Looking to stay away from crowds on July 4th weekend, we decided to take a mini road trip, doing a loop from the Fort Ticonderoga Ferry, across Lake Champlain, and back to Whitehall, NY by way of Vermont. The day was perfect for the top down on the Thunderbird, and it was great to be on the Ti ferry that had reopened with new owners this season, after being closed for a couple of years.
It isn't a long trip across to VT on this stretch of the lake (about 15 minutes), but the interesting part about it is that the motor-powered ferry runs on two large cables to keep it on track. Boats crossing in front or behind it must be very careful to wait until the cables sink. The captain was a woman and ever so friendly!
When we arrived in Shoreham, VT, we noticed a huge spool sitting on the shore, which we believe is what the cable originally came on.
After a pretty trip though farm country, we ended up at Skene Manor in Whitehall, which is about halfway up a mountain. It is now a tearoom and open for lunch on the weekends. We came for the view but will have to come back again for a tour and light meal.
We had brought our own picnic lunch and found a perfect spot along the Champlain Canal to take a break. This is the last northbound lock before Lake Champlain starts opening up.
The mansion you see in the background of the above photo is Skene Manor, which is where Philip Skene lived. He founded Whitehall in 1759, which was originally called Skenesborough. Click on the photo below and zoom in to read about him.
There was also a museum near where we picnicked, and we will have to return to go inside. Whitehall is said to be the birthplace of the U.S. Navy. Outside though, is an old caboose, and the remains of the wooden ship, U.S.S.Ticonderoga from the 1800s.
We took the back roads on our trip back to Ti, passing by the trail leading up Black Mountain, which overlooks Lake George. We have never seen so many vehicles at the base of this hiking trail, so we were glad we chose our "road less travelled." It was another '10' day of explorations!
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