On Our Way to Vermont!

Well, today we will be in Vermont and it is our 1st time camping in this State - another state to put on our map!!!! We were up by 7 and the 4 of us were in the front of the CG hooking up our tow cars by 8:30.  We left the CG at 8:45 on our way to Colchester, VT, just north of Burlington.

We took some back country roads to get to Lone Pine Campsites and it really was a very scenic drive.  We did notice some beautifully colored trees as we drove and enjoyed all the lakes we passed.  

We took back roads and avoided taking a ferry into Vermont.
We went across the Champlain Bridge!

A nice view!

A lake view with the beginnings of some leaf change!

There goes Chucky!!!!!

Crossing the Champlain Bridge!

A unique lighthouse!

I just liked the rays from the sun and the reflection on the water!

Finally we get to camp in Vermont!!!!

We arrived at the CG at 11:15 and were on our pull thru sites and all set-up in a very short time.  We are getting good at this!  The 4 of us enjoyed lunch on the picnic table outside of Waldo.  It was a gorgeous day with temperatures in the low 70's and lots of sunshine.  We left around 1:45 to drive into Biurlington and South Burlington.  

Our 1st stop was the Visitors Bureau where an older lady loved telling us about the area and the things she thought we would enjoy seeing.  She was very helpful and so friendly.  We walked around Burlington, but only for a short time because it started to rain lightly.  So, we drove to Shelburne Farms where they make cheese and give a tractor driven wagon tour of the sprawling farm. We didn't take the tour but we did enjoy the movie talking about the history of the farm and showing lots of pictures of the property!

1st is the house, then the picturesque land, and the unbelievable barn!  I can't imagine that all this was built in 1886.  



Shelburne Farms was created in 1886 by Dr. William Seward Webb and Eliza Osgood Vanderbilt Webb as a model agricultural estate, using money inherited from railroad magnate William Henry Vanderbilt. They commissioned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to guide the layout of 3,800 acres of farm, field and forest, and New York architect Robert Henderson Robertson, to design the buildings. The estate was created by purchasing a large number of mostly agricultural properties, and then adapting the existing roads and lanes (some of which were public ways the Webbs petitioned to have closed) to fulfil the Webbs' vision for the estate. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 2001.

Shelburne Farms was incorporated as a nonprofit educational organization in 1972 by descendants of the Webbs. The farm's grass-based dairy supports a herd of 125 purebred, registered Brown Swiss cows. Their milk is made into farmhouse cheddar cheese.  The farm serves as an educational resource by practicing rural land use that is environmentally, economically and culturallysustainable. Visitors may enjoy the walking trails, children’s farmyard, inn, restaurant, property tours and special events.  (I was able to get the info and photos from their website!)

From there we went to Dakin Farm where they also make cheese, smoked meats, and maple syrup.  After trying many different cheeses, mustard, and jams, we were rather "full" when we returned to the CG around 6.  Ken grilled some salmon and I just had a muselix toaster roll - too full!  While grilling, he took photos of the "pink" sky and our campsites.  We couldn't get beside each other, but there is no one in the camper that is between us!

There's Waldo!

We love traveling with Chuck and Melissa and sharing
all of these wonderful adventures!!!

There is so much to see in this area and we will have so little time!  We are here for 1 week, but that time will fly.  But, we certainly aren't complaining, for we are so excited to spend 2 1/2 of those days in Canada visiting Ernie and Noela and visiting their area and meeting their family.

After dinner, the 4 of us got together in Waldo for game playing.  Men won 5 Crowns, but the women won Pinochle.  It is about time the ladies won a game!!!!

Rain is forecast for tomorrow, so we are planning to drive north and take some factories tours, go to a few stores, etc.  Ben and Jerry's, here we come!

Last Full Day at Lake George!

Ken and I were up by 7 and had a nice leisure m, so we headed orning.  It was only 42 degrees, so we weren't in a hurry to leave for a bike ride.  We packed lunches and gathered some snacks and by 11 we were on our way to the Warren County Bike Trail.  Ken and I had ridden part of this trail 7 years ago leaving from Battlefield Park in downtown Lake George.  

When we got there, they were having a reenactment of the Battle of Lake George, so it was very crowded and they were charging to park.  So, we found another trailhead about a mile away, parked, and started our bike ride from that location.  This is a rail trail, but different then any we have ridden before.  It had many "ups and downs" and some of them were rather steep.  After we had ridden about a half mile, Ken couldn't remember if he had locked the car.  Both boys have very sore thighs from our long hike and keep moaning and groaning, so Melissa and I rode back to the cars to discover that it WAS locked!!  Oh, Kenny!!!  Of course the ride back to meet the boys was up hill and by the time we got to them, we were huffing and puffing.  

It is a beautiful, well-maintained trail!

......and here we go!  

Chuck and Ken was this little friend going across the path
Melissa and I missed it!

.

This low bridge went over a highway!

These ducks were having a nice wim in the lily pads!

There is some leaf change, but not very much!

As you can see, this way a long uphill climb!

We did a total of 11 miles, and let me tell you, it wasn't an easy ride.  I was ready to be done!  We drove a few miles down the road to a small park where we ate our picnic lunch overlooking Lake George. Nice setting!  We were back at the CG by 4:15 and spent the next several hours accomplishing many things. Ken was on the computer printing compies of all our confirmqtions for campgrounds this fall and all winter. W Nice to know that everything is in order.  We also cleaned some vents and the air duct filters.  It was time!!!!!  

