3 Day Tour Around Lake Champlain - Oh, the Lilacs!

On Memorial Day weekend, I set out on an easy, scenic 100-mile route circling northern Lake Champlain, doable with my current fitness, divided into 3 manageable days. I like to enjoy roadside wildflowers, architecture, historic markers, and even garage sales! I waited until the bike ferry opened; it's a pleasant lake crossing, bypassing a busy road in favor of pedaling South Hero's gorgeous Westside Road. With some rain in the forecast, I hoped the light itinerary would allow me to choose a dry window for cycling each day.

Lilacs were in bloom, their heady scent perfuming the route, so much so that I dubbed my adventure "the lilac tour." Mmmmm.

Point Au Roche's rooms purposely lack a TV, overlook manicured grounds, and have private decks. It's a wonderful spot to enjoy birdlife, and I even saw a woodchuck.

One of my favorite places to stay is Point Au Roche Lodge. Located at "D" on the map. It's a low-key, rustic place with lovely, large rooms, a gazebo to relax in (or park your bike discreetly out of sight), and a kitchen to cook your own food. I brought some items from home for dinner and breakfast, supplemented with convenience store food.

The lower right photo shows the remains of a wooden railroad trestle that once crossed the lake.

It rained early on the second day, but let up by 10am, so  I cycled northward on an amazing tailwind, all the way to Rouses Point! I ate a breakfast bagel at Lakeside Coffee Roasters, relaxed for an hour, then slowly climbed and descended the Missisquoi Bridge to Vermont, amidst buffeting sidewinds. 

The roadway was busy, though with wide shoulders, until I turned towards Alburgh, then located the Alburgh Rail Trail, a few yards off the main road. The trail is only 4 miles, but the remoteness and nearly singletrack through wetlands were a delight, with a birdsong serenade. The trail conveniently intersected with a side road to my destination, the Alburgh RV Resort, located at "H" on the map.

It was raining by the time I arrived at the campground, so I ducked into the recreation hall. I had a good experience last year at this spot. While primarily an RV resort, there's a communal grassy area beneath trees that serves as a tent area; people are nice; there's a lakefront area, and I called ahead to pay, because reception is often closed, though the proprietors are only a phone call away. It was a chilly 50F and still windy, so I snuggled inside my packable jacket - a necessary item - and read for a while, until the rain stopped. I set up my tent, then returned to the sheltered entryway to cook dinner before settling down to watch a movie on my Kindle in the tent.

I was warm and comfortable, earplugs blocking out the rain that continued overnight, but for some odd reason, that has never happened before, I didn't sleep for more than an hour - that was a long night! 

I had planned to make coffee on the third morning, but after packing up a soaked tent, I wanted to start on my 40+ mile journey south, once the storm had passed, knowing I could eat breakfast at a Maplefields convenience store 20 minutes away. The coffee and waffle breakfast sandwich tasted great!

The rest of the ride was pleasant. A slight headwind didn't hinder progress; Google's routing kept me off busy Route 2, and the lilac fragrance freshened the gentle island miles. I'm always amazed at the nicer waterfront homes slowly emerging along the lakeshore. I stopped for a rest at Hero's Welcome, engaged with cycle tourists from St. Louis, and waved to a lone tourist soon after I set off. 

I ate half my sandwich at the familiar Grand Isle ferry landing, filled water bottles, and an hour later returned on the bike ferry, arriving home at 3pm.

What a great route!