The 150-mile-long Lake Champlain , which forms the boundary between Vermont and New York state, and just nudges its way into Canada in the north, never exceeds twelve miles in width. Across the water from the flatlands of the Champlain Valley, the imposing Adirondacks are always visible, looming in the west. The first non-native to see the lake, Samuel de Champlain in 1609, who named it after himself, was also the first to claim that it held a sinuous Loch Ness-type monster, which is referred to affectionately in the region as "Champ".

The life and soul of the valley is the French-influenced city of Burlington , whose longstanding trade connections with Montréal has filled it with elegant nineteenth-century architecture. Within just a few miles of the center, US-2 leads north onto the supremely rural Champlain Isles , covered in meadows and orchards.

Vermont is one of the few states with designated Underwater Historic Preserves (details at 802/475-2022, ), where divers can see shipwrecks on the lake floor. Several of these underwater "state parks" are close to Burlington, and the best place to learn more about them is at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Basin Harbor, seven miles west of Vergennes (May to mid-Oct daily 10am-5pm; $8). The museum is in the grounds of the Basin Harbor Club (tel 802/475-2311 or 1-800/622-4000, ), oddly part down-home family resort, part well-heeled country club with golf course, where rates include three meals a day in summer ($200-250) and breakfast only at other times ($100-130).

Lake Champlain Ferries (tel 802/864-9804, ) cross the lake from Vermont to New York from Burlington (to Port Kent; every 90min; $13.25); Charlotte (to Essex; every 30min except in winter when it leaves hourly; $7.50); and Grand Isle (to Plattsburgh; every 20min; $7.50). All these rates are one-way for a car and driver; additional passengers, cyclists and walk-ons pay $2.50-4.50.

Lake Champlain

• Lake Champlain

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