Why doesn't the Vermonter terminate in Burlington?

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Is the restaurant on the pier at Burlington or Port Kent? I seem to recall that there was more or less nothing but a little ticket booth for the ferry at the pier in Port Kent. The satellite photo shown on Google Maps suggests that there might be an actual building now (we pass through in 2010), so maybe there's an indoor waiting room.
When I was in Port Kent in June 2018, there was an indoor waiting room for the ferry. I believe some snacks and ice cream were sold. There was no restaurant. In Burlington, there were many places to each near the ferry dock.
 
from the ferry company website:

On the Burlington Ferry Dock

Spot on the Dock
Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and tropical cocktails from one of the best locations on the waterfront to see the sunset. Killer food, friendly service, and good vibes. Accessible by boat.
 
Is the restaurant on the pier at Burlington or Port Kent? I seem to recall that there was more or less nothing but a little ticket booth for the ferry at the pier in Port Kent. The satellite photo shown on Google Maps suggests that there might be an actual building now (we pass through in 2010), so maybe there's an indoor waiting room.

I'm going off a two-decade old memory, so the restaurant might be gone - perhaps a casualty of the reduced schedule?
 
I just went over to google maps and looked up restaurants near the Port Kent station, and the nearest one is 2.5 miles away--I guess there's an actual town there--so I guess the one on the pier is gone. Oh, well, plan B...bring sandwiches and a sun hat?:)
 
I checked with Lake Champlain Transportation:


"Your memory is correct, there used to be a snack bar on the Port Kent side, but unfortunately it is no longer there.
There is a small seasonal restaurant 'The Old Dock' on the Essex side."


So - I was apparently thinking of Essex.


However, the station has a roof and benches, so no need to wait in the sun (or rain). Penny says there was an indoor waiting room for the ferry last June. However, the station will give you a good view to watch "your ship come in".


If you're willing to walk a mile (no local taxi) Harmony Golf has a bar and grill open from 11 AM daily. https://www.harmonygolfclubandcommunity.com/ - menu on FB



Clockwise

~3 PM Adirondack arrives Port Kent


4:10, 6:35 Ferry leaves Port Kent

~5:15, 7:40 Ferry arrives Burlington


9:44 AM Vermonter leaves Essex Junction



Counter Clockwise

8:18 PM Vermonter arrives Essex Junction


12:10 AM Ferry leaves Burlington

~1:15 AM Ferry arrives Port Kent


~1:40 AM Adirondack leaves Port Kent


2019 schedule for this ferry is June 13 - Sept. 3, so I expect similar dates in 2020.

BTW - Amtrak wouldn't let me book a ticket to Port Kent Labor Day weekend.
 
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Another option

There's a newish Hampton Inn in St Albans two blocks from the station, if you can arrange a ride to/from Rouses Point.

Jeff's Maine Seafood is good - if still serving when you arrive, and The Old Foundry also gets good reviews. Or, maybe stay two nights and rent a car ??
Some great scenery in the Lake Champlain Islands, or south and east of town.

A bit more train time while still avoiding the border crossing delay - and less than fascinating scenery between Rouses Point and Montreal.

tinyurl.com/y5a6a6so
 
Jennifer, thank you so much for posting (and explaining) this. I have wanted to go to Burlington for ages, but it seems so difficult to get to. It's not clear, though, on the Blue Line schedule, which stop is downtown Burlington. I would also be concerned because the Vermonter gets to Essex Junction so late--and I would be afraid of trying to find a bus that late somewhere I had never been. Did you do it when you were out here in the east?

The ferry looks like the best bet, but of course it's only summer, and unless I'm reading it wrong, it looks like the train gets to where the ferry is about two hours earlier than the ferry leaves, so you're sitting around in the summer sun (even up there it would be hot) out in the middle of a field or something with nowhere to go in and get out of the heat.

I think the stop got explained by Velotrain ("Downtown Transit Center - 6th column"). Velotrain is also correct that the motels near I-89/US 2 intersection are cheaper (but way less interesting a place to stay) than downtown. I looked at the Blue Line map, and the UVM Medical Center stop is a good mile from the I-89/US2 intersection, walking through UVM campus and past some gnarly street intersections. I'd go to the downtown transit center, and take a transfer and another bus, if I were trying to access that motel area.

I was back in Burlington for my 50th HS reunion last year, but I did not take the train, as summer is my busy season at home, and the lack of good connections from the west makes for a four-plus day journey each way. So I drove to Boise and flew (which required gritting my teeth and walking quite fast through CHI on the return, because even planes can be late). But I *did* find a very nice Air BnB close to downtown, for a very reasonable price. You can find similar ones (turns out one of my HS classmates has one, too), but message me if you'd like a recommendation.
 
Thanks to both of you, Jennifer and velotrain,

I won't be going til next summer, so this gives me a heads-up for planning.

If the Adirondack gets in at 3:00, and the ferry leaves at 4:10, that is no time at all to wait, especially since the train will be late for sure. The only problem would be if it were so late that I would miss the ferry and have to wait several hours for the next one.

Is Burlington worth it, anyway? It sounds like it has a nice touristy upscale trendy downtown waterfront, with nice restaurants and that pedestrian mall. Or is it seedy for the most part, with just a small nice area, and they have a good PR department?

(I got burned once--I am looking at you, Portland, Oregon--all that trendy PR how lovely it is stuff, and it turned out to be a dump with the only person who had a clue being the wonderful sea otter at the zoo....oh, never mind, sorry I am getting off track.)

