Burlington

In 1978, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield managed to use the knowledge from a $5 correspondence course on ice cream making to create a multi-million dollar company. Today travellers can enjoy a trip out to the Ben and Jerry's Factory in Waterbury and get a chance to see how the famous treats are made and sample their mouth-watering flavours.The tours start off in the Cow Over the Moon theatre with a short documentary on the company's history. From there, visitors are taken to the factory mezzanine to observe the ice cream production in progress and to be instructed on how the process works. Finally, visitors are allowed to sample the flavour of the day.During the summer, visitors can stroll through the cow pasture, the Flavor Graveyard, and can also bring a picnic along to enjoy on the picturesque grounds. A full-service Scoop Shop is available on-site so that visitors can end off the day with a few scoops of the famous ice cream. Tours of the factory are conducted daily.It is worth noting that ice cream is only produced from Monday to Friday, so on weekends, a short movie is screened instead. Further events are hosted throughout the year, such as the Free Cone Day, the Summer Movie Festival throughout the months of July and August, and the Halloween Festival.

Address : 1281 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury

Website : www.benjerry.com

Admission : $4 adult, free for children.

One of Burlington's earliest inhabitants, Ethan Allen, was a charismatic backwoodsman-turned-statesman originally from Connecticut. In capturing Fort Ticonderoga during the Revolutionary War, and as the leader of the Green Mountain Boys militia, he secured his position as a folk hero and founder of Vermont.A man of many talents, Allen was also a philosopher and Deist, publishing Reason the Only Oracle of Man. Interestingly, Ethan Allen's brother Ira was the founder of the University of Vermont in 1791.Visitors to the homestead can wander through the faithfully restored 18th-century home, see some interesting exhibits and access the beautiful grounds. The house itself is a small frame house built in the Cape Cod style, that has existed for many years in complete obscurity.More recently, much research has been done on both the house and Ethan Allen himself, and the house has been added to the list of Burlington landmarks by the Burlington Historic Sites Board. In addition to historical interest, the house's grounds provide lovely trails for hiking and picnicking.

Address : 1 Ethan Allen Homestead

Website : www.ethanallenhomestead.org

Telephone : (802) 865 4556

Opening times : Open daily 10am-4pm.

Admission : $10 adults, free for children.

Lake Champlain Chocolates began as a challenge from a restaurant owner, Jim Lampman, to his pastry chef in 1983. In response to the pastry chef's criticism of a box of fancy chocolates, Jim told him to see if he could do better. As it turns out, he could, and within weeks Jim was serving flavoured, hand-rolled truffles to guests at his restaurant.The word soon spread throughout the town, and inhabitants began to badger Jim for more of his chocolates. When he gave in, it was initially just to open a small wholesale operation, but the business continued to grow in popularity beyond Jim Lampman's expectations.Today, Lake Champlain Chocolates encompasses a handful of dedicated shops and a factory. And indeed, what could be more tempting than the thought of delicious, handmade chocolates and the chance to enjoy free samples? The line of chocolates and other products produced at the factory includes the famous truffles, caramels, hot chocolate, Five Star Bars, organic chocolates, novelties, and more. Lake Champlain Chocolates are all made on location in small batches where visitors can see how chocolates are made and enjoy the tastes and smells of the factory.

Address : 750 Pine Street

E-mail : [email protected]

Website : www.lakechamplainchocolates.com

Telephone : (800) 465 5909