Vermont rocks

[Sky]

Just got back from a week in the Green Mountains. I love it and didn't want to leave!

Such a great state in a lot of ways, though it is still america and some things did suck about it (like new money making it almost impossible to buy land in the state...or pay property taxes).

I mean, it is the Bernie Sanders state. So some great independent thinkers (and voters), had some great political conversations all over the place with all the main resident groups: the hippies, the entrenched 'old school' residents, the new money, and the wacky new agers. I really enjoyed being away from the assholish attitude that seems to pervade NY state so completely. We got a laugh out of the fact that I didn't bitch at a single driver until ten minutes after crossing back into NY...but Albany is out of control with shitty driving.

Another great thing was the sheer amount of cultural diversity, in addition to the groups I listed, there is a large gay and lesbian community. Coming from a redneck county in NY, it was a pleasant surprise, because I knew a lot of gay people during my band and west coast days, and they tend to be very fun people. To see couples so open was just another reason I dislike upstate NY, so urban and so redneck (I'm kinda redneck, but in the good ways, not the intolerance and whatnot).

Anyway, mainly did a hiking trip, but we had made no plans. Just went where the road took us and ended up in some incredible terrain, stayed at some beautiful inns, met some great characters. I went with my girlfriend of four months, and we really hit it off great, it could have ended the relationship if it wasn't meant to be...we were both a bit scared of that, but we were two peas in a pod, to be cliche. Good times.

Found an incredibly cozy Irish Pub at the Inn on Long Trail (like I said, mostly a hiking trip), great food and live celtic music.

Almost no tv all week, we found the only show we felt compelled to watch was the Daily Show. No internet except kiosks for email, didn't miss it a whit (sorry folks!).

I want to move to Vermont!

edit: Oh yeah: http://www.longtrail.com/mission.cfm
http://www.longtrail.com/environmental.cfm

[Strazos]

Vermont FTW.

[Azaroth]

Good job. Vermont is beautiful.

[Descended]

I lived in Springfield, VT between the ages of 4 and 18, when I moved out of state to go to college.  Having reached the ripe old age of 30, I'm strongly considering moving back to Vermont or maybe someplace near Syracuse, NY before I end up getting married and stuck where I currently am (Chattanooga, TN). 

I miss being able to go hiking without having to stay on the trail because of the brambles, vines, poison ivy, spiders, and snakes.  I miss having snow when it's cold.  I miss having a summer that doesn't last half the year.  I miss big, mature trees (I have no idea why the only large trees you see down here are on people's lawns).

[Sky]

I live near Syracuse and would recommend against moving to this area. NY is a mess of medicaid, welfare, and jails. Most states have some sort of mess, but this particular cocktail makes me ill. There are some nice trees, though...

[Johny Cee]

Bah!

I feel for you,  Sky.  Near Syracuse would seem to me to be a rough spot to live. 

That being said...  I love Northeastern NY.  It's a kind of odd and eclectic mix of a variety of influences including redneck, outdoorsy, Quebecois, Irish, blue blood downstater, etc.  Luckily, the crunchy granola crowd sticks to the other side of Lake Champlain.

The Adirondacks >>>> Green Mountains.  Hundreds of lakes and ponds,  rivers and streams.  Lake Placid. One to two hours from Montreal, Albany, and Burlington. Five-six hours from Boston, New York, Quebec City, Toronto, Buffalo, etc. so that you can take a short weekend trip.

Sure, winters are a pain if you aren't a big skier.  But I'm amazed every year by people's reactions when the weather gets nice.  You fit a year's worth of living in 5ish months.

[Sky]

Good point. As much as I loved Vermont, there is a large newage population. The hippies don't bother me much unless they are 'activists' (and often ill-informed), but the newagers can get annoying imo.

Point taken on the Adirondacks, that's where me and the little woman have been eyeing up for a while now. I've been hanging out in the Adirondacks my whole life, as much as possible, used to have a camp in Forestport.

I personally love the seasonality of the general area. Cozy fireplace stuff in the winter, planting in the spring, swimming and hiking through the summer, the pastoral views of autumn. And you hit it on the head: people stuff more living into summers because they have to fit it all into a few months a year...bear people or something. I despised southern california (and the SW in general), couldn't wait to get the hell out of that dry boring sunny pastel turd.

[El Gallo]

Isn't Vermont the state that the libertarian party is planning to invade and take over, or did that little fantasy of theirs fizzle out?

[Strazos]

The Adirondacks >>>> Green Mountains.

Nay. Last I checked, the Green Mountains had better skiing.

And at least for me, skiing is the only reason I am ever on a mountain.

[Johny Cee]

Good point. As much as I loved Vermont, there is a large newage population. The hippies don't bother me much unless they are 'activists' (and often ill-informed), but the newagers can get annoying imo.

I generally like the true hippie types.  I just have a real problem dealing with the new age, outdoorsy without ever seeing the outdoors, enviro-fashionable types.  Appearance without conviction.  I can respect conviction even if I don't feel the same way.

Where is Forestport?  I'm most familiar with the High Peaks region.  Winters in Plattsburgh,  summers in Wiilsboro except for college spent in the Berkshires.  Best access to Lake Champlain as well as the mountains, I think.  I'll tell ya though,  the winters can be brutal if you stick around in one of the smaller villages or towns.  Ugh.  Only made that mistake once.

Vermont does some things really well.  Experimental and very activist social policies without degrading into insanity like California.  The real problem is it's such a choice place to live,  the cost of living anywhere not remote is insane.  There's an ongoing problem with curbing the suburban sprawl that's eating at the remaining rural pieces.  I think one day Vermont might become the place where late 30s professionals move to get away from NYC, with nary a hint of the way it was.

[Johny Cee]

The Adirondacks >>>> Green Mountains.

Nay. Last I checked, the Green Mountains had better skiing.

And at least for me, skiing is the only reason I am ever on a mountain.

The Adirondacks are all protected land.  That means little or no development,  which is what prevents it from becoming the faux-rustic tourist traps like most of the other places.  Outside of Lake Placid.

The Adirondack Park is the largest state or national park in the continental US, by the way.

[Sky]

I generally like the true hippie types.  I just have a real problem dealing with the new age, outdoorsy without ever seeing the outdoors, enviro-fashionable types

When we spent a night at the Inn at Six Mts, there was a tent for one of the big off-season attractions: the New Life Hiking Wellness Center Type Thing (a wellness center in every town...but at least there was a library, too). It was kinda ironic that these folks spent their afternoons meditating in a Rent-a-Tent whilst surrounded by the majesty of the Killington/Pico peaks.

Where is Forestport?

South end of the range, closest to Utica.

I think one day Vermont might become the place where late 30s professionals move to get away from NYC, with nary a hint of the way it was.

In other words, Connecticut. I think so, too, since Mass and Connecticut (and NJ, to a lesser extent) have been that for so many generations. One thing I liked about Vermont is that many folks are actively blocking suburban sprawl and strip malls. But at the end of the day, it is still America, and relatively close to the big city.

Maybe my next vacation will be to scout out mountains in Canada ;)