Getting There -- Burlington is at the junction of I-89, Route 7, and Route 2. Burlington International Airport, about 3 miles east of downtown, is served by Continental Connection (tel. 800/532-3273), Delta Connection (tel. 800/221-1212), Jet Blue (tel. 800/538-2583), United (tel. 800/864-8331), and US Airways Express (tel. 800/428-4322). The Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL) Vermonter offers daily departures for Burlington from Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, New Haven, and Springfield, Massachusetts. Vermont Transit Lines (tel. 802/864-6811), with a depot at 345 Pine St., offers bus connections from Albany, Boston, Hartford, New York's JFK Airport, and other points in Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Visitor Information -- The Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, 60 Main St. (tel. 802/863-3489), maintains an information center in a stout 1929 brick building just up from the waterfront and a short walk from Church Street Market. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. On weekends, helpful maps and brochures are left in the entryway for visitors. A summer-only information booth is also staffed at the Church Street Marketplace at the corner of Church and Bank streets (no phone). The free local weekly Seven Days carries topical and lifestyle articles, along with a very good list of events. Special Events -- First Night Burlington (tel. 802/863-6005) turns downtown into a stage on New Year's Eve. Hundreds of performers -- from rockers to vaudevillians -- play at nearly three dozen venues (mostly indoors) for 10 hours beginning at 2pm. The evening finishes with a bang at the midnight fireworks. Admission is $13 for adults (or $10 if you purchase before Dec 1), $5 for children, and covers all performances. The Vermont Mozart Festival (tel. 802/862-7352) takes place in locales in and around Burlington (and farther afield) from mid-July to August. (The festival also offers a winter series.) Tickets range from $14 to $30. Call for a schedule and information, or check the website. |
