Summer in New England - Road Trip 2012 - Day 4

Day 4- We were up bright and early this morning as the sun was peeking over the "pond" at 5:15am. I know early, right? We broke camp and were off and going by 8 (well we actually left the site at 7:15 but we decided to drive on around the pond, but when we got to that exit, it was locked, so we drove all the way back around at 2 miles an hour and all the people in their RVs stared at us). The scenery was spectactular as we drove through the Adirondacks. One of the first towns we came to was Saranac Lake, NY. This town is known as the "capitol of the Adirondacks" and was a pretty good size. The downtown area was very impressive, as it has 136 buildings on the National Historic Record. We attempted to visit the weekly Farmer's Market, but they weren't opening until 9, and we were hungry so we headed on and soon reached Lake Placid. As you probably know, Lake Placid, NY was the host city for 2 winter Olympic games (1932 and 1980). Soo cute! We ate breakfast at a place called Pan Dolce, which was fantastic. As we were driving out around 9:45 I spotted the yarn shop, though it was still early I could see people setting up a tent outside with yarn so we stopped in Adirondack Yarns. It did not disappoint. The owner was awesome. She had an excellent variety of yarns and a ton of samples (even some for sale) She talked to me for a while and told me about the fiber arts demonstration she was having outside. One farmer was bringing her alpacas, another was a spinner and sheep farmer, and the last was an Angora bunny breeder. Dean and I got to pet the bunnies. They were precious and I could see how they will make someone some beautiful yarn. We continued through Upstate New York to the small village of Essex to catch the ferry across Lake Champlain. We chose to take the non-interstate route and enjoyed some absolutey amazing bucolic scenery. Eva the Equinox, Dean, and I took our first ferry ride on a car ferry across a lake. There were at least 20 sailboats on the water and the weather was perfect. After arriving on the other side at Charlotte, VT, we drove about 10 miles to Shelburne, VT. This town famous for its musuem and Teddy Bear Factory was hosting a Farmer's Market, so we stopped by. Everything was local and it all smelled and looked amazing. The next stop was the Burlington, VT Town Center, which we thought was a large mall in a good sized city. In reality, it was a wonderful area and city with lots of fantastic restaurants, local stores, and vibrant community. We ate at a little place called Henry's Diner which has been in operation since 1925. We visited a couple of local shops including a yarn/sewing store called Nido. Dean found another yarn shop just a few miles down the road in Essex Junction, VT. Kalideoscope Yarns is my favorite so far. Amazing selection, lots of variety, and super friendly staff. I purchased a pattern that I can't wait to try out. Since I have the most awesome husband I was able to visit one more yarn shop on day 4 in Williston, VT. The Northeast Fiber Arts Center was more than just yarn. The owner had made a haven for fiber artists of all kinds. She was well stocked in yarns, batts, roving, spindles, spinning wheels, and looms. There was also a huge room for sitting and making fiber art with 15 of your closest friends. Apparently many classes are taught there and it is very much enjoyed by the community. So I was able to visit 4 yarn shops in one day and the last 3 were within 15 miles of each other! Craziness! We had planned on camping at Little River State Park, but unfortunately they were full, so we scrambled to find another campsite that would have openings on a Friday night! We drove to almost Stowe and found a lovely campsite called Gold Brook Campgrounds. This is one of the first private campgrounds we have stayed at and we are quite impressed. We have only traveled two states today, but we have learned so much about the local culture. Tomorrow we explore Stowe, Waterbury, and the surrounding area. Having so much fun!

  Here's our pictures from today!