It's Hot Up Here Too

Day 41  |  Chambly 

With temperatures set to be in the low 90s, Barry and I wanted to get our walk in early. We started by seeing Bucket List off and lock through the first of three chambers. We then went back to Fort Chambly and walked through the park grounds. When we came to the other side, the streets were residential, featuring some houses dating back to colonial times. All houses in this area have beautifully maintained yards and most have many colorful annuals as accents.

Continuing down the road we began to hear cheering and clapping. This turned out to be a little league baseball game of maybe 5-8 year olds playing live pitch. We watched a full inning and got a kick out of the very young right fielder "drawing" with his feet in the dirt of his shallow outfield position. He was doing exactly as his American counterparts do.

Our limited French skills (OK, mostly non-existent) allowed us to interpret the street sign which led us into the Farmers' Market. Ten to 15 booths were set up offering vegetables, bread, eggs, and every kind of "natural" meat in generator-powered cooler cases.

We left with no purchases and headed back towards the Fort and Crossroads. The directional road sign confirmed that we had visited about all there was to see on this side of town. We crossed over the canal to explore the western side of Chambly. The street was lined on one side with what I believe to be new condos -- again, all beautifully landscaped. The opposite side was a park featuring a display of the local camera club.

We returned to Crossroads and Barry did some more route planning in the comfort of air conditioning. I did a bit of reading on Fiberglass Beach until I melted into a puddle as the heat index was around 100. After Barry grew tired of our slow internet connection, we both took a break and hit the grocery store for a few last minute refrigerated items which all fit into one cooler tote. That also assured that they would fit in our small refrigerator once we got them onboard.

Parks Canada has numerous picnic tables, grills and branded red adirondack chairs positioned around this little park and today it was a busy place. Some locals came by and took pictures in front of Crossroads and asked questions. Some other locals just stood there and begged for food. We were excited to see brothers Jay and Chris (and a few guests) pull in behind us in a Defever 49.

Their boat is Carolina and is a bit larger than Crossroads. They started the Great Loop two days ago from Burlington, VT. We joined them for docktails and compared itineraries for our passage to Montreal. We'll be leaving together in the morning and will be buddy boats for the next week or so. After feeling isolated by both language and lack of travel companions for the last few days, we're looking forward to the company.

A Flight of Locks and Fort Chambly

Day 40  |  Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to Chambly |  3 Miles  |  2 Hours

The bridge- and lock-tenders start their workday at 9:00 and we were ready to go as soon as they were. We had about a one mile run through farmland and countryside on the way to the first of two bridges that had to open for us. The road hugged the canal along this stretch. Unlike in America where we have guardrails to protect the reckless from hurting themselves, there were no such barriers here. I bet that these Canadians don't even think of texting while driving.

Our second bridge opening was immediately followed by our first lock of the day. A really cool aspect of these locks is that they are all hand operated. Tenders crank giant winches to open and close the doors and control the flow of water. Four more locks, including a final flight of three, earned us the right to pull over and call it a day. As planned, there were no other boats on the wall when we arrived and we were able to hook up to shore power. There is one bridge and one flight of three locks remaining (below, right) before we enter back into the Richelieu River.

Within a quarter mile of the town dock is Fort Chambly. The fort was originally built of wood by the French in 1665, but was rebuilt in stone in 1711. It is a Canadian National Historic Site and features interpreters in period dress that do several small group tours and demonstrations throughout the day.

The musket firing was the first demo we checked out then we headed inside to make our way through some very nice exhibits -- all bilingual (French/English). Parks Canada goes above and beyond to make history interesting to today's kids with an expansive interactive exhibit on smuggling. We both wished we could have picked up a guidebook and passed through and completed that journey as well.

The fort sits at the foot of the Richelieu River Rapids and is surrounded by a large park. We walked around for a few hours until the sky darkened and the wind picked up. A few drops of rain fell, but not enough to cut the heat. Even though we're in Canada, today's temperatures were around 90 and it will be hotter over the weekend. When we returned to Crossroads, the wall had filled up. On the boat in front of us are fellow Loopers, Debbie and Ron aboard Bucket List. We had met them way back in April at the Great Loop Spring Rendezvous in Norfolk. We visited and caught up for a while before heading back to Crossroads to fix dinner.

