santamonica

We're visiting a friend for a night in Croton on Hudson. We dropped Montreal. I'm not sure why. I'm not sure how we ever reach a decision on these trips. We think and think and read and read and then, bam, we make some decision based on I don't know what. Somebody at the office said Stowe is really nice and there's lots of stuff to do. A gondola, swimming holes, and summer luge. Also, we're afraid of running into colduphere in Canada.

We're staying two nights at the North Hero House in the middle of lake champlain, not far from Burlington, and two nights at the Green Mountain Inn in Stowe. The we drop DS#2 at school on sept 6 and come home. We'll probably put a kayak or two and a bike or two on the van. Gives it a nice rustic look. 87 North. Maybe we'll take a ferry from Plattsburg to Grand Isle.

Please let us know what not to miss in these various places.

I checked the box 'trip report' because I'm reporting on the planning stage of the trip and there will be a real trip reported here eventually. Also I would like to thank people for all the good advice given on the other thread and I promise to go to Fort Ticonderoga and Montreal soon.

panecott

I look forward to your trip report when you return.

I will be in Craftsbury, VT (near Stowe) for a week and was looking into the Lake Champlain Islands for afterwards, but decided to go east to NH and Maine instead.

But I'd love to hear about your stay on North Hero and your impressions of the islands.

DebitNM

Try to go swimming in Silver Lake in Croton, it is on the Croton River and was always a nice respite.

pupchic

Are you looking to spend some time in the Burlington area or really North Hero? Re: Stowe - depends what interests you...hiking? biking? restaurants? Stowe is FABULOUS - winter or summer. It is picturesque VT as you imagine it should be. I have spent a good amount of time there so if you let me know a bit about your interests, I am happy to help. I think you'll love it.

pupchic

I just saw you will have a bikes with you? Cycling is HUGE in VT and around Stowe. Check out the Recreational Bike Path in Stowe - it's a nice little ride - my husband and I have done it twice...it's a little over 10 miles round trip so just a simple, pleasant ride - you can certainly do much more serious mountain biking in the area. But again - let me know a bit about your interests and I will try to help...also, for example, there's a great little Farmer's Market on Sundays if you'll be there on a Sunday...ok...I will stop there til I know your "likes" - thanks!

santamonica

ok, we'll look for Silver Lake in Croton. I've also copied driving directions to favorite swimming holes near Stowe. We'll probably bike and kayak at North Hero. I like really good cheap restaurants. Blueberry pie. Fancy I don't like too much. We'll try to spend some time in Burlington and get to the Shelbourne Museum. The only rooms they had over the weekend at Shelburne Farms were too expensive, but now I'm thinking maybe starting our vacation a day sooner so we could stay there one night if cheaper rooms are available during the week.

DebitNM

Silver Lake is at the end of Truesdale Drive. You may need to have your friends with you, it may be residents only. Do you want things to do in the area as well?

santamonica

Thanks for suggestions. Re things to do and our interests. I bike to work most days, so I like to bike, but I have an electric bike, so I'm lazy. This applies to swimming, so I'd like to jump in a swimming hole, but not swim to Cuba. Lazy kayaking is nice. We'll be in North Hero fri and sat, and in Stowe sun and mon, so we can see the farmers mkt. Recently, the lazy side seems to predominate.

Vttraveler

The restaurant at North Hero House is good. Friends have also recommended the Blue Paddle Bistro in South Hero

My husband and I were at Shelburne Farms briefly last weekend for the first time in years. It is truly a gorgeous spot. I don't think the room rates are any lower mid-week than weekends from the summer through fall, though. One way to see the inn without paying for a room is to have breakfast there. You can also take a house and garden tea tour on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

pupchic

The recreational bike path is an easy going ride. You can see it here - as mentioned only just over 10 miles round trip - people will be walking too. http://www.stowe-village.com/BikePath/bikepath_map.html If you like to stop at a great place that has an upscale deli counter (I hate to even call it a deli counter), fresh baked breads and other goodies, great coffee, wines, etc, check out Harvest Market. You can also see the Trapp Family Lodge on the map...it is actually the Von Trapp family from the Sound of Music - the views are absolutely spectacular!!! The lodge is wonderful - they have a bakery, lunch spot and about a year ago started brewing their own beer. It's great to stop in, grab a beer and sit out on the deck over looking the spectacular mountain views. If you are up for something different, go to Stowe Mountain and venture down the Alpine slide or take a ride on the gondola. You can also take a ride up and over what they call the Notch - it is a pass that takes you from Stowe over the mountain to Smuggler's Notch. If you are ever there in the fall it is an absolutely fantastic place to see the leaves...There are also lots of hiking trails up and around there. It is nice to just walk around the village of Stowe...great shops and stop in for homemade ice cream at IC Scoops - if you can imagine, they even have a maple bacon ice cream! Just a few thoughts for you! Have a wonderful trip.

