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.