As I write this post, Peggy and I are situated in a cozy little cabin near Chazy, New York. Lake Chaplain is 5 miles to the east and the Adirondack Mountains are 5 miles to the west. The Canadian Border is 6 miles to the north. Here, we are looking out at Lake Champlain from the New York side. The land in the distance is Isle La Motte in Vermont, one of several islands in the lake. The reflection caught our attention.Another view of Lake Champlain. No islands here. You’ve undoubtably heard of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, but have you heard of Champy, the Lake Champlain Monster that looks and behaves in the same way: illusive. And why am I thinking of Sasquatch now? Anyway there have been over 300 reported sightings of Champy over the years in the 125 mile long lake. I’ve stood on the edge of Loch Ness in an ancient ruined castle and searched the waters for Nessie. Minus the castle, I’ll do the same here. Just in case…
Peggy and I made a trip through New England in the fall 25 years ago when we had both taken a year-long sabbatical from our jobs. We decided it was time to visit the beautiful fall foliage again with Vermont and New Hampshire as our destination plus a side trip to Acadia National Park and a few of the scenic towns along Maine’s coast.
While one can normally expect fall foliage in Vermont to last into the first week in October, our arrival in the area suggested we were too late. There were more leaves on the ground than in the trees. The woman at the Sticky Fingers Bakery (yummy), on Route 100 up through the heart of Vermont, told us that the state was facing a serious drought. The normal 25 inches had turned into 6. That’s desert level rain! Hello Global warming! The leaves, she told us, hadn’t been nearly as vibrant and had dropped early.New England is beautiful with or without its colorful fall leaves, however. There would be plenty to occupy our time (and cameras). Our first night was spent in Williamstown, Massachusetts, a small town on the Vermont border. This colorful creek was flowing by the 1896 House and motel we were staying at.We found a brilliant white capped toadstool growing on the lawn. It literally defined white.Route 100 is chockfull of fun stores, restaurants and breweries to explore. The Vermont Country Store in Weston is the grandaddy of the stores. It was so big that Peggy got lost. I almost called for a search and rescue team. It turns out, however, what I call lost, Peggy calls shopping. She was busy buying Christmas presents. Our kids and grandkids love top grade Vermont maple syrup. And maple sugar candy. It melts in your mouth.
One of the clerks at the store told us that the peak of the fall color was the previous week. She suggested we drive over to Lake Champlain on Vermont’s western border to catch more color. That’s why I kicked this post off with photos from the lake.
The limited fall foliage didn’t mean there weren’t hold outs. A few trees had volunteered to stay dressed up for the week. The lack of color made them stand out! They were the belles of the ball, so to speak.We parked under striking orange and yellow leaves next to a small lake where we had stopped for lunch. Peggy was eating a cinnamon roll from the Sticky Fingers Bakery and I was eating an apple turnover. Healthy, huh?Looking out toward the lake.Even these two beatup holdouts were alive with color.Me, happily consuming my Sticky Fingers apple turnover. Peggy just had to take a photo.The winner for our fall Vermont colors was right outside a small cabin we had rented north of Stowe.Looking up through the leaves.This is our handsome little cabin and the tree. The cabin comes with a story.
Our original plan had been to stay in Stowe, Vermont. It’s considered the most picturesque of the Vermont towns. When I saw the $300-350 prices per night of available places left to stay, sticker shock set in. I started looking at the surrounding areas. This small cabin was about 25 miles to the north and came in at under $100. It was love at first sight. “Go for it!’ my buddy exclaimed. We like cabins in the woods. “Bring warm blankets,” the owner urged, which suggested that heating might be a problem. We threw in four quilts, a down cover and our backpacks.
Beyond that, I apparently didn’t read the small print.
After a pleasant drive over country roads, we arrived at the cabin. As promised, the owner had left the key in the door. Inside, we discovered our furniture was a double-bed sized futon and a coffee table. Electricity was a battery connected to a small lamp. Our water was in a large bottle on the porch. As for a bathroom, it was an outhouse located about 25 yards away. None of this mattered to us. We are backpackers. We even had an extra lantern, a backpacking stove and headlamps along.
The real challenge was the cold. Temperatures were dropping below freezing and the cabin came with air conditioning, i.e. gaps in the structure that guaranteed that the temperature inside matched the temperature outside. Somehow, I ended up with one blanket. Peggy ended up cozy. I’ve never been able to figure out how she does that. It was a warm blanket, however. My biggest problem was cold feet. I put on my slippers. The other problem was having to pee, not once, not twice, but three times. I rarely have to go twice and never 3 times! Out I dutifully went each time, at least off the porch.
