On the basis of:
An indication of what it could be like if there was a massive hillside of trees like this.
A) the latter comment, to visit it for only a short time would not do it justice
B) the car park was already filling up, two tour buses and a school bus had arrived and a resulting queue had formed at the ticket office
C) the cost was $24 each, go back to A).
If you hadn't guessed, we abandoned the visit (maybe next time). But not before taking some photos of the trees.
Just a few turning colour.
Our next stop was Button Point State Park. The book said there was a nature centre there that was actually open into October and they have a daily list of birds seen. It wasn't too far from our main route and the sun was still shining (just). There was a school bus in the car park again, so that bodes well for it being open. There were also some more pretty trees (well you were getting bored with the bird pictures weren't you?)
The nature centre is about half a mile walk and there are some views of Lake Champlain along the way.
More Canada Geese? But we're not in Canada anymore!
We are welcomed to New York
Still time for a scenic drive around Lake George though. It was quite difficult to find somewhere to stop and view the scenery, although we did find this short walkway at Bolton Landing (no tea shop though!)
And photo bombs a mountain scene
The nature centre is small, has two bicycles outside but no people about anywhere (we had passed the school group going back towards the car park on our way there). There is no bird list but some other interesting exhibits and posters. We hadn't realised that another name for the Marmot we had seen earlier in our travels was a Groundhog - will we have to repeat this day over and over again?
Some useful tips for identifying animal tracks.
We set off on the Champlain Trail around the point, a short walk through the woodland interspersed with views of the lake. There is a sign telling us to beware of Poison Ivy, but the photo is so faded I'm not sure that we would recognise it if we saw it. It did however have a useful rhyme:
"Leaves of three, let me be,
Hairy vine, no friend of mine"
We were careful to avoid brushing up against anything that looked suspect, although apparently the irritation may even be transmitted through the air by the oils exuded by the plant!!
We safely return to the start, and Eric points out that perhaps we should have been looking out for snakes too!
Our next stop is the border between the states of Vermont and New York, crossing the rather elegant bridge at Chimney Point.
Right next to the visitor centre there are some important historic sites, lots of forts where the French held off the British (is this one reason why it would have been a good idea to stay in the European Union?)
We fought them here, we fought them there, we fought the French nearly everywhere.
Eric admires the remains of the French Fort plus another view of that bridge.
Time is passing and we still have quite a way to drive.
We drove quickly past here in case they put us on sale as well.
Eric balances carefully to avoid going 'in the drink'.
We pass through what looks like a bit of a ghost town straight out of a spaghetti western and by then
hunger pangs have set in. A Memorial Garden provides some picnic benches and restrooms.
An Olympic volleyball park?
Hunger sated we move on passing through Lake George Town and bravely taking the Interstate in order to make some time. It is not too busy to start with, but as we approach Albany the traffic gets rather hectic and the driving rather boring as the roads are lined with trees, and they haven't even started turning colour yet. Consequently a diversion, that handily also avoided the toll road, was taken.
It looked like we would be driving along the Hudson River, exciting! Pah! Not a peep of the river was seen for miles, and then, just as were about to turn inland, a brief glimpse of this major grand waterway.
All too soon disappearing behind us.
The structure and architecture of bridges is subject suitable for a PhD. No doubt there may have been plenty, although we haven't read any of them!
Make good time and arrive at B&B before dark. Good job too as it was quite difficult to spot the entrance even in the daylight. It's in the Catskills Park area. The rain had started about half an hour before so we had to make a dash for the door.
The swimming pool is about to be closed for the winter, but looked quite inviting even with the raindrops splattering on the surface. This is the view from our balcony.
The view from the front (and our bedroom windows). Those chairs are Adirondack Chairs and they have them everywhere here and in Vermont.
Get the lowdown on the house from the landlady. Find out that David Bowie used to rent the house from her every summer for a number of years! In addition, when we tell her that we are from Wales, she tells us her next door neighbour (Donna Lewis) is also from Wales and is a famous singer-songwriter who had a hit record in Europe, The States and Australia. We apologise as we had never heard of her, but checking it out later find she had a number 2 hit record in the UK in 1996.
Recommendation for dinner was the Bear Cafe, in Bearsville. Emphasis on, not the Little Bear Cafe, or The Bear Theatre Cafe, so off we go.
Excellent wildlife spotting in the car park of the B&B
Eric peruses the menu and the view from the dinner venue. Not looking too brilliant for vegetarians unless they want pasta again. Gosh that vegetarian is awkward! A salad is decided on, with some garlic mash potatoes.
Back at the ranch.
So we are at the end of our hippie trail, we are in Woodstock and David Bowie has sat there!