Wednesday - Saturday, July 27 – 30th, 2022 … Two Lane Adventures Continue!

Yes, before we left Apple Island RV Resort, I took my last walk on their trails! Their trails were beautiful and the roadways were also great to walk on. There were some hills and it made my walks more challenging. This path I took was supposed to take me to a pond, but it just dead-ended. But, at least it was mowed and wide!

Today was a very short travel day from South Hero Vermont to Ausable Chasm in Keesville New York. The reason the travel day was so short, we took the Lake Champlain Ferry to get from Vermont to New York. 

There is daily, year-round ferry service for passengers, bike, cars and RV’s from Grand Isle, Vermont, to Plattsburgh, New York. It beats the trip up to the bridge. The ferry was $40.65 and is a 12-minute crossing. Total travel time today, including the ferry ride was 42 minutes!

We stopped to grocery shop in Plattsburgh and then arrived at Ausable Chasm campground. Our campsite was on the end of a row, with some shade. It is a basic campground with water and electric. No pads or gravel, but the site was spacious and clean.

I have been most excited to visit was the epic Ausable Chasm in Keesville NY. This natural attraction dubbed the “Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks” is a must for those exploring Upstate New York. But Ausable Chasm isn’t just for gazing upon. 

This gorge is packed with incredible scenery, waterfalls, hiking trails, and much, much more. There are a lot of things to do in Ausable Chasm, especially for those who love a little adrenaline!

Ausable Chasm New York is dubbed “the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks”. But don’t confuse it with Letchworth State Park (we are camping there later in August!, which was given the moniker “the Grand Canyon of the East”. While both in Upstate New York and both are incredible places to visit, they are vastly different experiences. Ausable Chasm was first opened for tours back in 1870. This makes Ausable Chasm the oldest continuously operating natural attraction in America!

The Ausable Chasm itself is a long, narrow sandstone gorge that stretches for two miles. The gorge has been carved from the sandstone by a mixture of the power of the Ausable River and theorized tectonic activity over the past 15,000 years. The accessibility and beauty of Ausable Chasm have led it to become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Adirondacks.

Ausable Chasm is a mix of adventure trails, hiking trails, waterfalls, fossils, and river rides. This great variety of activities means there is something for everyone here! Charlie and I went for the basic entry which included access to all of the hiking trails, but none of the “adventure” aspects of the park. There was no way we were getting wet on this trip!

A few of the unique features at the Chasm, Elephant's Head. The elephant head is a prominent feature on the self-guided tour of Ausable Chasm. The composite nature of the rock walls in the 200-foot deep gorge have allowed much erosion in a vertical aspect, and this particular example has a tapered outline that does resemble the head and trunk of an elephant, if he was coming right at you.

Split Rock Tension Joint is a smaller fault that crosses the larger "Devil's Oven" fault line of the Ausable Chasm. Lateral thrusting weakens the rock and water erosion helps break it away, forming the gorge over thousands of years.

In the days of old, the Ausable Chasm boat crew would spend countless hours to pile rocks and raise the water levels through this section of the rapids. The walls were created to solve this problem and allow two ton wooden boats safe passage through the chasm. In 1996, the cable system that brought the boats back upstream by cable was destroyed by flooding. Now rafts are being used daily. Each raft weighs about 200 pounds and can run in very low water levels.  

At this location the walls of the chasm abruptly come to a stop. The current of the water forms a small whirlpool collecting the water in "The Grand Basin." The river water leaves the sheet of Potsdam sandstone and flows through glacial drift to the delta on the shores of Lake Champlain. 

One day, we took a pre-route trip on the road we want to take to Wellesley Island. Charlie wanted to check the road condition and if there were any issues on it. We drove almost to Malone and then turned around and came back.

Another day we took a trip to the Whiteface Mountain area. It is the site of the 1980 Winter Olympic alpine skiing events. But it is an attraction virtually year-round. Skiers and riders can tackle the greatest vertical drop in the East.

In summer, the mountain biking trails offer terrain for all level of bikers. Also, from May to October, just drive three miles beyond Whiteface Mountain on Rte. 86 into the town of Wilmington and take the eight-mile drive up the Veterans Memorial Highway to the top of the state’s fifth highest peak. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Montreal. For $20 you can drive the Veterans Memorial Highway to the top of the mountain, Charlie and I opted to spend the $20 on lunch, instead!

We enjoyed a portion of the Flume Trail and the flume at the West Branch Ausable River. The Flume Trail is a 2.4-mile loop trail near Wilmington, New York. It's generally considered a moderately challenging route. It's a popular trail for birding, hiking, and mountain biking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. The first half is mostly groomed trail and is level with a few inclines. Approaching the midway point brings less of a groomed trail and the inclines are steady and get the blood flowing. 

The Flume Falls are beautiful and right near the trailhead. This is a gorgeous swimming hole.  There is a small 8 foot waterfall right by parking area, but the true gem is a downstream. First you’ll see massive fall with a giant rock in the middle that is the start of flume.

The second falls opens up into large swimming hole with large rocks. 

We traveled on a portion of the Olympic Trail, a scenic byway. It is an east and west route that goes for 170 miles from Lake Champlain to Lake Ontario while passing through the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Park in Northern New York. 

The Olympic Trail Scenic Byway winds through small towns. The Ausable River is a frequent companion on the drive, and at some points it flows mere feet from the road. We saw gorgeous views of the distant Adirondack Mountains. 

Every morning we were camped at Ausable Chasm I walked the the trails at the campground. Ausable Chasm offers 25 miles of mountain bike trails for people of all abilities, and it’s all waiting for you at the Ausable Chasm Campground and Recreation Center.

The easy beginner and intermediate loops are double wide trails, perfect for riding side-by-side with family and friends. Every morning I walked on the trails, I never saw any riders. I did see deer, rabbits and squirrels!

The single track, advanced loop features steeper hills and narrow paths through many miles of unspoiled forest. Expert riders can jump from our trail network to the Wickham Marsh State trails, which lead riders through the Marsh to Lake Champlain.

I enjoyed every walk I took in these woods and on the trails! It was beautiful and challenging all at the same time!

Monday & Tuesday, July 25th & 26th, 2022 … Two Lane Adventures Continue!

Today we drove to South Hero Vermont. We took Route 2, for most of the way. Route 2 is also Connecticut River Byway and America's Byway. In 1997, the states of New Hampshire and Vermont requested the regional planning commission to look and see if the roads that ran along the river qualified to be a scenic by way.  The Connecticut River Junction Commission discussed the good and the bad that went along with having a byway designation. The Connecticut River is the longest river in all of New England which is 410 miles long and starts at the border of Canada and the United States and ends at Long Island Sound. The river flows the whole length of the Connecticut River Byway and past it.

The Farmer's Daughter was a gift shop in Saint Johnsbury Vermont, it is now permanently closed.

It has been said that all dogs go to heaven, and no one believed this more than artist Stephen Huneck. Huneck went so far as to build a chapel for dogs in St. Johnsbury where dogs are celebrated and remembered in this unique setting. Not wanting the chapel to be a sad experience, Huneck made Dog Mountain a place where dogs are welcomed and celebrated with wonderful hiking trails, wildflowers and dog ponds.

It's strange, but with the really dry summer, some of the leaves are changing already!

We traveled off of Route 2 onto Route 15, which is also known as the Grand Army of the Republic Highway. Vermont Route 15 is about 69-miles long. We followed it for it's entirety from Danville to Winooski. Grand Army of the Republic, is a Union Army veterans organization formed the year after the Civil War. 

 

In the town of Wolcott, we were reminded of our "working days" as we passed a convoy in the center of town!

We came into the roundabout at Routes 15 and 108 in Jeffersonville Vermont and were at one of Vermont's largest outdoor murals. It is spread across two 36-foot-tall silos. It's a canvas well suited to the mural's message about Vermont's past, present and future: One silo portrays the face of an aging farmer, while the other shows an 8-year-old child. 

"The Silo Project," by painter Sarah C. Rutherford, brought new life to the old silos, which once belonged to the Bell-Gates Lumber Corporation. I never heard of them, but my research indicates that the a community that was once easy to drive by is now on the map as a destination!

Apple Island RV Resort is a stopover place for 2 nights, so we can be close to the ferry to New York. When we arrived at Apple Island Resort we were stunned by the resort and the breathtaking views. We were guided to our site by a helpful team member and provided with more information about the resort.

It is located on the beautiful Lake Champlain. We missed our friend, Sandi Labonti, by a week. She was here visiting friends last week. But, we were able to meet her friends, Dick & Carol.

While we were driving around South Hero and Grand Isle, we found Sasquatch or Bigfoot! Bigfoot sightings in Vermont date back to the late 70's into the early 80's if not later. A professor from Castleton University and his daughter have recorded video of their sighting. Vermont is a prime location for Bigfoot and Sasquatch because it's so remote and has a lot of undisturbed private property. Places like Rutland and Hubbardton consistently have sightings due to the woods and remoteness of parts of the area. Some people do believe and others don't. Do you believe?

Then we found dinosaurs lurking in a swamp near White’s Beach. These creations are not practical but just as fantastical. The wooden dinosaurs were also created by woodworkers and placed within the landscape for fun.

According to Atlas Obscura, the owner of the property is a talented woodworker and also created the prehistoric reptiles that can be seen from the road. Don’t venture closer, the property is private and posted. You probably are looking at these pictures and saying, never mind the dinosaurs ... tell me about the bird houses! 

On Grand Isle sits a town called South Hero that's home to, well... not all that much, to be frank. What visitors will find are untouched fields, stunning mountains, and lakeside views. I guy at the park , told us about White's Beach, a residential part of South Hero. So, we went to check it out and within the swamp, roughly 800 colorful birdhouses line the groves of trees - and there's a very good reason for it.

The story behind this magical spot is one that began more than two decades ago and continues on to this day. About 25 years ago or so, two neighbors, Jay and Hank, decided to wage a battle against the mosquitoes in the swamp along their land. The men built 20 bird houses hoping to attract the swallows that adore wetland environments and love to devour mosquitoes.

Hank and Jay's wives suggested painting the birdhouses vibrant colors with red roofs and the tiny village of Jelly Bean Suites was born. The first year, every birdhouse was occupied. Over the next decades, more and more homes for the swallows were built, painted, and added to the birdhouse forest. Today there are around 800 enchanting little houses in the swamp for the birds that eat the blood-sucking bugs. There are fewer mosquitoes and most of the birdhouses are occupied.

  

White’s Beach is also a great windsurfing and kitesurfing spot.

Yes, I did walk while we were here and enjoyed the trails they had to walk and the streets! Beautiful sights in and around the park!

We drove around Grand Island and back into Burlington, to wash the car! We enjoyed a nice sunset too!

Saturday - Sunday, July 23 - 24, 2022 … Two Lane Adventures Continue!

On Saturday morning, I got up early and walked! Since we last stayed at Larry & Gail’s there has been some logging up on the hill. The good news for me, is they have improved the other road I can walk on. The bad news it is up hill!

After my walk, Gail talked me into standing in line at the local Littleton Food Co-op for cheap lobsters!

For many, lobster is a summer delicacy that can’t be resisted during a sale like Lobsterpalooza.

As we arrived, the line was near the end of the building. As Gail went to talk to someone she knew in line to get the scoop. I grabbed our spot at the end of the line. 

We learned the first truck sold out in less than 30-miuntes and these folks were standing in line waiting for truck #2. So, we stayed! and the line, just kept growing and growing!

Ohhhhhh, the reward looks delicious!

  

Standing in line for lobsters was rewarded by a trip to Lincoln, for a pedicure! Yeah!!!! I have to say, I normally not a fan of a man doing my pedicure, but he was gentle and the calf and foot massage he gave was the best I have ever had!

The Clark family's adventure all began with Ed Clark's Eskimo Sled Dog Ranch in 1928 in Lincoln, and eventually expanded into Clark's Trading Post and Clark's Bears. Ed and W. Murray Clark take a couple of bears for a ride in the car. The Clarks bought their first black bear in 1933 and opened the Bear Show in 1949. Clark's Bears is a visitor attraction in Lincoln, New Hampshire. It is known for its trained bears and for the White Mountain Central Railroad, a 30-minute, 2.5-mile steam-powered train ride. The bears were inside doing a performance, so we missed them!

From the cliff of Mount Pemigewasset in Franconia New Hampshire, an enormous stone face of an Indian peers out. It sits not far from where “The Old Man of The Mountains” once looked out, before he met his demise!

The Indian Head cliff was not even noticed until 1901, when a fire cleared trees and revealed the rock formation. It did not take long for it to become a tourist destination, in 1913 the area was referred to as Indian Head estates.

They offered campsites, that transitioned into cabins and that evolved into a full service motel, which still operates today. The motel features teepees, totem poles, and an observation tower.

Also near the Indian Head Motel was a unique historical marker. Is it real?! Barney and Betty Hill were an American couple who claimed they were abducted by extraterrestrials in a rural portion of the state of New Hampshire from September 19 to 20, 1961. It was the first widely publicized report of an alien abduction in the United States.

The incident came to be called the "Hill Abduction" and the "Zeta Reticuli Incident" because the star map shown to Betty Hill could possibly be the Zeta Reticuli system according to some researchers. Their story was adapted into the best-selling 1966 book The Interrupted Journey and the 1975 television film The UFO Incident.

We enjoyed dinner and a campfire with great friends!

Sunday morning July 24^th, we enjoyed breakfast at Topic of the Town. BUt, before breakfast I took my walk! The lillies were in full bloom and just beautiful against the wood pile!

A local restaurant on Main Street in Littleton. Owned for over 25 years by Denny & Dot Fekay. In 2006, it was purchased by their daughter Ashlea Miller. It's one of those little local places you have to stop at! Great food, good prices and friendly staff to make your experience perfect!

We saw Ron & Pat Stevens there, they had already eaten and were just stalling until it was time for church to start across the street. The restaurant is located on Main street directly across from Jax Jr. Cinema and next to the Worlds Largest Candy Counter known as Chutters in beautiful downtown Littleton. Most had traditional breakfast items, but I went for a summer special scramble with yellow squash, zuchinni, peppers and onions! Delicious! Of course, since I am on my weight reduction journey, more than half of it came home with me!

After breakfast, we toured Littleton and saw some old cars that belong to Larry’s boss. They also took us to little towns in the area, where they used to live, etc. We have heard so much about the “blue school” from Larry & Gail’s granddaughter Mandy, they had to take us there. Blue School is a public school located in Landaff, New Hampshire. Students from preschool to third grade begin their education here. Yes, it is basically a one-room school house! And, yes, it is blue. I thought I got a picture of it, but can't find it!

Larry & Gail's daughter came from Conway along with her husband, thier son and daughter and a couple grandkids to enjoy the Lobster we stood in line for yesterday! So, we enjoyed a lobster boil with all the traditional New England fixin's. It was delicious! Charlie had a hotdog along with the kids! LOL

Charlie is a really lucky guy ... Pat & Ron came by with one more fresh Apple Pie for him to take on the road with us! HE told Pat he would share it with Gary, but I doubt there will be any left by the time we see Gary!

It has been another great few days with Larry, Gail, Ron & Pat, but the gypsy in me says it's time to move on!