Montpelier is one of those cities with interesting bits of trivia. The Vermont state capital is the smallest in the nation and the only one without a McDonald's.But one notable fact about the city tends to get overlooked: Montpelier is home to one of the best parks in Vermont. Hubbard Park, which sits on 194 acres, has been part of the city since the land was donated in 1899.
Located on a hill that overlooks downtown and the Vermont State House, Hubbard Park includes seven miles of hiking and Nordic skiing trails, as well as picnic areas and a 54-foot observation tower offering panoramic views.
It's just the kind of park you would expect to find in a healthy little city with 8,000 residents and no fast food.
A view of the Vermont State House and Hubbard Park.
We stopped there on our way to Williston, looking for something to eat. What a lovely little town! Plenty of traffic though. My husband grew a little frustrated and didn't want to be late for work so we got back on 89 and kept going. Sans lunch.
ReplyDeleteMaybe someday I'll get back to look around and possibly visit the park.
We thought it was great that Vermont has curbed the fast food restaurants. In NH they're everywhere. Yuk.
Sharon
I would love to visit (particularly for its absence of fast-food chains)!
ReplyDeleteMom and Pop beats Stop and Shop any day. Amazing. Was there a mandate passed to disallow fast food joints in the city?
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon - It is a cool little town with lots of locally owned shops and restaurants. I hope you have the opportunity to come back and check out downtown and Hubbard Park.
ReplyDeleteHi Erin -- I bet you would really like it there. There are a lot of beautiful old buildings and the city definitely has a progressive vibe.
Hi Baydog -- It definitely does! McDonald's tried to come into one of the city's downtown buildings in 1996, and there was quite a bit of opposition.
Nice park. My grandfather was born there-in Montpelier that is-not the park.I passed through the town once-I was surprised at how clean and New Englandy looking it was for a state capital.
ReplyDeleteHi Larry. Montpelier really is a nice little city. It has a very small-town, funky vibe to it. I work in Montpelier, so I spend a lot of time there!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you've had the chance to pass through the city and see the community where your grandfather was born.