USA 2022, part 7 (Quechee Gorge, Shelburne, Lake George)
Some 12 km east of Woodstock, Vermont, road no. 4 leads to a metal bridge that spans the top of the Quechee Gorge, hence its name: the Quechee Gorge Bridge. Daniela and I crossed the bridge by car and then parked and went for a short walk.
This historic bridge that includes an arch made of steel was built in 1911 and it spans the Ottauquechee River close to the south end of the Quechee Gorge. It is 87 m long, 12 m wide and 50 m high. There are two lanes of traffic (one in each direction) and sidewalks. On the exterior sides, alongside the sidewalks, there are high wire fences that in key places have openings through which it is possible to put a photo-camera. Why? Well, because the view is – spectacular! On both sides.
First we went along the sidewalk on one side of the bridge, then we crossed the road and returned along the sidewalk on the other side of the bridge.
And after we had enjoyed in this unplanned and unexpected gift, for we actually had no information about the bridge and the gorge and we only drove there and stopped by accident, we got back into the car and continued with the drive. We had a rather long section now of around 150 km, but we were in Vermont all the time. Daniela was still driving and, as I’ve already mentioned, I was grateful to her for doing so, since this allowed me to keep taking photos. This stretch was almost entirely in the shape of a motorway and this is reflected in the photos. I would just like to mention that it was the beginning of October and although the foliage colours were very impressive and as are to be expected in Vermont in autumn, I believe that the contrasts become even more pronounced towards the end of October and possibly a little later on. During winter, by the rule, this is all covered in snow.
When we reached Shelburne, we realised we were hungry, so first we had to go and eat something. The weather was fine, so we could even sit outside although it was late afternoon.
To start with, we took lemonades sweetened with, what else – maple syrup. After all, we were in Vermont.
We each took a warm tomato and basil soup, but we shared the main course – a seafood curry.
Although Vermont is the only state in New England that is landlocked, the products of the sea are very popular throughout the region and that in turn ensures their freshness.
Shelburne is a town founded in 1763 near the shores of Lake Champlain. The main reason why Daniela and I came here was the idea to visit the Shelburne Museum that is considered one of the unavoidable stations in Vermont.
In fact, this was the remnant of my original plan that even included a visit to Canada, while the whole trip was supposed to last some 10 days. However, Daniela had some family commitments both before and after this trip and I was really grateful that she could squeeze me and our joint trip into her busy schedule at all. The least I could do for her was to shorten our trip. But, in this way Shelburne remained “on the list” and when you look at the map it is visibly more to the north than the other places we visited.
After the lunch we just walked a little near the restaurant where I took photos of a couple of houses and then we drove to the nearby Shelburne Museum, although it was quite clear to us that it was rather late.
Namely, this is a large complex with the surface area of over 18 ha, while the museum displays over 150,000 exhibits that can be seen within 39 exhibition buildings. The backbone of the museum are exhibits related to arts and design, and artefacts that are in one way or another linked to the United States, its history, as well as its presence. In other words, the visitor can see here a large and representative exhibition of the American culture that presents exhibits created from the 17th to the 20th century. But, the museum founded in 1947 also shows some pieces originating in Europe.
As for the exhibition buildings, out of 39 structures, 25 are historical buildings transferred here from other locations and built in the 18th and the 19th centuries. The complex includes gardens as well and it is famous for a large number of lilacs.
Of course, by the time we had reached the museum it was about to be closed, but even if we had arrived a couple of hours earlier, that would probably not be enough to see anything well. That’s why I had to content myself by taking a few photos of some parts of the museum.
Within the museum, which is situated on firm ground, it is also possible to see one of the first steamboats that used to sail across Lake Champlain and that was built in 1906 and transferred here in 1955.
I also managed to see and take a photo of a small fraction of the Electra Havemeyer Webb Memorial Building named like that after the founder of the museum, Mrs. Webb.
As we were late for the museum, we decided to drive a little to the lake in order to take advantage of the remaining daylight. We did not see much, but I was still very glad that we came here. There is a walking trail that runs along the shore of the lake, but we did not have the time for that now and I just took a few photos.
I have already written before (https://www.svudapodji.com/en/usa-22-5/) about the fact that the lake was named after French explorer Samuel de Champlain who was the first European to reach this lake and who is considered to be the person that gave the name to Vermont. The lake is rather big, almost 1300 sq. km and it belongs partially to the USA (the states of Vermont and New York) and partially to Canada.
On our way back to Shelburne, I took a couple of photos more with my mobile phone. There are some pretty lovely houses here and the vast majority of them have clapboard facades. What I particularly liked in the next photo was the somewhat unexpected colour of the facade and its combination with the shutters, as well as the large spacious porch that was decorated in line with the season.
However, I especially appreciated that we drove again past the Shelburne Museum complex, for there was yet another covered bridge here that could be seen from the street. This is an 1845 bridge that was originally constructed in a small town some 60 km north of Shelburne. It was transferred here in 1949, as it was due for replacement.
