The jeep has really changed our pace, but in a good way. It is a great ride albeit vastly different from a Goldwing, GSA or Miata. At first it seemed like we were piloting an armored truck. After relaxing and slowing down the pace, we're beginning to feel right at home. Of course there are still some concerns. After all it is a used, off-road vehicle that is five years old. Nonetheless, it has given us noting but positive feedback so far.
We are also settling in to Lake Placid. What a wonderful piece of Americana. It is not dramatically different from a Colorado town like Steamboat or Winterpark, but decidedly less cosmopolitan than, say, Breckenridge. The scenery is breathtaking. We can certainly see ourselves returning here, but all the stars must align to make it happen.
Interestingly, we have seen few motorcycles, but we have encountered seemingly thousands of Harleys; trust me, there is a huge difference. The HD groups travel in huge herds up here. They are the single greatest source of traffic jams we have encountered.
Today was a great day to burn up a battery in the Canon 7D. The shutter was "smokin'." When we completed our trip around the perimeter of the US a couple of years ago, we passed by Shelburne Vermont and the Museum of the same name. It was closed, so...Liz, Pete, Willie and I jumped the fence and walked some of the grounds before escaping through on of the museum's covered bridges. Today we saw it all, and...we did it legally - LOL
Seems one of the rich and famous from the Vanderbilt era, Electra Havemeyer Webb, spent most of her time playing the game acquire. I'm reminded of our friend Denise's post just a day or so ago. The gist was: "I spent the first 2/3 of my life acquiring things so that I could spend the last third getting rid of them. Well, this Vanderbilt descendent was a collector extraordinaire. I mean we're talking everything from Monet's, to American folk art, to Lighthouses, to, believe it or not, the Ticonderoga. Whoa...can you spell greed any better. Ultimately, these hundreds, if not thousands of acres were acquired just to display her collection of collections. Here, then are some of the photos of the day:
From Lake Placid, travel east to Essex and take the ferry across Lake Champlain...
The weather and the scenery were impeccable as we awaited the ferry
We waited patiently with this Cormorant for our ship to come in.
Next thing you know were we in the middle of Lake Champlain in our Jeep
The entrance to the grounds were just the beginning of the theme of the museum
Colorful flora was in bloom
How many of you have a lighthouse in your collection?
Spectacular day for hiking the grounds. We walked about 2.5 miles.
Each exhibit, whether art, sculpture, pottery or quilts had it's own special building
Behind these doors resides the "primitive art" exhibit.
The buildings, themselves, were works of art aged by time.
The crown jewel - The Ticonderoga.
This ship was sitting on the shores of Lake Champlain destined to rot there. A two year, multi-million dollar project was undertaken to move this mighty beast two (2) miles inland to the Shelburne Museum. The actual move, not including the planning, engineering and preparation, happened in 65 days +/-. Railroad tracks were installed, and moved forward after the ship had crossed them. The ship is beautiful, as you can see.
We just can't wait until tomorrow!!
Surely enjoying your blog so glad you are putting some time in it.
ReplyDeleteYou will also find that as time goes past the blog keeps you honest ;-)