A Much-Needed Summer Covid Escape

This was a #covidtravel mini-roadtrip to get away from the daily grind of work-home-sleep (not remote work in my case.) It was a pleasant and relaxing getaway that was perfect for this time. Our first desination was Grand Isle Vermont which is a sleepy but quaint island on Lake Champlain right inbetween Vermont and NY state.

DAY 1

We had a 5 hour drive from up from NYC on I-87 and got off in Plattsburgh for the car ferry which goes directly to Grand Isle. The route is not given as an option on apple maps and was recommended to us by a local. Although the ferry is $15 each way, it saved some time and add some diversity to our long rides.

We booked an airbnb right on lake champagne: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/3998721?adults=1&source_impression_id=p3_1598710013_vNox2wyoDMk75rNu&check_in=2020-09-20&guests=1.

It was a lovely house right on the water with a hammock and lounge chairs all set up for relaxation. The day we got there was mostly spent lounging, reading and napping right on by lake which was secluded from the rest of the house and allowed for lots of privacy. The owner's cute doggo (Star) would occassionally come visit us for a friendly cuddle. The owners allowed guests to use their water toys and gear which made the price of the airbnb well worth it. After sufficient lounging and not moving too much by the water, we attempted to get dinner on Grand Isle, but by 8pm most of the restaurants were closing up. We decided to drive into Burlington for food which was a 30 minute ride away and nice to have as an option. We settled on Farmhouse Tap and Grill and had a lovely outdoor dinner. By 10pm the main street promenade in Burlington was pretty dead so we headed back to the humble-abode on Grand Isle. 

DAY 2

We felt more well-rested and decided on a hike in NY state after a bit of researching on Alltrails. We picked up some delicious bagel sandwichs at Wally's Place on grand isle, hopped back on the ferry and drove south on I-87 to the Poke-O-Moonshine trail trailhead about an hour away. https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/new-york/poke-o-moonshine-observers-path?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-view-full-map

This was an amazing, not-too-long, somewhat challenging hike with stellar views at the end. It brings you to the site of a formerly used firetower (with lots of surrounding blueberry bushes) that one can climb for even more amazing views of Adirondacks, Lake Champlain, and the rest of Vermont. It was a well-maintained trail and perfectly shady for the middle of a hot, sunny day. We then drove back to our Airbnb and took a canoe out on the water to enjoy the lovely views on Lake Champlain. We made dinner reservations at Blue Paddle on Grand Isle and enjoyed a delicious sunset dinner on their lawn. 

The next day had rain in the forecast so we lounged around by the lake in the morning before heading back down I-87 to Saratoga Springs.