Bucket List travels twice as fast as we do. They will leave in the morning and make Montreal by evening. We will stay here in Chambly tomorrow. There are quite a few restaurants, ice cream spots and a grocery store all within half a mile of us. With those temptations, we'll need to get in a good walk as well.

Baby Steps

Day 39  |  Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec |  6 Miles  |  1.8 Hours

An early change of plans occurred due to a morning free of the forecasted rain and wind. We pulled into Lock 9 of the Chambly Canal and prepared for our passage north. This lock is much different than the ones on the Champlain Canal as it is a one boat chamber. Crossroads, being a rather large girl and protected all around with fenders, occupied almost every bit of the space allowed. We were lowered about two feet and were on our way. For the first part of our short trip, we marveled at the gorgeous stone houses along the shoreline.

For most of this section of canal, the channel was about 25 feet wide and 8 feet deep. That's just enough room for us, but definitely not room enough for boats to pass. The lock- and bridge-masters regulate traffic to prevent bottlenecks. At one point we had to idle for 20 minutes in a wider portion of the canal to allow a south-bound boat time to clear us. We passed through a total of three bridges today, two of which had to open. We pulled off and tied up to a floating dock just past our final bridge of the day (Bridge 7). We really are in the middle of nowhere and it is very peaceful. A very nice local couple came by to say hello and it was refreshing to visit with them. There is a large population of red-winged blackbirds here and they flew in and out all afternoon. I also spotted a young beaver swimming between our floating dock and the shore.

Taking advantage of the floating dock, no waves, overcast sky, and moderate temperatures, I broke out the waxing supplies and showed Crossroads a little TLC. I waxed about 3/4 of the port side -- the final spot, from the forward port to the bow, cannot be reached from a floating dock and will have to remain unwaxed. Unfortunately there will always be a start/finish line with the chalkiness of the unwaxed section contrasting with the shiny gray waxed portion. A shout out to the Parks Canada staff and facilities. In our two days, everyone we've met has been friendly and helpful. The docks are spotless, secure and their personalized cleats are nice touch.

Tomorrow we will pass through two more bridges and five locks. Three of the locks are back-to-back-to-back, called a flight. We will tie up, possibly on the starboard side in order to wax the other side, and leave one last flight of locks for Saturday morning. Sunday, July 1, is Canada Day (like our Independence Day on July 4) and we're trying to stage ourselves to be comfortably out of the mayhem but close enough to enjoy the fireworks.

Crossing the Border

Day 38  |  Isle La Motte to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec |  22 Miles  |  3.2 Hours

Through an evening of increasing winds that swirled in every direction, our anchor held strong. When I pulled it up this morning it was obvious that the Rocna had buried itself deep into the muddy and grassy bottom. Our 88-pound anchor had about 50 pounds of mud caked on it. We dangled it at the surface of the water for a while to wash it off to a point of pulling it up onto the bow roller. The rest of the mud shown was removed by boat hook and washdown hose as we made our way into the last section of Lake Champlain.

We traveled by the Windmill Point Lighthouse with its dark tower blending into the landscape. We passed under the Route 2 bridge with Fort Montgomery looming on the northern side, right at the US/Canadian border. At this point we left Lake Champlain and entered the Richelieu River.

A small sign in the middle of the water directed us to see a Border Services Officer at Richelieu Wharf. Time to clear Customs. Barry went up to the flybridge and hung our quarantine flag as the wind continued to increase. Just in time to tie up to the Customs dock, it was gusting over 20 and had stirred up the water into an unnerving chop. We managed to get Crossroads tied up by ourselves with minimal effort (no dockhands at the Customs office - LOL). Barry took our papers to the office, then summoned me to join him. All was good and we were cleared to enter Canada with just a few questions and without a vessel inspection. I'd like to think that the way we handled Crossroads in less than ideal circumstances led to an easier pass. If we had crashed into their dock while screaming at each other, I'm sure the process would have been a bit more involved. Both of us were disappointed, however, that our passports were not stamped. Guess that's so 20th-Century. We changed out our quarantine flag in favor of the Canadian courtesy flag and were on our way.

