Although we have a few favorite spots to visit, we often seek out places we’ve never been when planning a vacation. Burlington, Vermont has been on our list of places to visit for quite some time and a few weeks ago we finally were able to go. We booked a super cute and retro-themed Airbnb one street away from Lake Champlain which worked perfectly for our trip… it was so nice having a kitchen to cook some meals, extra space for all the baby supplies we needed to bring along, and the washer/dryer was a huge bonus!

Lately, we’ve been booking trips with little on our itinerary which has been liberating. Our lives at home are so scheduled and routine and no commitments is a welcomed change on vacation.

The lake borders Vermont, New York and Canada and, because of its size, often feels like you’re on the ocean. It’s beautiful and a perfect place to visit if you love being outside, especially on bikes or boats.

We visited the Vermont Teddy Bear factory and went on their (short) tour which was interesting for kids and adults. Did you know Vermont Teddy Bears are guaranteed for life? Even if your dog tears it apart or you accidentally catch it on fire… pretty wild and also a good reason for me to justify spending $70 on a teddy bear!

With such a beautiful waterfront, we were surprised to find few restaurants on the water! But we did find a place called Spot on the Dock which had amazing views, a relaxed atmosphere and yummy food that we ended up eating at twice (we never do this on vacation!).

The only activity we actually planned was a sunset cruise on The Spirit of Ethan Allen which was probably my favorite part of our trip. The unobstructed views of the Adirondack Mountains, especially at sunset, were breathtaking. Jackson also loved the cruise… he was all smiles as he searched for Champ (a mythical lake monster) with the wind blowing in his face.