Monday, August 27, 2018 - Visiting Champlain Lake and the Champlain Islands - Grilling at the Campsite

Monday, August 27, 2018 - Visiting Champlain Lake and the Champlain Islands - Grilling at the Campsite

It was 9:30 before we left for today's adventure.  Even though we were right on Lake Champlain at our last campground in New York, it was located about mid-way in the state.  In Vermont we are in the northern part of the state, and just a short distance away from Lake Champlain and what is known as the Champlain Islands.
  

The trees are beginning to change to teh fall colors.  We are seeing more of them every day.

Beautiful picture of flowers and hummingbird on this building.

I discovered that Lake Champlain is the largest lake in the United States outside of the Great Lakes.  It is split between New York, Vermont and a small portion is in Canada.  Dean and I love being near the water so we wanted to explore more of this area.

We left our campground near Fairfax and took 104A to Highway 7, then headed south until we intersected with Highway 2. 

Near Sand Bar State Park before, and the lake as we crossed the bridge to the first island, Grand Isle.

Our first stop was at Grand Isle State Park, located in the middle of Grand Isle.  We stopped and visited with the young lady in the office.  An interesting tidbit about Vermont State Parks, they have no hookups (water, electric or sewer).  She told us we were welcome to drive around and take a look.  Before leaving, we asked if she could recommend a place to eat lunch somewhere on the Islands.  She suggested a sandwich shop in North Hero.  After we left the office we drove through the campground.  The sites were all very nice and clean but very few would be big enough for our Bentley.  We saw many small tent campers, RPods, and other similar sized units.  Tody and the next couple of days are supposed to be quite warm, in the 90's.  Not normal temperatures for the area at this time of the year.

Map of Lake Champlain

There has not been one state we have traveled through from Kansas to Vermont that has not had fields and fields of corn, and that goes for soybeans as well.

Beautiful flowers in one of the parks.

Another thing about Vermont - it is a Dairy State - we saw several dairy farms within the Champlain Lake area.

Draw-bridge before crossing on to Island where North Hero is located.

If you enlarge this you can see the sailboat about midway above.

North Hero is located at the north end of the second island.  Soon after the town sign we drove by a large two story store with gas pumps out front.  We were not sure if it was the restaurant the young lady mentioned or not, so we continued to drive down the road to see if there were other places to stop.  We soon realized it wsa the only sandwich shop, so we turned around and drove back to "Hero's Welcome".  This was quite a place - it not only was a sandwich shop, it had desserts/rolls/muffins, a tea and coffee area, a small amount of grocery items, candy, dishes, kitchen items, etc.  In the back they rent kayaks, canoes, bicycles, etc. to people visiting the island.  We both ordered a sandwich - mine was a chicken salad wrap and Dean had a ham/cheese sandwich, both of them pretty good.  We also bought a bottle of water and a package of potato chips.  

Hero's Welcome Store - The Post Office is in the small building to the left.

Dock below the eating area.

Sitting area for lunch.  It was a beautiful day.

Across the road is a nice fence enclosed patio area with picnic tables and a few umbrellas.  There is a small boardwalk/dock down to the water.  Boats can tie up at the dock to visit the store.  While we were there a boat came in with a couple of young women who carried all kinds of camping equipment up to a van that was backed into the parking lot next to the patio.  Evidently they had been camping on one of the islands.  A short time later another boat pulled up with a couple, a young lady and two children and they went into the store.  A number of people pulled off the highway, ordered their food and left.  It was a very busy place.

Cabins for rent near North Hero.

Courthouse in North Hero, Grand Isle County

Bicycle built for two - traveling on North Hero Island

We drove north through the third and fourth islands.........

Island Line Trail (former rail road now walking/bike trail)

Swinging bridge to allow sail boats (and others) to pass through on the Island Line Trail

Sunflower Patch 

..................where we intersected with Highway 78 that led us through Swanton, VT, and St. Albans, VT.  We drove on to Milton to the grocery store where I bought a loaf of bread and hamburger buns.

A few pictures as we passed trough Swanton & St. Albans. 

Many of the bridges in these communties have similar flower boxes along them - usually 3 or more on each side, depending on the length of the bridge.

Beautiful hydrangeas at this home

Vermont Supreme Court , Franklin County Division, St. Albans, VT

Flowers on side of shop in downtown St. Albans

Can' t get enough of these beautiful old barns

Once we returned home we rested before Dean grilled some chicken thighs and a few skewers of marinated vegetables while I made rice.  It was a great meal.  

I failed to include a few pictures I took on Sunday that I'll share with you here:

Our campsite & Dean

Same barn - different views!

We drive by the following pictures coming and going to the campground.  Very beautiful.

All of these are between our campground and Milton, VT - just a few miles.  I just can't get enough of this beautiful countryside!

Thanks for following along, thanks to all of you that comment.  I love hearing from you.