Yes, Lake Champlain is the home of America’s version of the Loch Ness Monster, called “Champ”. There have been over 200 alleged sightings and a few films and photos. And yes, I had my own “monster sighting”. Lake Champlain is very long, very narrow, and very deep–similar in many respects to Loch Ness. A somewhat … More Champy the Lake Monster

This is a nice aquarium across the lake in Burlington VT (Bernie Sanders country). It focuses on the wildlife of Lake Champlain. Some photos from a visit: The Aquarium is right on the shore of Lake Champlain The Aquarium Snapping Turtle Green Frog — that’s the species name, not a description  😉 Painted Turtle Wood … More ECHO Aquarium

The War of 1812 has been virtually forgotten in the US–probably because we don’t like to celebrate wars we didn’t win. But there was a major battle here in Plattsburgh back in 1814, commemorated by a small museum near the lake. Right next door to the War of 1812 Museum is a park commemorating the … More War of 1812 Museum

Well, since it finally stopped raining, i was able to spend the day at Fort Ticonderoga. Built in 1755 by the French, the Fort was captured by the british in the French and Indian War. In 1775, it was taken from the Brits by Ethan Allen at the start of the revolutionary War, was captured … More Fort Ticonderoga

I’m in Plattsburgh NY for a few days, then over to the other side of the lake, Burlington VT, for a few days.  Alas, the weather is supposed to be off and on rain for a while, so it may be a little while before I get to go see the sights. In the meantime … More Greetings From Lake Champlain

This is a great place: it’s a Mecca for anyone interested in aviation history. The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is set up as a grass airstrip from the barnstorming days of the 1910s, 20s, and 30s. There’s an extensive collection of early aircraft, from 1909 to 1918, on display in the museum hangars. But the great … More Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome

Oriskany was an interesting Revolutionary War battle for several reasons. In terms of percent of troops engaged, it had the highest casualty rate of any battle in the war. It also illustrated a fact which is often forgotten about the Revolutionary War: it was also a civil war. Only about one-third of the American colonists … More Oriskany Battlefield

[NOTE: I’ve blogged all these “how-to” posts before, but am gonna re-run them on occasion, since folks may have missed them, and many of them have been updated or expanded since they were first posted.] The easiest and most direct way to deal with dirty laundry, of course, is a simple trip to the laundromat. … More Laundry in the Van

Destroyer Escorts were very small (only 300 feet long) ships used in WW2 to protect cargo convoys and hunt submarines. The USS Slater in Albany is the only WW2 destroyer escort still afloat. Some photos from a visit. USS Slater On the main deck Our tour guide loads the main 3-inch deck gun The officers … More USS Slater

The Battle of Bennington was a prelude to the Battle of Saratoga. When a British detachment attempted to capture a colonial weapons depot at Bennington, they were surrounded and forced to surrender. This loss reduced British forces at Saratgoa and helped the colonials win there shortly later. Some photos from a visit: My Ziggy the … More Bennington Battlefield