The miles clicked off and we took in the sights. The Ash Island Range Front Lighthouse was spotted on the eastern shore. We saw several herons that were enjoying an effortless glide on the stiff breeze. There were also plenty of marinas and gorgeous waterfront houses to enjoy. As we entered Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu we veered off the river an into the Chambly Canal. We waited for one bridge to open for us then tied up to the lock wall and powered down. We watched a few boats lock through, visited the ATM to get a bit of local currency, and walked down the tow path to see some of the rapids in the river that canal bypasses.

The wind was still whipping around, but otherwise it was a nice warm afternoon. We sat in the park across from Crossroads and checked our emails and texts before heading across the street for dinner. Storms are supposed to roll through the area all night and into the morning.

We will stay here tomorrow, get a few chores done, and wait for the wind to lay down before starting our journey through the locks. We have been told that all nine locks on the Chambly Canal can be done in a span of about five hours.

Lake Monsters, Lighthouses and Light Shows

Day 37  |  Burlington to Isle La Motte |  31 Miles  |  4.6 Hours

After several great days in Burlington we were ready to move on. We untied, left our slip and moved over to the fuel dock to top off our diesel tanks. While we were getting an additional 200 gallons (which we hope will last us throughout our time in Canada), I took a short walk for some retail therapy and to secure my first souvenirs of our trip.

Last night on the way back from dinner we passed the team headquarters for the Vermont Lake Monsters, the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Oakland A's. Their mascot is Champ, a lake monster that reportedly resides in Lake Champlain (think Loch Ness Monster). I got my shirt and spent some time talking to the store manager about our Richmond Flying Squirrels, Parney, Nutzy, minor league baseball, in-game promotions and the fan experience. It was nice to have a real conversation about something other than boats.

I returned to Crossroads and we cast off for our next stop of the morning, the pumpout dock. With that business done, we followed the cruise/tour boat Ethan Allen past the Burlington Breakwater North Lighthouse, out of the harbor and into Lake Champlain.

We transitioned out of the Adirondack Mountains and the landscape flattened out. Just north of Plattsburgh we passed Cumberland Head Lighthouse. It's dark light tower was difficult to pick out from among the trees. As we rounded the top of Isle La Motte we spotted its namesake red lighthouse on the North shore. We made our way through some skinny water and dropped anchor in the middle of Blanchard Bay. We did a few chores and cleaned up a bit in preparation for our visit with Canadian Customs tomorrow. Barry grilled some chicken and asparagus and we settled in and enjoyed the light show.

As the sun was beginning to set, a rainbow developed that was perfectly mirrored in the still waters. The rainbow transitioned to more vibrant colors in the sky and clouds.

As the sun finally set, a small powerboat made the scene a bit more interesting. To the east, the almost-full moon was simultaneously rising from the horizon, accompanied by its own mirrored reflection in the Bay.

After we clear Customs tomorrow, we will head to Lock No. 9 of the Chambly Canal and tie up just before entering the lock. There we hope to stay two nights and allow a Thursday storm front to pass through before making our way through the locks and back into the Richelieu River.

Walking on Sunshine

Day 36  |  Burlington

We were moving all day today, but don't have much to show for it. Last night I had found a place that could cut my hair on a Monday, walk-ins only ... PERFECT. We left the boat at 9:30 and headed up the hill for my haircut. The young stylist gave me a nice trim and shaping for $20, including a generous tip. When we returned to Crossroads we had to move to a new slip for the day (as a result of the marina being full when we checked in). That was accomplished without drama and made for five successful tie-ups executed in Burlington.

On our last day here, we wanted to explore town a bit further and walked around the University of Vermont campus, then back to the lakefront. The sun was shining and we could finally see the layers of mountains stacked up across the New York shore of Lake Champlain.

A trip around the boardwalk led us to this cool oversized adirondack chair. All of us tourists took turns taking each other's photos. We were enjoying the warm temperatures and soaking up the sun ... and that's the truth.

We returned to Crossroads for a few hours of reading/napping before walking back into town to the Church Street Marketplace. The Great Race was pulling into town on Day 3 on their 2,500 mile trek from Buffalo to Nova Scotia. More than 120 classic cars filed in one-by-one, in parade fashion, to finish this stage of the rally. Although no mid-year Corvettes were spotted, we did see a GTO and Dart.