After dinner and clean-up we went Chuck and Melissa's for game playing and it was a victorious night for the men, winning all 3 g this eveningzames!  Maybe it was the medal that Ken wore this evening that he had gotten from the Texas Cavaliers! He and Chuck had "rubbed" it for good luck!  What is that about?????? 

We did stop playing about every 45 minutes to check out the Blood Moon.  Ken got some beautiful pictures of that special phenomenon!  By 11:30 we were in bed and ready to leave tomorrow for the next part of the Great American Leaf Tour!

This picture was taken around 8:15....

.....then about 8:45

.

.....9:30

......and the last one at 11!  It was amazing!

A Visit to Bolton Landing!

Ken and I were up at 7 and spent time on our computer, I-Pad, and phones. We got "caught up" on text messages, phone calls, and our e-mails.  It was a great morning for relaxing and getting some things done that we have been meaning to do for quite awhile.  I also did some cleaning of Waldo and had a long, nice conversation with my mother.

At 9:45 Ken went over to Chuck and Melissa and they talked about what we wanted to do today.  (I was on the phone with my mother!)  I joined them around 10:15 and we chatted and had a good time and then left at 11:15 to go to Bolton Landing, a village type community with interesting shoppes and a few nice outdoor eateries.  

We went into an antique shop that really got us talking about things in our past. It was a walk down "memory lane"!  We also went into several of the gift shops that had some interesting things but nothing that we thought we just had to buy!  

Quite an interesting antique shop!

The beer stein in the corner is one like Ken and I bought when we were
on our honeymoon.  It must be an antique!

Shoppes and Eateries all along the main street of Bolton Landing!

Reminds me of the Edith Anne chair on Laugh-In.
I'm showing my age again!

We took this same picture about 7 years ago.  I don't think I
will compare them.  Might not like the changes that have
taken place!

We ate lunch on the deck at The Shack, where the food was delicious and the prices very reasonable.  They will close the middle of October, but already many of the eateries have closed in this area - even McDonald's, imagine that! We did stop at Ben and Jerry's for an after lunch treat.  I enjoyed the Coconut 7 Layer Dessert!  It was yummy!

A great day for eating outdoors and we were able to see
Lake George!

This gentleman at The Shack was making fresh apple cider!

We took a walk to the other end of the village and Ken and I realized we had walked over the same bridge about 7 years ago to see the Sagamore Hotel that we had viewed from the top of Buck Mountain yesterday.  So, of course we had to walk over the bridge and tour the property.  And what a property it is! People have been enjoying this luxurious Hotel, which is nestled in the Adirondack Mountains, for over a century.  The property is so beautifully maintained and offers so many amenities.  We sat on the bar deck and enjoyed a drink while overlooking Lake George and the mountain top we had climbed yesterday. Wow, that really was a hike!!!!!

Saw this wood carving during our walk.  Then we learned that
Chuck used to do the same thing and had done one so similar
to this one, only smaller.  This Chuck is a man of many talents!

It is a stately and very picturesque Hotel!

This is a photo off the main porch in the back of the hotel
looking over Lake George! 

Going further down the walkway and taking a photo of
the back of the Hotel!

This is from our seat in the bar area.  They rent those boats and
the guests swim in this area of Lake George.  That is Buck
Mountain in the background that we hiked yesterday - all
the way to the top!  Wow!

We think this wooden boat is owned by the hotel
and shuttles the guests to local restaurants and the downtown
area.

It is a beautiful wooden boat!

This is Buck Mountain and those are the rocks that we sat
and laid on when we were at the top!

On the way to the Hotel, we passed the gorgeous Adirondack Style home that was built by George Reis in 1917 as his summer home.  Before that his family had spent their vacations at the Sagamore Hotel, but when it burned, he bought the adjacent land and built this summer home.  He owned it until his death in 1962.  He was the owner and driver of the Lagarto, a wooden racing boat and  was the Cold Cup Racing Boat Champion in 1933, 1934, and 1935.  His boat was the fastest one in the world at 73 miles per hour.  The house was bought in 1999 and made into a gorgeous Bed and Breakfast.  What a setting for this exceptional home.

It is a magnificent stone home that needed major renovations
when it was bought in 1999 and made into a Bed and
Breakfast.  It had been vacant for 3 years!

We left Bolton Landing and stopped at Wal-Mart for some needed groceries, getting back to the CG around 5:15.  On the way back I talked to Doloris and it is still very windy and cool in Avalon - not beach weather, but they are still enjoying their getaway!  They plan on leaving around 6 AM tomorrow morning for home, trying to make sure they avoid any traffic heading into Philadelphia to see the Pope!  

 We watched the Tennessee vs. Florida football game while I downloaded photos and worked on this blog.  Ken ate a light dinner and then went for a walk around the CG.

Chuck and Melissa came over around 8 but were in a bit of mourning over Tennessee's loss to Florida.  Tennessee really should have won that game.  The men won 2 of the 3 games of Pinochle.  It was another fun evening, ending around 10.  We are planning a bike ride for tomorrow but we won't leave until 11.  It is going to be in the low 40's tonight, only getting to 60 around 11.