[jbear182]

My family and I are considering a family vacation to Lake Champlain (north of burlington). What is it like in the summer? Is it a complete madhouse or zoo? Is the water warm enough to swim. Is it worth a one way 17 hour car trip? Any insight would be helpful. I have reviewed a lot of websites, but I would like some personel opinions. Thanks in advance.

[harry chickpea]

What part of the lake exactly? The islands? Malletts Bay, Sand Bar park?

Lake swimming in Vermont is an adventure. About mid-summer, the top four feet of the water are nice and warm (comparitively) and below that is the thermocline, where the water is much colder. The wind sometimes mixes it up, but don't expect the same temps as a heated pool. On Champlain, there is often a breeze strong enough to push sailboats around, so getting out can be chilly, even on warm days.

If you can rent or get use of a power boat, you can sometimes find a quiet sheltered cove to swim from the boat. Dunno what the seaweed is like in recent years.

Would I drive 17 hours for a swim? Well, let me put it this way. I have a beautiful 15,000 gallon in-ground pool in the backyard, filled with nice warm Florida water, and I haven't used it in a couple of years.

[jbear182]

I wanted to know more about the area. Would it be a good place for family vacation? We like to hike, bike, shop, cook out and hang out. Is the area wooded?

[harry chickpea]

The islands are a little isolated, so if you camp there you might not get in as much shopping. There is the bike trail on the old railroad roadbed. Hiking on the islands is not something I've done. Vermont has lost a lot of pastureland to brush over the past twenty years, but when I used to go up there the area was mostly farmland, because it was one of the few areas flat enough in the state to support it.

A lot depends on how long your vacation is. If you have one week, you might camp for five of the days and then get a motel in Burlington for a couple, to experience the small city atmosphere and shop. Church Street and Battery Park make a nice day of it. If you have two weeks, camping on the islands for a few days might be followed by camping at Little River State Park and hiking on Mt. Mansfield or Camel's Hump, or wandering around the shops in Stowe, stopping for cider in Waterbury Center, and eating a meal or two at some of the great restaurants in the Waterbury Stowe area. There used to be canoe trips or rentals available in the area. Sitting on a lazy river or small lake in a canoe, with sandwich and beer in hand can be very relaxing.