Shelburne Shipyard and the Ticonderoga

Over the weekend I stopped by Shelburne Shipyard, a marina on Lake Champlain. Founded in 1820, Shelburne Shipyard built a series of steamboats in the 19th and early 20th centuries that provided vital marine transportation in the Champlain Valley.

Twelve side-wheel steamboats were built at the shipyard, the last being the 220-foot Ticonderoga in 1906. The steamboat operated as a day boat on Lake Champlain and served ports in Vermont and New York until 1953.

Two years later, the Ticonderoga was pulled from the lake and moved two miles overland to Shelburne Museum, where it stands today as a National Historic Landmark.

Moving the Ticonderoga to Shelburne Museum (courtesy of UVM).

The Ticonderoga today (courtesy of Shelburne Museum).

**If you go: Steamboat Ticonderoga at Shelburne Museum
Photographs by Louis L. McAllister of the Ticonderoga's move
Shelburne Shipyard
Map

Wrightsville Reservoir in Middlesex

Just north of Montpelier on Route 12 is Wrightsville Reservoir. Located in the town of Middlesex on the north branch of the Winooski River, the reservoir is open during the summer months for swimming, boating, kayaking and canoeing.

I used to spend countless summer days at the reservoir when I lived in Montpelier in the mid-1990s. But only recently did I discover the road that runs along the reservoir's dam, which offers a beautiful view to the north (see above photo).

**If you go: Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area
Town of Middlesex
Map

Moving to the Queen City

A sailboat named Odyssey near Perkins Pier in Burlington.

Burlington is a place that has been part of my life since childhood. I went to summer camp on Lake Champlain in the early 1980s and used to take a Greyhound bus from Manchester to visit my sister at the University of Vermont.

I lived in Burlington for a brief time after college, and years later Dave and I became engaged while vacationing here in 2003.

Last week we sold our home in rural Chittenden County and officially became residents of Burlington. While moving is never fun for anyone, the transition has been an easy one for us. We downsized and simplified our lifestyle, and we are living in a community we both know and love.

Burlington, also known as the Queen City, is located in northwestern Vermont on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain. The city is home to just 40,000 residents and is Vermont's largest city. The city's restaurants, bike path and festivals will definitely keep us busy over the next few months.

More than anything, I'm looking forward to the spectacular sunsets over Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks.

**If you go: Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce
Burlington Parks and Recreation
Lake Champlain Bikeways
Church Street Marketplace

A view of the city from Lake Champlain.

Church Street Marketplace is a popular destination in Burlington.

Summer Solstice

Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe.

What are your plans for summer? Dave and I just sold our house a few days ago and moved to Burlington (I'll be posting about that soon). Moving has been a total whirlwind, so I'm looking forward to relaxing with family and friends this summer and enjoying the Vermont outdoors.

What about you? Do your summer plans include a visit to Vermont or New England?

The Many Views of Mount Mansfield

Mount Mansfield is easy to recognize from the east and west. But what I love about Vermont's tallest peak is that you can see it from so many angles, and the mountain looks different from every perspective.

The above photo was taken from the north in Cambridge, and I find it to be Mount Mansfield's most dramatic view. Below are a couple of photos of Mount Mansfield taken in different areas and seasons.

A view of Mount Mansfield in Stowe.

A view of Mount Mansfield in Underhill.

The Cusp of Summer

Sunset over Lincoln Peak in Warren.

I took these photos in 2007, just a few months after Dave and I moved to Vermont. I remember being in awe of the landscape that first summer -- it was all so beautiful and new. Even though I've been back in Vermont for a few years now, the mountains and fields of summer still take my breath away.

After a summer rain storm in Warren.

Scenes from Woodstock

Dave and I are due for another road trip to Woodstock. Settled in 1768, Woodstock is repeatedly named one of the prettiest small towns in America. When you visit, you'll quickly understand why.

Here you'll find historic homes and local businesses lining the streets, a covered bridge in the middle of town, Billings Farm & Museum and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park.

In Vermont: An Explorer's Guide, I came across the following quote about Woodstock by Senator Jacob Collamer (1791-1865) that pretty much sums it up: "The good people of Woodstock have less incentive than others to yearn for heaven."

**If you go: Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce

A listing of local events and meetings

Local businesses on Central Street

The Woodstock Inn & Resort

Orchids in Weston

Every year Dave and I celebrate our wedding anniversary at the Inn at Weston in Weston, where we were married in 2004. When we visit the inn, we always take a tour of the orchid greenhouse on the property.

Innkeeper Bob Aldrich has been growing orchids for 20 years and owns a private orchid collection that includes more than 500 different species. Bob and his wife Linda previously had medical careers in New Jersey before moving to Vermont in 2001 to realize their dream of running an inn. For Bob, tending to the orchid greenhouse is an added bonus.

A Taste of Vermont Cheeses

I just bought tickets to this summer's annual Vermont Cheesemakers Festival in Shelburne. The July 25 festival at Shelburne Farms will showcase more than 100 types of cheese from local cheesemakers. The event made its debut last year and sold out ahead of time. It was a huge hit.

Vermont cheese has become incredibly popular in recent years, but cheesemaking is hardly new. Vermont is a national leader in the American artisanal cheese renaissance, and the state has been home to cheesemaking since the 1800s.

These days, Vermont cheesemakers produce more than 100 varieties of small-batch specialty cheeses, ranging from cheddar and blue to chèvre and feta.

You can find dozens of Vermont cheesemakers on the famous Vermont Cheese Trail, including Taylor Farm in Londonderry, Grafton Village Cheese, Vermont Butter and Cheese Company in Websterville, and Willow Hill Farm in Milton.

For details, visit www.vtcheese.com.

See you in Shelburne!

See related post: A New Face on the Vermont Cheese Trail.

Hapgood Pond in Peru

I was 14 when I first visited Hapgood Pond in Peru on a hot summer day in June 1985. My friend Katie invited me to spend the afternoon at this beautiful spot in the Green Mountain National Forest.

Like typical young teenagers, we spent hours gossiping, swimming and sunbathing. Back then, using an SPF sunblock wasn't anywhere on our radar -- it was baby oil all the way. Even though I fell asleep in the sun and ended up with a blazing sunburn on my back, that day at Hapgood Pond turned out to be one of my fondest memories.

Hapgood Pond was the first area in Vermont to become part of the Green Mountain National Forest in the 1930s. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day, the seven-acre pond is open for swimming, fishing and limited boating. The land surrounding Hapgood Pond includes a picnic area, 28 campsites and a nature trail.

After all these years, I still love spending time at this scenic, peaceful place.