Biking Vermont

Western Vermont, between the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, offers summer in small-town America with families gathered for picnics on the village green.

A great way to experience it is from the seat of a bicycle. Whether you tavel them solo or with an organized group, Vermont's back roads are a real treat. CBS White House Correspondent Bill Plante hooked up with Vermont's VBT bike tours for a sample.

In the morning, you start out at one of Vermont's legendary country inns, check your gear and hit the road. Ironically, the first stop on this Vermont bike tour was across the lake in New York - at Fort Ticonderoga. Here, visitors check out the spot at which Americans scored the first battle victory of the Revolution.

So you go to Vermont on your bicycle trip, but you end up in New York at Fort Ticonderoga. What's with that? Well it's all part of the fun because crossing Lake Champlain can be an adventure in itself.

Just ride right onto the Fort Ticonderoga Ferry.

"Since 1759...one of the oldest ferrys in the country," says Larry Wanamaker of the Fort Ticonderoga Ferry.

This unusual cable-guided ferry doesn't run on a set schedule. But when it comes, it provides a nice break for the weary biker.

"We get bicycles all day long with some of them going all the way across country," says Wanamaker's wife Hillary.

And at the ferry dock, hop off your bike for a soda or souvenir at Teachout's Lakehouse store where you'll meet Gena Teachout.

Gena has a message - and a T-shirt - for visiting cyclists.

"We also have some people from Florida and they get a real surprise. They tell them when they come you know, it's a little hilly...they don't tell them it ain't flat," says Geena, laughing.

So what's it like to bike in Vermont?

"Very hilly, very hilly," says one woman.

But hey, Vermont's not all hills. There are some quiet flat roads.

And on a bike, you're closer to the people, better able to absorb the sights and even the smells of countryside. Sure, the cows smell like, well, cows. But the meadows and forests are wonderfully fragrant.

On a bike, it's simple to make small detours.

"This is Bartlett Falls. It's one of the most spectacular swimming holes in Vermont," explains Gerry Slager of VBT. The bike tour guide knows plenty of great places to stop and cool off.

So where we off to next?

"Well, we're going to head downhill all the way to Bristol," says Slanger.

And there are lots of quaint Vermont towns along the way for shopping and snacking.

In a small state like this, you might even run across the governor, Democrat Howard Dean, who just happens to be running for president.

"One of the interesting things that happened as a result of Sept. 11 is that our tourist industry is actually doing just fine because people can drive here. We're within five hours' driving time of 65 million people yet as you can see it's incredibly beautiful and not very crowded," Dean says.

And after a long hot, sweaty day on your bike, you might want to stop at a place like Otter Creek Brewing Company, one of Vermont's many craft breweries for a taste and a tour.

"This is the toughest part of my job," Gerry Triolo say as he tastes his firm's beer.

But for this bike tour of Vermont, the last stop for these cyclists was definitely off road. Riders dropped their handlebars and grabbed a paddle for a new perspective on the Vermont landscape.

When you're tired of cycling, when your legs wear out, you can just use your arms. Take a little kayak trip on Lake Champlain. It's easier than it looks.