Montpelier, VT
I once heard someone say that if you’re looking for a state where “what man made” and “what God made” blend together seamlessly, then Vermont is the state for you. I tend to agree. Vermont’s mountainous landscape and small towns are largely unspoiled by the strip malls and drive-thrus that are all too common across the US. So it’s only fitting that the capital city of the Green Mountain State is basically just a quaint New England town. With a population of only 7,855 (2010 census), Montpelier is the smallest state capital in the US….that’s really small. The next smallest state capital, Pierre, South Dakota, is nearly twice the size, and no one would ever mistake Pierre for a big city. Just take a look at the Google satellite view of Montpelier…
It’s basically the size of a medium-size college campus, but something tells me Vermont wouldn’t have it any other way.
We first visited Montpelier out of curiosity a few years ago as a lunch-break on the way to Burlington. We ended up enjoying it so much that we went back a couple weeks ago, this time on the way to Stowe. At the time, we figured it would be a small, fairly forgettable city but since it was right off I-89 it seemed like a worthwhile pit-stop. The stection of I-89 leading up to Montpelier is a beautiful stretch of highway winding through the mountains, and if it weren’t for a few exit signs, you would never know that the state capital was just beyond the trees. No tall buildings, no suburbs, no sign of anything other than rolling hills and maybe some farmland.
Our low expectations were quickly exceeded as we drove down State Street past the Vermont State House and then onto Main Street where we immediately found a parking spot. On our most recent lunch-stop in Montpelier, there happened to be a Bernie Sanders rally at the State House and a Saturday farmer’s market on State Street, so it was a particularly busy day, at least by Montpelier standards.
The city is located along the Winooski River and it essentially made up of two primary streets: Main Street and State Street. Even with the newer, trendy cafes and shops, Montpelier still has the feel of an old New England town frozen in time. In fact, if you look at an illustration from the late 1800’s, the city looks mostly the same. This is genuinely a compliment to Montpelier. It isn’t trapped in the past in the sense of a declining manufacturing town in the rust belt; rather, it has seamlessly adopted a modern, artsy vibe without sacrificing the 19th century architecture and small-town atmosphere that makes it so charming.
We love Montpelier, but it isn’t someplace where you’ll be overwhelmed with specific things to see and do like London or Paris. You might even be challenged to fill up a weekend itinerary, but it’s the perfect place to spend a morning or an afternoon just walking the streets, eating outside at one of the cafes, and shopping at the farmer’s market. There is also a small but vibrant arts community, so there are a few art galleries scattered through town along with a couple museums. It just has a great atmosphere, and it’s places like Montpelier that make New England special. With the right expectations, Montpelier is well worth a visit, especially if you find yourself driving up I-89 and in need of a lunch break and a quick stroll.