Shooting in Vermont

The best way to get to Vermont from the Adirondacks is to take the ferry across Lake Champlain, which can be done at several points, all for less than $10. And in Vermont, Burlington seems to be the place to go, as it is not only the biggest city, but also one of the coolest cities I've been to. Despite being relatively very small at only a population of just over 40 thousand at the last census, it amazingly has a great downtown strip (Church St) with all kinds of cool little shops, bars, and coffee houses which not only stay busy and bustling throughout the day, but at night as well! And you are in walking distance of a beautiful boardwalk and trail that runs along Lake Champlain which is great for biking, running, or just enjoying the sun as it sets over the Adirondacks on the other side of the lake.

There are no shortage of beautiful sunsets in this area.

And even without the setting sun, Lake Champlain is a great beauty.

Interestingly, Burlington also happens to be a veritable "hipster" town.

Complete with a bike stacked on top of a... bike. Way cool!

However, if hipsters aren't your thing, fear not, it also happens to have a big contingent of gun aficionados that will have your back when the world ends (or the zombies/homeless/hipsters/Chinese attack). Seriously though, people here take their Second Amendment rights very seriously and enjoy introducing others to the joys of, and the importance of why you should to.

It's the sunglasses. Definitely the sunglasses.

I gotta say, shooting an Assault Rifle has got to rank up there with the coolest, funnest things I've ever done. Definitely something I will have to do again when I get the chance.

Where'd the bottles go? Oh yeah, that's right. I knocked them all down. Yep.

The local gunstore even has special targets to prep for a zombie apocalypse. Complete with a red gooey solution that fills the inside, along with convenient holes in the back of the head and heart areas where one might place certain explosive materials for added effect. Way cool. Gotta get one of these some day.

Free gun range. Comes with free widlife experience.

However, when in a fight, it's always best to bring the bigger gun. Go big or go home, right? Well, I found myself a cannon! What!? This isn't how you shoot it?

So what does all of this add up to? An incredible experience with some great people. Everyone I met in this town was so friendly and helpful and interesting to talk to. The nightlife was fantastic. The food was excellent, and the beer was even better! And with all the wonderful breweries around, very reasonably priced as well!

This growler of Magic Hat's famous No. 9 brew was only $9.75 and $7.25 for a refill at the brewery.

A big thanks and shoutout has to go to my friend Anthony, who I met on the sidewalk when I first got into town, and his wife Trisha for showing me around town, cooking me dinner, taking me shooting, introducing me to a slew of awesome people, and generally being awesome people to hang out with. For anyone planning to visit this town, this is the guy you need to get in contact with.