Cruise on Lake Champlain

The weather forecast changed for the better one day last week so we changed our rainy day plans and headed toward Burlington to do a day cruise on Lake Champlain.  We do this cruise every summer with whichever kids and grandkids can meet us there.  This year, we had a rather small group but, as always, we all enjoyed ourselves.  

We order snacks and drinks during the cruise and then, after the cruise, we walk up the hill into Burlington to visit one of the pubs to have an early dinner.  This is always a relaxing time even when Sheila and I do it alone.  We haven't done it alone in more than ten years but we've always enjoyed ourselves.  

Below, we have the view of our backseat for the ride up to Burlington...

Here is the group photo (minus the photographer) on the boat.  We always get the back corner tables on the top deck and this time was no different...

One of these days, we're going to do a cruise on one of these two boats...  (we've been saying that for years!)

Sheila purchased the tickets online but we still had to check-in at the ticket booth.  

Sunscreen time...

These black and white images on this page were all shot on a new-to-me medium format camera.  I'm still learning how to best shoot with this camera but the resolution is incredible even when compared to my favorite full frame Sony camera.  I'm sure the difference can't be seen online but the difference on my computer and in print is very noticeable.  

The view toward home...  the rugged Adirondack Mountains...

Rock Dunder (photo below)...  the name "Dunder" comes from a story from the War of 1812.  During the time when the British blockaded Lake Champlain, the US troops placed a glowing lantern on this rock in thick fog, one would assume, as a form of a makeshift lighthouse warning of this rock in the fog.  The British mistook the rock for a ship and fired on it.  When the smoke and fog cleared, supposedly, a British sailor exclaimed, "It's a rock, by dunder!"  This rock is now referred to as Rock Dunder.

The Abenaki Indians believe the rock is the physical form of Odzihozo, who shaped the mountains and valleys of the region surrounding Lake Champlain.  This region was considered amazingly beautiful by the Indian tribes of the region even many centuries before Samuel De Champlain wrote about his first voyage down this lake in 1609.  The Abenaki Indians believe that Odzihozo was so proud of his creation that he transformed himself into this rock to admire his creation.  For centuries, the Abenakis left offerings at the rock to ensure safe passage of the lake which can get very brutally rough like any other large sea.  

Those are the rugged Adirondack Mountains in the background across the lake.

Our house is way back beyond the tallest mountain on the left side of the frame (Camel's Hump) but pretty much right in the valley right above the mast of the sailboat in the foreground...  

This color photo, below, was also shot on my medium format camera...  

Before we did the walk up the hill into downtown Burlington (which is pretty brutal in the summer sun and heat), we got creemees (the sign says "creemees" but common sense is telling me it should be "creamees" or "creamies")...

We ate at Vermont Pub & Brewery.  The food was very good, the service was excellent, and the drinks were cold!

We had no sightings of Champ on this cruise.  Then again, we forgot to bring a set of binoculars with us this time so it would have been difficult to spot him in this immense lake without any optical aid such as binoculars.  Well...  if he had emerged right next to our boat we would have seen him but that didn't happen.

It was a really nice day out on the water.  I'm confident that everyone enjoyed themselves!