DESTINATIONS VERMONT THE US LEFT:


Blackburnian warbler


RIGHT: Lake


Champlain


FIND OUT MORE


jaypeak


resort.com madriver valley.com


newengland birdtours.com


ranchcampvt.com vermont


vacation.co.uk


vermontcanoe andkayak.com ziprider.com/ rides/stowe


 JAY PEAK: TRILLS AND SPILLS “I think of the warblers as hidden jewels in the vegetation,” says New England Bird Tours’ Dr David Hof. As a tiny, jewel-coloured bird darts out of the bushes, he adds in hushed, excited tones: “There it is. That’s my bird.” I’ll be the first to admit that an


afternoon spent twitching isn’t normally the kind of thing to get my heart racing, yet here I am straining to hear the trills and peeps of the little bird’s song, eyes keenly peeled to see it dance in and out of the foliage. David’s enthusiasm is so infectious, I find myself holding my breath in anticipation. Weighing in at just 10g, the warblers


are a far cry from North America’s most famous bird, the golden eagle – found in abundance around Vermont’s Lake Champlain – but they are spectacular in their own small way. “The black-throated blue warbler is


my favourite,” adds David. “They have a lot of personality. I like how they move and forage. I love the way they build their nests, lined with moose hair to make them soft. And I love their habitat: dense green, peaceful forests.” As we wind our way back along the


Catamount Trail – an easy walk for anyone – ducking under and climbing over branches along the way, one has to concede that it’s been a glorious afternoon. Of course, there are plenty of more strenuous hiking trails in the area, and


54travelweekly.co.uk11 April 2019


Where to stay


I strain to hear the trills and peeps of the little bird’s song, eyes keenly peeled to see it dance in and out of the foliage


once the winter snow melts, there’s a network of well-mapped walks connected by cable cars all over Jay Peak. From the top, you can look across into Canada. For wet-weather days, there’s a vast


water park, so direct thrill-seekers to La Chute, where riders drop vertically from a height of 20m, before being spun and spilt out into the foaming water below. There are three other slides, as well as a wave machine and a lazy river to ride around in giant inflatables. Our final days in Vermont are spent in Burlington, riding round the traffic- free streets to explore its breweries and bakeries and swim in its lake. At Zero Gravity, a craft-beer house on the outskirts of town, we sample a Bernie Weisse – “a slightly sour and forward- thinking beer”, according to our guide. And then, as we’re going through security at the airport, we spot the man himself. Bernie Sanders smiles and waves. Yet another Vermonter who didn’t vote Trump.


Sun & Ski Inn is a family-run hotel in Stowe with bowling and miniature golf on site. A night in a Superior Room, right on the riverside, starts at $135. sunandskiinn.com


Hotel Jay at Jay Peak is at the other end of the scale, in terms of size, with its own cinema, ice-skating rink, water park and 16 restaurants. jaypeakresort.com


In downtown Burlington (pictured), Hotel Vermont is a stylish property offering bikes that can be borrowed and live music in the lobby. A bed-and-breakfast package starts at $339 for a night for two in July. hotelvt.com


PICTURE: DENNIS CURRAN


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