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What to expect on an expedition: A sample trip itinerary

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What’s a teen expedition with Lake Champlain Maritime Museum like? While there’s no way to truly explain the feeling of paddling on the lake early in the morning through a blog, we can give you a peek into what your trip schedule will look like!

Our expeditions team put together a sample itinerary to give you a sense of what to expect, from start to finish. Whether you’re kayaking, rowing, or traveling by whaleboat, and based on your fellow crewmates and the weather your actual trip might end up being a little different than this example. When you arrive at the Museum on Day One, your trip leaders will bring everyone together to plan and review an in-depth itinerary specific to your group. Let’s take a peek into an example of an 8-day expedition:

A group of teenagers smiling at the camera while wearing PFD vests standing or sitting in the shade of a tree
Expedition Champlain crew ready to set out on their trip

Day One

  • Arrive at the Museum, meet the trip leaders
  • Introductions, icebreakers, and expectations
  • Gear and equipment introduction
  • Lunch
  • Pack personal and group gear into dry bags
  • Safety talk and introduction to safety equipment
  • Get on the water!
A crew waves from their pilot gig on Expedition Champlain. Some expeditions will explore the harbors around the Museum and spend their first night camping on Museum grounds while others will travel a short distance on water to the first campsite. Either way, Day One is all about getting accustomed to moving on the water with your group and setting up camp.
  • Arrive at Day One campsite and set up camp
  • Everyone pitches in for camp duties
  • Dinner and clean up
  • Evening circle to reflect, play some games, and connect with your expedition crew
  • Tent and bed time

Days Two through Seven

  • Wake up
A Champlain Discovery group leaves Kingsland Bay at dawn to reach the goal they set to paddle to Canada. Daily wake up times vary based on the distance needed to travel and the weather forecast.
  • Brief morning meeting to go over the plan for the day
  • Cook breakfast and pack up camp
  • Load boats and hit the water!
  • On the water from about 10 am to 4 pm (breaks for lunch on shore and other activities)
  • Arrival at campsite, unload boats, and set up camp
A fun expedition stop at Shelburne Farms. Some campsites have additional activities available such as hiking and exploring the surrounding area.
  • Camp duties and cooking
  • Dinner and clean up
  • Evening circle to reflect, play some games, and connect with your expedition crew
  • Tent and bed time
Evening fire and rest on the final night on the Sail Champlain trip

Day Eight

  • Wake up
  • Brief morning meeting to go over the plan for the day
  • Cook breakfast and pack up camp
  • Load boats and hit the water!
  • Meet your families and the Museum pick-up team at a boat ramp
  • Celebrate your accomplishment with your expedition crew, share stories, and head home
Champlain Discovery group photo at the end of their expedition.

When you register for your expedition, our expeditions team will share more specific details with you and your family by email, including drop-off time and location. Museum staff will also confirm the pickup time and location within 48 hours of the conclusion of the expedition. Parents and guardians can expect to hear expedition updates every three to four days as the trip is underway.

Browse our current expeditions and teen summer programs. If you have any questions or concerns, we’re here to talk more! Contact expeditionary programs manager, Rebecca Burns, at rebeccab@lcmm.org.

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