Climate controlled 2500 sq. ft. ranch-style home, with 4 bedroom and 1.5 bathrooms on Lake Champlain in West Addison, Vermont.
The house (or camp, as this type of summer house is called in New England) has been in our family since 1963. The main structure was built in the 1920s and started out as a one room fishing cabin (now the living room) with an outhouse and water pumped up from the lake. Over the years my family has added a screened porch, a large kitchen and three bedrooms. In the late 1970’s the back section was added with two larger bedrooms, a laundry room, and a second bathroom. Now it is a very comfortable, fully modernized 4-bedroom house, with an office/storeroom, living room, large porch, kitchen and laundry room with 1.5 bath rooms.
A great property for seniors:
The main bath was fully renovated in 2019 to nearly ADA standards, with a wider door, grab bars and a low threshold shower. The kitchen entryway has two short steps to reach the kitchen deck. Inside the house there are only two steps up as you move to the different bedroom sections of the house. However, to get to the shoreline of the lake, there is a hill to climb down and a lot of stairs.
Household amenities:
The cottage is equipped with a Weber gas grill, Keurig coffee maker, and a fully stocked kitchen. This includes equipment needed to sous vide, including a well-seasoned cast iron skillet (avocado oil is in the pantry). We have large pots for cooking corn-on-the-cob or steaming lobsters. The kitchen’s supply of pots, pans, and utensils matches what I keep at home, so it should have everything you need for cooking and baking. This is the place my family goes to gather, so we are set-up for hosting more than a couple of people. There are plenty of plates and cutlery for a group of 6-8.
If you still must work:
The office has a small desk, comfortable desk chair and wireless color printer available for use. The office is good if you have a conference call and need a quiet space. However, the best place to work, if you must work, is at the table on the porch. Spread out and get comfortable. We keep a long extension cord there for power. The counter where the bar stool is works well as a workstation.
Staying cool when it gets hot:
The weather in Vermont can be cool in the mornings in spring or it can be uncomfortably hot in July and August. Over the past few years, we have invested in heat pumps to cool and heat nearly all of the house (bathrooms and office/store room do not have AC). The mini-split units are whisper quiet and remove the humidity from the air much better than a window unit (we tried those first). If you have trouble sleeping in a hot and humid room, you will be very comfortable in any of the 4 bedrooms that all have individual AC/heat remote controls so you can set the temperature to your individual taste.
Bedding:
We have high thread-count all cotton bedding and quilts in each bedroom and there are 2 sets of sheets for each bed. There are a variety of pillow types throughout the bedrooms, including down pillows of various densities.
What is there to do nearby?
Enjoy swimming, boating, kayaking and fishing on the lake or just soak up the peaceful atmosphere. Visit the local wineries and distilleries in the area. Pick apples, plums, and pears in the fall from several area orchards or go berry picking in the spring and summer. Don’t miss the Shelburne Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings. The produce is amazing, and they have many local craftsmen selling their products.
Tour historical sites like Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point or visit the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. The Shelburne Museum is 45 minutes to the north for a nice day trip. Take a morning walk to New York State over the bridge for amazing views of the lake, Port Henry, and Crown Point.
Enjoy farm to table dining at Black Sheep Bistro in Vergennes, or our favorite, Starry Night Café in Ferrisburgh. Don’t go home empty handed, as Champ’s Trading Post is close by, and Dakin Farms and the Vermont Flannel Company are 30 minutes to the north. It is easy to ship home your favorite VT treats at Dakin Farm, so stock up on Maple Syrup, their maple leaf bottles make great Christmas gifts.
Amenities in the neighborhood:
Enjoy a walk up the dirt road to West Addison General Store (WAGS) or Goodie’s Snack Bar for amazing ice cream. WAGS has pizza and subs to go, and they make incredible blueberry scones. Forgot to buy milk or BBQ sauce, or you need bug spray? WAGS has it. You will find it is very convenient having a general store so close. Just be careful of the traffic, it can get busy in their parking lot during the summer months.
Bring the kids!
Our property is great place for kids to be kids and there is space for them to run around and play. Let them explore nature on the property, on the beach and on the lake. There is also a gazebo on the bank overlooking the lake which is a great playhouse for kids. The back field can be used for family sporting events like volleyball, badminton, baseball, or other lawn games. The kids can watch the squirrels, birds and chipmunks play. Keep an eye out of other wildlife. We have had woodchucks, raccoons, skunks, deer, rabbits, and even a catamount on the property in recent years. We also have a few children’s bikes and games to use. Let us know beforehand if you want us to get them out.
Boating on the lake:
Bring your power boat, pontoon boat or fishing boat, as the boat launch is at the Vermont side of the bridge at Chimney Point, which is 2 miles from the house. You can tie up at our dock for the day during the summer months, but we do not let anyone tie-up overnight. You never know when a storm will come over the mountain. Lake Champlain is a wonderful deep-water lake with a lot of places to explore. Need fuel? There is a marina before the bridge (2 miles) and another across the lake in Port Henry, NY. This is a fun lake for water skiing, tubing and swimming off the boat. Pack a cooler and have a picnic along the way.
The shoreline of Lake Champlain:
If you are “sand in your toes” kind of beach people, this is not the lake for you. (We have a property on Siesta Key in Florida for that kind of beach going if you are interested.) The shoreline of Lake Champlain, on the Vermont side, is slate in its various forms. From Owl’s Head to the south, the shore line is solid slate, but right at our property in begins to break up into rocks and smaller stones. We have an area of flat slate bedrock and then other sections with larger chunks of stone and large rocks that were carried in by the ice over the years. It is not easy to walk on, so don’t leave home without water shoes for the whole family. Slate can be very sharp, so we ask that no one go down to the shore or in the water without shoes on. Your feet will thank you.
Depending on the time of the year, the water at the shoreline (10-15 feet out) can become weedy. It also depends on the year and the level of the water, which can vary depending on the snowfall the previous winter. Some years the weeds are worse than others. The best thing to do is to use a float and get out past the weeds. Take a paddle around the beautiful sail boat and then check out the small turtle island in the bay towards the houses to the left.
The water is very refreshing in mid summer, but it can be down right cold early in the year. The state puts out hypothermia warnings in the spring when the weather first warms up, but the water is still very cold, so be careful the kids don’t get too chilled in the water if they play in the shallows. We have several tube style floats available to use during your visit. Just let us know you would like to use them and we can get them out ahead of time.
