Canada August 2022: A Tale of Two Ferries.

It was the best of fares ($14) it was the worst of fares ($14.50), just came over all literary there with apologies to Mr. Dickens, he wrote some great lines but not quite those.

The intention today is to take a trip in to New York State to visit a geologically interesting site along with a wildlife area. This entailed doing a driving loop, crossing Lake Champlain north of Burlington and then driving down the coast of the lake to cross back about 30 miles south of the city.

We head out onto the largest of the Lake Champlain islands called Grand Isle, and tried to get down to the top end of the causeway we had cycled to yesterday. Unfortunately we came up against the same issue of access to the lake shore being in private hands, so gave up on that idea. Fortuitously we took an alternate route to the ferry and came upon this rather startling sight.

This guy obviously wants to do his bit for the bird population.

We were unable to even estimate the number of boxes in place and he had also convinced most of his neighbors to put up significant numbers themselves.

At the ferry terminal we pay the $14.50 fare, drive onto the deck and spot this tug alongside us.

Eric leaving Vermont

And heading for NY

We turn south on landing in Plattsburgh and make for Ausable Marsh, the wildlife area we had read about.

Our first sight is a large number of Canada Geese way out on the lake.

But then notice this Great Blue Heron on the pool in front of us.

On closer inspection we see it had a fish

That's a pretty large fish...

The heron tried to fly off with it but failed to get airborne

I was interested to know what species of fish it might be and luckily there was a fisherman at a pool across the road, so I took the pictures we had to him to see if he recognised it.

It turns out to be a bullfin which is a type of bullhead that in his words were not very good for eating and has to be skinned before cooking. It also has two rows of teeth and is responsible for the demise of a lot of the smaller fish in the pool.

Further south along the coast we reach Ausable Chasm, something of a mini Grand Canyon theme park.

Not something we would usually visit but had read some good reviews. You can wander along the chasm or take on various activities such as rafting, tubing, or an adventure package (a euphemism for doing some rather risky though probably quite safe activities). The classic package was the Inner Sanctum walk followed by a raft ride through the deepest part of the canyon for about a mile, then the Rim Walk back. Thought that sounded like a new adventure, particularly the rafting bit. Disappointingly (unusually) was that the wait time for the rafting was '0 hours', not because it was a quiet period but because there was insufficient water in the river! They need to amend their brochure, which says they go every day rain or shine. Instead we chose just the walking and taking some pictures.

I can't see any rainbows. You're supposed to be able to see rainbow falls from here.

The walks (well maybe not the adventure one) were once again used by the intrepid Victorians, whose used to ride wooden boats down the river.

In the early 1900's they also had some showmen using the chasm.

I think we should turn back now!

It's OK Eric, this is part of the Adventure Trail, see if you can spot some other parts of it on the ones below.

You had to have a reach of over 63in, waist least than 54in and weigh less than 170lb (and perhaps be a little bonkers?)

After walking the two main routes we opt for catching the free trolley bus back rather than take in the Big Dry Chasm and Little Dry Chasm we had missed previously, hunger was setting in. Turned out to be a good call as the bus driver took us to see Rainbow Falls, currently not on the walk as the bridge was closed.

Plus she gave us a good tip for somewhere to have our picnic.

Following her advice we set off for Port Kent and the picnic spot was actually a railway station with a good view over the lake.

This all looks rather healthy - as we hid the chocolate bar from him.

Across the lake from the railway station was the causeway we cycled on yesterday - it is a very distant view we know.

A slightly zoomed view

And a full zoom.

Setting off back to Vermont on the Essex to Charlotte ferry - at a cost of only $14 because we are OAPs. No mention of that on the outward journey. Probably not worth going back to complain.

We thought we might have time to get to the Shelburne Museum today as well - it's a sort of American folk museum, and they have the restored double water-wheel river boat Ticonderoga there, but it just about to close as we arrive. So we settle for a return to the Inn and straight out for some dinner. We do pass a few bits of interesting 'street furniture' along the way.