Burlington, VT

After waking up today we decided to stay in Burlington for one more night, for several reasons: It’s an awesome city with lots to do, the wind and waves were forecast to be on the nose if we continued north, and more rain was likely. We walked to breakfast at Henry’s Diner, where we ate the morning we flew home, then got groceries at the local co-op. After walking back to the marina and putting away our provisions, we took an Uber to the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum a few miles outside Burlington on the Winooski River. 

One of America’s and Vermont’s founding fathers, Allen (1738-1789) was a writer, farmer, military officer and politician. Raised by Puritan parents in strict religious surroundings, the outspoken and hot-tempered young man began making waves and enemies early in life by questioning Biblical passages, religious values and the Protestant dogma. He made his way to Vermont after being asked to leave several communities in Connecticut and Massachusetts, mainly due to his outspoken challenges of religious beliefs. Vermont was hotly contested frontier land before it became a state, with the Governors of New York and New Hampshire both selling land to settlers. Allen’s famous Green Mountain Boys were originally formed as a paramilitary group to protect New Hampshire landowners from eviction by New Yorkers who held duplicate titles to the same land. During the American Revolution, the Green Mountain Boys became part of the Continental Army and grew into legend after the 1775 capture of Fort Ticonderoga. Allen commanded the group until he was captured during a failed invasion of Canada and spent more than two years in British prisons before being released in a prisoner swap. After the war, Allen was heavily involved in Vermont politics and made a living as a land speculator and farmer, eventually settling the homestead that we toured today. Map Link: Ethan Allen Homestead

Fun fact: Vermont declared its independence from Great Britain in 1777 and operated as the Vermont Republic, a free and independent jurisdiction, for 14 years until it became the 14th state in 1791.

Our next sightseeing stop was the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, part aquarium, part children’s museum and a lot of fun. Our favorite animals were the Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtles, a threatened species in Vermont.

We waited out a passing rain shower before walking back into town for some outstanding Mexican food at El Cortijo Taqueria off of Church Street, a pedestrian and bike-friendly dining and shopping district that reminded us a lot of State Street in Madison, WI. Then we grabbed an ice cream cone along the Burlington Bike Path and visited the Lake Champlain Navy Memorial, which honors those who served on this important waterway during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. The “Lone Sailor” statue is a copy of the original bronze sculpture at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. and is one of 18 around the world. We can see the Lone Sailor from our dock, seen below guarded by a lone cormorant.