Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In Shelburne two special treats await—both associated with the Webb family, whose
wealth stems from the Vanderbilt railroad fortune. For nearly a hundred years the Webbs'
estate on Shelburne Point—known as Shelburne Farms—was closed to the public, but a
younger generation of Webbs has lately opened this magnificent 1,400-acre lakeside prop-
erty as anon-profit focusing onrural land uses that are environmentally,economically,and
culturally sustainable. Casual visitors may enjoy the walking trails, children's farmyard,
inn, restaurant, property tours, and special events.
Just a few miles farther south on Rte. 7 is one of North America's finest, most diverse
and unconventional museums of art, design, and Americana. Over 150,000 works are ex-
hibitedinaremarkablesettingof39exhibitionbuildings,25ofwhicharehistoricandwere
relocated to the museum grounds. The museum's collection includes works by the great
Impressionists Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, and Edgar Degas, as well as a prized col-
lection of folk art including trade signs, weathervanes and quilts. And not to be missed,
the 220-foot-long sidewheeler steamboat
Ticonderoga,
once a regular fixture of Lake
Champlain commerce and recreation.
13.
Charlotte
A worthy detour west off Rte. 7 brings you to this pretty country town, whose name is pro-
nounced the French-Canadian way: SHAR-lot. If you've yet to set out on the lake, Char-
lotte provides a fine opportunity; the ferry, which runs back and forth to Essex, New York,
departsfromthedockattheendofLakeRoad.TheroadtonearbyCharlottebeach,amecca
for windsurfers, takes you across an old covered bridge with a broad, unobstructed view or
two of the Adirondack Mountains.
On the other side of Rte. 7, Mt. Philo State Park beckons visitors to make the cork-
screwing drive—it's not recommended for trailers, though—or to hike Mt. Philo for
dazzling sunset views across the Champlain Valley.
14.
Vergennes
SouthofCharlotte,thehighwaycrossestheunofficialboundaryseparatingthegreaterBur-
lington area from the rest of the state. This portion of the Champlain Valley, replete with
barns,silos,andblack-and-whitecows,providesviewsofanundulatingpatchworkoffarm
and forest against the backdrop of mountains.
At one square mile, Vergennes ranks as the smallest chartered city in Vermont, and it
has an unstudied authenticity that recalls an earlier America. Park your car in the center
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