Things to Do in Montpelier in March

This is the only time of year this happens. Drive the backroads of Washington County and follow the plumes of wood smoke to family-run sugar shacks. The air inside is thick with steam and the caramelized scent of reducing sap. You'll taste syrup straight from the evaporator pan, still warm, and understand why Vermonters are so particular about the grade. The weather is good for it - cold nights to keep the sap running, mild days for touring.

March offers the last reliable snowpack for Nordic skiing, often with brilliant sunshine instead of February's deep freeze. The trails at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, about an hour north, are meticulously groomed. The sound up there is just the crunch of your skis and the wind in the pines. By late afternoon, the sun softens the snow to a perfect, quiet glide. It's a world away from the slushy streets of town.

With the legislative session in full swing, the Vermont State House feels alive, not like a museum. You can sit in the public gallery and watch the debate, then wander the marble halls smelling of old books and floor polish. Afterwards, a guided walking tour of downtown Montpelier connects the dots - from the granite quarries in Barre that built it, to the flood of 1927 that nearly washed it away. The cool, crisp air is good for walking, and the lack of summer crowds means your guide isn't shouting.

When the mud keeps you off the backroads, the artisans come to you. March is when local cheesemakers, brewers, and distillers host tastings in warm, fragrant spaces. At a place like the Vermont Cheese Council's cellars, you'll taste aged cheddars with crystalline textures and funky, washed-rind varieties that smell of barnyard and earth. Pair it with a flight of hyper-local craft beer or spirits. It's a sensory look at into what makes this place tick, without needing your boots.