Peggy woke up at 12:30 after my second trip and we renegotiated the blanket distribution. I actually slept warm and cozy up to 5:30 and my third adventure into the great outdoors. I managed three hours of sleep throughout the night. Not bad, considering.
I’ll conclude with a few fall photos we took near Chazy, NY, where we stayed after our Vermont cabin.
Cornfield and color. The dried corn shucks went with the season.Awe shucks.An old barn near Lake Champlain.The ghosts would be out dancing on their tombstones on a harvest moon night. T’is the season.While thinking ghostly thoughts, we came across this display in a small town near Chazy. Happy Halloween.For those of you who like old doors. It, too, has spooky potential.I’m betting you’ll know why we took this photo of an old buggy. Yellow.Red.I’ll conclude today with this roadside attraction. Next up, Peggy and I journey into the Adirondack Mountains where we find even more color and end up at Saranac Lake, a few miles from Lake Placid, site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. America’s Olympic teams still train there.A rainy day in the Adirondack Mountains.
As I mentioned, Vermont is beautiful regardless. It’s been a kick driving on back roads, Beth. Brrr is right. I’ve been paying more attention to the fine print. 😳It turns out our night in the cabin was the coldest so far! We did see more color in the Adirondacks yesterday.
Hi, Peggy. For all of our wandering, we really haven’t spent much time in New England. It’s been fun, even though we missed the peak season in Vermont. Our trip into the Adirondacks and our drive today down though Vermonts islands in Lake Champlain that are connected by bridges produce more. Tomorrow we will head across Vermont followed by New Hampshire and Maine.
Stowe was nice when we stayed there a few years ago. It was difficult getting a good timing on fall colors. We timed our trip for peak fall colors but a sudden cold arctic blast wiped out most of it.
I’ve decided it’s half lucking out. Grin. Fortunately, I found some good color in the Adirondacks. It was fairly good today when Peggy and I drove down through the islands in Lake Champlain.
Your cabin story reminds me of a night we spent in Wadi Rum, Jordan, in an ‘only naive tourists would stay here’ tent camp. In February. And it froze that night. Our beds were single cots and the single thin quilt was covered in a slippery fabric that encouraged it to slide to the floor every time you moved! The tents were full of holes…. All in all it makes for a great story about a really magnificent part of that deserty world.
Thanks for the tour and sparing me the trip in the cabin, Curt.. Yikes 3 times. at least you don’t get up half a dozen times. The colors look exquisite so thanks for taking us along. I’ve never been before so it’s fun to hear your stories and see your gorgeous photos. There’s nothing better than Vermont maple syrupl That I’ve had~
❣️
The second cabin was a delight, however, Cindy. I’ll talk about it in the next post. It seems like everything is maple around here. We’ve even tried maple lattes. 😊 I’m way behind on reading blogs. Too much to do. Will try to catch up when time.
Oh Curt, this one brought so many memories. ❤ It started right away when I realized I know how to pronounce Chazy! And when I worked in that area, my job with the National Weather Service required that periodically I drive to visit all of our volunteers in their homes, spread all over Vermont and northern New York. So I could picture every single place you mentioned – even the inside of the Vermont Country Store! I have specific memories of being on Route 100, but I usually tried to avoid it during “Peeper Season,” ha ha, when the leaf peepers arrive. I’m glad you found some brilliant Autumn colours after all. I am sad to hear about the drought.
Shay-zee, right? I had to look it up. Grin. Sounds like you had a fun job, at least I assume it was fun. I suspect the local weather volunteers were pleased to see you.
We found the leaf-peeping ‘hot spots’ to be crowded with Stowe and Acadia NY taking the prize for insanity. And I’m talking about mine. But the backroads we travelled had equal beauty and almost no traffic.
Yes! Shay-zee is correct. Stowe always seems to be madness, all year. But I am so glad you traveled the back roads, which seemed to me to be picture postcard lovely every season of the year.
I agree totally on the back roads, Crystal. They were a delight!
Ugh – I just erased my whole comment somehow. If you see two from me, sorry! We came down through New England on our way home from eastern Canada in early September and we were too EARLY for good leaves! Your photos are fantastic. We attended a wedding in Stowe a number of years ago and remember the sticker shock. Loved the cabin story also (note I said the story and not the cabin – haha).
Hi, Lexi! The timing is fickle, we discovered. The trees were mainly naked as we drove up through central Vermont but wearing their best fall splendor when we crossed through northern Vermont a few days later! Thanks. Sticker shock and leaf peeping season go hand and hand, sigh. One of the joys of capitalism, I guess. Even the $20 cabin was $90. But, hey, a good story is a good story, right!
