Did you know that Lake Champlain is 124 miles long and 12 miles at its widest point? The beauty of the lake, and natural resources make the Lake Champlain basin a natural place to travel, to visit, and to explore. A healthy lake is vital to the health of the region.
This year, support the farms and food producers of the Lake Champlain Valley and use the Lake Champlain Tasting Trail as your gift giving theme.
When you find yourself in the whirlwind of last-minute gift shopping, or your searching for those people who have everything, consider our recommendations below! (This kind of shopping is not limited to the holidays. Enjoy local food and drink along the Lake Champlain Tasting Trail all year long.)
Share your favorite libations
Vermont’s wine industry is relatively new, but many of our wineries are close to the lake. Click here to learn about the wineries on the Trail. The cold-hybrid varietals that many wineries are growing, are perfect paired with a dinner of local food.
Pick up a growler or two of wine, beer, or cider and/or visit your favorite distillery and share the love. We have three cider makers on the trail – Citizen Cider, Boyer’s Orchard, and Champlain Orchards Cidery.
Lake Champlain is only three miles from Champlain Orchards Cidery. Owner Bill Shur talks about how the lake influences his growing season in this video by Vermont Vacations.
Have fun at a festival
We have some of the best food and drink festivals in the country and many of them take place on the shores of Lake Champlain. There is a food event for everyone on your list. Take your favorite beer lover to a beer festival. Save the date for the Burlington Vermont Brewers Festival in July. Vermont Fresh Network holds their Annual Forum dinner the first Sunday in August and The Vermont Cheesemakers Festival is a week later and one of the top food and wine events in the country. Start here to go on a food and drink festival celebration along the lake.
Spend the night
Book a week or weekend at a farm, Bed and Breakfast or a hotel. Farm stays are a great chance to get a taste of farm life. There are farms all over the state that offer you a chance to experience the many aspects of farm life and see the beauty of Vermont.
“Lake Champlain is part of two states and one province, Vermont, New York, and Quebec, and two countries, United States and Canada. The majority of the population in the basin are from the United States, with a ratio of 18:1. Vermont residents make up 72% of the United States population living in the basin.“
Make dinner plans
Bring your your friends and family to their favorite restaurants or buy a gift certificate and put it in their stocking. All the eateries on the Trail are members of the Vermont Fresh Network.
Something for the kiddos, young and old
Give a yearly membership to Shelburne Farms. Shelburne Farms is a nonprofit education center for sustainability, 1,400 acres working farm, and National Historic Landmark on the shores of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont.
From walking the trails, to visiting the farm barn, to attending special events, at Shelburne Farms you can experience and learn about the importance of Vermont’s agriculture, our natural resources, and the importance of historical preservation.
As a special gift, make a reservation at the Inn for an overnight and brunch. The inn is open for the 2020 season from May 8 – October 19, 2020. 2020 Reservations will open Jan. 1, 2020.
Travel the backroads
Plan a road trip on the Lake Champlain Tasting Trail. From North to South and everyplace in between. Grab your family and friends and spend a week or a weekend visiting your favorite breweries and cideries and enjoying our restaurants , or build your own trail and plan your adventures.
Did you know that 318 species of birds live on or near Lake Champlain? And Lake Champlain is considered one of the best bass fishing lakes in the United States? To learn more about fishing on Lake Champlain, check out Vermont Fresh Network’s FishOn! Project.
Build a gift basket
Cheese and food are always a good choice for a gift. Boston Post Dairy, Shelburne Farms, and Dakin Farm have you covered. They all have gifts baskets ready to go, filled with local food and gifts for any occasion.
Last minute shopping for gifts isn’t limited to the holidays. Keep these ideas in your back pocket and you’ll always know what to get friends and family as you travel along Vermont’s Lake Champlain Tasting Trail
Source: Dig in VT Trails