We managed to fit a bit of Roadside America into the day and a half we spent in Vermont. When we returned to Burlington post-hike, we went off to see the World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet. It is apparently 38 feet tall and actually comprises dozens of filing cabinets stacked on top of each other, some with their drawers open. It was constructed as a sculpture in the early 2000s and I am not sure what it is supposed to be communicating – relentless bureaucracy possibly – but I just like finding random things when we are travelling and I like that people feel compelled to create even when the outcome is something a bit bonkers.
Which segues neatly into the final tourist destination of that day: a small troop of Flying Monkeys atop the roofs of buildings in central Burlington. As long time readers of my blog(s) will know, I love the Flying Monkeys from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ – largely because they terrified me as a wee girl – so obviously I had to ensure that I saw these simian sculptures. They were very easy to spot. There were a few silhouetted against the sunny sky on top of one buildings roof and another couple clambering on the roof of another building. I did not manage to get great photos of them but the kids and I enjoyed seeing them.
The first thing we did the following morning was head out to see Burlington’s Earth Clock. This is a sundial, compass, and calendar built into the grass of a local park. The time markers have the look of neolithic standing stones and the idea is that a person standing in the centre acts as the gnomon so that the shadow can accurately tell the time. We found it was a wee bit off but it is entirely possible that was user error.
Our final stop in Burlington was the Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory. Our youngest son is a chocaholic so this was really part of our itinerary for him. The tour involved a very informative talk, during which we could feel and smell ingredients and enjoy some samples, while also watching workers in the factory make some of the handcrafted chocolates that the company sells. It was an enjoyable diversion and put us in a good mood for another day of driving.
Central Burlington, incidentally, is a pretty cool place. I liked its atmosphere a lot and there was certainly plenty to see and do in the area so I made a mental note to consider Burlington for a future mini-break.
A Pict in PA 