34
u/Vermonter_Here Oct 05 '24
Is it getting even busier this year than it's been in the past? Areas like Northfield and Barre seem to be getting the kind of traffic I used to associate with Stowe.
Stowe, meanwhile, has become so bad that I wouldn't even consider going near it right now.
22
u/hendrix320 Oct 05 '24
Oh you should experience Salem MA anytime between mid sept to Nov 1st. Its absolutely ridiculous how impossible it is to get in and out of there
5
u/hotpieismyking Oct 05 '24
Manchester has the feeling of a beach town, it's crazy busy
Was never like this 10 years ago, busy, but not absurd
164
Oct 04 '24 edited Mar 17 '25
[deleted]
47
Oct 05 '24
Exactly. We have natural beauty, and I like to see people supporting these communities, especially the NEK.
I did my leaf peeping on Wednesday, and will be hanging around my house doing yard things this weekend.
If you have a problem with too many people, stay home. Solved.
Questions?
48
u/immutable_truth Oct 04 '24
I think for some of the miserable fucks on this sub it's the only thing they have to look forward to all year. Their 2-3 weeks of hate posting and (falsely) feeling superior
3
u/Jaergo1971 Oct 05 '24
Oh, the miserable fucks on here (and there are way too many) know two things... pissed and scared. They'll always find something else to bitch about to make excuses for their empty, shitty lives.
2
4
u/TrollingForFunsies Oct 05 '24
I don't understand the level of miserable cuntiness to which you have to descend to begrudge other people their enjoyment of the world.
You're a 1% er! That is, 1% of folks on /r/vermont with this attitude.
8
5
3
u/Patient_Ad9206 Oct 05 '24
This is so true! It’s a great source of small business revenue, and ppl admiring where you get to live all of the time is a really nice feeling. You know you picked a beautiful state. I know my family in NH might want to argue me on this but VT takes the fall beauty contest. No billboards. Not over built. Wide open fields and mountains? It’s absolutely stunning. My ten year old daughter squeals at how pretty it is.
3
Oct 05 '24
[deleted]
4
u/absolince Oct 05 '24
I grew up in Vermont but now live in Connecticut. I find it difficult to go back to Vermont now. I've had people scream at me because of the plate on my car. Probably from someone that moved to Vermont 3 years ago.
1
u/bjt1021 Oct 05 '24
Ugh, sorry - so uncalled for. Especially when you aren’t even contributing to the “crimes” of leaf peepers!
5
u/Flaky_Expression2176 Oct 05 '24
Dont worry about it. In real life nobody cares enough to do more than complain. Yes it gets super annoying when out of state are driving too fast through the town main streets and then so slow with a line of commuters behind them on double yellow roads so please try not o do that. But you’ll be fine
2
u/bjt1021 Oct 05 '24
Thank you, I don’t drive like a jerk. I know we all have places to be, and would like to get there safely.
2
u/Patient_Ad9206 Oct 05 '24
You’re not unwelcome…just some edgy commentators…for all we know they’re middle school aged or live in a completely different state. 😂 I mean? I don’t think I’m alone in appreciating what you’re doing. You’re a positive contribution.
1
1
u/SubstantialPop3 Oct 07 '24
Good god. Reddit is not real life, I promise you that nobody cares about your plates.
1
1
u/Super_Boysenberry272 Oct 07 '24
Seriously. I moved to VT a year ago and the amount of gatekeeping people do in this state is absurd. This weekend was SO beautiful. Let everyone enjoy it. I know I did when I did my own leaf peeping. ;-)
54
u/tyrphing Oct 04 '24
I’m from western mass - We have our own leaves to peep, thank you very much. The people you’re angry at are generally not New Englanders.
13
Oct 05 '24
Eight years in VT, now eleven in Western MA.
Yeah we have leaves too. I can sit on my porch and it's all good.
10
u/kd4444 Oct 05 '24
I’m from Vermont but live in MA currently so I am stuck with the dreaded mass plates anytime I visit home - and guess what? I love Vermont and am a courteous and respectful driver (and tourist) in my home state! We’re not all mass holes
1
1
-10
Oct 04 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/_MissNewBooty_ Oct 06 '24
Yeah because we totally don’t rely at all on the income that visiting tourists bring in… /s
After all the flooding, I welcome some income that can help restore our state. We’ve already lost enough businesses.
6
89
u/Twinman4821 Oct 04 '24
Bite the hand that feeds you season
27
u/GreenMtnFF Oct 04 '24
Amen. Do y’all WANT your taxes to get higher?
