Everyone thinks I'm crazy for wanting to visit Vermont in the wintertime.  It's true that I have friends and family that I want to see regardless of the time of the year.  The truth is I miss the seasons now that I have lived in Florida for eight years.  I especially love the decorations on Church Street in Burlington in the winter especially around Christmas time.                           

 It was not especially cold this year when I was there in mid December but it was cold enough coming from 90°F in Tampa, Florida  to 30°F in Vermont.  I just wanted to share a few the photos I took this year.  Church street is busy regardless of the time of year and quite frankly I was a little too chilly to use a tripod.

I just love the Christmas tree on Church Street in Burlington!

This is another shot of Church Street heading away from the Christmas tree:

The landscape in Vermont is not it's prettiest after the foliage is gone and the snow hasn't fallen yet.

The pub where we had dinner was very empty.  If the students were still in town, it would have been standing room only.

Here is a family portrait and a photo of my mother's gorgeous Christmas tree:

I will leave you with a photo of a covered bridge in Underhill, Vermont:

Thank you for visiting.  I hope you all enjoyed the holidays!  I wish you all a healthy, happy and successful 2016!

~Michelle

This post is just a look back at my travels during 2015.  I chose my top five trips and a few of my personal favorite photos.  I do believe that Oahu and Vermont made the list only partially because I have friends there and that tends to make vacations more fun!  I will say that Bora Bora / French Polynesia were at the top of my bucket list and I finally made it in February and March 2015.

Lake Garda,  Italy

Ko Olina Oahu Hawaii

Curacao

Burlington, Vermont

Bora Bora - French Polynesia

 Sorry this is a photo only post.  If you've been following along you've probably seen these photos already.  Thank you for the visit.  Happy new year to all and I hope 2016 is your best year yet! 

~Michelle

(above photo is of my high school friend Tina and I)

Everyone in Vermont really looks forward to summer and tries to make the most of it.  The winters are long and at times Brutal.  I spent five days there this February and it NEVER made it above 0 degrees Fahrenheit.  Here are a few photos taken from the top floor of the Echo Lake Acquarium.  Echo was founded by Vermont senator Patrick Leahy in 2003.  It is a very popular place for school field trips, weddings and various conferences.

The top photo is of the Burlington Bike Path.

This path run through downtown Burlington and along Lake Champlain.  Many events such as the Penguin Plunge  are held throughout the year.  The Penguin plunge is sponsored by The Vermont Special Olympics.  Here are a few candid shots of the event where participants run into 32 degree Fahrenheit water to raise money for the Special Olympics.  One participant dressed just like Borat !

 
The above photo was taken with my cell phone at Breakwater Cafe and Grill.  On a nice day it's a great place to relax as the food and drink are really good.  There is often live entertainment and a view of the Burlington Marina.

Here are a few photos of the marina from the Breakwater Cafe and Grill:




Here is a photo of downtown Burlington from Echo.  It's just a short walk to the Church Street Market Place.
Below is a photo of the Spirit of Eathan Allen.  They have great dinner and sunset cruises.  Weddings are also held on this cruise ship.

What marinas have you visited?  Do you have a favorite?  Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you have a fabulous week! 

~Michelle

 I took this photo at Smuggler's Notch ski resort about five years ago.  I know many of you are still enjoying summer and the last thing you want to see is snow at this point.  This post will compare photos at the same area in Vermont during the summer and the winter.  All photos on this blog were taken by you's truly.

Or maybe I should say the "white mountains" since depending on the season their color changes.  I lived in the "Green Mountain State", also known as Vermont until I graduated from college.  I've lived in four states and have now lived in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the past seven years.  Both Vermont and Florida have their own albeit very different natural beauty.  Vermont has four seasons and the gorgeous mountainous landscape while Florida has palm trees, flowers all year and the beaches.
People used to ask me which state I lived in until Ben and Jerry's became famous - seriously!  This photo was taken on Church Street in Burlington Vermont.  This store is not far from their original "shop" that they started in a garage about thirty years ago.
Here are a few more photos taken on Church Street in Burlington at various times of the year.  There are many designer boutiques and fine places to eat on Church Street.  The "Church Street Christmas Tree", however, is well known and people visit Church Street just to see this tree.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the beautiful decorations when I visited in February.  It was below zero when I took these photos.  I was sitting inside the the Church Street Tavern trying to stay warm.  I would run out for sixty seconds or less over and over again trying to capture the scene.

Here are a couple of photos of my Alma Mater the University of Vermont.
The University of Vermont is known for it's beautiful campus as well as it's academic standing.



The following is a lovely colonial style home that is very representative of the architecture you will see around the state of Vermont.  I was able to capture it in the sunlight and during some very cloudy weather before a storm.  I personally love taking photos with dramatic looking clouds.  I get many chances to take photos of some pretty sensational cloudscapes in Florida.
The photo above and below were taken at the "Mark Reeves Memorial Park" in Jericho.  The park was created in memory of a young boy who passed away.

Vermont is known for it's covered bridges.  This particular bridge can be seen in Underhill, Vermont at the Mills Riverside Park.
I do wish more of the bridge was visible the summer photos, but I suppose the green and red look good together.
The above is a view from inside the covered bridge - in the summer time of course!

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Do you prefer the wintry photos of Vermont or the ones taken in the summer?  I personally prefer most of the ones taken in the winter as I never get to see snow where I live.  Most of my friends in Vermont prefer the summer scenes which I understand completely!  Have a great week everyone!

~Michelle

Can you guess where I'm going this week?  I will be packing for some cooler temperatures than where I live in Southwest Florida.  I will be visiting family and friends and taking photos of course!  I've posted five photos as hints which I doubt will leave many of you guessing!

Here is my alma mater where I had way too much fun!
This mural is seen in the downtown area of the state's biggest city which isn't that big! 
I think this photo will be a definite giveaway!
I'm looking forward to some cooler weather!
Thanks so much for visiting.  I'd love to here your guesses below!  If you guessed have you visited this state in New England?

~Michelle