We grabbed dinner on the way back to the marina and enjoyed the sunset from the flybridge enclosure. We will top off our diesel tanks tomorrow morning and head north, just shy of the Canadian border. Two possible anchorages have been identified depending on which way the wind is blowing. Tomorrow's weather forecast is sunny, light winds and no chance of rain. Just what we like to hear.

Getting By With A Little Help From Our Friend

Day 35  |  Burlington

It has been the Barry and Robin show for close to two weeks now since saying goodbye to fellow Loopers in Waterford. They headed into the Erie Canal and we through Lake Champlain. To say we were looking forward to catching up with a friend from Richmond was an understatement. We have known Jack for 15 years, dating back to when we both had sailboats at Regent Point Marina. He is a Burlington native and now spends his summers here, away from the Virginia heat and humidity.

Jack graciously accepted some packages for us -- one containing our mail (thank you, Todd) and another containing a spare water pump. He also drove us around to pick up a list of items from West Marine, Home Depot, and Walmart. When we were done, we had enough to fill the dock cart. We quickly put away the refrigerated items and headed off for lunch at a cafe right up the hill from the marina. Jack shared some local knowledge and experiences of growing up on Lake Champlain. A few photos later, we said goodbyes and returned to Crossroads to put away the rest of our purchases.

The late afternoon turned chilly and rainy, but we ventured out anyway for a good walk. Burlington's commercial district is up a pretty good incline from the waterfront. We got in our hill workout once again, knowing it was all downhill on the way back to the marina. We examined some of the local monuments and overlooks. When we came upon the Lone Sailor statute, we both quickly noted that it is the same one as on Whiskey Pier in Norfolk overlooking the USS Wisconsin. Google confirmed that there are 15 such statues around the country. The original is located in Washington, DC.

We headed back to Crossroads and happened upon the most interesting sight of the day. As we walked down the ramp to our slip there was a couple looking into the water. We joined them and spotted a lone beaver out for a swim. He came up onto the rocky shore and was oblivious to the growing crowd gathering to observe him. We all stood by for 10-15 minutes, just watching in silence as he ate then glided back into the water. In the end, nature always provides the best show.

We will stay here tomorrow to do a few boat projects and a load or two of laundry. We will also head back into town, hopefully making it to the top of the hill and the University of Vermont campus.

Burlington Bound

Day 34  |  Ferrisburgh to Burlington |  22 Miles  |  3.2 Hours

Although still excited by last night's amazing sunset, I fell asleep quickly and slept well. I awoke at 4:45 and saw a hint of pink out the window -- enough to get me out of bed and upstairs to check out the sunrise. As dawn brightened, the sky once again turned vivid shades of pink. A few clicks of the camera later (to show Barry what he missed), I was back in bed by 5:00 and slept in until 8:00.        

As predicted, the wind clocked around 180 degrees overnight and by morning it was blowing from the south. We came into Button Bay seeking protection from a northern blow. We were now exposed to the southerly breeze and waves. Luckily both were minimal and caused no issue pulling up the anchor. The chain came up clean, but the anchor was covered with quite a bit of vegetation. As the rain began to fall, I pulled out the boat hook and scrape off the "seaweed." Before we entered the main channel of Lake Champlain, the anchor and bow were clean and I was inside changing into dry clothes.

As long as I have sailed, I have always been trained to keep an eye on the depth meter. In the Chesapeake Bay, low water is always an issue. Today, Barry and I marveled as the depth kept increasing and then increasing some more. The deepest reading we saw was over 400 feet. Barry said he didn't even know the meter would read that depth. Now we know. As we neared Burlington, we were joined on the Lake by quite a few sailboats. They were all flying along in a perfect breeze.

Approaching Burlington, it reminded me a bit of Annapolis. We pulled in behind the breakwater and did a port side tie up to the services dock for a pump out of our waste tank. The marina did not have any slips available so we headed back out to the mooring field. A perfect pick-up of the pendant off the starboard bow had us secured and all was good. Then we spotted a roomier mooring further up. I dropped the first pendant back in the water and proceeded to grab the next pendant to port, again on the first attempt. Feeling pretty good about this string of events, I cleaned up the lines and fixed lunch. Then the harbormaster came by and informed us a slip had become available if we'd like it. We quickly cast off the second pendant and readied fenders and lines for our second docking of the afternoon, this one a starboard side tie up. Barry maneuvered Crossroads in slow and easy and now we are set for a few days.

