Day 93 – Last night Rob & I were admiring the trees in the campground, many different kinds, some are flowering, and all are perfectly shaped and trimmed. We were thinking that they must hire someone to keep up the lawns and trees. It’s all so perfect. And what do we see this morning? JC is up on a tall ladder trimming a big evergreen nearby, chopping off some tops and some huge branches. JC & Emma do all this, too?
This morning at 7 a.m. it was 54 degrees, partly sunny & windy, whitecaps out on the Lake. It’s supposed to get pretty warm today & it’s way too windy to kayak or bike, so it’s a driving day. It’s hard to plan ahead because everything revolves around what the weather is going to do. We headed out at 10:45 & it was still cool out & quite windy. We went down Route 2 & across the Lake to the mainland. Right away temperatures had increased 15 degrees. Rob says that’s a good reason not to camp anywhere else when we’re in this area – the Islands are so much cooler – windy, but cooler. We were driving over to check out a boat launch to the Lamoille River that was recommended to us by JC as a place where he used to take his daughter kayaking. The boat launch was closed when we got there but we found another possibility nearby – for another day.
A HUGE “THANK YOU” TO CATHIE FOR THE RECOMMENDATION OF OUR NEXT ROUTE!!! Our friend, Cathie, used to live here and she gave us some advice on places to go, drives to take, the best place to park our vehicle, etc. Being over on the mainland anyway, we decided to take her recommended drive: the back way to Stowe on Route 108 through Smuggler’s Notch. On the way, we stopped for lunch at a little cafe’ in Jeffersonville called Broken Yoke – VERY good food. Then we continued on our route and encountered some of the most amazing scenery we’ve seen to date on this trip! (Stowe/Smuggler’s Notch are huge skiing places in the Winter; there are stores & restaurants & gift shops & condo’s & many, many parking lots & ski lifts & Inns, B&B’s, Motels, etc., all of the tourist traps.) The section of Route 108, which is closed through Smuggler’s Notch from October – April, is an extremely narrow and very winding road thru Smuggler’s Notch Pass with waterfalls, cliffs, and hiking trails. There was even occasional snow remaining near the road and on the mountains. There were a few people on motorcycles and people like us out for a scenic drive and hikers and lots of rock climbers. Very nice. (Beth, have you ever climbed here? We suspect you’d love it!) One couple we saw who were taking pictures of waterfalls at the same place we were taking pictures said that this is the best time to take this drive because much later & all the trees have filled in & you cannot see the mountains, rocks & waterfalls nearly as well. So again, Cathie, thank you very much!!!!
On the way back, we stumbled upon two silos in a park which were painted with scenes all the way around each one. Also a beautiful area where a dam was built into the rocky walls which made it much less obtrusive, and more blending with the environment surrounding it. Many large farms, happy cows & horses, maple syrup stands, winding roads and mountain views, rivers rushing by; just incredible scenery.
Dandelions, Stowe, VT
Smuggler’s Notch from Stowe, VT
It was quite warm inland, 91 degrees at one point, but as we traveled back on the causeway over the Lake, it immediately started cooling off. Back to the campground; we’d left all the windows open for the cats & it was 68 degrees & comfortable, very windy with waves on the Lake.
Okay, not just because of the drive we took today, but also because of where we’re camping and the other drives we’ve taken since arriving in Vermont, we hereby proclaim that Vermont is the prettiest State overall that we’ve visited on Trip #1. Hands down. (But to be fair, the time of year makes a difference, we realize that & we acknowledge that it’s peak Spring colors up here right now – then again, isn’t Vermont known for its incredible Fall colors, too? If we were done eating out for this trip, we’d have a best restaurant, also, but we’re not finished eating out yet, LOL. And we’re sure the scenery of Alaska or Canada’s Rockies or the Colorado Rockies or Northern CA, or Montana is breathtaking, too, but we didn’t go there this trip, therefore VT wins.)