Lake Champlain waterfront. It has amazing scenic view of the lake with a paved path providing associability for both road and mountain bikes. It also has room on each side for a walking path. Don’t have a bike? No problem, there are several places to rent bike on Main Street. We went to North Start Sports, they were extremely friendly and knowledgeable with a wide range of rental bikes to choose from and only a few minute ride to the start of the path.

Lake Champlain, Malletts Bay – If you like the water than Lake Champlain is a must visit destination. It is 120 miles long and 435 square miles with tons of summer and a few winter water activities. You can rent all kinds of boats, kayaks or canoes. We were very lucky to have friends in the area with a boat – Oh yeah! We spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon in June hanging out on the lake. While it was a bit too cold for a swim it was definitely hot! Don’t forget the sunscreen!

Don’t have a friend with a boat? While we didn’t personally use any of the below here are a few lake activities you can check out:

• Northern Lights – Lake Champlain Cruises
• Let’s Go Sailing – Sunset Cruises and day sails
• Apple Island Marina – Pontoon boat, kayaks (doubles & singles), canoes & rowboats, and Pedal Boat Rentals

Places We Ate

The Farmhouse Tap & Grill … has a great atmosphere with several beers on tap and simple but yummy menu. We came for dinner and enjoyed a few of their craft beers on tap their house charcuterie board for an appetizer. Followed by their cast iron seared Faroe Island salmon and LaPlatte River angus farm beef burger for mains. The meals were great and the grilled red hen bread with the charcuterie was delish!

Citizen Cider … I am definitely a bit of a cider lover, so when one of our friends recommend going to the tasting room at Citizen Cider we had to give it a try. We got a flight just so we could taste a bunch of the ciders and one of their signature cocktails called the ‘Dirty Mayor.’ I also strongly recommend getting their citizen burger – dressed. Their motto of “Cider Loves Food” couldn’t be more on key because the cider and burger combo was amazing!!!

The Scuffer … The location was great but the food was just OK. We sat outside to watch one of the bands play for the Jazz Festival. We got the Salmon and the Surf and Turf both were just ok. We would definitely come back here for a few drinks and the outdoor seating but probably pass on a meal.

Overall Opinion

We didn’t get to experience everything Burlington has to offer such as the Burlington Brew tours, wineries, Ben and Jerry Ice Cream factory or the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory to name a few. Overall it was a great town filled with a little something everyone would like.

Would we Recommend?

Yes, we recommend visiting Burlington, VT especially in the summer. We also loved our stay stay at Lone Pine Campgrounds. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have, simply comment below!

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Much of the secret to New Paltz’s charm (in our opinion) is the young people that seem to be around every corner. With Suny New Paltz located just up the road, there are college students frequently most spots keeping the town young and hip supporting local businesses you just don’t see anymore. Interested in some vinyl records for your collection? New Paltz has you covered with two, yes two! vinyl shops within walking distance.

If you’re a foodie, then this town has you covered. We couldn’t believe how many restaurants (and good restaurants!) there were in this little town. There is Main Street Bistro, which we found had great Sunday brunch. Bacchus, a fun bar with over 400 beers an an attached pool hall, and a cute outdoor seating area. Mexican kitchen, a small spot we found with excellent, authentic Mexican food. Finish things off with a milkshake from Huguenot Creamery, these are amazing. The ice cream they get is so creamy and the service is excellent.  The list goes on, too many to list and we only sampled a small portion of the spots.

If you’re a motorcycle rider then you need to check out this area. The drive from New Paltz up to the Mohunk Mountain House is stunning. You can also take a day trip up to Phoenicia, NY another great town even further off the beaten path. This area is great for getting down into the turns and testing your skills or just for cruising and enjoying the scenery. 

We’ve put together a brief video of some of the additional attractions we found during our stay in Hudson Valley. We hope you enjoy! Don’t forget to Like us on Facebook and Subscribe to our Youtube channel!

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Area Summary

The New Jersey shoreline is a great place to enjoy outside summer fun! The cost line is 130 miles long starting at Sandy Hook and ending in Cape May. The shore is know to have something for everyone to enjoy from surfing, tanning, boating, gambling, historic sites, eating, shopping or for just walking along the boardwalk and enjoying a beautiful sunset.

Campground(s) we stayed

During our month long visit we stayed at two campgrounds:

Lake and Shore RV Resort in Ocean View, NJ. This campground is a short 5-minute drive from the Jersey Shore with a large selection of sites and tons of amenities. This campground is family fun focus with a large water park, mini golf, volley ball, fishing, ice cream stand, base ball diamond, and a large in ground pool just to name a few. Unfortunately, we stayed before the season started (and the pools opened) but it was still a beautiful and fun place to relax by the campfire and enjoy the sun while sitting by the lake. This is an Encore & Thousand Trails Park.

Sea Pines RV Resort in Swainton, NJ or also know as Cape May Court House. Is located about 5 minutes down the street from Lake and Shore, about 2 minutes from the Garden State Parkway and a 10-minute drive from Cape May. It has a pool next to a large pavilion and stone fire pit. The campground name is very fitting as this campground is certainly a ‘sea’ of pine trees. While finding a spot for our big rig was a bit of a challenge, especially the week before a Memorial Day weekend, we were able to get into a site and had a great time while staying at this RV Resort. This park is also an Encore & Thousand Trails property.