Shelburne Farms is definitely worth a visit, and I suspect VTtraveler is right that the rates aren't going to change at that time of year. If you have a chance, it is also nice to take a stroll along Church St in Burlington, enjoy lunch or dinner at Leunigs, an American Bistro loved by locals - great food.

santamonica

These are all great suggestions. I'm going to do everything. We've decided to drive most of the way from dc to Burlington on wednesday, stay thursday at Shelburne Farms (you're right, rates not cheaper), friday and saturday at North Hero, sunday and monday at Stowe, tuesday install DS#2 at school and return home, kid-less for the first time in 21 years.

santamonica

We have begun the trip. Our plans changed again. Yesterday we drove from Bethesda to new haven to visit a friend of ds#2. traffic on new England throughway was terrible, but we arrived. Stayed at New Haven Hotel. Nice. Saw friend. We ate dinner at the istanbul cafe. Turkish. Very nice. Didn't get new haven pizza. Listened to blues at tobacco bar (owl shop) where everybody but us liked cigars. People at Yale look pretty smart. Breakfast at atticus book store. Today we are driving up to burliNgton vt. Rivers are very high. Good we have a kayak on top of the van just in case.

santamonica

Now we're in Burlington. Last night we watched the sunset at the dock and had dinner at Leunigs. This morning, as soon as my lazy family gets up, we'll look for breakfast at magnolia cafe. Later, lake Champlain chocolates. Already, I,ve gone to the pool, fixed coffee, and gotten my bike repaired at 85 main street for free. They were very nice. Tonight we stay at shellburne farms. We'll go pretty early to look around, but I don't want to appear too anxious. I want to look like old money. I'm partway there.

321go

Update?

santamonica

Thanks 321. I didn't want to appear too anxious in my trip report either so I thought i'd hold off for a day or two. Old money. Shelburn Farms is Very Very Cool. Very wealthy people used to live here. Wealthy people stll live here. And then there's the three of us sharing a nice room. When you arrive the gatekeeper takes your name, checks it on a list and waves you up to the house. At the house staff comes out to the car to greet you by name and help with luggage. Oh, it would be so much fun to be rich. The library has beautiful leather chairs and old lamps and Persian rugs (actually I don't remember the rugs but Persian sounds right) and lots of leather bound books by Voltair. No air-conditioning, no tv, no pool. But a view from the back lawn over lake Champlain that's like being in italy looking out at lake como (i've never done that but i've seen pictures). Swimming in the lake. Lots and lots of bike trails. The Farm Barn like a castle in Normandy with cows kids can milk and roosters strutting around and sheep looking sheepish. We listened to a talk on raptors and watched a hawk eat two dead rats. We played billiards and sat on adirondack chairs looking at the lake for a long time. We had afternoon tea at 3:30 and dinner at 8:30. It was wonderful.

The shelburne museum is also very cool. Electra Webb was very rich and collected wonderful stuff and put most of it in shelburne. There's the Ticonderoga, an entire steamship. You walk on board and through the dining room and the pilot house and the engine room and the cabins. It's really fun. And a huge semicircular building housing a folk art circus parade. It's hard to believe there are things like that. And the locomotive and private train car the shellburne-Webb-vanderbilts used to bring their friends from the city to the country. And a house that replicates the three story new York city apartment these people lived in, with paintings by Monet and manet and cassat and other famous people. Such a fun museum.

So that was that. Yesterday we drove up to north hero, an island in lake Champlain, connected to the world by rt 2. We're staying at the north hero house in a room with a screen porch and a hammock that's right over the water. Last night it was windy and fun to listen to waves, tonight it's still and we'll sleep with the ac. Last night we walked on the ferry to plattsburg because the line for cars was too long and watched the sun set from the ferry. Today we biked some and drove to the sandy beach in Alburg and went swimming and kayaking and listened to French canadiens and walked on the beach. Tonight ds#2 and I went to a community dinner and dance which wasn't that much fun (wife complained of sore back from long bike ride at shelburne farm where I had got us lost) and then we all went to the hot tub and I went swimming in the lake which was really fun because it was night.

So, that's it. Tomorrow we go to Stowe. I forget what we are supposed to do there. But we're really having fun so far. Here are links for the inn and the museum.




http://shelburnemuseum.org/

http://www.shelburnefarms.org/comevisitus/inn.shtm

jubilada

We are renting a house on the lake in West Addison this fall, so info ( and sense of humor) is appreciated.

santamonica

I also bought three books yesterday at the north hero library for three dollars and got a plastic bag to carry them home on my bike, which was dangerous because fish kept on trying to eat the bag. This morning one last swim in lake Champlain and then we left for stowe, where we are at this very moment. At the green mt inn, which seems nice, if not particularly cozy. Pup, you'll be happy to hear i've just returned from riding most of the bike path. Wife got massage. Tomorrow we'll try it again and hopefully be able to swim in the creek. Maybe now we'll go to trapp family lodge. Or the rusty nail for ds#2 who needs some excitement after last night's dinner dance.

pupchic

Glad you made the bike bath! It's a nicely done one. Easy for all levels to enjoy. Have a beer up at the Trapp Family Lodge - and enjoy the views!! If you have a chance to drive up and through the Notch, it's beautiful all year though I am sure you'll be able to imagine it's beauty in the fall. Enjoy your trip to a special place...IC Scoops to cool off, perhaps. ;-)

pupchic

You'll appreciate my husband wants to ride up and over the Notch next year...thankfully, he's no novice!

pupchic

oops...on his bike, that is...