The summer leg of our journey has officially come to a close, about 3 weeks earlier than we had anticipated. A combination of rising gas prices, depleting funds, and, perhaps most of all, the pressing need to finish preparing for the wedding, have all lead to conversations as to exactly when we should head to Pittsburgh. Our decision was made easy by the impossibility of sleeping in a van during a major  and lengthy heat wave. We decided to return to Pittsburgh early and pick up a few part-time jobs while finishing wedding preparations and sleeping in an air conditioned house. 

On Friday night, when it was so hot we couldn't even think about falling asleep, we decided to stay at a hotel for the first time during our travels so we could wake up refreshed and ready to make the drive back to Pittsburgh from Burlington, Vermont the next morning. We left Burlington at 9:30 am and arrived in Pittsburgh at 11 pm. After languidly taking 6 weeks to reach Burlington from Pittsburgh, it was a bizarre experience to make it home in under 12 hours. We really wanted to make the trip back in one day, so, for once, we sped along the highways and toll roads. 

Our drive home was just as epic as our entire summer has been. Our GPS actually instructed us to "Board the Ferry" in order to cross Lake Champlain. We had really wanted to take some pictures of the lake, so after we got over the shock of being directed to take a ferry, we became incredibly grateful for the unexpected shortcut from Vermont to New York. 

I had never been on a ferry with my vehicle before! 

Surrounded by mountains, Lake Champlain was breathtaking in its deep shade of royal blue. 

This was the ferry we took across the lake. It was relatively small, holding about 20 cars or so.

The ride across Lake Champlain took half an hour. It was like being on a cruise. The wind was blowing in our hair, there were mountains and islands in the distance, and you couldn't feel the choppy waters at all because of all the weight on the boat. 

The van got to take his first boat ride! He was happy to cover some mileage without adding to his odometer. Taking the ferry saved us about 100 miles of driving. Lake Champlain is enormous. 

We could have been content with this view for an entire day. 

Passing by the other ferry. 

Approaching the small town in New York where we disembarked. 

After the ferry crossing, we had three hours of blissful driving through the countryside and the Adirondack mountains before we joined up with the highway. Just driving through them was majestic and magical, and we were grateful for the experience. 

Collapsed barns have been a too common sight in our travels. 

It was a perfect sunny day for a long distance drive. 

We came across this waterfall in the town of Westport. This town was once home to the largest iron mining operation in the country. 

We stopped for lunch at a deli with this as their backyard. 

A perfect place to kick up your heels and read a book.

Beautiful sun rays in the sky. 

We couldn't have had a better summer leg of our journey, and we're excited about being in Pittsburgh, working, and wedding planning. Stay tuned; we'll still be posting all summer.