--- End of the road. Across the Bay is South Hero, one of the Champlain Isles.

The railroad bed ends and across the water is South Hero. We meet a man and his young son. He says he lives in one of the houses across the water, and he and his son were biking to see it from the other side. He had been a pastor and went back to school for certification as a teacher, and is now looking for a teaching position. However, he only wants to work on South Hero or Grand Isle. These are small places, and he will need patience.

He asked about us and where we were headed next in Vermont. When we told him Stowe, he gave us some great tips on a really nice hike from Smugglers Notch to Serenity Lake.

Now after some conversation and relaxation, oh my, we have to turn around and face 10 miles of biking back to our starting point. A little more than halfway there, we were back at North Beach for a delicious ice cream cone, and what a difference that makes in your attitude on the final leg of the journey.

We saw the beauty of nature and the beauty of ordinary folks along the way. What a ride!