Life in the Big W sure is strange. Sometimes my girlfriend and I look for crayfish down on the rocks just beyond the waterfall on sunny afternoons; sometimes I turn the settings of my white noise maker up to drown out the sounds of the jet planes flying at mach speed just beyond my window. The natural, and seemingly effortless, spontaneity of Winooski keeps me on my toes, but I often ask myself Why? I have no good answer, and I don’t know if it’s the thrill that keeps me here, or the bakery next door—Mattarello Baked Goods has my undying love forever—but I know I am probably going to look back on this clip in my life with love in my heart for a long time.

Fun Things To Do:

Walk Along the River:

Winooski is home to one of the most fascinating sets of brackish tide pools I have ever encountered, and I consider myself lucky to live at this edge of the earth for it. I have watched great herons stalk their crayfish prey and masterfully gulp down their catch; I have heard red-tailed hawks screech across the sky in search of a lone mammal making a wrong move; I have enjoyed the seemingly endless flock of seagulls perch themselves just beyond reach, as if to torment me, on large flat slabs of granite peaking out of the rushing falls. I have also seen quite a few people tumble down the rocks, so be careful and bring proper footwear if you choose to venture out to the great beyond.

Hit Up Misery Loves Co.:

This shop is perched right along the infamous Winooski Circle (veterans of this oblong nightmare will agree with my usage of the adjective “infamous”) where you can find a hearty lunch, a light snack, and all the oddities you can desire. There is no shortage of good taste in Misery, as every item is handpicked to impress its buyer and its receiver. Any time I am out of some staple food, or in need of a fancy bottle of wine I can’t pronounce the label of, I cross the street to this little shack of culture to cure what I cannot.

Check in with Autumn Records:

Autumn Records is a fantastic record store, and you should pop in if you’re around. They’ve got a large, sundry collection waiting for you to flip through. I’m a sucker for some used jazz, and two of my favorite Coltrane albums came from here, so I feel like it’s important to highlight a place that allotted some good taste my way. There’s a large used R&B body of vinyl there, too, which is always a plus for people who are tired of thumbing through neatly packaged, freshly sealed JPEG and Joey Bada$$ LPs. The prices are pretty fair, and there’s a lot of cool finds in here, so block out an hour of your free time and happy hunting!

Visit Landry Park:

This park is such a good friend of mine because it is dependable for every occasion. I have hosted many-a-picnic within its bounds, and I have also broken many-a-toe on its skate ramps. Sometimes, pick-up games of baseball or basketball can be observed or joined. Sometimes, the magnificent squirrel population, one which seems to dominate the landscape, will make its appearance and flaunt its numbers to the park-goers and pooches in attendance. Landry is a great spot for dog-walking, people-watching, and afternoon-enjoying, so if any of those sound like your calling, hop on the GMT 9, get off at Weaver Street, then walk a few blocks up to heaven.

Stop in at Matarello Baked Goods:

And finally, my crowned jewel of the Winooski City Center. Matarello is my favorite shop; they make some of the best pastries and desserts that I’ve ever had, and their paninis rock. I almost always order a hot half-caff latte with whole milk, extra hot, with some maple syrup, to which I dump cinnamon atop of when I receive it. This family owned and worked business is close to my heart simply because of how sweet everyone there is. I have never had a moment of rest from the pure bliss I receive stepping over the threshold into their shop and being greeted by such wonderful people. Maybe I am just a little biased because once they sent me home with extra food and they are always nice about my stupid coffee order, but hey, this is my blog post and the rules apply when I want them to. That being said, they are also just incredible and I think you would regret not trying them if you knew how good they are. Shout out to my 9:00AM crew. I love you all.

If you haven’t spent enough time to enjoy all or, Heaven forbid, any of these spots, you are missing out in a big way. Get your keester on down to The Great Onion and take the good with the odd. If you need me, I’ll be soaking up that famous Winooski sun on my porch with a book that I am pretending to read.