Day 73 Ticonderoga, NY to Rochester, Vermont

Pictures: Ford truck
Clint Eastwood riding in the truck
Vermont State Line
Kamla on a old tractor at the Tractor rehabber
Kamla Squirrel
Moose Crossing
Stone walls in a barn yard
Pumpkin Patch B&B
Fine dinning at the Huntington House
Bill gets a gift from Kevin
While getting ready to leave from breakfast I spotted an old Ford pickup so I went over to check it out. Inside, taped to the dash was a photo of Clint Eastwood sitting in that very truck. We took the ferry across Lake Champlain to Vermont. A colorful Vermont dude took our state line picture. Then came a surprise. Here in the heart of earth/animal rights is the first veal farm that we’ve seen. We met up with Susan Walker who has driven up from OK to visit her brother and sag us. She found a good sandwich shop to eat lunch in Middlebury. Afterwards we went community/historical center next door to see the gift shop and the exhibit upstairs about a communality started by back-to-earthers Helen and Scott Nearing. Leaving town we took an alternate route recommended by a cyclist in the bike store. It added 7 miles but was well worth it due to smoother roads, less traffic and a safer descent. The only drawback was the mosquitoes. When Sylvia and Kamla headed into the woods to have a natural break we heard a volley of squeals as they were swarmed by mosquitoes. After covering ourselves with DEET, we grabbed some snacks and took pictures with the local squirrel at a convenience store. Then the real beauty began; lakeside ride, dense woods, leaf litter, glacier laid stones, farmers stone walls, rivers. We had a good climb to end on; 4 miles at 12%. The descent was marvelous along a stream for several miles. Then when Sylvia called to reserve a B&B and was hung up on by the rude owner. What a blessing the next B&B that she called, the Pumpkin Patch, has a huge loft room for all 6 of us and stables for our bikes. After an amazing dinner at the Huntington House we finished out the night watching the DVD Must Love Dogs.