Beach narrated in a casual, steady delivery for 45 minutes, unaided by notes. He easily rattled off names, dates, and locations. Lake Champlain’s strategic importance, bordering New York, Vermont, and Quebec, was intriguing, particularly as the main north-south commerce route and during the Seven Years’, American Revolutionary, and 1812 wars. Beach also shared his passion for underwater archeology, where Lake Champlain’s deep, cold, fresh water acts as a time capsule for the 300 shipwrecks resting on its floor. Most notable is the effort to raise Benedict Arnold’s Spitfire gunboat after it was discovered by a team from the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, located on resort grounds.
Beach joked that his sister and co-owner, Pennie Beach, could easily take the baton in telling the story if duty called him away. During another fun moment, a guest asked about Champ, Lake Champlain’s legendary creature, which is similar to the Loch Ness Monster. While Beach was humble in his delivery, one could sense a genuine pride and appreciation for having grown up and lived on his family’s resort.
A Family Affair
Now in their 130th season of running the resort, the Beach family’s love of history, Vermont, Lake Champlain, and hospitality was passed down from their grandfather and is instilled in their children, Sarah Morris, who serves as the concierge, and Dan Beach, who is the harbor master.
It all started in 1886 when Ardelia Beach purchased the working farm in a tax auction with the intention of creating a summer retreat. It was a quiet space on a prime location with hundreds of acres of flat grassy lands on one of Lake Champlain’s larger inlets, affording boats to easily come and go.
Her nephew, Allen Penfield Beach, arrived to work in the summer of 1909 and would take over management the following season. In the decades that followed, he would go on an extensive development spree building cottages, a golf course, expanding the gardens, and bringing electricity to the resort in 1929.
Two generations later, Bob Jr. and his sister Pennie stepped forward to take over the ownership and management of the resort and carry forward the family tradition.
Family Fun
While the resort is so central in the lives of the Beach family, they describe their work as stewardship; something much bigger than themselves that has found its way into the hearts of the many families who return annually for reunions. Unlike the configuration at hotel resorts, Basin Harbor is set up like a summer camp for families. It is also an ideal location for destination weddings and retreats.
Perhaps the most festive family reunion of all is a wedding, and Basin Harbor hosts truly epic wedding celebrations for up to 300 people. However, due to high demand during the peak of summer, full property buyouts are only available before July or after August.
It’s easy to see why large groups return. There’s so much to do, without having to worry about the hassle of preparing meals or cleaning, affording guests more time for recreation with loved ones. Formal activities include golf, tennis, hiking, biking, a complete wellness center, and a pool with hot tubs. Kids play lawn games while adults relax with a drink at one of the many Adirondack chairs, which are distinctively painted red, green, yellow, and blue.
The Adirondack chair, a symbol of relaxing outdoors, is the logo for Basin Harbor. As you recline, watching the sunset over the lake, you are looking directly at the fading silhouette of the chair’s namesake mountains.
While you can find nearly every warm-weather outdoor pursuit on property, the crown jewel is the lake and the many ways to enjoy it. Sunbathing on its shores summons visions of the Mediterranean as lounge chairs are set up along rocky outcroppings above the water and on an expansive dock. The marina hosts a variety of vessels, from small speed and fishing boats to luxury yachts. A quaint sandy beach is the favorite of small children and their parents, cooling off in the warm, shallow waters. Larger kids and adventurous adults fly through the air into the water off the raised diving springboard and floating trampolines in the middle of the harbor.
Food
As anyone who has rented a house for a family vacation knows, preparing food, linens, and activities for a large extended family can be a full-time job. Between shopping, unloading, cooking, and clean-ups, it’s a lot of work and can be a source of stress that itself requires a vacation, after the vacation. Not so here. While not structured like an all-inclusive resort, Basin Harbor offers several meal plan options to simplify, or you can go à la carte at its nine dining options, which all place emphasis on local, natural ingredients.
The Main Lodge has a very large formal room overlooking the lake where a huge buffet breakfast is served every morning, and the space serves as the location for the elevated dinner option Ardelia’s, where it’s not uncommon to see gentlemen wearing sports coats to dine. There is also a casual pub serving burgers and great Vermont beers, a food truck at the lakefront, a pizza place, poolside dining, and a sushi spot to be enjoyed in the lobby and back porch. The popular al fresco surf and turf dining on the North Dock sells out, so make sure to reserve a place for your family well in advance.
While we were there, a jazz band played ragtime classics as the adults dined, enjoyed cocktails, and danced while the kids ran free and made s’mores at the campfire, played lawn games, and chased fireflies. It was truly an idyllic New England summer scene—straight from movies and daydreams!
