Burlington, Vermont

In case none of you knew, I actually lived in Burlington for several years. I got my undergrad degree at Champlain College between 2016-2020. Yeah, even had to finish my senior year during COVID-19.

Burlington is Vermont's largest city and one of the largest college towns in the Northeast. It's situated on Lake Champlain directly across from Plattsburgh, New York. It's a quaint place, full of fantastic eateries and beautiful views all around.

Ralphie on Church Street

One of Burlington's largest attractions is Church Street, a walking street full of shops and restaurants. Some of my favorite places to eat when I was in college were Kountry Kart Deli, American Flatbread, and Henry's Diner. Sweetwater's has some killer buffalo chicken nachos.

Ralphie is my best friend. When we're together, he goes where I go. That wasn't challenging here in Burlington.

I met with some friends once Ralphie and I got into Burlington for breakfast at Skinny Pancake. Ralphie isn't a service dog, but he is well behaved. The great thing about Skinny Pancake is their patio is dog friendly! It overlooks the Waterfront. I got a Sugarshack; how could I not while being in Vermont? Ralphie really enjoyed the extra whip cream on my plate.

Actually, there's a restaurant where I'm from called The Sugar Shack in Thornton, New Hampshire. They have great pancakes and make maple syrup in house.

We all went to the Waterfront following breakfast. There's a dog park near the water, and Ralphie got to play with some other dogs. He actually made friends with an Aussie named Giuseppe. They rolled around in the grass and chased some tennis balls.

For dinner, we went to Sweetwater's. They have outside seating, and on a Tuesday there wasn't a wait for an outside table. It was a beautiful night. The Sweetwater's staff brought extra water for Ralphie, and he really enjoyed the attention he got from passerbyers.

Church Street is the dog hub of Burlington, which can be both good and bad depending on the dog. Ralphie loves every human and creature he comes into contact with. It's why I don't typically stop when his tail wags and he starts pulling towards another dog. Most people are really welcoming of the interaction, but there are some aggressive or skittish dogs that get defensive. I wouldn't risk Ralphie's safety for a little butt sniff.