This is KC, a VBT tour leader in the Vermont region. This week, my co-leader, Gerry Slager and I are reporting as we lead our first Classic Vermont tour of the season. We are so excited that the season has finally started. Gerry is jumping up and down like a kid ready for summer vacation! I have sporadic access to emails and will be posting as & when I can.
Day 6 : On the last tour day, it's VBT tradition to take group photo with everyone wearing their T-shirts. We usually take it the photo after breakfast and before loading up the van with luggage and all the accumulated packages. This process involves hunting down some poor unsuspecting passer-by, asking innocently "Can you take our picture please?". Little do they know this requires taking a picture on each camera, which is not a quick process. So behalf of all VBT leaders, thanks to all those good citizens who help us out! Today we bicycled to Middlebury, and sadly, back to the real world.
We are stronger, more fit and we've learned to use all our gears on the hills. I hear from guests all the time about how difficult it is choosing their favorite day of the trip. Each day the riding, the routes, food and discoveries get better and better, so at the end they can't make up their minds. And today was not exception. We bicycled through the town of Weybridge which features a route following the windy and peaceful Lemon Fair River. We stopped at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm for a tour of the stables and pastures of this historic working horse farm. My favorite part is taking guests to the back stables where the new spring foals are living with their moms! What a tranquil and beautiful location. Then the group heads off towards town, lunch and our final goodbye's. Each group is special in their own ways and this 2009 kick-off group is no exception. We treasure our shared memories, the laughter and friendships developed along the way. Good-bye everyone. Be well and happy and come join us again soon!
Day 5 :Whew! Another beautiful day exploring the back-roads of Vergennes and Lake Champlain. After breakfast our group scattered in many directions taking advantage of all activities offered in this area. A couple of guests chose to to sleep in, have a late, luxurious breakfast and explore the hiking trails and swim facilities at Basin Harbor Club. Another group spent the morning cycling on quiet country farm roads. We rode past grand historic lakefront properties with sweeping lawns that dipped down to the water's edge. We re-grouped for snack next to a farm house with Morgan horses grazing in the fields. They quickly trotted over to say hello and we took turns feeding them apples .Our group continued to ride into Vergennes, which is the smallest and oldest city in Vermont. After lunch and shopping for Vermont Ain't Flat t-shirts, we all met back at the club to visit the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. This year is the 400th anniversary of Lake Champlain and the museum and surrounding towns developed a season full of programs, events and activities that highlight and celebrate the Quadricentennial. We immersed ourselves for hours learning about the historical, cultural, nautical and maritime events events that took place on the lake and around the region. In the evening we held an impromptu cocktail party and watched a VBT video from 25 years ago which included snaps of a much younger version of our guide Gerry. We all laughed at biking attire (short shorts and knee high basketball socks!). Afterwards we had a huge feast and shared our favorite experiences and memories of the trip.
We rode over the bridge and visited New York State for a few minutes, just to brag to the rest of the group! Another group cycled the shorter route along scenic country roads with superb views of Lake Champlain. We all met back at 12:30 PM for a delicious outdoor plated lunch under the huge tree overlooking the lake. Life was good!After lunch we headed off in different directions. One group went off kayaking on Dead Creek with the guides from True North. The kayakers got a close up view of Osprey and Herons fishing along the river, Carp spawning and a variety of duck blinds with decor ranging from tasteful to tacky. We were a group of mostly women paddlers, so duck blind decor was an oddly interesting discussion topic for us. Other members of our group went with Capt Andy on his boat “Escape”, for a historical/nautical excursion on Lake Champlain. Both groups came back with lots of stories and sunburn.We all then drove to Vergennes for dinner at the Park Squeeze and ice cream at a local creamy stand.Stay tuned for more posts tomorrow. Our guests say a big hello to all their friends and family that are following our adventure online.
Day 3 : Life viewed from a bicycle seat is an amazing sensory experience. The colors are richer, the smells more pungent and life slows down to a pace you can fully experience. Today it was all about discovery. We cycled North to Bristol, the Worldwide Headquarter of VBT Bicycling Vacations, and then onwards to Vergennes. Undaunted by the headwinds, sunshine and blue skies, we cycled along the foothills of the Green Mountains. Gerry likes to call them "rollers" and when guests asked how difficult the hills are, he showed them his t-shirt that says "Vermont ain't flat". Today, I drove the van, hauling a trailer which holds our luggage, supplies and equipment. Gerry was riding with the group, sweeping along to make sure that we kept track of all riders and helped with directions, mechanicals and facilitated discoveries. I caught up with the group at mile 8, just as they finished their first "roller". I stuck my head out the window and took a picture of the group celebrating their first ascent of the day. They were giddy with excitement and were all in a great mood! I drove off to meet them at our snack stop. As I said, today was all about discovery. So here's a list of what we experienced along the way.
- A black bear and her 3 cubs crossing the road about 30 feet ahead of me as I was driving the van. Wow-o-Wow!
- Mr. Stowe.
A local farmer who boards cows and buffalos. We did our snack stop near his barn and he came out to flirt with the women and teach us a little about dairy farming. He's quite the character, 85 years old and still working everyday.
- Edo Zaffuto, a VBT Tour Leader from Italy who was visiting the US, stopped by VBT headquarters to say "ciao". We met him at Bristol after he spied our van.
- VBT Headquarters : We traditionally take our Vermont tour guests to visit our HQ and luckily the entire VBT team was outside enjoying a BBQ and the first warmth of Vermont summer. Both the guests and the team was super excited to meet each other!
By the end of the day we've all made it to The Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes, VT which is home for the next three nights.
Day 2 : Today, under bright blue and sunny skies, we bicycled along the quiet woodland roads to Lake Dunmore. Along the way we passed beaver ponds, rushing streams and working farms. At Branbury Park we enjoyed a delicious and healthy picnic lunch and relaxed in the sunshine before heading back to Middlebury for the three S's: Snoozing, Sauna & Shopping. Tonight we're headed downtown for a group dinner at one of the local restaurants. We're well on our way to a fun filled week of adventure, discovery and enjoyment!
Day 1 : We met our group in the afternoon at the Swift House in Middlebury, Vermont. After doing bike fits and going for a chilly warm up ride we gathered for our welcome and orientation meeting. At the welcome meeting , everyone got to know each other and started to develop bonds that will grow and deepen as the week progresses. We have a really interesting and diverse group of guests with a range of tour, bicycling and life experiences. We have new riders and first time VBT'ers as well as someone who rode with us 20 years ago and is returning again. We also have a veteran couple who have done 10 VBT trips, including our special Presidential trip. Over a delicious dinner we swapped stories, joked and made plans for the week ahead.
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