Wandering through Time and Place 
Despite the drought, you still got some great fall colors photos!
Lots more coming, Diana.
It’s very rare that I can say this about one of your adventures, Curt, but when it comes to that cabin, better you than me! 😁
As your photos show, sometimes beauty stands out better when contrasted with drab – a pleasure as always to see them.
Wisely so, Ray.
Agreed. There’s that point when you are surrounded, you say, ‘Oh, look, another beautiful tree.’ No need for another photograph. 😵💫
Curt, what a fun adventure! You may have missed the peak colors but you still saw some fall beauty. All I can say about the cabin is Brrrrrr!
As I mentioned, Vermont is beautiful regardless. It’s been a kick driving on back roads, Beth. Brrr is right. I’ve been paying more attention to the fine print. 😳It turns out our night in the cabin was the coldest so far! We did see more color in the Adirondacks yesterday.
Thanks so much. I’ve always wanted to visit New England in autumn.
Hi, Peggy. For all of our wandering, we really haven’t spent much time in New England. It’s been fun, even though we missed the peak season in Vermont. Our trip into the Adirondacks and our drive today down though Vermonts islands in Lake Champlain that are connected by bridges produce more. Tomorrow we will head across Vermont followed by New Hampshire and Maine.
Stowe was nice when we stayed there a few years ago. It was difficult getting a good timing on fall colors. We timed our trip for peak fall colors but a sudden cold arctic blast wiped out most of it.
I’ve decided it’s half lucking out. Grin. Fortunately, I found some good color in the Adirondacks. It was fairly good today when Peggy and I drove down through the islands in Lake Champlain.
Your cabin story reminds me of a night we spent in Wadi Rum, Jordan, in an ‘only naive tourists would stay here’ tent camp. In February. And it froze that night. Our beds were single cots and the single thin quilt was covered in a slippery fabric that encouraged it to slide to the floor every time you moved! The tents were full of holes…. All in all it makes for a great story about a really magnificent part of that deserty world.
Laughing. The best stories are often (usually) the biggest challenges.
More great pictures! The New England fall is dramatic!!
Steve
Thanks, Steve. Yes it is!
Thanks for the tour and sparing me the trip in the cabin, Curt.. Yikes 3 times. at least you don’t get up half a dozen times. The colors look exquisite so thanks for taking us along. I’ve never been before so it’s fun to hear your stories and see your gorgeous photos. There’s nothing better than Vermont maple syrupl That I’ve had~
❣️
The second cabin was a delight, however, Cindy. I’ll talk about it in the next post. It seems like everything is maple around here. We’ve even tried maple lattes. 😊 I’m way behind on reading blogs. Too much to do. Will try to catch up when time.
Oh Curt, this one brought so many memories. ❤ It started right away when I realized I know how to pronounce Chazy! And when I worked in that area, my job with the National Weather Service required that periodically I drive to visit all of our volunteers in their homes, spread all over Vermont and northern New York. So I could picture every single place you mentioned – even the inside of the Vermont Country Store! I have specific memories of being on Route 100, but I usually tried to avoid it during “Peeper Season,” ha ha, when the leaf peepers arrive. I’m glad you found some brilliant Autumn colours after all. I am sad to hear about the drought.
Shay-zee, right? I had to look it up. Grin. Sounds like you had a fun job, at least I assume it was fun. I suspect the local weather volunteers were pleased to see you.
We found the leaf-peeping ‘hot spots’ to be crowded with Stowe and Acadia NY taking the prize for insanity. And I’m talking about mine. But the backroads we travelled had equal beauty and almost no traffic.
Yes! Shay-zee is correct. Stowe always seems to be madness, all year. But I am so glad you traveled the back roads, which seemed to me to be picture postcard lovely every season of the year.
I agree totally on the back roads, Crystal. They were a delight!
Ugh – I just erased my whole comment somehow. If you see two from me, sorry! We came down through New England on our way home from eastern Canada in early September and we were too EARLY for good leaves! Your photos are fantastic. We attended a wedding in Stowe a number of years ago and remember the sticker shock. Loved the cabin story also (note I said the story and not the cabin – haha).
Hi, Lexi! The timing is fickle, we discovered. The trees were mainly naked as we drove up through central Vermont but wearing their best fall splendor when we crossed through northern Vermont a few days later! Thanks. Sticker shock and leaf peeping season go hand and hand, sigh. One of the joys of capitalism, I guess. Even the $20 cabin was $90. But, hey, a good story is a good story, right!