Celebrating Isle La Motte and a Picnic

By now we hope that everyone is well aware of the 400 celebration of Lake Champlain. If not, here is the summary: Samuel de Champlain, a french explorer, was the first white man to set foot in Vermont in July of 1609, 400 years ago. It has been recorded that he came down from Quebec with the help of Natives in canoes and he landed just up the street from Nook & Cranny, on the West Shore of Isle LaMotte, where he was known to have said, it an island full of the most beautiful pines he had ever seen. As they did back 100 years ago, for the 300th anniversary, the whole Lake Champlain region of Vermont is celebrating this anniversary with a variety of cultural and educational events. It has become quite the celebration thus far and we haven't even reached the peak, which occurs the first and second weeks of July. If you would like to learn more about this celebration, click here. As part of this celebration, being just down the shore from where it all started 400 years ago, Mom and I thought it only neccessary to honor the celebration with our own event. Introducing: Isle LaMotte and a Picnic Come celebrate the rich history of Isle La Motte with a picnic. Stop by Isle La Motte's local gift shop, Nook & Cranny for an educational map and picnic. Begin your self-guided tour on the land where Samuel de Champlain landed in 1609 and the site of the first French settlement. Also visit the Fisk Quarry, a 450 million-year-old fossil reef, and much more. Bring the kids, your dog and your bicycle or feel free to take the tour by car. This is a great educational event for the whole family. Saturdays, June 27, July 4 and July 11 11 am-3pm Admission: Donation. Picnic for purchase. Please join us for this wonderful event. Mom and I had a great time touring the Island and mapping out the historical places. I had an even better time writing out all the details of the historical places and events. I would now consider myself a local historian of the islands. We hope that you can come learn about the rich history that surrounds the store. It's quite fascinating. Most people probably don't realize, how a small, almost unknown island in Lake Champlain was once a hub for international export, a place where Teddy Roosevelt visited, and land with events going back as far as the early 1600's.