A Visit to Vermont

Overlook of Adirondacks
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9/28/2008

Today we headed east to Vermont. Before we left New York we drove further into the Adirondacks. Again we were amazed at the beauty we saw. The trees in the northern mountains are at peak right now which is early compared to other years. Made a stop at Oxbow Lake and took some photos. We also stopped at an overlook that displayed a panoramic view of the trees and mountains. Eventually we headed out of the hills and for a short time we followed the Hudson River. Our GPS (Jack) led us down a gradually narrowing road that ended at a ferry across Lake Champlain. I thought we were going across a bridge but no such luck. The man who operated the ferry told us “no problem” taking the motorhome and tow car across. I was not a happy camper but Mike was fine with it so across we went. Of course everything went perfectly well – but I was nervous (imagine that) until we were on dry land again. Our camp location for the next few days is on Lake Dunmore in Middlebury, Vermont and our front window looks directly at the lake. Just as a note, so far on this trip we have driven the motorhome 4,814 miles – wow that is a lot of miles.

Oxbow Lake - Adirondacks
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9/29/2008

This morning there were low clouds and a little drizzle but that didn’t stop us. We drove to Burlington, Vermont – stopping along the way at Shelbourne Farms where we bought some cheeses. We then visited Church Street Marketplace in downtown Burlington. After wandering around awhile we stopped for a bite to eat. Burlington is a big college town – the University of Vermont campus is there – and there are sorority and fraternity houses everywhere. Vermont is a beautiful state with many picturesque farms dotting the landscape. The Green Mountains run down the east side of the state and the best autumn colors are at the higher elevations. We visited Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory in Waterbury and took the tour – it was fun and best of all we got some ice cream when finished. Another stop was made at the Cold Hollow Cider Mill where we tasted cider, ate cider doughnuts and bought some Vermont maple syrup. We then headed to Stowe which is a beautiful mountain village and a popular ski resort in the winter. While there we visited the Von Trapp Family Lodge (occupied by the famous Von Trapp’s at one time) which is located high above the town with a fabulous view. I wanted some apples and when we saw a sign leading to an orchard we followed it. We went over hill and dale and down a dirt road. When we finally arrived it was closed. Not to be defeated we knocked on the door of the home there and sure enough they let us purchase some apples. Haven’t tried any yet but I doubt they will be as good as the Honey Crisps from Minnesota. On our ride home we traveled Highway 100 which is a beautiful route through the Green Mountains. The colors were fabulous.

More Oxbow Lake
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9/30/2008

It was cloudy again this morning but we headed out anyway. This time we went south to Queeche, Vermont. The big scenic attraction at Queeche is the gorge which is touted as the Grand Canyon of Vermont. It is very beautiful and deep. We stopped to look over the edge and had a nice lunch nearby. The sun came out during the afternoon and it was beautiful. There are so many flower shops here and all of them have pumpkins and fall decorations out. In the towns there are scarecrows scattered along the sidewalks. From Quechee we headed north and made a giant circle around the middle of Vermont. We drove through many quaint villages and along several rivers and streams. The farms and barns against the beautiful colored hills make a beautiful scene. It makes me want to paint again. When we got home we crashed.