Mount Mansfield, VT

Tuesday, 24 June 2014

Heading off from Burlington, VT, on the Tuesday morning we headed east towards the village of Stowe.  North west of Stowe, about 15 km, stands the highest mountain in Vermont at 4393' (1339 m) - Mount Mansfield. 

 A toll road from the valley takes you to a parking area within a couple of hours walk to the summit - so that was our mission for the day. As we paid our toll (about $43 for a 3 km journey!) the woman at the gate advised that it was not recommended to walk to the summit today due to the weather forecast being thunderstorms and rain, all predicted to hit within the hour. But, as we are very brave souls, we tossed caution to the wind and headed up.

Ascending the mountain we passed many ski slopes and chair lifts but, of course, being summer they were all grassy slopes with no snow in sight.  Craig said it was marvellous skiing here in winter and they have been down here a couple of times to do just that. 

After parking the car we headed off along the rocky track to the summit. The weather was overcast and the summit appeared to be shrouded in mist - but no hint of a thunderstorm. What a wonderful walk - windy but not cold and marvellous views down to the valleys on each side of the mountain. 

We walked to within about 500 metres of the peak (about 100 metre below the summit) when the weather deteriorated but still no thunderstorm. However, we decided not to risk it and we didn't warm to the idea of making back to the car soaking wet.

Our little adventure culminated with a scrumptious lunch of jarlsberg and gorgonzola cheeses with salami on fresh crunchy baguettes washed down with Australian wine in a lovely leafy park on the edge of Stowe.  Mmmmmmm . . . . . yummy!

    View to the summit from the car park

            View to the valley below

 

     On the track - the summit shrouded in cloud

          Time to turn back

 Mmmmm . . . lunchtime!

Burlington, Vermont, USA

Last Monday we all (Vanessa, Craig, Di and myself) headed off for a three day journey through Vermont and New York State, USA.

Vermont is know as the Green Mountain State and driving through Vermont certainly confirms this description. It is very rural and, being summer bursting with new growth, is a beautiful place to be at the moment with little villages and towns lifted straight out of some movie set.

The first night we stayed in Burlington, a university town on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain. This is the largest city in Vermont with a population of about 40,000.

We hired bicycles and followed the cycle way along the shore of the lake and out along a causeway that extends out into the lake, a total distance of about 25km return. This path follows an old rail line that has long since been removed. The weather was glorious and the cycle way passed through leafy neighbourhoods, sandy beaches and crossed the Winooski River.

Monday night's dinner was Chinese cuisine on Church Street, the main street in Burlington and a lively outdoor eating area and pedestrian mall. Wonderful food at a reasonable price.

The hotel we stayed at was out of the main centre of the city. Craig and Vanessa had concerns about the hotel. Since the rooms all had outside doors (as most of our motels back home do) they called it the "murder hotel" as these are the types of hotels in the movies where murders occur. Oh great! Anyway, we survived the night and moved on to Mount Mansfield and Lake George the next day.

 

The waterfront on Lake Champlain, Burlington, VT

The cycle way through leafy neighbourhoods

Us on the cycle path along the causeway

Eating out on Church Street Marketplace, Burlington

 Church Street Marketplace, Burlington

Nordik Spa-Natural in Chelsea, Quebec

As part of Vanessa's 40th birthday celebrations the women - Vanessa, Di and Shirley (Craig's mum) - spent most of Saturday slumming it at Nordik Spar-Nature in Gatineau.  Hours were spent there enjoying the spar pools and saunas - sheer hedonism! 

Meanwhile, us men slaved back at home cooking, washing floors and Eli (the dog), mowing the lawn and numerous other duties in prep for the Saturday night gig at home with friends. Mmmmm . . . some people have it good!

Vanessa's 40th Birthday Celebration

Yesterday we celebrated Vanessa's 40th birthday by going out for dinner to Arome Restaurant on Lac Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec, about 30 minutes drive from here.  John, Molly (Craig's father and partner), Kim (Craig's sister), Shirley and Mary (Craig's mother and grandmother) as well as Jack and Bethany all joined us for the occasion.

The food was superb (I had lobster with chicken) and the location, together with the long twilight here (there is light in the sky until nearly ten at night), made for a very enjoyable evening. The night was rounded of with the cutting of the birthday cake (lemon mousse) back home.

 

RH table from R to L: John, Molly, Bethany, Vanessa, Di & Graeme

LH table from L to R: Kim, Shirley, Craig, Mary and Jack

Our dinner view.

Vanessa and Craig

The 40 year old mum with her kids

Rideau Canal and the National Gallery of Canada

Today I visited the National Gallery of Canada by taking a very enjoyable bike ride in beautiful late spring weather along the banks of the Rideau Canal. From Vanessa and Craig's house the bike ride to downtown Ottawa takes about 30 minutes for a distance of about 10 km. It is a very picturesque ride and, as it follows a canal, is very suited to by cycle riding. Along this section of the canal there are a number of locks as it drops into the Ottawa River close to the National Gallery of Canada.

Outside the Gallery there exists a hugh sculpture of a black spider and the building itself is a bit of an architectural masterpiece. The Gallery is home to a number of works by Cezanna, Van Gogh and Gauguin.  There is a group of well know Canadian artists known as the Group of Seven who banded together to promote their style of art back in the early 1900's.  I found this interesting as it reminded me of a similar movement in Australian art in the late 1800's know as the Heidelburg School - well known artists such as Frederick McCubbin, Arthur Streeton and Tom Roberts.

The cycle path along the Rideau Canal

One of a number of locks along the Rideau Canal

   The huge spider sculpture outside the National Gallery of Canada

A painting by Canadian artist, Tom Thomson, who was influential in the formation of the Group of Seven

Ottawa, ON

After two connecting flights from LA and a total of six hours flying we finally reached our destination - Vanessa & Craig's in Ottawa, Ontario. BUT one big problem: bag #2 lost in transit - my backpack with all my camp and hike gear for the Appalachian Trail trek next month!

A quick visit to the lost baggage section of Ottawa airport assured us that the missing bag would be found and delivered by lunchtime the next day. As so it was - the recovered bag delivered by 9:00 am the next day. Good one, Air Canada!

Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles, USA

Since we had the best part of a day to kill in LA we headed down to Manhattan Beach, about a 10 min bus ride from our hotel. I'm surprised at the keen following here of the World Cup in Brazil. Every bar and cafe seemed to have the TV tuned into the event and there were cars driving around with various country flags flying out the window in support of their team.

Manhattan Beach is not unlike some of our beaches back home but, of course, no where near as good as ours (I'm showing my parochialism here!). Apparently this beach hosts the world's biggest beach volley ball competition and there is certainly plenty of evidence for that - umpteen volleyball nets up and down the beach!

 Is that Baywatch?

The Manhattan Beach pier.

Los Angeles, USA

Arrived ~9:30am Los Angeles, USA, after 13+ hours across the Pacific on an A380 Airbus. Managed to check in early at the Radisson next to LAX (yahoo! - now we can shower!). Off to Manhattan Beach for lunch and a stroll. Back on the plane tomorrow for Ottawa.

View from our Radisson Hotel room