July 11 - Alburgh, VT to Umbagog Lake State Park, NH

Today we finally stopped to smell a rose or two. Those roses looked an awfully lot like covered bridges and water falls. They didn't smell all that fine, but they were nice to look at.

Leaving the Alburgh RV Resort, we headed east still trying to state as far north as we could and still stay in the US. We did decide to keep to roads that were likely to be paved. We found the roads in Vermont to be well maintained.

The landscape was flatter than we had expected. We had thought that the mountains of southern Vermont would, of course, just continue straight up to the Canadian border. The Green Mountains bend to the east in the northern part of the range. The land between Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains is fairly flat and pastoral. The towns are small and quaint in that typical New England way.

At Enosburg Falls, we stopped at the Bridge of Flowers and Light over the Missisquoi River. The bridge is an abandoned highway bridge that has been restored and re-purposed as a pedestrian bridge and viewing platform for the river and a waterfalls. The falls are unique. They are formed by two cement walls set at a sharp angle to each other. The reason for the walls is to deliver water in the river to a penstock for a small hydro-electric plant.

Pictures of the falls and other stops along this day's drive are here.


View Alburgh to Umbagog in a larger map

The first surprise of the day was covered bridges. The first one we stumbled upon was the Longely Bridge, built in 1863. Not far down the road was the Comstock Bridge built in 1883. Finding covered bridges is fun and dragging the Scamp through one is even more fun.

At the Jay Peak Ski Resort, we stopped for a couple hours so that I could ride the tram to the top of the peak. The peak is tall enough that, had it been a clearer day, we would have been able to see Quebec City. We were now in the Green Mountains and all the roads all the way to the coast are twisty and curvy. Fun for the driver, if tiring; perhaps, not so much fun, at times, for a passenger.

Rounding a huge curve to the right on a steep downhill just after cresting Dixville Notch in New Hampshire, I happened to glance to the left and saw a castle. It sure looked like a Bavarian castle. Turns out, it was a resort - a pretty fancy resort called The Balsams. Unfortunately, I didn't stop and turn around for a closer, better look. Next time we passing by this way, we're stopping. No question.

We set up camp at Umbagog Lake State Park in eastern New Hampshire, just a stone's throw from the Maine border. The lake was quiet and scenic. The campground was kind of rustic. It had the usual amenities but whole place felt like it was stuck in the 1950's.

This night, Nancy did NOT beat Fred at the 3-13 card game. Instead, she demonstrated her superior card skills by beating Fred at the game "Hand and Foot".