TEXAS RANGER: Lake Champlain to Burlington, VT June 27--July 2

We departed Chipman Point Marina for a leisurely cruise up lower Lake Champlain. We passed Fort Ticonderoga with its guns facing south, since it was originally built by the French as Fort Carillon, to defend against an English invasion of Lake Champlain. We also passed a cable ferry, which is pulled across the water by cables attached to each shore. After the ferry passes, the cables then slacken and sink back to the bottom. One cannot pass within a couple of hundred yards of these vessels, however, for fear of getting caught up in their cables. After passing Crown Point, with its new bridge and the monument pictured, we arrived in Kingsland Bay mid-afternoon. This is an almost totally enclosed long, narrow bay, with beautiful trees adorning rock hills along both sides. Near one end is a state park in which many families were sunbathing, swimming, and kayaking. A number of sailboats were moored along the edges, and over the two days which we stayed probably 40 others came and went, some for the day, and some overnight. The water was pristine, clear, and cool. The dinghy was launched and run without the need to flush the engine, and the sides of the hull were cleaned! Ron, Michele, Kay, and I enjoyed the acquaintance of Pierre and Danielle, French Canadians who were spending the week on their boat. In fact, according to Pierre, the majority of boats on the lake and in its marinas are Canadian. He also shared with us a number of tips related to traveling in Canada. We then moved north to a marina in downtown Burlington, VT. It is a busy place, with large ferries from across the lake and large tour boats docking nearby. Most of the boats in the marina do appear to be occupied by French Canadians, so it is an interesting mix. They all stood watching as we docked, but were denied the "adventure" that they probably anticipated with the arrival of such a large vessel. My deckhand is really good! They partied on the dock late the first night, but their taste in music (country western) was good, and most left the following day. We will do some minor last minute restocking while here, being careful not to load up with those items (e.g. potatoes and apples) which cannot be imported into Canada.

I got a haircut, changed some currency into Canadian, and resupplied groceries as needed. We spent some time sightseeing in Burlington, an eclectic town somewhat reminiscent of Austin. It has a number of blocks of pedestrian mall, and is very dog-friendly. The free shuttle bus that runs a couple of miles up and down the main thoroughfare toured us past old homes and buildings, fraternity houses, and the University of Vermont and its associated medical school and hospital. We plan to leave July 2 for the upper reaches of Lake Champlain just a few miles south of the Canadian border, spend the night there, and then move into Canada July 3. We should clear customs and move up the Richelieu River. I hope to clear the Richelieu River and the nine locks of the Chambly Canal that day and then perhaps spend a night in Chambly before moving on out into the St. Lawrence River at Sorel. From there, we will travel over a few days to Quebec City, which may be the next spot with an internet connection. We will have limited (and expensive) cell phone service, but perhaps no data available ($2/Mb) unless we can find a Canadian provider and plan. So, we will be practicing our (non-existent) French and enjoying our neighbors to the north between now and the next post!