It’s always hard to say goodbye to Vermont, but we left with a fresh bag of Cold Hollow donuts and a belly full of beer. We were heading to Syracuse for a family event, and we had booked some camping with our nephew, Liam, for after that - and showing a kid the joys of camping was well worth the travels.
On our way out of Vermont, we crossed the Lake Champlain Bridge into New York and saw enticing ruins in the distance. This is my favorite part about the flexibility of bus life; we see something cool and we generally have the time to stop and explore! We had stumbled onto the ruins of two fortifications from the era of the British and the French battling over the Champlain Valley. The Crown Point State Historical Site is full of detail and information about these ruins and the structures of the forts. In addition to the historical interest of this park, I couldn’t help but be wowed by the gorgeous views of Lake Champlain and the surrounding mountains in both Vermont and New York. It was such a picturesque stop, and I was glad we had the time to enjoy it.
Outside Syracuse, we stopped at one of my favorite Harvest Hosts yet. Abbott Farms was on the outskirts of the city, and it was a gorgeous place to stay. We parked by the orchards, watched the horses trot out to pasture, and were wowed by the colors of the sunset as the evening storm passed. We always make sure to buy something from our hosts, to support and thank them for our sleeping spot, but it was extra easy to do this at Abbott Farms. They had delicious strawberry rhubarb pie slices and farm fresh strawberries that were ripe and sweet. We stocked up on some eggs and cookies from their bakery, and enjoyed our feast in our beautiful sleeping spot.
Liam and his mom, Erica, were at a local hotel in Syracuse for the weekend, and we had one day to spend in the Syracuse area before our camping reservation, and it was a hot one, so we opted for a day at the park. We had passed by Onondaga Park the day before, and figured it would be a great spot to spend the day. Known as the “Central Park of Central New York”, this park features walking trails and a lake for boating, alongside a ton of other great amenities. We found a nice picnic table near the lake to set up for the day, and Liam decided it was a perfect time to try some kayaking again. They have an official marina for launching, with a $10 fee, but boaters are permitted to launch from anywhere else on the shoreline for free.
Liam and I launched from right near our picnic table, and spent some time meandering down a former lock for the Erie Canal. The Erie Canal was completed in 1825, and was built to connect New York City and the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The development of the Erie Canal was instrumental in developing many central cities of New York state, including Syracuse. No wonder then that Syracuse plays host to the Erie Canal Museum! The original route of the Erie Canal took the waterway through the heart of Syracuse. Since then, the canal has been shifted further south of the city, but the city remains linked to the canal system through Onondaga Lake.
We paddled back out to the open waters of the lake, where we explored a bit more, before calling it a day. Liam is a pretty talented little kayaker, and he likes to do as much paddling as he can by himself. After carting me around the lake, he was ready to call it a day and take a snack break. We enjoyed a nice picnic in the park, and Liam then totally kicked our butts at Uno. After our morning on the water and our lunch break, we decided to do a little walking around this massive park. But we hadn’t explored the maps well enough, and didn’t come upon any of the many amenities this park had to offer. If you visit, I’d recommend figuring out what you’d like to see here, since it’s a pretty big spot with lots to see!
The hotel Erica and Liam were staying at had a pool, and so Liam was pretty excited to get back there to splash around. We parted ways and planned to meet at Abbott Farms, where we were staying another night, so that they could enjoy the farm a bit and get some tasty treats in the morning. Liam enjoyed seeing all the farm animals that were out and I enjoyed another slice of morning pie, and then we hit the road for Green Lakes State Park.
As we drove into the park, we were all stunned to see the incredibly crisp blue-green water of Green Lake beckoning us for a dip. I learned from the park map that the two lakes at the park were amazingly colored due to their mineral content and the depth of the lakes.
Both lakes are of a very rare type called meromictic. This means that the lower layers of water never intermix with the upper layers of water, allowing for a unique lower layer environment that has been extensively studied. This is because the lower layer of water receives inputs of water through the bedrock, and as it travels, it absorbs minerals that are not found in the upper layer of water that is replenished through rain and snow. This creates a permanent stratification of the laters. Because of this, sediment on the bed of the lake does not get disturbed, giving the lake a clear and still appearance. The depth of the lakes also allows for the blue end of the light spectrum to penetrate and be reflected back to the eye, giving a blue appearance to the lake. The last piece of the puzzle is due to the mineral content, which culminates in yearly events called “whitings”, where minerals precipitate from the water and give a green hue to the waters. All of this wild science comes together to form this beautiful view!
The campsites themselves were quite open and close to each other. We were grateful we checked in at the end of the weekend, since we had minimal neighbors and didn’t feel so cramped. But with a lake as gorgeous as the one we had seen, we knew we’d be spending most of our time down there by the water!
The beach was pretty crowded, and the hours are limited by when lifeguards are present. It seems like it’s typically open for swimming from 11-7, but swimming is not allowed outside these hours. The beach was also surprisingly dog friendly. We opted to set up our blanket on the sand near the grassy outskirts, so we had a shady spot for us and the dogs. The dogs are also permitted to splash in the waters outside the permitters of the swimming area, and they enjoyed their little swims on this super hot day!
It was a shame it was so oppressively hot when we visited, because there were quite a few nice sounding trails in the park. We took a morning stroll on the Green Lake trail, which was an easy walking path around Green Lake that offered many stunning views of the gorgeous blue-green waters and the picturesque surrounding forest. There were a few off-shoot trails I would have loved to explore, like the Old Growth Trail or the Round Lake Overlook, which offered the best views of the other scenic glacial lake at this state park.
But the sweltering heat did give me the opportunity to fully enjoy a dip in the cool and refreshing waters of Green Lake. We spent a day at the beach, making sandcastles and relaxing in the sun. We’d splashed a bit in the water, but I’m adverse to the cold, and didn’t go for a full dip. But after a sticky day in the sun, I decided to go for a full dive in the deep area. It was a magically refreshing experience, diving into these gorgeous cool waters, immediately washing the hot day off my skin and coming back up to these beautiful views. I felt so awake and so alive!
One disappointment in our visit was our inability to kayak and further explore this pretty lake. Because of the delicate and unique nature of the waters, no outside watercrafts are allowed to launch on either lake. They typically offered rentals, but it seemed like this was closed for the year, and therefore no boating was allowed on the lakes. This is definitely something to further look into if you’re looking forward to paddling on your visit to Green Lakes State Park.
Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by how beautiful Green Lake was, and enjoyed our time splashing and cooling down in its gorgeous waters. The trails here seemed well cultivated to highlight all of the natural beauties in the park. And it’s always fun to camp with Liam and show him the joys of cooking on the fire, making s’mores, and having a drive-in movie night with our projector!
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