It was an epic battle, like Good v. Evil:  Sally and Steven v. Ben and Jerry. Trying out a vegan diet, we met our nemesis, real ice cream. Let’s face it….soy ice cream sucks. So does coconut, almond and every other non-dairy version we have tried. I will tell you that we had to rely on the psychological defenses of 1) Denial (“it won’t taste as good as you imagine…”), and 2) Sublimation (“that bike ride out the Marble Causeway to the Bike Ferry is going to be awesome!”). We won…this round anyway. However, Ben and Jerry’s, Hagen Daz, Double Rainbow, Magnum, and Godiva have not left the planet. The next squirmish is on the horizon…

Although Ben and Jerry’s founded their business here in 1978 in a former gas station, there is more than ice cream to enjoy during a summer visit. The dining tables on Church Street pedestrian mall are bursting with diners. Everybody is happy. They probably just came from the Waterfront on Lake Champlain where people practiced dance routines, martial arts, 2 on 2 volleyball, frisbee golf, and all manner of ball games. We joined the happy bikers who rode the 24 mile roundtrip out the Marble Causeway. It seems to come to an end at a waterway with boat traffic moving between different parts of the large lake. But, no! Friday through Sunday you jump on the BIKE FERRY for a 60 second ride to the next island, South Horn and more bike trails. How cool is that? Even our international biking buddies Ricka and Dave have never ridden a designated bike ferry. Hey guys, add this to your life list!