Ticonderoga, NY

Today was a sightseeing day, so after some morning rain moved through, we caught an Uber to Burlington, picked up a rental car, then drove south, crossed the Champlain Bridge and went to see Fort Ticonderoga, which we glimpsed from the lake a few days ago. Quick refresher—the fort was built by the French in 1755, and originally named Fort Carillon. Fun fact: The French were regarded as the foremost military engineers of the era, and many of today’s words to describe fortifications come from their language. Rampart, revetment, bastion, parapet, redoubt, palisade and other fort terms were all derived from French. 

The British next held the fort, renaming it Ticonderoga and surrendered it in 1775 to Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold of the Continental Army at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The British would lay siege to the fort in 1777 and take it back when the Americans withdrew without a fight. Ticonderoga was already falling into disrepair after the War of 1812, was purchased in 1820 by the Pell family and painstakingly restored in the early 20th century and opened as a historical park. Today it is an interesting and entertaining place to visit, with guided tours and costumed reenactors describing and demonstrating early fort life. Also open to the public are the gardens and grounds of the Pell family, who built a summer residence here while supervising the fort’s restoration. You can even take a boat tour on Lake Champlain, but we skipped that. Map Link: Fort Ticonderoga, NY

After Fort Ticonderoga, we drove up to Mount Defiance, where the British placed artillery overlooking the fort during the siege of 1777. From this vantage point, one can understand why the Americans abandoned the fort, with mortar shells easily lobbed through the roofs of their barracks. 

We explored the town of Ticonderoga, NY, and discovered the Star Trek Original Series Set Museum, dedicated to preserving detailed recreations of the sets used in the TV show. When the series went off the air in 1969, much of the sets were dismantled and destroyed, with most surviving pieces ending up in private collections, and the museum’s owner built everything from scratch. Apparently, William Shatner visits regularly. Yes, he is still alive. 

We had dinner at Burleigh’s Luncheonette, across the street from the Star Trek Museum, a restaurant that is proud that its decor hasn’t changed much since the 1950s. We sat down at 4:30 PM, with the other senior citizens getting the early bird special.

The countryside here is just as beautiful from the road as it is from the water. Seeing all of the farm buildings in the region prompted today’s Bonus Question: Why are barns painted red? (Multiple choice, answer at end of post).

A. So cows can find their way home.

B. To make them look like brick, a sign of wealth.

C. Red paint was easy to make and cheap to buy. 

D. To ward off evil spirits.

Bonus Question Answer: C—red paint was easily made out of linseed oil, milk, blood and/or ferrous oxide, and usually the cheapest or the only option to buy back in the day. Fun fact about Answer A: Cows have no red receptors in their eyes, so they can’t distinguish red barns (or bullfighting capes).