Day 5

forgot the stats at the end of Day 4.
963 miles; 24.2 mpg;39.8 gals used;total time 23hr, 12min; speed 41.4 mph

Off to Fort Ticonderoga. The route was thru the Adirondack National Forest. Mom has trouble telling when we're going up vs. down. She can only see down. Met at least 100 bicycles--some cruising, some struggling. we thought they might be circling Brant lake. Crazy!! I had trouble convincing Mom that if they started at a point on the lake and went around to the same point, they go up exactly as much as they went down. Finally prevailed.

Followed a group of six motorcycles. we have decided we are getting a bike and then joining a nice motorcycle gang. They surely have senior membeerships just like other organizations.

Fort Ticonderoga is another fort guarding a passage to the inland. started by the French and taken over by the British and then the Americans. The French under Montcalm with 3,500 men held off 15,000 British soldiers under General Abercrombie (must have been before he met Mr. Fitch)

We watched a fife and drum group and saw them fire a musket and a cannon.

In the Revolutionary War, Ethan Allan, his Green Mountain Boys, and Benedict Arnold walked in and took the fort easily--just demanded it be turned over.

The view of Lake George to the south of the fort was beautiful.

The fort was going to ruin and was bought by William Pell--his family did the restoration--in the early 1800s. we wonder if the Pell grants in education loans are any relation. They had a house (later a hotel) with neat grdens which were formally used by the soldiers. The gardens are neat, but the house is suffering. they are starting to plan what to do and how to raise the money.

After the fort and the garden we drove to a ferry and crossed over to Vermont for $9,00. We were on the ferry with a few cars, a motorcycle and a motor home pulling a car. The ferry goes back and forth--takes about 10 minutes to cross. At this point we are on Lake Champlain--lots of history in the early wars.

This part of the country is pretty, but not picturesque (so far) Actually reminds us of Parke County Indiana with a little bigger set of hills.

In Middlebury VT we saw Middlebury College and a double wide coveered bridge.

Stats: 1153 miles; 23.8 mpg; used 48.4 gals; 28hr,38 min; speed 40.3 mph