Vermont: A Sense of Place

 I have been going to the same place in Vermont for over 30 years.  While the economy of the state has fluctuated over time, with some parts of the state doing poorly even through the 1990's when things were pretty good nationally, and the restaurants have routinely opened and closed, as you would expect anywhere, there are several things that have remained the same.

Vermonters are New Englanders, in that they have a live and let live attitude--not inclined to get into other people's business.  And they don't talk all that much about it.  What it allows is for the flourishing of an alternative life style culture

which thrives in the state--lots of Subarus and lots of Volvos.  Lots of leafy, locally sourced salads at diners.  The topography also stays the same, and I mean that in a good sense.  The mountains are covered with forests.  The fields are lush and well cared for.  It is no easier and probably harder to make a living as a farmer in Vermont as anywhere else in the country, but there are still plenty of people having a go at it.  That is a reassuring thing to return to year after year (or, in my case, more like year after every other year).

As an Iowan I do not travel to Vermont to get a look at farms and barns and cows.  We have plenty of all that within walking distance of my house, and quite a bit more as you travel through my home state.  So what is it that brings me back year after year?  I do love the mountains, the cheddar cheese, and the maple syrup, but what I like most is that it remains stable and appealing decade after decade.