Tag: Photo Essay

Athens Diner

The morning after we arrived in the Burlington area, Shaan and I were up early, and we searched Google Maps for the walkable options - McDonald's, Burger King or the Athens Diner. Shaan was strongly in favour of the diner.

The morning after we arrived in the Burlington area, Shaan and I were up early, searching Google Maps for nearby dining options. McDonald's, Burger King, and the Athens Diner were within walking distance, and Shaan insisted on trying the diner. We had ample time before Kiran's drop-off at the Sky Meadow Retreat, so we explored the area while Kiran and Bhavna slept in.

After a 30-minute walk around the hotel, we worked up an appetite and headed to the Athens Diner across the street. The diner had received positive reviews on Four Square and Yelp, and its retro mom-and-pop style added to its charm. Although similar to Greek diners in New Jersey, the Athens Diner in Colchester stood out as a real diner car that had been relocated from New York.

Athens Diner | Sunday 17 July, 2016 | Apple iPhone 6 | iPhone 6 back camera 4.15mm f/2.2

The menu featured our favourite breakfast classics and Greek-inspired options like gyros. The friendly staff promptly took our order, serving Shaan chocolate milk and providing me with the delicious diner coffee we all love. Our breakfast of eggs, bacon, and pancakes was satisfying and flavorful.

While the Athens Diner had a more laid-back atmosphere than the bustling and vibrant diners in Princeton, New Jersey, it left a positive impression overall. If we ever visit Burlington again, the Athens Diner will definitely be on my shortlist for breakfast.

Zero Gravity Brewing

Name: Zero Gravity Brewing
Location: Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont
Recommended Beer: Conehead (IPA)

The Church Street Marketplace is near several other Vermont micro-breweries, but we had time to visit only one that night. After dinner, we drove a few blocks away to Zero Gravity Craft Brewery on Pine Street. I don't remember where I read it. Still, I wanted to visit Zero Gravity because I read an online article about how they made beer in a more traditional method that brewers used before hops became popular. Apparently, before the use of hops for preservation and flavouring and the imposition of German beer purity laws, beer was "seasoned" with various herbs. I was excited to try the Zero Gravity Summer Gruit. Zero Gravity uses organic Sweet Gale, Yarrow, Stinging Nettles, Mugwort from Hallow Herb Farm, and Labrador Tea. The gruit was slightly sweet but quite enjoyable. The experience expanded my knowledge of craft ale brewing methods.

Zero Gravity Brewing | 16 July, 2016 | Apple iPhone 6 | iPhone 6 back camera 4.15mm f/2.2

Bhavana and I also sampled Conehead, C.S.A IPA, Bernie Weisse, Cote de Champlain and Little Wolf. I loved Cone Head. Bhavana, and it's better than Heady Topper. Zero Gravity may be underrated. We had fun chatting with a couple visiting from Massachusetts who were originally from Hamilton, New Jersey. Talk about a small world. We bought a four-pack of Cone Head and a 750ml bottle of Cote de Champlain to take back with us to New Jersey.

Burlington, Vermon

We drove to Vermont to drop Kiran off for a 10-day summer wilderness retreat at the Sky Meadow Retreat in Greensboro this summer. Bhavna thought it would be an excellent way to learn relaxation and stress-reduction techniques while taking a break from technology. No bacon, no Wi-Fi, and no reading. Those three things would be a challenge for her.

Sky Meadow is located near the Canadian border on the northern end of Vermont. The iPhone mapping app indicated that driving from New Jersey would take about seven hours. Kiran had to be at the retreat by 2 PM on Saturday, and we wanted to start our journey at a different time than 7 AM. We decided it was best to drive up the day before and stay overnight in a hotel, leaving on our return trip soon after dropping her off.

Church Street Marketplace

Kiran's drop-off time was the next day in the afternoon. We spent the evening of the first day and the morning of the next day sightseeing in the Church Street Marketplace in Burlington. I had my Nikon D5100 and AF-S Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 with me on the trip, so the 52.5mm full-frame field of view was just the right lens for some safe street photography.

Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, Vermont
Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, Vermont · Saturday 16 July 2016 · Nikon D5100 · AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8G

That night, we drove into Burlington and parked near the Church Street Marketplace. On the way into Burlington, we stopped at a beer retailer in Winooski and bought some six-packs to take back in the cooler we brought. We bought Sip of Sunshine by Lawson's Finest Liquids, Heady Topper, and Switchback Ale by Switchback Brewing Company.

Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, Vermont
Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, Vermont · Saturday 16 July 2016 · Nikon D5100 · AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8G

Some time ago, a long section of Church Street was closed to vehicular traffic and converted to an outdoor shopping mall. Restaurants, bookstores, and shops lined both sides of the street. We arrived too early for our reservation time, so we walked along the centre of Church Street, observing people walking around or dining outdoors.

Church Street Marketplace
Church Street Marketplace · Saturday 16 July 2016 · Nikon D5100 · AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8G

We had dinner at Pascolo Ristorante. Bhavana and I sampled some of the Vermont ales from the menu, including Fiddlehead IPA and The Alchemist ‘Heady Topper’. I finally got to try Heady Topper! Heady was good, but I think the hype over this ale affected my enjoyment. Many of my craft ale-drinking friends had put Heady Topper on a pedestal, and I may have expected an earth-moving experience, but instead, my taste buds felt the experience was “meh”.

Pascolo Ristorante, Church Street Marketplace
Pascolo Ristorante, Church Street Marketplace · Saturday 16 July 2016 · Nikon D5100 · AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8G