Do you know what happened on April 19, 1775?

Start:  Jellystone Campground, North Hudson, New York
End:  White River Valley Campground, Gaysville, Vermont

Mileage:  88 miles
Weather:  HOT and STICKY!

States Conquered:  Washington; Idaho; Montana; North Dakota; Minnesota; Iowa; Illinois; Indiana; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Ontario, Canada; New York
State Being Conquered:  Vermont
States to be Conquered:  New Hampshire; Maine

Particulars:  If you were asked the following question and had to answer the question on the spot, coud you?  What significant event in history happened on April 19, 1775?

Hannah and I visited Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, which was built by the French during the Seven Years War, or French and Indian War.  It sits on the southern edge of Lake Champlain, strategically located between the Hudson River Valley and the St. Lawrence Seaway.  No wonder the British and the French were more interested in the Fort than the Americans, although Ethan Allan, Benedict Arnold and Green Mountain Boys did gain control of the fort in May, 1775.  No lives were lost as the Fort was not heavily defended and ONE guard took aim at the Americans, turned and ran back into the Fort, leaving the door open allowing for the Patriots to enter and overpower the British who numbered 48 in all.

Our tour guide was interesting to say the least.  He was dressed in an infantry uniform from the 18th century and  demonstrated the use of a musket (he could load and shoot within 14 seconds).  Apparently the requirement to be an infantryman was to load and shoot the mustket three times within 60 seconds.  However, I did find him to be a bit condescending by the way he approached the subject.  When he started to discuss the significance of the American Revolution he said to the crowd, "Well, everyone knows what happened on April 19, 1775.  Can you believe I had a group of 4th graders who DIDN'T KNOW!"  Did I know?  To be honest, no, but I could probably make an educated guess and I had my iPhone so I could look it up.  Do you know?  Here's a clue.  Lexington and Concord.

Ticonderoga did play a part in the battle to drive the British out of Boston.  How could that be?  Boston is hundreds of miles away from Ticonderoga!  Well, when the Fort was under the rule of the Patriots, Henry Knox, a Boston bookseller proposed an idea to General Washington.  They needed artillery in Boston and there were lots of cannons at Fort Ticonderoga.  On December 1, 1775, Knox left Boston on horseback for the 300 mile journey to Ticonderoga.  After seven weeks of travel by water and sled pulled by oxen, Knox entered Cambridge on January 24, 1776 with 59 pieces of artillery including 43 heavy brass and iron cannon.  Washington now had what he needed to defeat the red coats.

Our visit reminded me that it's time to travel to Williamsburg, walk the Freedom Trail in Boston, visit Washington, DC . . . so much to do, so little time.

After Ticonderoga, we travelled to Rochester, Vermont, our proposed stopping point for the day.  Little did we know that we would be competing with the Green Mountai Suzuki Strings festival and there were not hotel accommodations to be found.  Well, there was one room, a suite at the Huntington Inn with two queen beds at the rate of $395 per night.  We travelled 12 miles further and set up camp at the White River Valley Campground.  It's days like today that make us very glad to have the truck and the trailer.  That's two nights in a row where hotels/motels have not been an option.  What will the next few days bring?

A report from Mike Thompson:  The four amigos on the ferry crossing from NY to Vermont. We're in New England now!

A report from Joe Thompson:  88 tough miles in the up and down country from North Hudson NY to Gaysville VT. We passed Fort Ticondaroga and took a ferry across Lake Champlain to pass from NY to VT. We also took an optional route to go through Middlebury VT, home of Middlebury College, where most of us have associates who are alumni. We rode smack through he Green Mountains, where we had the opportunity to ride sustained grades or 14 per cent, which any of you that ride a bike may recognize is quite steep. The steepest pitch on the road in Little Cottonwood Canyon, for instance, is 9 per cent. Our original destination was Rochester VT, but alas there was no lodging to be had and no camping. So we rode on down the route to Gaysville.


All rode strongly, completed the planned ride, and were in good spirits at camp.

A report from Kelly Thompson:  Baaad roads near Ticonderoga NY on Vermont border.

Interesting People Along the Way: