Post #13 Lake Champlain July 15 - July 31 Friends, Being in Beauty and "the Dream"

From our mooring in Burlington

This could be the most beautiful lake I have spent time on. Until now Lake Atitlan, surrounded by volcanoes in Guatemala, held first place in my heart, but Lake Champlain from a boat continues to amaze. Both lakes have seen their share of bloodshed, but that is another story. 

From the east side there are the wonders of the Adirondacks, from the west side the Green Mountains, and from the middle of the lake you get both.

So many sunsets

Because we had until the second week in August to meet with daughter Hannah, there was plenty of time to tour the lake, spend time with friends, and make new friends. From Port Henry we went to Vergennes, seven miles up Otter Creek.

Heading up Otter Creek to Vergennes

Vergennes waterfalls from our boat on the dock

The town provides free docks complete with electricity and water for those who get there early. They light the waterfalls at night.We had a fine time with Olivier and Josee from Montreal who keep their sailboat on the Lake and drive down from the city.

Friends Josee and Olivier, their boat is in back

Uptown Vergennes, nice shops, pretty banners

We discovered the Laundry, a incredible French as in the the owner is actually from France) cafe & bakery. I had a great bike ride through the country side and a yoga class at Two Wolves Studio.

The Laundry. Food amazing here

Joel sailing our dingy, now the Eli!

Lovely biking loop near Vergennes

Nancy Storrow and Bob Nassau, from Putney Vt are our oldest friends - Nancy and I met while I was in my teens, working as a life model in an art class where Nancy was a student.  Fifty years later she is still an artist, a very good one, and I am no longer, surprise, modeling.

Bob & Nancy adjusting to life aboard

We picked them up in Burlington mid day, knowing that some storms were on their way out of the west, but thinking we could get into the lee on the western shore of Willsboro Bay before they hit. This was a bit of a miscalculation as the storm caught us a mile outside the bay, and it was ferocious.

 Just before it got really "exciting"

Visibility vanished, wind way up, and a heavy curtains of rain. Not exactly an ideal introduction to the boating life. But our captain was calm, and the storm blessedly brief, although it felt pretty long at the time. By the time we anchored at the bottom of the bay, the sun was out and the skies blue, and no mutiny.

After the storm in Willsboro Bay

The next day we headed north to Valcour Island, site of one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War where Benedict Arnold, significantly out gunned by the British, managed to at least slow them down. Valcour is now part of the Adirondack Park. It has great boat access, a harbor for every wind direction, some minimal trails and primitive camp sites.

Valcour Island- Spoon Bay

Valcour

There was kayaking, rowing, bushwhacking, and delicious beef stew aboard, then lunch at the Bayside Restaurant in Mallets Bay and back to Burlington, a short, but great visit.

quiet shores

Elizabeth and John Reuthe from Vassalboro, who are always up for anything adventurous, joined us next. We couldn’t resist returning to Valcour  to sample another harbor.

Elizabeth, John & Joel on Valcour

On Valcour with young Elias who enchanted us all. His parents are Germans who live in LA

John at the helm, I think he likes it.

Anchored in Shelburne Bay where we hiked into town for dinner at the Bearded Frog, a beautiful evening but warm and buggy. Most grateful for the Green Taxi  which returned us to our dingy. 

Vergennes was the perfect spot to avoid predicted winds and rain. We arrived mid day to assure a spot on the dock, with shade and electricity. But hot, hot hot with lots of humidity. Tried the AC with limited success, kept blowing fuses so we retired with fans at full bore. More good food at the Laundry, and a bit of shopping  the next day as we waited out the weather until the afternoon when we had a lovely trip back to Burlington and more great eating, in great company. 

Exiting Otter Creek, back into the Lake

Burlington is  pretty close to a perfect city. We met other loopers at the Burlington Boat House Marina, who just parked their boat here for the season. Not a bad idea. There is a free shuttle that takes you up and down the hill, wonderful restaurants, great library, fabulous bike trails, immigrants from far afield etc

Saturday Farmers Market

Downward Dog on SUP, this is Burlington of course

We reunited with Olivier and Josee in Burlington

Poems to order at the Burlington Farmers Market

I requested a poem about boating on the lake with friends. I did say we had a power boat, but poetic license requires sails. Pretty good for a 10 minute poem, and Benjamin says they can even make a living this way.You pay what you want for each poem.

As we greet every day of this amazing idyll we are living with gratitude, I am mindful that this a dream. I am reading Ta-Nehisi Coates Between the World and Me. He exposes the "dream"(American dream) of "people who believe they are white" and the very "other" experience of life that black people in this country have.  How do we, "people who believe they are white" internalize what he is saying so that we really get it? Because until we do the change that needs to happen won't. So much work to be done. Read the book.

From Smugglers Bay, Valcour

Love to you all, and thanks  for your good wishes and kind words
Sarah & Joel