Barry quickly went into town and got a haircut. Then we both went up and saw a few sights on our way to the City Market Co-op (sort of like a small Fresh Market) where we got some fruits and vegetables. On the way back to Crossroads it started raining again. Although we didn't stop, we identified the Church Street Marketplace as our next destination.

Shops and restaurants line this pedestrian mall. We enjoyed several street performers, including a juggler and a very good bluegrass band. We walked to the end of the street and saw the namesake church. Barry did a little shopping as I had convinced him he needed some Keen water shoes like mine.

Back to Crossroads and call it a night. We hope to get to Walmart tomorrow for some more serious provisioning. By the end of the week we will be in Canada and we'd like to be self-sufficient during our time there.

Views from Vermont

Day 33  |  Ferrisburgh

When I reluctantly crawled out of bed this morning, it was 44 degrees outside and pretty chilly inside. A hot shower helped, but our best plan of attack was to wait a few hours before getting the dinghy down and zipping across the anchorage to the Button Bay State Park boat ramp. I was amazed at how clear the water is. We were able to see to a depth of about four feet. Any temporary delusion of resembling Bahamian waters was rapidly dispelled when I stepped out of the dinghy into the frigid water (OK, 57 degrees -- but 20+ degrees colder than home waters). We pulled our little boat up on shore and tied her to a tree for the day. My Keene water shoes were changed out in favor of socks and New Balance sneakers. We were set for our walk into town. At the boat ramp we saw these disturbing signs warning of invasive species in Lake Champlain and asking boaters to clean their vessels. A mile and a half later we were at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

This museum has more than a dozen buildings full of exhibits, an in-water collection, and classroom facilities were teenagers were building their own canoes. There was a reproduction of the Burlington Bay horse ferry that was quite interesting. The horse walked on a treadmill which turned a paddle wheel, propelling the boat. Several of the kids introduced us to Henry who was all too willing to pause for some belly scratches.

We finished the museum tour and headed over to the adjacent Red Mill Restaurant for a nice lunch. It is housed in an old saw mill and sits beside a grass airstrip where small planes were flying in and out. Barry was well entertained. Full from lunch and many glasses of water, we retrace our steps for 1.5 miles, back to the dinghy with the intention of exploring the little island and beach that we saw yesterday when we entered the anchorage. All was great until we got within 20 feet of shore and realized what appeared to be sand from a distance was actually granite. We quickly aborted the plan to drive the dinghy onto the beach, snapped it around, and headed back to Crossroads. At this point, sandy beaches are just a mirage and Fiberglass Beach my reality.

While we were out for the day, the local gnat population determined that it would be great to congregate in the stern of Crossroads. When we pulled up to the swim platform and opened the door to the cockpit we were ambushed by hundreds of gnats. We let them settle and/or disperse for a few hours before putting the dinghy back on the roof.

Tonight's sunset was far and away the best of our trip so far. I stood outside (with the gnats) and just marveled at the color display while attempting to capture the moment. It was hard to quickly select my favorite photo. I hope this one properly conveys the spectacle. Goodnight, sunshine!

We will leave out of this gorgeous spot tomorrow morning and head to Burlington for the weekend.

Buttoned Up in Vermont

Day 32  |  Ticonderoga to Ferrisburgh, VT |  21 Miles  |  4 Hours

The anchor was pulled up uneventfully and we said goodbye to Ticonderoga. On the north side of the cable ferry, we spotted the International Paper mill on the western shore. It employs over 600 folks in Ticonderoga where it manufactures Hammermill, Springhill, and Accent brands of paper -- all staples from our printing days. Lakeside farms dotted the landscape and we soon spotted the bridge over Lake Champlain in Crown Point.

We had originally planned on stopping here for a few hours to visit the lighthouse and a museum, but weather conditions were a bit challenging for getting the dinghy down, making the trip ashore, and staying dry ... all at the same time. We agreed to just take pictures of the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse and continue on in search of an anchorage with protection from the mounting north wind. The waves on the lake were not high, but they were close together, creating an annoying chop very common on the Chesapeake Bay. As the wind continued to increase, we found a beautiful spot to drop anchor in Button Bay. We are officially in Vermont -- the sixth state in our Loop adventure.

