Lake Champlain is the largest body of fresh water in the U.S. after the Great Lakes, and at 120 miles in length and an average depth of 400? and 12 miles across, everything about it is impressive. But more impressive than its size is its unspoiled beauty. In a state already known for conservation and back-to-nature vacations, Lake Champlain is the secret destination for a growing number of New England vacationers.
Here?s my pick of five destinations and attractions in the Lake Champlain region when you visit...
ISLAND HOPING VERMONT STYLE:
The northern half of Lake Champlain contains a wonderful patchwork of Islands. The largest of the Islands are interconnected with each other and the Vermont mainland by Route 2 in the south and Route 78 in the north. Following Route 2 from south to north will take you through the picturesque towns of South Hero, Grand Isle, North Hero, and Alburg just a few miles from the Canadian border.
The Lake Champlain Islands? terrain is flat to gentle rolling hills, which means bicycling is a popular way to get around on vacation. In most areas you?ll have unobstructed views of Vermont?s Green Mountains to the east, and New York?s Adirondacks to the west.
BURLINGTON - LAKE CHAMPLAIN?S CITY
Though Montpelier is the state capital of Vermont, its largest city is Burlington, which sits on the shore of Lake Champlain, with the stunning backdrop to the east of the Green Mountains.
Activities in Burlington include ECHO, Vermont?s world-class lake aquarium and science center on the waterfront, Lake Champlain Chocolates guided factory tour, where you can see these famous chocolates made right before your eyes, and The Ethan Allen Homestead and Museum. Complete your day with a train ride through the beautiful Champlain Valley on the Green Mountain Railroad. The train meanders through gently rolling green pastures to Shelburne and back.
CRUISES ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Two cruise boats operate on Lake Champlain in the summer - "The Spirit of Ethan Allen III" accommodates 500 people and the "Northern Lights" has room for 150 guests. Both these boats leave from the docks in Burlington.
While cruising you?ll listen as tour guides discuss the Lake Champlain region?s rich revolutionary past, the importance of the Native Americans of this area, and interesting facts about the Lake. But center stage on either cruise is the stunning views of the Islands and the surrounding mountains of Vermont and New York.
DIVING FOR WRECKS
If diving for wrecks is your passion then in Lake Champlain you?ve come to the right place. The Lake is considered by many divers to have the best collection of historic shipwrecks in North America.
Eight of these wrecks are preserved for the enjoyment of divers, and under the watchful eye of the Lake Champlain Underwater Historic Preserve. These wrecks offer a unique experience for northeast diving. The types of wrecks vary from a horse ferry to canal boats, with some located close to both the Vermont and New York shorelines of the Lake. Diving experience required ranges from beginner to advance.
For more information on these wrecks visit the Preserve?s site at www.lcmm.org.
LAKE CHAMPLAIN MARITIME MUSEUM
The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is located near Vergennes, and is a marvelous way to experience the historical significance of the lake. The museum at Basin Harbor provides opportunities to step back in time as you explore a Revolutionary War gunboat, watch craftsmen use traditional shipbuilding skills, and learn about nautical life in the Champlain Valley during the conflicts of the 18th century.
The Museum is self-guided but has plenty of demonstrations for you to stop and view as you wander around.
STATE PARKS ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN
There are over 50 State Parks in Vermont, and the Lake Champlain area contains twelve of those state parks, and includes: Alburg Dunes, Knight Point, Sandy Bar, Burton Island, Grand Isle, Knight Island, North Hero, and Woods Island in the Lake Champlain Island chain. Other state parks on the Lake?s shore are: Kill Kare, Kingsland Bay, Button Bay, and DAR.
Within these Vermont State Parks are opportunities for hiking, biking, camping, boating, fishing, picnicking, and swimming. The parks are a wonderful way to relax and enjoy the waters of the Lake for a day or longer, and to hike trails in between a swim and reading your novel.
About The Author: For more details on other Vermont destinations and to grab your free valuable travel reports go to Cliff's New England Vacation site at: http://www.new-england-vacations-guide.com/
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The Desert's Most Remarkable DwellingChuck Fitzgerald C2006. All Rights Reserved.
On a recent hike in Arizona's Sonoran Desert, I stumbled upon one of nature's most remarkable dwellings. It wasn't made by force of water, wind or sun. And it wasn't made by any creature either - well, not quite. I'm talking about the Saguaro "Boot." What in the world is the saguaro boot and what makes it the desert's most versatile dwelling? The saguaro boot has an interesting story, one worth telling, and here it is.
The beautiful Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) is native to the Sonoran desert and can be found anywhere the giant saguaro cacti are found. It builds its home in the saguaro cactus by drilling a hole in the side of the cactus and excavating a cavity for itself and its offspring. This cavity is usually a foot deep! When the woodpecker vacates this new home in approximately one year, other birds will then use it as their own.
Here's the interesting part. In order to prevent water loss due to this new hole in its side, the cactus will form a callus over its exposed surfaces. This callus will remain inside the cactus as long as it lives and will act as a permanent waterproofing seal. This scab will also protect the cactus from other maladies caused by infection.
Once the saguaro cactus has lived out its life, and this can take 250 years, it will decay and disintegrate as all living matter does and it will leave behind this callus that once protected it. Because the Gila Woodpecker's home started as a hole in the cactus and widened into a larger cavity, the callus when separated from the saguaro cactus looks very much like a boot. The boot, while caused by the woodpecker, is actually grown by the cactus as a defense mechanism.
Over its life time, the Gila Woodpecker's home in the saguaro cactus will be the primary residence for dozens or even hundreds of birds such as the Cactus Wren, Kestrel or Elf Owl and when the cactus is gone, the boot will offer shelter to a variety of other wildlife such as mice, lizards, snakes, spiders and insects.
The next time you see a hole in the side of a saguaro cactus, think about all of the residents who will use the Gila Woodpecker's nest as their home. Take a friend on a hike and look for the illusive saguaro boot. Nature is wondrous and its flora and fauna are remarkable. Get Outdoors!
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Chuck Fitzgerald, The Outdoor Guy, has written a beginner's guide to bird watching called "Learning to Bird." Visit www.birdwatchingebook.com to see just how easy and how much fun Bird Watching really is. Chuck is the owner of Arizona based BackCountry Toys, an online store helping you to have fun in the great outdoors. To get maximum enjoyment out of your outdoor life, visit www.BackCountryToys.com where you'll find great gear and the Tips & Tales e-newsletter, "FreshAir." (800) 316-9055.
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Vermont Vacations And The Seven Wonders Of The Green Mountain State
by Cliff Calderwood
No matter which season you take Vermont vacations, you?ll see these seven scenic wonders and fall in love with the Green Mountain state. And just in case you mistakenly think there are only seven wonders - think again. Each of these is a vacation in itself, full of the wonders of adventure, breathtaking views, wildlife, and fine dining and lodging.
It all begins here...
GREEN MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST
The Green Mountain National Forest is 400,000 acres stretching across two-thirds of the length of Vermont. The Forest comprises six wilderness areas offering camping and 900 miles of trails, and a backcountry environment for all ages. Campgrounds are available on a first-come basis during the summer season.
Popular destinations in the Forest include the Robert Frost Trail near Ripton, Texas Falls Recreation area close to Hancock, the Moosalamoo area near Brandon, and Lake Dunmore and Brandbury State Park
QUECHEE GORGE
Located in central Vermont near the town of Woodstock, Quechee Gorge is a geological wonder. Nicknamed Vermont?s Grand Canyon, the gorge was carved when the last glacier covering New England receded about 12,000 years ago. Today the Ottauguechee River flows through the gorge and is spanned by a bridge, which offers a marvelous photogenic vantage point for visitors.
The entrance to the park is just west of the bridge, and offers trails down to the gorge and wooded nature walks.
SCENIC ROUTE 100 FROM KILLINGTON TO WATERBURY
Vermont boasts many scenic drives but none more scenic than the portion of Route 100 from Killington to Waitsfield. The route borders the Green Mountain National Forest and meanders through mountain valleys, rivers, streams, waterfalls, and small farming villages. Along this route you?ll move from open farmland to steep mountain cliffs either side of a winding narrow road, and then eventually back to open fields.
The latter part of the journey to Waterbury offers marvelous views of the distant northern Green Mountains.
STOWE
Nestled between two mountain ranges is perhaps the most picturesque town in New England - Stowe. The draw and attraction for many to Stowe is Mount Mansfield, and the mountain dominates the landscape.
After the snow melts, families have an endless assortment of things to do on their Vermont vacations, including swimming, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking, and scenic driving tours. Mount Mansfield itself provides hiking trails for the fit and energetic, or you can take in amazing views from your own car as you drive to the summit ridge on the historic toll road.
LAKE CHAMPLAIN AND ISLANDS
Lake Champlain seems like a lost cousin of the Great lakes. Long and deep, but with an average width of only 12 miles, its northern area is dotted with a magnificent string of Islands popular for Vermont vacations. Routes 2 and 78 connect the larger ones together and to the Vermont mainland. One of the last "undiscovered" treasures of New England, the Lake Champlain Islands offer magnificent vistas of Vermont?s Green Mountains to the east, and New York?s Adirondacks to the west.
NORTHEAST KINGDOM
The Northeast Kingdom is a vast 1.3 million acres of mostly wilderness land, which includes public forests, parks, lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. This is an area where little has changed since the glaciers left, and the adventurous will find plenty of opportunity to live out their dream Vermont vacation.
Nature shares the Northeast Kingdom with people, and this is an area where wildlife and scenery is king, and folks gladly take a back seat. Load up your camping stuff and supplies in St. Johnsbury, check your gas level, and be prepared for an exhilarating experience!
COVERED BRIDGES
No mention of Vermont wonders can bypass the finest collection of covered bridges in the United States. If you include the bridges shared with New Hampshire and spanning the Connecticut River, the state has 106, which is more than any other New England state. Most bridges are accessible to the public, in excellent condition, and a joy to discover and photograph.
The craftsmen who designed these monuments had no idea they were building a legacy now enjoyed by visitors from all over the world. Wherever you are in the state you?re not far from a Vermont covered bridge
This brief journey has been but an introduction to an area in the U.S. where not only the people, but nature, does things just a little differently - And that makes all the difference for Vermont vacations.
About The Author: For more details on these and other Vermont vacation destinations and to grab your valuable travel report go to Cliff's New England Vacations site at: http://www.new-england-vacations-guide.com/
* The Bootlegger * Waldron * Murfreesboro * Stuttgart * The Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie * Quartz Crystals * The Arkansas Waterfowl Tour * Arkansas Humor * The Cossatot River Center * Flatside Wilderness * Charlton Water Resort
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