Try Vermont Before You Move Here
Maybe Vermont has been calling to you for years. Maybe one peaceful weekend in Shelburne made you wonder what it would be like to wake up here more often. At Heart of the Village Inn, many guests arrive for a getaway and leave with a deeper question: could Vermont become home?
Stay First. Then Imagine Life Here.
A short visit cannot tell you everything about living in Vermont — but it can tell you a lot.
You can walk through Shelburne village, drive into Burlington, explore nearby lake towns, and begin to notice the pace of everyday life. You can see what it means to be close to Lake Champlain, local restaurants, farms, trails, schools, shops, and the small daily rhythms that make Chittenden County so consistently appealing to people considering a move.
For many people, the decision to move is not only about bedrooms, acreage, commute times, or square footage. It is about whether a place feels like it could fit your life. A few days here — really here, not in a hotel conference wing — can help you begin to answer that question honestly.
Local Perspective From Someone Who Made Vermont Home
Like many people who come to Vermont from somewhere else, Rose was first drawn in by the natural beauty, the warmth of the people, the food, and the balance of life here.
Vermont has a way of making space for what matters. It offers seasons, community, outdoor beauty, independent businesses, and a pace that can feel deeply refreshing — especially if you are arriving from a larger city. It is also not big-city convenience. Things move at their own pace here, and that can be both part of the charm and part of the adjustment.
That honest perspective is something Rose can offer that no travel guide can. She can help you think through not just what draws you here, but what Vermont life actually looks like from the inside.
Rose Polyakova is an owner-innkeeper at Heart of the Village Inn. She and Anatoly moved to Shelburne in 2015 and have been part of this community ever since. She also works in Vermont real estate locally — but on this page, she is speaking as a resident and neighbor, not as an agent.
Every Vermont Season Has Its Own Personality
If you are seriously considering a move, visiting in more than one season will show you Vermont more clearly than any research can. Here is what each one offers:
❄ Winter
Ideal for skiers, snowshoers, and those drawn to fireside evenings, crisp mountain air, and the outdoor rhythms of a Vermont winter. The area is active, not dormant.
☀ Summer
Lake Champlain, long days, farmers markets, outdoor dining, sailing, cycling — summer in Chittenden County is full and generous. Many people fall in love with Vermont in July.
🍁 Autumn
Vermont’s most celebrated season. The foliage is genuinely extraordinary, and the region feels alive. It is also the most popular time to visit, so book early.
🌧 Mud Season
What others call early spring. Still cold, not yet blooming — but for serious buyers, it has a practical advantage: without full leaf cover or snow, you notice details about properties, roads, and yards that other seasons can hide.
A Softer Way to Begin
You do not need to arrive with a full plan. You may simply have a feeling that Vermont is becoming more than a place you like to visit.
That is often where the best conversations begin.
Thinking about making Vermont home?
Come stay with us and let Vermont speak for itself. There is no better way to find out whether this place is right for you than a few days here — at a slower pace, in a quieter setting, with a good breakfast and no agenda.