My husband and I moved to Jericho about three years ago. We were house hunting to move closer to the Essex area and stumbled upon this quaint little town. I love its proximity to Burlington, yet when I am home I feel like I’m in the country. Did you know Jericho has been ranked as one of the best towns to raise a family in Vermont? I can absolutely see why. We immediately fell in love with this town and community and for a small town (population 5,009 from the 2010 consensus) I was surprised how much there is to do right in our town!
Come with me on a journey to discover Jericho.
Let’s start with the most important thing, FOOD!
My breakfast recommendation is Jericho Café and Tavern. You can actually get all meals of the day here but I am obsessed with their weekend brunch menu and they serve brunch until 3 pm! My husband is not a huge fan of elaborate breakfasts so we love to go on a Sunday afternoon where he can talk the waitress into making him a pulled pork sandwich and I can get the eggs benedict skillet and a bloody mary. They used to have a bloody mary called “The Pickler.” They added pickle juice into the bloody mary mix. It was so delicious and this is how I make them at home now. Sometimes they will still make it for me.
For lunch, we can head to the Jericho Country Store.
The store has been running since 1807 and is thus one of Vermont’s longest running country stores. When you step inside you will immediately feel the history of the store. They have a fantastic take out menu with pizza, sandwiches, and local, grass-fed burgers. Plus, walking into the store is like walking into the past. While waiting for your food, you have to check out all the old store relics on display and the quaint selection of Vermont gifts. You can also fill up a growler of beer or kombucha! If the weather is nice you can make your take-out meal a picnic in the Jericho Center Park across the street where there are picnic tables surrounded by large trees.
Let’s move on to dinner. What is better for dinner than a pizza? Be sure to check out Mountain High Pizza Pie. The White Mountain pizza is a favorite of mine and my daughter’s but I feel like you can’t go wrong with any of the choices. They have a great selection of Mountain High and specialty pizzas as well as the make your own option. And if you’re not in the mood for pizza (does this ever happen?) they also have a selection of salads, grinders, and chicken.
After all that can you imagine eating more?
But what about dessert? There are so many options for creemees (Joe’s Snack Shack, Jericho Country Store) but if you are in the mood for a maple creemee, you cannot miss Palmer Lane. Not only can you get a maple creemee made with real maple syrup, but they have maple sprinkles which are the crumbles of maple sugar candies. You will be in pure maple heaven! They even have gluten-free cones.
If that’s not enough for you, right next door is Snowflake Chocolates. Named after Jericho’s claim to fame, Snowflake Bentley, you must stop in and check out these delicious chocolates. Everything is handmade from family recipes and you will not be disappointed.
With all this good food in our bellies, we have to squeeze in some physical activity and you will not be disappointed; Jericho has three parks with hiking trails.
- Mills Riverside Park has over 216-acres to enjoy with a fantastic view of Mt. Mansfield. There is a covered bridge, off-leash dog area, hiking trails that can be used year round, and a pavilion that also hosts concerts in the summer. Our family loves to swim in the river in the summer, hike in the fall, and snowshoe in the winter. This park also has port-o-potties.
- Mobbs Farm Trails consists of 260 acres, split in half by Fitzsimmons road. The trails are open year-round to any non-motorized recreational use.
- The Old Mill Park is located behind the Old Red Mill. It is a 12-acre park with a short trail that is family friendly and has great views of the waterfall and gorge on the Brown’s River. It is a great place to cool off in the summer! And while you’re there don’t forget to check out the Snowflake Bentley museum located in the Red Mill.
What else is there to do?
Well, depending on the time of year, you can find various activities going on around town. Here’s a few I would recommend:
- The Jericho Farmer’s Market. This market is held on Thursdays at Mills Riverside Park from about June to September. It’s a favorite of my daughter’s.
- The Underhill Harvest Market is usually one of the last weekends in September. This was one of my first experiences after moving to Jericho and I am in love with it. I go every year.
- You can visit Little Fenway. Although this might technically be in Essex, I think it’s close enough to include on our Jericho tour. There are frequently whiffle ball or other charity events being held there
- Jericho Market is one of our newest stores and is great not only for grabbing groceries but to stop for lunch there or to bring home. It has a great selection of Vermont made products.
- Poorhouse Pies (Underhill but still…) where you can check out the self-service pie shed!
I was just sitting here reminiscing about Jericho where I lived as a child. I came across this article. Did my heart good to hear Snowflake Chocolates mentioned. My family lived in that house before it became the great establishment it is now. We moved to what is currently the Sinclair B&B. What a story that house has. When the Royce’s bought and began renovating the property I never would have thought it would be what it is today. Good memories!
Great article and thank you for mentioning Little Fenway, which hosts the annual Travis Roy Foundation WIFFLE Ball Tournament in August, and the SLAM Diebetes Tournament in June. Both events involve many volunteers from Jericho, Vermont, and surrounding towns.