VERMONT!
We (George & I) had a pleasant ride to the fort at Crown Point, skirting a portion of the east end of the Adirondacks and riding through pretty farmland. Those aren’t Midwest hills.
The Crown Point fort’s strategic location blocked the movement of any shipping north or south on Lake Champlain. The French built it to protect from British invasion from the south. The fort was the site of many battles, and was a key staging ground, in the French and Indian War and later in the Revolution.
However, looming large in the background of the picture below, look carefully,
After crossing the bridge the welcome sign!
Very quickly the Vermont hills hit us; I had not used my granny gear for weeks until yesterday, and with repeat use today. As a friend said “ I'm sure on your trip that you've seen some challenging roads, but in Vermont all roads are challenging.” So I am finding.
However, the beautiful, bucolic countryside is spell binding. Note the hills in the distance - there just is no easy way over them.
A “bit” of climbing and we found ourselves at Middlebury College and having lunch in town. Middlebury is, as you might imagine, a picturesque Vermont town with a creek through the middle of it.
After lunch, onto my cousin’s, Lisa, B&B (Cornwall Orchards) in Cornwall, Vermont. This is a wonderful spot, come and visit! We had a great dinner, 6 of us, and caught up on many old times, and new.
The ride has been long, and the mountains big, but here I am, in New England. I left Seattle two months ago today, June 1. That date seems like ages ago. Many miles have gone by, some hard mentally, some hard physically but all an unforgettable experience.
By the numbers:
Dist. 37.6 miles
Elev Gain 2,396 ft
Elev Loss 2,175 ft
Moving Time 3:36
Total Dist 3,544 miles
Estimated Dist Remaining 221 miles
Congratulations W on arriving back in New England, after 3544 miles of riding. Quite an adventure. By my calculations you are 94.1% through your trip. Pretty amazing.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to New England. Can’t wait to see you in NH.
ReplyDeleteWow -- Vermont, another state and milestone. If my count is correct, VT is your 12th state. And two months on the road will make any time earlier seem very remote, might as well be back in the Coolidge administration.
ReplyDeleteSo back to the hills. The Appalachian hills were steep, but not high, so we had sharp switchbacks to the top and then more down. They were more like climbing ridges. VT hills may be different, but equally tiring. So take your time, as Satchel said, "Start out slow and taper off."
The fort was interesting as well as the history. French & Indian War has not been a subject I followed much. The East has such a richness of history that it makes the West look almost blank by comparison. I am sure there will be much more in New England as there was for us in Virginia.
In riding cross counry, I was impressed at how rural America is. I think I mentioned this before. It seems most countries are. I was impressed this way with France, too. Enjoy the peaceful scenery if not the hills....eg