Gay Family Travel in Vermont - Experience Freedom & Unity, Up Close!

Vermont and it's four beautifully changing seasons, offers travel options for any taste or budget.  Consider boating, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding and/or camping. 

Explore nature and get your kids moving... literaly.  Here are a few kid-friendly, gay-friendly trip ideas when enjoying your visit to Vermont.



Experience "Freedom & Unity," which is the idea of balancing two seemingly opposite ideals: the personal freedom and independence of an individual citizen, with the common good of the larger community... and is also the Vermont State Motto!

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ACCOMMODATION:
A recommended resort for travelers with children, is the Topnotch Resort & Spa in Stowe, Vermont. 
Some Topnotch family favorites include:
Tennis - Four indoor courts, six outdoor courts, tennis ball machines, and tennis lessons and clinics for all ages
Horseback Riding - for all ages and abilities, including trail rides and carriage or wagon rides
Swimming - large indoor family pool open year-round, and outdoor family pool
Games - Game room with ping-pong, pool table and hoops.  Video game room,
board games, and a selection of lawn games, including croquet, badminton and bocce. 
Dining - Kids' menus, poolside dining, picnic lunches, 24-hour room service
The Great Outdoors - Nature is huge in Vermont, and Topnotch is an ideal hub for exploring all the Green Mountains have to offer.

Here is a link to the detailed review of our visit to Topnotch, which includes photos.    Here is a link to the Topnotch Resort webpage that features a kids video, along with family activities and teen activities.

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ACTIVITIES:

Nestled in the heart of the Green Mountains in Waterbury, Vermont, is the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream factory.  Sample the flavor of the day and learn how the two best friends (Ben & Jerry) turned a $5.00 course on ice cream making into a successful business.  Tours are hosted daily until 6pm, seven days a week, and last 30-minutes long.  The views are spectacular and they offer outdoor activities for kids during the summer months, along with a picnic area.

Gay and gay-friendly parents appreciate that Ben & Jerry's has always been supportive of equality and human rights, while the kids appreciate all the famous flavors of ice cream... its a WIN-WIN situation.
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory

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ACTIVITIES:
Burlington, Vermont seems to be the hip and chic location, possibly because it's a college town or maybe because of its location?  Either way, Burlington is nestled beautifully on the edge of Lake Champlain, and the brick lined streets are filled with unique shops and fabulous restaurants. 

Burlington is known as "an epicenter of outdoor activity and urban delight."  Burlington has a fantastic bike path, which rides along the lake (and is great to capture those kodak moments).  You can check out ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Center (www.echovermont.org), located in the heart of town.  Take the kids hiking through Sunset Ridge Trail on Mount Mansfield, or let an experienced boater teach them the basics of kayaking (www.vermontkayak.com).  After dinner, feel free to just hang out and enjoy the music, as bands play in the streets, and you watch the tree-lit town come alive at night.

Oh, and don't forget to tell the kids the story of "Champ" the Lake Champlain monster... it's a classic.

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Whether your interest lies in nature, history or entertainment, Vermont is sure to please.  Some other ideas to mention are the infamous Shelburne Museum and the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory.

Here is a link to Vermont's official website.

Oh, and don't leave the state without Vermont (to-die-for) cheddar cheese, and their very own all-natural peanut butter.

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