Five Kid Friendly Attractions in Vermont

Visitors to Vermont are often struck by our lack of billboards and glitzy historical attractions - heck, we don't even have streetlights in many places. This may give the casual visitor the idea that there's nothing to do here with the family unless it's ski season, or you like looking at cows. Nothing could be further from the truth. Vermont is chock-full of family fun. Here are five great family-friendly attractions to get you started.

1 - ECHO Lake Museum and Science Center
1 College Street, Burlington
(802) 864-1848
http://www.echovermont.com/

Right on the shore or Lake Champlain, severl blocks from Downtown Burlington leis the ECHO Center. This place is an amazing way to spend three or four hours, regardless of the weather, and is my very first recommendation to parents during inclement weather, as most everything is inside. ECHO is really very impressive for a freshwater aquarium. It's not a rival to the big city coastal aquariums, in terms of size and variety, but is every bit as clean, exciting, and professional. There's a lot of interactive and hands-on displays, crawl-through under several tanks, which kids adore, and regular shows and feedings, even on weekdays. In addition to fish, ECHO has an impressive collection of reptiles and amphibians, and kids may even get to touch a snake! Be sure to check out the GIANT lake sturgeon tank on the first floor - these fish are not to be believed!

2 - Cold Hollow Cider Mill
3600 Waterbury-Stowe Road (Route 100), Waterbury Center
1-800-3-APPLES
http://www.coldhollow.com/

About midway between Stowe and Waterbury proper (Waterbury Center is technically a different town), the Cold Hollow Cider Mill is largely a gift shop and tourist trap, but what a tourist trap it is! The front of the space is dedicated to a small seating area and food area. Here, in addition to cider prepared hot, cold, spiced, or take-away, you can wrap your lips around the "famous" cider donuts. These donuts are not to be missed, and are at their very best when eaten as fresh as possible. In the back, you can view the cider press in action from the safety of a glassed-off area. This action is accompanied by a looping video showing the entire process from picking to bottling, and there's a giant tank from which you can pour your own free samples of ice-cold fresh cider, fresh from the press. During summer, make sure to check out the back of the retail area, where there's a domestic bee hive with a glass wall, allowing full view of the bees in action. It's definitely a unique experience.

3 - Ben and Jerry's
Route 100, Waterbury
1-866-BJ-TOURS (tour hotline)
http://www.benjerry.com/

You can't possibly pass through the area without making a stop at the Ben and Jerry's factory. Tours are dirt cheap - two bucks for kids and three for adults - and include a complete overview of the ice-cream making process, a short movie, and best of all - free ice cream. There are always extra goodies for folks who can answer trivia questions, and sometimes they even give out samples of as-yet unreleased flavors. Like any good tour, they dump you out at the end into an enormous gift shop, which includes the best-stocked scoop shop you'll every see. They have every flavor imaginable, and will even hand-pack pints for you to take home.

4 - Ride the Ferry - Lake Champlain Transportation Co.
King Street Dock, Burlington
(802) 864-9804
http://www.ferries.com/

No kidding, this is a lot of fun - it's exciting for kids and adults alike, and provides parents with a chance to rest their tired feet for an hour or two. The Lake Champlain Transportation Company operates several ferries across the expansive lake between Vermont and New York. If you're headed that way anyway, why not take the car across with you and make it a part of your travels? Even if you don't want to head into New York, on a clear day, the ferry provides a beautiful ride across the lake with some pretty amazing views. Bring a lunch and eat it on deck, spend a few hours exploring the opposite shore, and come on back into Burlington for dinner. This is an easy and inexpensive day trip.

5 - Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium
1302 Main Street, Saint Johnsbury
(802) 748-2372
http://www.fairbanksmuseum.org/

A little further from the common Vermont destinations of Burlington and Stowe; the Fairbanks Museum is a great option if you're in the area. Housed in a huge, well-maintained Victorian, the museum is something to behold, even from the outside. Inside, they hold what is likely the largest and most eclectic collection of natural history artifacts in New England. From stuffed animal displays to historical weapons, there's a little bit of everything at this museum. The museum is also home to the Vermont Public Radio meteorological department, so there are a number of well-maintained and modern weather-related displays and interactive setups. The Fairbanks Museum is probably not big enough to take up the whole day, but it's a great way to spend a few hours, and maybe get out of the weather.

While leaf-peeping and hiking works for some people, parents and kids alike appreciate some variety in a vacation. These destinations are sure to please the whole family.