Link to My Maps on Google Maps
After getting up a bit late we still had to run a couple of errands. Getting some last minute bike work done before hitting the road and sending back some items we had overpacked. Then it was down to Local Motion, a great biking resource at the lake front in Burlington. Ron one of the owners of Local Motion as well as Bike Recycle Vermont was extremley helpful (along with his staff) of getting us the right maps of the area. Local motion rents bikes, inline skates, as well as being a great advocate of bike trails in the lake region. The have done great job with the excellent bike trails around the lake.
I just had to take a picture of this building right next to Local Motion. Notice the animated gargoyles.
 |
| From Velo Quebec 2007 |
There is a great bike trail in the works called the Island Line Trail that is a great example of "Rails to Trails". It follows the path of an old trail line running from Burlington to the Champlain Islands. There is only one problem. The old rail steel was in severely bad shape that they had to tear it all out; which included a bridge that let boats through the train line. So now there is a 500 foot gap in the trail in the middle of the lake. Local Motion has oraganized a ferry to transport bikes over "The Cut" but it is only operating on the weekends in August; so needless to say we had to take the long way around. This added some time and distance but also put us together with a bit of high speed traffic.
I will say though that the stretch of bike trail from downtown Burlington to the Winooski River Bridge is a real gem. The view strethes all the way to the other side of the lake into New York State. After crossing the bridge you will soon see a local park. If you are going to take the fery on the Island Line Trail you would make a left at the park but we were taking the long rote on highway 2 so we head left until we reached Holy Cross Road.
Watch this intersection. The street signs are not to clear hear. Look for the coffee shop on the corner. Just a reminder there really isn't any place to stop for food until you reach the islands. About the only plance is the Exxon Gas Station before turning onto Highway 2. From here out out you bicycle on Highway 2 which has very wide shoulders but the traffic is doing about 60 mph.
Once on the island however, we did stop for lunch and some ice cream (this is Vermont!) at the Apple Island Store on the south east corner of the Theodore Roosevelt Highway 2 and South St. We also found our first apple tree so we picked a couple and headed on our way down the highway until Ferry Road which got us of the main drag and along a secondary road along the islands west shore. The road takes you right past the ferry landing for the Plattsburgh to Grand Island Ferry. While riding along you get a feel for the fact that in addition to being a beautiful tourist island it is also the home of many family working farms, so we did get behind a few slow moving tractors transporting the summer hay.
Moving north we did stop a the well known Hero's Welcome, a combination, gas station, general store, deli, bike and boat rental shop, and local coffee hangout in the town of North Hero. Just after this stop I caught this local gentleman getting ready for Fall with the town display.
 |
| From Velo Quebec 2007 |
By now it was getting late and we had made reservations at the Terry Lodge on Isle La Motte's West Shore. Since the island is a side island the highway does not go through it at all so it is much quieter traffic wise. It was a great way to wrap up the day with the sun going down in the west over the New York side of the Lake. I was told to look for the row of Chairs facing the water; and as we rounded the corner; well there they were.
 |
| From Velo Quebec 2007 |
After a nice meal of pasta and with some excellent sausage and meatballs, garlic bread, lemonade, and some excellent pastry for desert, I took a walk along the shore. Sitting in the chairs at about 9:30 pm watching the lights on the lakeshore it New York was a nice way to finish the days ride.
66 miles
84 cummulative miles.
View Larger Map
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment