We took it easy this morning before catching the noon ferry across Lake Champlain from Plattsburgh, NY, to Grand Isle, Vermont. It was a pleasant 15-minute crossing. From Grand Isle, a bridge connects to Vermont's mainland, and we soon entered the big city of Burlington.
Plattsburgh, NY to Grand Isle, VT ferry
Crossing Lake Champlain
Fun fact: Burlington, with a population of just under 45,000, is Vermont's most populous city. It is the least populous city in the United States to be the most populous city in its state.
We passed through Vermont last year on our Northeast High Points trip, but the weather was poor, our visit was short, and we left without checking out quirky Burlington. Today, we would remedy that oversight.
Flying monkeys: The first two of Burlington's six large, steel, flying monkey sculptures was created in the 1970s as part of the Wizard of Oz theme of a waterbed store called Emerald City. The waterbed store is long closed, but the city seems to have adopted the flying monkey as an unofficial mascot. We spotted the sculptures atop two prominent buildings along the city's harbor.
Union Station flying monkey
Burlington Bay
Lake Champlain Navy Memorial
Like Loch Ness with its legendary monster, Lake Champlain is home to a famous creature too. There have been over 300 reported sightings of “Champ,” dating back to 1609. Can't argue with that.
Champ and Jana
Tom on the waterfront
Burlington, Vermont
Other strange and wonderful sights: Rhino House, the World's Tallest Filing Cabinet, and the statue “Reverence,” aka Whales Tails. The filing cabinet was my favorite. It stands over 40 feet tall and features 38 drawers, each representing a year of paperwork related to a delayed roadway project. Whales Tails is amusing for the fact that Vermont is a landlocked state.
Rhino House
World's Tallest Filing Cabinet
"Reverence" aka Whales Tails
Lodging: Grey Fox Inn, Stowe, VT. A very nice hotel catering to skiers during the snowy months. It is mere minutes from Vermont's highest point, Mount Mansfield, which we will be summiting for the second time tomorrow.
Mount Mansfield from our hotel
Dinner: Tom's oldest nephew, Alex, and his girlfriend, Sarah, live in nearby Williston and drove out to meet us for dinner at Idletyme Brewing in Stowe. The beer and food were good, and the company was even better. Alex and Sarah are going to join us again tomorrow for our hike.
Alex and Sarah