June 2008 - West Swanton, Vermont
First run with the Moto Guzzi. This is the 5th year I attended "Airheads at the Aerodrome" in Milan, New York. I like to head north after the rally (because its nice out on the road). Often I end up at Campbells Bay Campground. The tent sites are usually empty on a weekday and I end up with a lot of soft well manicured lawn for a mattress! This is the view at 5AM looking northwest. Lake Champlain is about a tenth of a mile north of this site. Hot showers are available as is a general store for snacks. Swanton is about 8 miles east and has anything else you might need.
Green Mountain Grille, Stockbridge, Vermont
OCTOBER 2009 REVISION: I guess the owner's hearts are no longer in Vermont. They leave the area in the winter and head to warmer climes. They hand over operation of the restaurant to others. There is no longer the personal touch and care applied to each meal. The last visit featured greasy luke warm home fries and slightly underdone pancakes served with overdone bacon. I am disappointed. I guess nothing lasts forever. The owners are looking to sell and move on.
You want to go here! About 4 years ago this couple left Weymouth, Massachusetts to fulfill their dream of running a small restaurant in Central Vermont. This is the place. The food is GOOD, portions are plentiful and prices are moderate. $10 bought me a the biggest breakfast combo they have including unlimited coffee and Vermont taxes. I could hardly move at the end of the meal. The place is small and cozy. The people are friendly and cordial. A stop here is a physical and spiritual rejuvenation during any journey.
5 AM AT THE TENT
So here I am out in the wind and the weather with the best that Gore-Tex has to offer and I am enjoying myself immensely! Tomorrow I will be riding south through the rain and wind and by dinner time I will be home. There will be dry clothes, a hot shower, home cooked food and a warm bed. Today I am on adventure.
On the way up the West shore of Lake Champlain on the New York side I saw a woman at the side of the road with a bicycle, trailer and two dogs. The bicycle was on it's side. The trailer had a flat tire and the two dogs were tied to the trailer. I pulled the bike in front of the trailer and asked if I could be of assistance. She said she left home and just noticed the trailer tire was flat. I dug out my hand pump and inflated the tire. It was flat within 2 minutes. I took a closer look and noticed that the wheel hub had come apart and both spoke flanges were next to each other. Chances are the tube was punctured by the spokes. I got a rock to put under the trailer to take the load off the wheel and give it a closer look. The trailer had to be carrying a hundred pounds of stuff! It contained bunches of canned goods, dog food, an apple computer, plastic garbage bags full of stuff. It was all definitely too much of a load for the trailer and for anyone to be dragging around by a bicycle.
At this point the woman started getting nervous and one of her dogs was getting aggressive. She said she could handle the situation herself. I wished her luck and headed north. I stopped at the Tourist Information Building in the next town 3 miles up the road and spoke with a gentleman there. He said the woman was homeless. She had spent the previous night sleeping in the Town Hall with one of the town officials as a chaperone. Seems the local motel would not let her stay with her dogs. He said he'd let the State Police know of this woman's problems.
She was NOT on adventure. She obviously had everything she needed on her bike. It's odd what we will choose to tow through life. She is not going home. She doesn't have dry clothes, hot food, a shower and warm bed awaiting her. I should have given her most of my cash. I had more at home. Maybe it would change her life? Maybe it would make a difference?