Burlington Sports & Outdoors

There is a 13-mile bike ride called the "Holy Grail of Rail Trails". Starting fromthe Burlington bike path, you can continue along the gravel Colchester Causeway Trail, ending 3 miles out in Lake Champlain. A unique ferry shuttles walkers and cyclists across the Winooski River for a dollar each way. It's also a great walking path with great views of the lake and you can always stop at White Caps Cafe and Grill located at the end of College Street and enjoy food and drink on their deck overlooking the lake. There are four parks on the route; Oakledge Park on one end, then you'll pass Boathouse & Waterfront Park, Ethan Allen Park, and before the end of the route there is Starr Farm Park.

Equipment: You can rent from Local Motion - see listed website address.

Burlington is one of those really livable smaller cities, with a great range of leisure resources nearby. We made use of a wonderful bike/running path that hugs the eastern side of Lake Champlain for many miles, and which had plenty of running traffic even on a chilly late-March morning during which we saw a few flakes of snow. The path extends several miles north of the city, crossing a number of bridges, and it's a really scenic way to both exercise and explore the surrounding area.

Equipment: Although it's called a bike path, calling it a multi-use path would really be more appropriate. Bring your own running sneakers, walking shoes, roller blades or bike and don't forget to wear comfortable clothes!

During the winter what were waterways become highways (legal definition with 50mph speed limits) all you have to do is wait until the ice is thick enough and then plow the snow off the ice. This makes a twisty racetrack with all the coefficient of friction of; yes you guessed it ice!

This is extreme driver's ed. Recommended for everyone that wants to know how to drive in the winter.

See my travelogue for more information and pictures.

Equipment: Pretty much anything goes. Classifications vary depending on 2 or 4 wheel drive and on whether or not you have tires with or without studs (spikes).

Wht is a hill climb?

Simply put; a hill climb is a timed event where you race from the bottom to the top of a hill/mountain. These are solo events meaning only one vehicle at a time with your best time determining your standings. The vehicles can be cars, gokarts, motorcycles ... Why is this an extreme sport; well you will just have to read my travelogue to find out!

Equipment: Something that goes fast up a hill.

The Vermont Expos are a Class A short season affiliate of the Vermont Expos. They play their games at Centennial Field on the UVM campus. This is about as affordable as baseball gets - and you can even buy your tickets online. Forget about the $50 seats and your $10 hot dogs that you'll find at the MLB ballparks. The Vermont Expos bring the fun back to the game. The baseball is great, and in between innings you'll be entertained by silly contests (like grocery cart races) and their mascot, Champ.

Equipment: Bring your love for baseball and a little bit of spending money so you can hit the souvenir and ice cream stands.