"A Guide to Vermont for Outsiders" by Leslie Bonnette

The first thing I want you to know about Vermont is it is very beautiful—the countryside, its big lake, its brooks and streams, its changing seasons. And these things are all free, to whomever wants to look up and look at and drink them in. The winter is very cold, with temperatures well below zero, and it can be very windy. But it is a wonderful time for woodstoves and cozy blankets and you loved ones nestled close.

The fall is incredibly colorful, with oranges, reds, and gold rustling in the breeze. And spring, ah spring, welcomed with open arms, blossoms and mud and full of promise. Vermonters cherish where we live—the good and the not so good. We are a friendly bunch, often waving to people we do not know, smiling that knowing smile. We Vermonters know something no one else knows.