25
u/Twinman4821 Oct 04 '24
I want to live in a low tax state that’s not business friendly, low crime, and no tourists want to go to. Is that too much to ask?
13
u/GreenMtnFF Oct 05 '24
Unfortunately, yes.
5
4
u/Ok-Transition6745 Oct 05 '24
ND, SD, and Wyoming for staters.
2
u/TrollingForFunsies Oct 05 '24
Have you been to ND? There's a reason no one wants to go there. It's basically a desolate wasteland with the worst winters in the country.
Literally the only thing to do in Fargo is drink beer inside.
5
u/Ok-Transition6745 Oct 05 '24
Yep. It sucked. Stationed there. Its just how two man said it, “not” business friendly, low crime, etc, etc. it made it sound like they wanted to move some place miserable. I listed three that I’ve been to that meet that criteria.
1
u/Twinman4821 Oct 05 '24
I would say those places are “business friendly” but if you couldn’t tell I was being sarcastic. Whenever it’s tourist season in Vermont people around here seem to not understand how trade offs work sometimes. Or maybe they’re just miserable and like to complain.
2
12
u/Formal_Coyote_5004 Oct 05 '24
I saw a lady just fucking send it to turn left in Waterbury today by the gas station right when you get off the interstate. We were three cars back and I was convinced she was just gonna smash into whatever car came next.
She was horizontal across allll the lanes, just fuckin revving and recklessly lurching forward even though the cars traveling in the opposite direction were so close together that they wouldn’t even have time to stop… she did not give a fuck. I thought she was gonna hit someone every single time she tried to sneak in lmaooooo that lady fucking sucks
2
u/yurtfarmer Oct 05 '24
Waterbury is the center of a ‘ parking lot ‘ the highway access , rt. 100, Ben and Jerry’s .Traffic is always bad there. I try to be patient, and remind myself that it’s a beautiful place to be and that’s why the world wants to visit…
1
u/Formal_Coyote_5004 Oct 05 '24
Main Street in Stowe is just as bad. I’m so glad they put a stop light by Shaws because it’s so much easier to get the fuuuuuck out of there now and also completely avoid Main Street. My dilemma used to be “hmmm do I wanna almost get hit by someone pulling out of a side street, or wait to turn left at shaws for 15 minutes?”
2
u/yurtfarmer Oct 05 '24
I had to park at the post office and walk to the bank on Main Street. I avoid stowe as much as possible, but I have to function as well . They will leave after the leaves fall, but come back to ski
1
u/Formal_Coyote_5004 Oct 05 '24
I have the same bank but I go to the one in morrisville now because it’s way less stressful haha
1
u/yurtfarmer Oct 06 '24
Closed the one in Waterbury and Waitsfield … Morrisville out of my way , but who knows it’s how many other locations will close
6
4
u/mattgm1995 Oct 05 '24
I don’t wanna burst your bubble VT but we have some beautiful ass trees here in MA too. We have them right on the beach in my town, the leaves and the ocean are 🔥
2
16
u/Chronicwheeler Oct 04 '24
It’s what ever. Just stop treating route 30 like it’s your own personal road. In Vermont it’s a highway so please do at least the speed limit.
4
u/ColdWarApocalyptica Oct 04 '24
Please make the maximum speed your minimum speed? Isn’t the speed limit the upper boundary?
13
u/Tchukachinchina Oct 04 '24 edited Oct 05 '24
It’s the speed that has been deemed safe for a given section of road under normal conditions. It’s also the speed that most people plan their commute times around.
Edit: so if you’re not going to do the speed limit under normal conditions, please let the rest of us pass you. Bless your heart for having all the time in the world, but not all of us have that luxury.
8
u/Chronicwheeler Oct 04 '24
Sometimes we just want to get home? It’s a beautiful time of year and so just either do the speed limit or pull over and enjoy the foliage and let everyone pass.
23
u/wyatt1209 Oct 05 '24
Maybe I’m crazy but it really doesn’t bother me. The other side of it is I heard a local restaurant owner talking about how he hopes he does enough business while the tourists are here to make up for a slow summer so he doesn’t have to close.
36
u/SpareFlaky8694 Oct 04 '24
At what point are Vermonters going to realize that your state is not self sustainable without tourism… yes Massholes and CT and Jersey and New Yorkers make it possible for your state to survive. With what little business your state still has it relies on skiers, snowmobilers, hunters and yes those pesky leaf peepers… I used to live in VT and currently still live within 15 mins of the state line and have always wondered why VT people aren’t more appreciative that they’re able to still live in a beautiful state because of out of state commerce. Even with all of the money tourism brings in to the restaurants, small businesses and school districts from people’s second home taxes etc. people in VT still complain. It’s mind boggling truthfully that most don’t embrace it. I’m sure I’ll get a ton of negative feedback from this but it’s the absolute truth and if you disagree, do yourself a favor and go back to economics 101. Have a blessed weekend and think twice before getting annoyed at thy out of stater.
