Dan’s Chocolate Adventure

It’s easy to create great chocolates when you live and work in Burlington, Vermont. I grew up in Vermont, and moved to Burlington a few years ago. There were several reasons for the move, but a large one was the natural beauty of the place and the small, walkable city.

I think Burlington is one of the most beautiful cities in the U.S. Here’s why.

1. It is very rare in the United States, the way the geography works, to see a sunset going down over a mountain range behind a relatively large body of water. There are just very few places it exists. Seattle is one, but they built a big highway right in the path of the view, so it’s hard to see. Take a look:

2. Burlington sits on a hill above Lake Champlain, so you really can see the lake and the mountains from many points in the city:

3. In the 1980’s, when privatization was all the rage, Burlington was heading the other way, securing its waterfront for the public. The boathouse and the vast majority of the waterfront are a public park, which makes the city an incredibly fun place to be. There are even public sailboats that you can take out. So, if you expect to see private condos and fenced estates on the waterfront here, forget it. Our politicians and community leaders locked it up long ago. Here is our public boathouse, where anyone can grab a bit to eat and sit out on the Lake Champlain. Or have some chocolates for that matter: