Day 120, Vermont

My warmshowers host last night, John, informed me that an Ironman was occurring around the Lake Placid area, closing most of the roads.

Thankfully, we found an alternative route. I'd miss seeing the lake and town, but I would avoid a massive amount of people and impassible roads.

Sure enough, pulling up Google maps yielded a mess of roads highlighted in red. A part of me really wanted to just show up, ride on the course and see what happens... Not this time.

I headed out just as John set off to run a half marathon.

The day was cool, crisp and clearing up, the fog dissipating over the course of the morning.

Stopping for a snack on the side of the road: banana & trail mix.

The early start was to give me enough time to make it to Port Kent and catch the ferry across Lake Champlain to Burlington.

I made it with plenty of time to spare.

Along the way, I finally got to enjoy the Adirondacks without being wet.

Usually I don't post photos of the same thing, but the view off both sides of the bridge was too amazing to keep to myself.

I arrived in Port Kent with over an hour to spare. After chatting with the harbormaster and purchasing a ticket, I sat down on the grass in the shade to rest.

Over the course of the next hour, a bunch of cyclists trickled in and joined me.

One was a father / daughter combo out for a ride in the country. She had just finished her residency and was starting her first day as an internal medicine doctor the next day. Kudos!

We boarded the ferry and crossed the lake in about an hour, arriving in Burlington in the late afternoon.

Multiple people recommended I check out a brewery in town - I sampled four of their IPAs and was disappointed. All four tasted the same to me, and they weren't that great. There must be a common thread in the brewing process, or maybe they use the same strain of yeast in each beer, that doesn't jive with me.

But that is the beauty of the craft brew industry - there are flavor profiles and beer styles for every palate. Not every brewery will cater to your taste buds.

I won't mention the brewery's name to avoid detracting from another persons visit.

The second most recommended establishment was a grocery store co-op. The sandwich I ordered was fantastic, and easily made up for the disappointing beer.

Joe