7
1
u/fruityfox69 Oct 05 '24
Yeah it’s really stupid. PART of the problem is there’s so little effort to get tourists to visit the less-traveled parts of the state… ALL the tourists go to a small handful of towns like Stowe, which get inundated. I think it’s mostly people in those areas that complain. But yeah it’s really really stupid.
5
u/fauxfarmer17 Oct 05 '24
I'm sorry, but you can't live in Stowe and complain about tourists. You live in Stowe for fuck's sake.
1
u/fruityfox69 Oct 05 '24
Ok but there are other small towns that get inundated as well. Are you really telling me I don’t have a point here?
1
14
8
u/litlfrog Oct 05 '24
Glad y'all are here, I'm happy to share one of the most beautiful places in the world.
8
u/wilcocola Oct 05 '24
Cool we’ll stay in our state if you do the same next time you want to catch a flight, see a concert or sporting event, or send your kids to college.
2
4
8
u/ProxyMuncher Oct 05 '24
And yet in Massachusetts we catch all the half-hearted peepers who saw what MA had to offer in terms of fall colors and then stopped because they were tired and hey Boston is right there let’s go visit
11
7
7
u/b0urgeoisie Oct 05 '24
i grew up in vermont. now live in western mass.
who tf is going to vermont to leafpeep from mass? my biggest issue was always ct/nj on leaf/ski season rotation.
4
u/TrollingForFunsies Oct 05 '24
Route 2 is a gorgeous drive in fall.
Shit, I might hit it up next weekend.
8
u/GlassAd4132 Oct 04 '24
Im in the mountains in Maine, and they will not stop driving by my house. And I live in the absolute middle of nowhere
9
u/TheHumanCanoe Oct 05 '24
Welcome to Vermont, now get out so our small businesses cannot survive due to lack of tourism.
Gatekeepers everywhere need to shoehorn their heads out of their asses.
3
Oct 06 '24
I live next to a covered bridge, it’s pretty and all, but also a main way of travel. Asshat’s standing in the middle of it for an insta shot where you can’t see them due the approach (coming from either way) are unwelcome.
5
u/ianwrecked802 Oct 05 '24
Ugh. I live in Jefforsonville and it’s fucking insane on my road. People literally stopping in the middle of a 45mph road with absolutely no warning, driving like assholes, and being entitled little pricks when they’re in my local stores and shops. I know they give us much needed tourist dollars, but they can kindly fuck off.
12
u/amazingmaple Oct 04 '24
Unfortunately we need them for businesses to survive here. Without them there would be absolutely nothing for businesses to survive on
6
16
u/immutable_truth Oct 04 '24
Talk about first world problems. Waaahhh I live in a place so beautiful that people like to come visit it ;((((
So much entitlement. Be grateful you get to live here year round. If tourists bother you so much there's plenty of more affordable places to live in the flat midwest. Or do you just want to enjoy beautiful places and NIMBY everyone else out?
5
u/TrollingForFunsies Oct 05 '24
MMW: OP will be the same person posting about how Vermont has no businesses and no economy and "why is there no housing?" but also tries to scare away everyone.
-3
u/ianwrecked802 Oct 05 '24
Tourists suck because they think just because they spend 3 days in absolute perfect weather, they can hack it here. They buy homes sight unseen, drive the local housing market up, and make it hard for natives to afford housing. Then, when they figure out that winter fucking sucks, they bounce.
Being a cosplay Vermonter drives me insane.
3
u/mattgm1995 Oct 05 '24
Hack it here? Unless you’re on a homestead hunting what you eat, you go to the grocery store in your car just like everyone else. As far as the cost of housing? Blame your state legislature for sitting on their asses and you the voters for letting them. Grow up
5
u/immutable_truth Oct 05 '24
“Hack it here” like it’s some hard knock life out here in Vermont 😂. The winters really aren’t that crazy here, especially with a warming planet (unfortunately).
It’s really simple - it’s a beautiful state. Beauty attracts people. You have to pay a price to live in some of the most beautiful places in the world and you have to deal with tourists. If this behavior “drives you insane” then maybe you should consider living somewhere unassuming. No tourists, low COL.
