Burton Island State Park

Our AirBnb rental in Burlington is an old victorian that’s been diced into a mini hotel. Its stone foundation has shifted over the decades, causing the structure to lean and sag to the point that there’s no flat floor or square wall. It’s like you’re viewing the place through a fun house mirror. Many of the window frames have turned into parallelograms. Bad enough that the square windows can’t shut entirely.

We arise early, trying to get a jump on the bad weather that is forecasted for the day. The remnants of Tropical storm Fred pushed in a steady day of rain. No matter though. We have rain gear and it’ll remain warm. Cycling in the rain when it’s warm can be quite pleasant once you accept your fate.

Except for a short section of highway riding, the remainder of the ride is on quiet rural roads. We pass plenty of mossy red barns, signs of maple syrup harvesting, and fields of corn. Who knew that Vermont would be in the corn business. I figured the growing season would be too short for corn, but the Vermonters have figured it out.

We arrive at Kill Kare State Park with minutes to spare before the ferry leaves for Burton Island. We made such good time that we’re able to catch an earlier ferry. The small island in the middle of Lake Champlain is a state park with a campground.

When I reserved a site a month ago, the ranger I spoke with urged me to get a site with a lean-to shelter. These three-sided wooden buildings offer protection from the rain and a dry place to pitch a tent. What a great idea!

Camping in the rain is low on my favorite things to do list. The lean-to makes what would be a wet and steamy night of camping into a dry and steamy night of camping. I’ll take a little dry any day!