Button Bay is surrounded by Button Bay State Park. Hunkered down and "buttoned up" while the wind was blowing over 25 knots, we identified a nearby island we plan to explore by dinghy tomorrow. Barry kept an eye on the anchor rode (both literally and figuratively), and confirmed that we were set firmly. Temperatures in the mid 60s with a gusty wind kept me off Fiberglass Beach and reading was done in the enclosed flybridge where it was a toasty 85 degrees. The wind finally died down around 5:00 and we should have a very comfortable evening for sleeping.

             
We were treated to a little color over the mountains for this evening's sunset. I was able to find the Andy Griffith Show on the television and laughed my way through the episode featuring Colonel Harvey and his medication. Tonight, a little dose of home cooking was indeed a cure for all that ails me.

Beam Me Up, Scotty

Day 31  |  Ticonderoga 

Plans can change quickly. Coinciding with me hitting "Publish" on last night's entry, we decided to stay in Ticonderoga today. Our admission to Fort Ticonderoga was valid for another day and we both had identified places in town that we'd like to see.

I awoke just before 5:00 to check out the sunrise and discovered that an eerie fog had settled over the lake.

To my surprise, the temperature had dropped overnight to the mid-40s. It was cold! I sat in the pilot house as the sun came up and illuminated the fog in a different manner, making it seem more peaceful. A heron was out early looking for breakfast.

After showers, we loaded in the dinghy and headed back to the town dock and the Fort. We wanted to see a few more of the exhibits that we had missed yesterday. The first was on feeding the soldiers and the reenactor was preparing lunch for the crew, consisting of peas and sauerkraut, in iron pots over a small campfire. The second presentation was on musket firing. We finished up at the Fort by walking through the King's Garden, home to a huge collection of farm-to-table flowers and vegetables. The strawberries were in peak season and abundance. We sampled a few before heading into town. Along the trail out, a strange creature caught our eye. "What is it?" we asked. Could it be a skunk? Upon closer, but not too close, examination we determined it was a porcupine. The first either of us had ever seen in the wild.

A hilly, two-mile trek took us into Ticonderoga. I had wanted to see the Falls of the La Chute, which run right through town, and we came to that first in Bicentennial Park. The next item of business was to find lunch and we lucked out at a great little place in Burleigh's Luncheonette. Full of locals, the place had cool collection of 1950s memorabilia, the classic teal and silver diner stools, and the boomerang-design tabletops. I had a BLT and water, knowing that ice cream would follow. Full and now stiff from sitting for an hour, we ventured across the street to Barry's choice of attractions -- The Star Trek Original Series Set Tour. This unassuming storefront actually houses a complete set, recreated exactly as it was laid out on the Desilu Stage 9 in the late 1960s, and has tons of original props and costumes.

I'm a bit young to be a Trekkie, but knew enough catchphrases to stay interested. All of this set was recreated from the original blueprints and the tour guide gave a very detailed description of each room. We were able to "get beamed up" and each of us got to sit in Captain Kirk's chair on the bridge. There were other characters posted throughout, that begged for selfies. Barry later told me that this was Salt Vampire. OK, sounds good to me.

We walked back to our dinghy and scooted across the harbor to Crossroads. We both proceeded to take long naps. We put the dinghy back on the roof and cleaned up a bit before grilling some chicken for dinner. Our anchor has held so well that its a shame to pull it up it the morning, but we must be on our way.

Having a Blast on Lake Champlain

Day 30  |  Whitehall to Ticonderoga |  21 Miles  |  3.5 Hours

We departed the Whitehall city dock along with Zendo (a fellow Looper) this morning. The lockmaster was ready for us and we both pulled right into Lock No. 12, the final one on the Champlain Canal. Upon exiting the lock we were officially in Lake Champlain. With this, the channel markers reversed to red on our left and green on our right.

On the channel markers, we began to see osprey tending to meager nests. They have been a rare sight since we left the Chesapeake. It appeared that the northern osprey could use a few lessons in home building from their southern cousins. Lake Champlain's navigation channel was narrow, winding and scenic. We also saw many other birds, including herons, egrets, and red-winged blackbirds.