If your looking to do some extended stay camping for very little cost check out a Thousand Trails membership. You can travel between both Lake & Shore and Sea Pines which are located only a few miles from each other. For Thousand Trail Elite members this means you can travel between these two parks for the entire season for only the cost of your annual membership dues.

Things to do

Ocean City Boardwalk – is a great place if you are looking for a family fun experience. Since this is a dry town in NJ this particular boardwalk is geared more toward kids. It is filled with great shops for souvenirs and tons of places to grab a bite to eat; our personal favorite was the world largest pizza. Rides, mini golf along with a beautiful beach and boardwalk for walking, biking or running.

Wildwood Boardwalk – has roller coasters, waterparks and bars! This boardwalk is 38 blocks long with a carnival-like atmosphere. You can rent a bike or ride on the Sightseer Tram Car that takes you from one end of the boardwalk to the other. Or you can always relax on the free admission beaches. We recommend you go during the day or with a group as this place can get a bit rowdy!

Atlantic City – has something for everyone. Festivals, comedy shows, gambling, concerts, relaxing at the bar by the beach to name a few. For a full list of events at Atlantic City check out the link above.

Sea Isles City – Is the closest beach we found to Lake and Shore Campground. It’s a cute ‘beach’ city. With some fun clothes shops, a few pizza joints, a hoggie and grill cheese shop along with many others. Or if you are in the mood for some seafood check out ‘Fish Alley’ a great place to grab dinner and watch the sun set.

Cape May – Is the last town on the New Jersey coastline and where we spend most of our time. Check out our full video review.

Cape May County Zoo – Who knew there was a free Zoo in Cape May, NJ. We were pleasantly surprised that
when we decided to stop at the Cape May Zoo that admission was free. All cash contributions to the Zoo are on a donation basis. I know what you’re thinking a free zoo it must be awful inside, but no… it was amazing! The animal medley was very large from exotic birds to lions to giraffes to all kinds of reptiles. There were even free roaming peacocks. The zoo was clean and the animals looked happy and well kept. With rest areas located around the zoo for snacks and refreshments along with a large play area and animal marry-go-round located next to the front entrance. The Zoo is a great place to visit for the day with kids or your signification other.

Places we ate

Stuffed Burger and Deli (Seaville, NJ) … we stopped here for a late lunch one day and were not disappointed. The burgers are literally stuffed with different ingredients. We ordered the Mushroom, Bacon & Swiss and the Prosciutto, RST Pepper & Mozz stuffed burgers both were very good.

O’Donnell’s Pour House (Sea Isle City, NJ) … after a long week we wanted a cold beer and a tasty dinner, O’Donnell’s delivered! They have a neat menu where you can build your own meal. You have the option to pick a meat or fish, choose what it is cooked with, and than choose a side. We both choose this option getting the Mahi Mahi with mango salsa & mashed potatoes and the NY sirloin strip steak with roasted garlic demi-glaze & rice pilaf. Yum!

Beach Creek Oyster Bar and Grille … this place is amazing and I would recommend coming here for a “fancier” dinner date night. The out door bar and seating overlooks the ocean and the food was unique and delicious. We didn’t plan to come here but as we were driving to the Wildwood boardwalk we just happen to see a lot of people parked out front. So we took a chance and went in for dinner. We both had their fish dinner specials for the night and they were pile high and packed with flavor.

George’s Place (Cape May) … A friend recommendation we eat here and it is also featured on the show Diner, Drive in’s and Dives. We came with my sister and a few friends and the food was great. (Thanks Gina!) This family owned Greek restaurant has a diner style atmosphere. We all shared the hummus platter and the Saganaki (grilled kefalograviera cheese flambéed with ouzo with grilled pita). Everyone enjoyed the appetizers and their meals but it’s a small place so reservations are definitely recommended.

Hot Dog Tommy’s (Cape May) … is located right on the corner of Jackson St. and Beach Ave. This is a great place if you are hungry after a long day of sitting on the beach. This grab & go hot dog place is very good. They offer two types of hot dogs with all of their Signature Favorites. The Bigger Bad Dog, an all-beef angus dog or the Leaner (smaller) Wiener, an all-meal pork & beef dog. We got the Shaggy Dog (sauerkraut/ shredded cheddar cheese) and the Reuben Dog (Swiss cheese/pickle/ Sauerkraut/ Russian dressing) both with the Bigger Bad Dog. They were great! They also offer a few other non-hot dog options, if hot dogs aren’t your thing. I would come back to Cape May for another one of these puppies.

Union Park Dining Room (Cape May) … is located inside the Hotel Macomber on Beach Ave. I choose Union Park Dining Room as the spot for my Birthday dinner. Like most places in Cape May it is BYOB but this particular place offered a local wine selection. We enjoyed the Duck Hash Confit and Burrata for starters. Followed by North American Lobster and their Cod Fish dinner special. A Birthday wouldn’t be complete without a dessert. The ice cream sandwich with French chocolate meringue cookies filled with nutella ice cream and salted caramel was decadent.

Overall Opinion

The Jersey Shoreline particularly Cape May County is an exciting and fun place. With amazing beaches, boardwalks, amusement parks, great restaurants, rich history and picturesque sun sets but make reservations because the late spring and summer book up fast.

Would we Recommend?

We strongly recommend visiting the Jersey Shore for some summer fun!

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