But I only want to go if it is worth it to do all that train/ferry stuff to get there.:)
 
I found Portland far more attractive and interesting than Seattle, which seems like any other large American city, but YMMV.

If you're so timid about traveling and have such narrow expectations, maybe you should just stay home.
 
velotrain,

I've traveled for years and am not timid about it at all. You have not gotten to know me on this forum yet, so I will excuse your not knowing, but I rarely stay home and am often traveling.

I routinely go to downtown Philadelphia and am fine. I have to commute through Trenton, the worst dump on the east coast, and am fine.

I do like to plan things way ahead and in detail, though, which may come off to some people as being timid, but for me it's just being detail-oriented.

I am certainly not afraid of a ferry dock in upstate NY--I just wondered about what was there because of getting bored waiting to cross.

I have enjoyed almost everywhere I have traveled, including England and Europe, and Portland is the only place that rubbed me the wrong way. It may be an east coast/west coast thing--everything was just too casual for me--except for Sacramento, which I really liked (perhaps because it is a state capital, so people were obviously working and going back and forth with a purpose). I probably would not care for Seattle or Vancouver, either. I like everything in life to be neat and organized, so obviously Portland was not for me!

Anyway, we are way off the Vermonter topic, so I apologize to the rest of the posters and readers for going off on my Portland rant.
 
I agree with you about Portland Patty, ( it's sort of like Austin, living on its reputation from the 60s and 70s)and I know you dont care for New York City, but Vancouver is a great place, you'd really enjoy it I believe!

And how bout Byrce's walk off Grand Slam to beat the Flubs!:cool:
 
I said timid because you seem to have such a limited range of experiences that you enjoy-tolerate. Most adventurous travelers understand and appreciate that any location is going to have a wide mixture of different types of areas and many are happy to explore all/most of them. If you are less open or tolerant then you should indeed carefully research any city you might visit to avoid the horror of finding yourself in a "dump". If your mind was less narrow you might discover that even "dumps" often have unique and interesting areas - IF - you're willing to make the effort to search them out. You appear to prefer Disneyland-style completely sanitized destinations.

I apologize also but think that this is an important travel concept - while being aware that not all embrace it.
 
I agree with you about Portland Patty, ( it's sort of like Austin, living on its reputation from the 60s and 70s)and I know you dont care for New York City, but Vancouver is a great place, you'd really enjoy it I believe!
I said timid because you seem to have such a limited range of experiences that you enjoy-tolerate. Most adventurous travelers understand and appreciate that any location is going to have a wide mixture of different types of areas and many are happy to explore all/most of them. If you are less open or tolerant then you should indeed carefully research any city you might visit to avoid the horror of finding yourself in a "dump". If your mind was less narrow you might discover that even "dumps" often have unique and interesting areas - IF - you're willing to make the effort to search them out. You appear to prefer Disneyland-style completely sanitized destinations.

I apologize also but think that this is an important travel concept - while being aware that not all embrace it.
You are incorrect about her travel ideas, those of is who know her know how much she loves to travel and what a great person she is!

She is known for her research about Travel and often seeks advice from other members about New places to discover!
 
I indeed don't know her, but based my comments on her characterization of some cities as "dumps" - which is her opinion, but I don't feel cities should be so grossly generalized in that manner.

FYI - that "dump" Trenton has perhaps the best sculpture garden on the east coast.
https://www.groundsforsculpture.org/
 
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Thanks.
 
I'm also sorry it got out of hand. I'm planning to try the ferry in reverse (in theory just a half-hour wait) over Labor Day weekend, so will report on it afterwards.
I looked into the St. Albans option, but a taxi was ~$80.
I'm staying in the Portland Hostel (assured a lower bunk bed), well reviewed and a mere two blocks from the ferry plus only a short walk from the DTC - using shortcuts.
After all, I'll only be there some 10-12 hours, so see no sense in paying $300-600 for a bed - I'm actually unwilling to pay that in any circumstance.
 
Thanks to both of you, Jennifer and velotrain,

If the Adirondack gets in at 3:00, and the ferry leaves at 4:10, that is no time at all to wait, especially since the train will be late for sure. The only problem would be if it were so late that I would miss the ferry and have to wait several hours for the next one.

Is Burlington worth it, anyway? It sounds like it has a nice touristy upscale trendy downtown waterfront, with nice restaurants and that pedestrian mall. Or is it seedy for the most part, with just a small nice area, and they have a good PR department?

But I only want to go if it is worth it to do all that train/ferry stuff to get there.:)

When a friend and I went in 2018, the Adirondack was a bit late, which was convenient. The wait was not too bad. It was a hot day for June and it was more comfortable in the waiting room with fans than outside in the sun. I really like Burlington. We stayed at the Hilton which was a short walk from the dock. We went downtown to a pizza place for dinner which was not too crowded. (We were worried since it was Father's Day). We then went to Ben and Jerry's for dessert. I am a craft beer drinker and Burlington did not disappoint me. (That was my third visit to Burlington and I enjoyed each visit).
 
When planning, keep in mind that this route is seasonal, 9-22 is the last trip. The other Lake Champlain routes (Charlotte - Essex and Plattsburgh - Grand Isle run year round, but Charlotte - Essex can close in the event of ice or high winds)
 
I was told that it generally runs mid-June to mid-September, but their online schedule shows - summer schedule: Jun. 13 - Sep. 3

Where is the 9/22 from?
 
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