After about three hours of travel, we rounded a bend and spotted Fort Ticonderoga on the hill ahead of us. We dropped anchor, lowered the dinghy, and headed off into the wind and waves for a splashy ride to the town boat ramp. We tied up the dinghy and then walked the 1.5 miles to the fort. Our lesson learned today is to pack bottles of water in our dinghy bag. The walk to the fort left us parched and then the drink machine ate our three dollars.

Fort Ticonderoga is an 18th-Century star fort built by the French to protect trade routes between Montreal and New York. The British and Americans also occupied the fort at different times in its history. It is a privately-owned National Historic Landmark and features a nice variety of artifacts, displays, and reenactors. The cannon collection is particularly impressive, being sourced from all over the world -- including one from Tappahannock, VA.

Our favorite part of the tour was the cannon firing demonstration. Living history actors displayed how Royal Navy sailors brought artillery skills onto land to defend the fort. They went through all the steps of loading and firing the cannons ... twice. I was psyched that I actually captured the "fire in the hole ... boom" sequence with my iPhone.

We are anchored just off the dock for the ferry that runs between Ticonderoga, NY and Shoreham, VT. A barge that holds three cars makes a seven-minute crossing along a submerged cable, while being propelled by a tug running beside. The best part of the ferry is that there is no horn and no wake. We barely know its there. The ride back to Crossroads was dry as the wind and waves had calmed down from our ride out.

We sat outside on Fiberglass Beach for a while and enjoyed the late afternoon scenery. One of the locals came by to welcome us. The temperatures dropped quickly along with the sun. We're looking forward to a peaceful night here on the hook.

Tomorrow we will head a few more miles north. Possible stops are the Crown Point State Historic Site, Lake Champlain Visitors Center, and the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse.

Every Town Has Stories

Day 29  |  Whitehall 

Whitehall (NY) has a rich history and we caught glimpses of it yesterday when we docked behind the Skenesborough Museum. We checked their website for hours of operation and were excited to spend some time there this morning. We first walked the grounds, reading the displays, historical markers, and monuments. By 11:00 the thermometer on the bank sign was reading 83 degrees -- not quite as warm as it was back home -- and we were ready to go inside and enjoy the air conditioning for a while. At the front door, our plan was thwarted as, for no reason or explanation, the doors were locked and the place was dark and unstaffed. Oh, well. On to Plan B.

Walking back to Crossroads, we passed a strange Sasquatch statue. It had no sign or notation, but Barry said Hello to it anyway and we took the obligatory picture. We had seen Sasquatch Saloon yesterday on our way back from Skene Manor, but didn't really pay attention to it. Then we got to wondering what's going on with all these Sasquatch references. Thanks to Google, we tracked down a siting in 1976 complete with the original police sketch. Since then the Sasquatch legend has grown and there was even a Half Marathon and 5K here last weekend. Wish I had known -- I would have loved to do 3.1 miles just for the shirt.

We decided to walk to the cash-and-carry marketplace and pick up a few fruits and veggies. Since they didn't take credit cards and we had to lug everything back, our purchases were thankfully limited. Vintage advertisements painted on abandoned buildings caught our eye. We also passed the remains of the USS Ticonderoga. The sky darkened, the wind picked up, and we could hear thunder in the distance. The rain lasted for three hours or so, but is supposed to cool everything off and cut the humidity for tomorrow's trek through Lock 12 and into Lake Champlain.

 

All along the Champlain Canal, we have stayed at free docks offered by towns putting out the welcome mat for visitors. Barry and I always walked these spots and were eager to learn of their history. At the same time, their present is not so bright. As water transportation has given way to cars and the internet, these towns struggle and the vacancy rates are high along Main Street. The whole situation reminds me of the scene from Cars and the song Our Town by James Taylor. In a strange twist here in Whitehall, the Amish community is actually leading a revitalization of sorts as they move in and turn old dormant farms back into ones that are thriving. As we crossed the busy intersection of Route 4 and Broadway, we were captivated by the rhythmic and powerful stride of the horse pulling the buggy up the hill as tractor trailers zoomed alongside. Wouldn't be ironic if the Amish traditions breathe life into a town that time has passed by?

Main street isn't main street anymore
Lights don't shine as brightly as they shone before
Tell the truth, lights don't shine at all
In our town

Main street isn't main street anymore
No one seems to need us like they did before
It's had to find a reason left to stay
But it's our town
Love it anyway
Come what may, it's our town