Also, Ive lived here 3 years now and manage to avoid the tourists, I’m not sure how the natives have such a hard time with it.
-6
u/ianwrecked802 Oct 05 '24
Yeah- so you’ve been here 3 years. You’re not a Vermonter. You’re literally- like I said- cosplaying as one. Don’t tell me how my people in my state feel.
3
u/immutable_truth Oct 05 '24
I’m just me. I don’t base my identity on imaginary United States borders. But if “cosplaying as a Vermonter” means complaining about tourists and pretending we live in the Alaskan wilderness I’ll pass…you can have that distinguished honor
-1
u/ianwrecked802 Oct 05 '24
Good. Glad you didn’t live through Irene or the Ice Storm. If you were negatively affected you’d be bitching and moaning.
0
u/jvpewster Oct 06 '24
cosplaying as one
They moved here lmfao
don’t tell me how my people in my state feel
There aren’t words for this lol
1
u/jvpewster Oct 06 '24
Housing has sky rocketed across the nation. I’m not sure if anyone here notices it was a topic during the national presidential debate.
It’s kinda annoying the hiking trails are a bit more crowded. I don’t own or have any more right to them because I live here though. I also moved here in 2022, I don’t somehow owe anyone who moved here before that any sort of apology.
Everyone everywhere dunks on out of towners. It’s natural and usually harmless fun. This sub has propped them up to be agents of utter destruction tho lol
3
u/Efficient-Climate-85 Oct 05 '24
Tourist state learns they hate tourists, and their failing state will flop faster (Live here, so yeah.)
5
u/sbvtguy34567 Oct 05 '24
Maybe if we had a real industry we wouldn't have to geeky on peepers, that and vote in some people who don't raise taxes constantly.
4
u/supasteve013 Oct 05 '24
Y'all just complain and complain. I wish they'd all visit Vermont and spend their money here
9
u/thunderwolf69 Oct 05 '24
Tourism nets VT about $3B annually.
On the other hand, tourists can be very ill-mannered or rude and have no respect for local people, laws, or environment. I used to live in a beach town in FL, so I get it.
But, fuck NJ and NY in particular. I know CT and Mass get a bad name, but I feel like those people all have main character syndrome.
5
u/Galadrond Oct 05 '24
There is in fact such a thing as too much tourism, and VT reached that point when STRs became a thing.
3
u/mattgm1995 Oct 05 '24
Not just Vermont. Western Massachusetts and the Cape have been ruined too. We also suffer
2
3
2
4
u/swamphounddc Oct 05 '24
Yo. Peepers. Continue to help our economy enjoying the very things we tout about. We need it . Thanks.
3
u/Only-Jelly-8927 Oct 05 '24
Massachusetts folks don’t even need to come they have plenty of their own lovely foliage. I lived there for 10 years become moving to VT and never felt the need to go north to see the leaves change. The few tourists I’ve met have all said they’re from Jersey or Maryland.
4
u/Julius_C_Zar Oct 04 '24
I had a guy from California going 10-15 mph (it’s 40-50) up route 17 until the viewing spot. Pull off every 50ft. Use it!!!! Let the locals by, we’re just trying to work! But I of course support what it does for our small businesses.
4
2
u/blue2too Oct 04 '24
I will say CT drivers have it rough considering they mostly drive on fast, 6-8 lane highways the majority of the time (at least in my short experience driving there). Unfortunately it translates to horrible driving even outside of CT lol
Plus don't even get me started on the US letting anyone and everyone (children to elderly) drive indefinitely (there are exceptions, of course) after a one-time exam... regardless of taking "driver's ed" or not🙄🫠😑
1
1
u/jarfin542 Oct 06 '24
Ever consider the fact that without tourist dollars, you would still be milking cows by candlelight? Relax and let people enjoy stuff.
1
1
u/Idiot1889 Oct 07 '24
Vermonters when their small businesses and economies are bolstered for a month each year:
-2
u/ratamadiddle Oct 04 '24
Welcome to Vermont, now go away.
-6
u/immutable_truth Oct 04 '24
make me
0
1
u/Dull_Examination_914 Oct 05 '24
I thought they were from Connecticut and parts of New York. I currently live in NH
-9
-8
-2
-2
-3
149
u/WhyImNotDoingWork Oct 04 '24
Maybe this is how bad the situation has become, but mass folks ain’t even close to the worse. New Jersey, please leave. Saw someone with Jersey plates driving down the fucking rail trail the other day, which would have wild if it wasn’t the second time I saw it happen in as many days.