From Shelburne, Daniela and I started practically to head south towards New York City. As we had done previous days, here, too, we agreed on the spot where we could spend the night. Since by this time we had a rather limited time and an ambitious plan, we realised it would be good to get as close as possible to our next destination, which was the town of Hyde Park, NY. But, there are over 350 km from Shelburne, VT, to Hyde Park, NY, and that was just too much, taking into consideration it was already dusk. That’s why we decided to drive to Lake George in the state of New York that was some 150 km away.
While there was still any light at all, I took a couple of photos.
By the time we had reached Lake George and settled at the hotel, it was already completely dark.
The morning was stunning and the view from our balcony even better.
Daniela and I went for a walk and first got down to the lake shore. The following photo is not good in technical terms, but it clearly shows that the lake is beautiful and that this is a great place for a nice holiday.
Lake George is almost 52 km long, its maximum width goes to almost 5 km, while the maximum depth is 60 m. Its whole surface is located on the territory of the state of New York and it extends in the north-south direction along the southeast part of the Adirondack mountain massif.
According to what I have read, the Adirondack mountains are exceptionally beautiful and they have a shape that is reminiscent of a round dome with the diameter of around 260 km and the height that goes to around 1600 m a.s.l. The massif includes over 200 lakes and there is also the source of the Hudson river that later runs to the south and in New York City it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Within the massif there is Lake Placid that is known as the host of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. In other words, the nature must be beautiful in this area and my original plan that included also a visit to Canada entailed the return to New York precisely over these mountains.
But, as I’ve already mentioned, Daniela and I had to cut the journey short by a few days and it was the mere circumstances that brought us to Lake George that, albeit along the perimeter, does belong to this massif, so in a way my wish was granted.
The lake is located approximately half-way along the railway line between New York and Montreal, Canada, which means that it is not too far from New York City. Bearing in mind the beauty of the nature in this part of the USA, over time the rich people, and here I’m not talking about well-off individuals, but about filthy rich ones, started to spend their summer months in this area by buying large properties and building equally large mansions that sometimes had the surface area of over 2000 sq. m. The west side of the lake was particularly popular and thus the road in this section was called “Millionaires’ Row.”
Then the income tax was introduced and all of these houses became more expensive by the 1930s even for the filthy rich. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the increased presence of the middle-class individuals. Namely, in the 1950s, the middle class also started to travel around thanks to the economic and technological progress that enabled car and airplane travels, and thus the members of the “lower class” also wanted to get to the beautiful lake and enjoy the beautiful nature. And so, the large houses were either demolished or turned into hotels and restaurants.
Nowadays, Lake George is a popular tourist destination, especially during summer and there are a lot of private houses, as well as hotels and restaurants along its shores.
Daniela and I stayed at a hotel on the west shore, but close to the south end of the lake, i.e., near a little town called the same as the lake – Lake George.
Since we did not have a breakfast at the hotel, Daniela and I agreed that, after the visit to the lake shore by the hotel where we had spent the night, we should walk to the town and grab a bite there.
The walk was very pleasant although we used a path along the road, but it was not crowded and the few cars that passed by did not bother us. On the other hand, the properties here, belonging either to private individuals or hotels, extend all the way to the shore and therefore there is no promenade by the lake.
From time to time we could see bigger or smaller houses, but what fascinated me here in particular was again nature and the completely surreal colour of the foliage of some plants. It is obvious that this phenomenon is not linked only to the trees and only to Vermont.
We crossed a bridge that spans a small local river and this was where a more urban part of the town started, but I mostly continued taking photos of trees and only sporadically a house here and there.
And where there were no trees, humans did their best to make sure that the houses were decorated with lush vegetation.
Then we went to a restaurant where we had a very nice breakfast.
Following this nice and tasty breakfast, we returned on foot to the hotel where we got into the car and continued with our travel to the south.
Still, this is not the end of my remembering the travel across the northeast USA, with a particular emphasis on Vermont, or this morning and breakfast. To this end, here is also my recipe for American pancakes with a photo of what I made once and served on a plate that I had made as well, as a part of my pottery classes.
AMERICAN PANCAKES
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 10 g baking powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 410 ml milk
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 beaten egg
Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mixed them all well. Then add the milk, oil and beaten egg, and mix it all together making sure there are no lumps.
I fry the pancakes in a small pan, one at the time, but if you use a large pan and want small pancakes, then you can do it that way as well. Also, I use a non-stick pan and then there is no need for additional oil. The American pancakes are thicker than the regular ones (crepes) and they are fried on a medium high temperature. When bubbles show up and they start to burst, then is the time to flip the pancake. After an additional minute or two, it is ready.
Traditionally, warm pancakes are smeared with butter and maple syrup is poured over them. I often use the sugary syrup from my preserved fruits (slatko - Serbian specialty), but you can use honey, too. I have also served them as savoury, with kaymak or white cheese. The fruits and the cream are just fancy additions.