Farnsniente

With Charlie and Evy on Lake Champlain enjoying a Champagne Brunch

Champagne on Champlain

—

in
📍 Lake Champlain, Vermont

Photos

Trip index

Summary

We got picked up at our hotel late morning by longtime friends (Austin, early ‘80s) Evi and Charlie who had moved to Burlington many years before. They treated us to “Champagne on Champlain”, a very nice brunch cruise. We stuffed ourselves on the buffet and had a great time catching up on each other’s lives. We walked off (some) of the meal along the lakeside boardwalk and then back to our hotel. Chilled (Karen) and napped (Scott) in the afternoon then drove to nearby Winooski for cocktail hour. We picked up Indian food takeout for dinner and enjoyed it in the hotel’s sunroom.

Details

Another day, another good breakfast at our BnB. Again it’s cool outside, which is great. Burlington, being where I went to college, is etched in my mind in the 1970s. Today we’ll visit the 1980s. We’ve been invited to join Charlie and Evi on a boat ride on Lake Champlain. Back in the 80s Karen and I were dating and living in Austin. Among our good friends were Charlie and Evi (Kevyn back then). In ’87 we left Austin for the Bay Area (San Jose) and at some point they left for new jobs and life opportunities in the Carolinas. Later they moved up here to Burlington and have been here ever since. 

Our hotel is on the way from their house to the boat so they pick us up. Hugs and hellos all around. They’re treating us to a brunch cruise on the good ship The Spirit of Ethan Allen III. Understandably the voyage is called “Champagne on Champlain” and we’re handed tall glasses of bubbly soon after being seated. Being deaf now in my right ear it’s important where I sit and so the subject of everyone’s health has been broached. Evi exclaims that her brother refers to this portion of any conversation between oldsters like us as an “Organ Recital”. We find that hilarious. 

We visit the buffet and the food is surprisingly good. Since they treated for the cruise and breakfast we get the parking and a bottle of wine. The alcohol midday on a Saturday gets us reminiscing about the past and divulging stories of what we’re up to now. Apparently both couples are in their travel years. We are so engaged in the conversation that we’re not really looking at the scenery or other boats whizzing by, but it’s all pretty. Before long the wine is gone and dessert’s been eaten and the cruise is over. We walk back towards the car, get a group photo taken, and say our thanks/good byes. 

We’re happy to be downtown again and do some after eating walking. Later I’ll find a number of bug bites where by low socks start to expose skin. Ticks? Do I need to worry about Lyme’s disease? Ruh-roh! We finish our walk along the water and wander uphill towards home and past majestic looking old buildings from golden eras gone by. Many of the better looking buildings are now law offices, of course. 

After downtime back in the room we head out again to strap on the old feedbag. The plan is to have a glass of wine somewhere and then pick up Indian food to eat back at the Blind Tiger. Just inland from Burlington is Winooski, an old mill town. Back in my college days the saying was “I went to Winooski once… it was closed”. It was/is a sleepy little bedroom community. The Winooski River is still there with the huge brick buildings on either side that housed the mills for making fabric. The river provided the power in the early days. 

Where we stop for wine is one of those old mill buildings, total revamped now as a huge, fancy casual bar/eatery. On the wall are blown up pictures of millwork, including the children woo spent their days working there. We plan future travels, sip wine, and figure out where we’re getting dinner. It could have been Winooski but I end up choosing a different Indian restaurant (Namaste) way on the other end of Burlington. Oh well. When I walk into the place to pick up my order the guy behind the counter says “Scott?”  and passes me the bag. What to say to express my appreciation? Namaste seems cliche so I just say Thank you. 

Back at the Blind Tiger Karen freshens up in the room while I set up dinner in the sun room. We have cold pink wine and the Blind Tiger has napkins, silverware, glassware, and music, so I’m able to set up a proper dinner setting for us. The staff’s gone home and apparently all the other guests are out so we have the floor (building?) to ourselves. A dessert or two from the hotel’s snack cabinet and we’re ready for bed. 

Photos

Coffee in the sunroom at the Blind Tiger Bed and Breakfast. Karen sitting on a couch upholstered with faux mink and camouflage.
Boarding the Spirit of Ethan Allen III with Charlie and Evi.
Being escorted to our table at the back (aft) of the ship by our fun server who is here from South Africa.
Checking out the dessert bar, first, with Charlie.
Evi and Karen heading down the varied and generous brunch buffet.
Our corner table with wine and a wonderful view all around.
Mostly we talked but outside we could see views, boats, and mountains going by. This athletic boater was up on their SUP hydrofoil being powered by the wind. Good core strength.
One of our views is of Mount Mansfield off in the distance. The locals refer to it as Camel’s Hump but I prefer the French Canadian (Algonquin?) nick name of Leon Couché, crouching lion. I try to promote that but get back the “nope, I don’t really see that”. In desperation I find a picture of a lion with its full mane to try to prove my point.
Off the boat at last. Full of food and wine. It’s not completely sunny but it’s in the mid 70s and feels lovely.
We get one last group photo with Charlie and Evi before we say our goodbyes until next time.
We walk on the boardwalk to burn off a bit of brunch, and then back on the bike and hike trail next to the tracks. Some biting insects land just above my socks but I don’t find their handiwork until later. I hope they’re not ticks and if they are, I hope they’re not carrying Lyme’s disease.
Walking back uphill towards our BnB we pass some regal old buildings. Maybe houses back in the day but invariably law offices now.
We also pass other old buildings that house lots of families now in one structure. As always my mind goes towards the challenges of upkeep when you only have a few months of good weather.
On old textile mill in Winooski, along the Winooski River. Fabric hasn’t come out of any of these for a while.
Inside one of these textile mills is now a nice bar/restaurant. On the wall are huge photographs of what it used to look like working there, as a child, back in the day. Sorry, son, no schooling for you… off to work!
Namaste, taste of Nepal. This is where we’re getting our Indian food for dinner. I toy with the idea of thanking the guy at the counter with Namaste but think better of it.
With the whole Blind Tiger to ourselves for dinner it seems, I set up our makeshift dinner picnic. The BnB has plates, glasses, silverware, and napkins. Fun time.
Our hotel also has a snack cabinet with chocolates and freshly baked cookies and brownies making for a perfect dessert.